[EasyClean]

(I've been reading this forum for quite a while now picking up tips here and there from quite a few people).

My question is how do you actually improve on your overall speed when it comes to cleaning the windows quicker using WFP method

Do you cheat on windows like bathrooms (translucent glass) like the traditional window cleaners practise??
Do you cheat on the frames ??
Do you increase your flow of water ??
Do you replace 2mm jets with 3mm jets ??
Do you just rinse only (no scrubbing) if the windows look fine ??

I am constantly getting faster all the time but still looking for tips so if anyone has a good tip would you please mind sharing it on this forum ??

[Majestic]

You dont have to cheat on cleaning windows, just get the price right to start off with

[JM123]

after a few cleans you'll realise that the glass doesn't need much attention at all - really its only the top frame that needs a good clean, the glass only needs a quick brush over as the water used to clean the top seal has done most of the work for you already!

Now I'm waiting on the backlash but hey my customers love it - quality workmanship doesn't need to be slow.

[Paul Coleman]

(I've been reading this forum for quite a while now picking up tips here and there from quite a few people).

My question is how do you actually improve on your overall speed when it comes to cleaning the windows quicker using WFP method

Do you cheat on windows like bathrooms (translucent glass) like the traditional window cleaners practise??
Do you cheat on the frames ??
Do you increase your flow of water ??
Do you replace 2mm jets with 3mm jets ??
Do you just rinse only (no scrubbing) if the windows look fine ??

I am constantly getting faster all the time but still looking for tips so if anyone has a good tip would you please mind sharing it on this forum ??

On obscure glass, I tend to just do a quick brushing without really rinsing off (except for first cleans).
I save time on first cleans these days.  I go around them twice anyway as it does a better job that way IMO.  So, on the first pass, I do one face of the building, then the next face etc for tops and bottoms.  It doesn't matter if it is still dripping because the second pass can be done all tops then all bottoms anyway (less hose movement on first pass so saves time.
Ignoring what I've written above for a moment, on many jobs it's possible to save on hose movement if you plan in advance.  e.g.  You may start at the front (tops first), work around to the back, then when you get to the back there may be a conservatory and/or some lower windows that don't have any windows above them.  Do the top ones first that are above other windows then do the conservatory and windows that are not below other windows.  By the time you've done that you can do the other lower windows at the back as the dripping has stopped or eased sufficiently.  You then work around to the front again on the lower windows (hope you followed that).  Of course there are a number of permutations depending on house and windows layout.
If there is a bit of flat roof where I need my ladder, I usually do that after tops but before bottoms as there will be a bit of time while I'm on the roof when the dripping slows down etc etc.  Again this saves moving the hose back to where I started.
I feel that a faster flow rate helps me work more quickly (up to a point) though this has to be balanced with leaving water lying around - especially if there is a danger of freezing.

[pjulk]

I use a high flow rate and find i get the job done quicker than if i was using a low flow rate.

But with WFP once you have got the first clean out of the way its a doddle and you should fly round.

And there no need to cheat whatever the method.
The customer pays to get all there windows cleaned to an acceptable standard now if you start cheating by maybe missing frosted windows you will lose the customer.

Price the job right right in the first place and do the job properly

Paul

[jouk45]

You dont have to cheat on cleaning windows, just get the price right to start off with

right on, you could not have said that better

[Londoner]

WFP is quick anyway, there is no need to cheat. Speed comes often not from the actual cleaning but by eliminating the faffing about while setting up and packing up.

I still have a trolly system that I built myself a year ago. Now I use it virtually all the time like a van mount. The purchase of a good metal hose reel, some microbore hose and push connectors ( all from Varitech ) has done away with a lot of wasted time loading and unloading.

[Paul Coleman]

You dont have to cheat on cleaning windows, just get the price right to start off with

Too right.  I always clean every window that I quote for as well.  If there is a reason that I'm unable to do particular window(s), I tell the customer.

[Davew]

I'm finding a lot of time and effort is involved with extending and collapsing my pole if I can avoid this with a bit more thought I'm quicker and less tired.

[dai]

I use a high flow rate and find i get the job done quicker than if i was using a low flow rate.


That's what I found, I increased my flow rate and found myself working quicker to save water. On beading glass, rinsing takes longer than the washing and the higher flow rate helps with this.
When I say a higher flow rate, I am using about 50ltrs a day more than before. I can still do a full day with 200 litres.
Stick with the 2mm jets. Dai

[Adam Boss]

"Do you cheat on windows like bathrooms (translucent glass) like the traditional window cleaners practise??"

Easy, i don't think you will make many friends making comments like that mate, i have been trad for nearly 20 years and use wfp now aswell so if someone pays you to do a job and you cheat on the service you provide then i put that down to stealing.

Asboss

[Mr. S]

Always do a top job that way ur customers will b happy and they will recommend you. Id rather this than somebody say 'My window cleaner leaves dirty windows and frames'!

I still do the best job poss even if some customers prices are still too cheap, but sortin that out over next couple of months!

[Paul Coleman]

"Do you cheat on windows like bathrooms (translucent glass) like the traditional window cleaners practise??"

Easy, i don't think you will make many friends making comments like that mate, i have been trad for nearly 20 years and use wfp now aswell so if someone pays you to do a job and you cheat on the service you provide then i put that down to stealing.

Asboss

When I first started using WFP, some of my customers saw the general concept of WFP as "cheating".  I politely informed then how much it cost to upgrade my business and told them that if I wanted to cheat people, I could certainly find a much cheaper way of doing it.  Half a dozen people lost a regular, reliable window cleaner (me) over this and similar comments.  It was no loss to me.  Some of them are now paying someone else double the money to take three times longer.  I know this because I recently met one of the guys who took some of the work on.  He thanked me for the work and I thanked him for taking some dross work off my hands.  We had a bit of a laugh about it.

[Clive McDonald]

Did my own Today and like you easy I am always looking for ways to get faster (cheat).

I have three ensuites and a family bathroom uspstairs.I did the obscured glass, but I did it fast. When I did the insides I could see spotting at the top where I hadn't rinsed properly.So like you I thought you could cheat a bit, but you can't.Also I have a hard to get to window that I thought a quick wipe over would do that was a poor result as well.

This is the second time I have done my own house and the results are brilliant, especially the frames. I have had to make a good job because of adverse comments from customers and my wife not being a full believer. As regards the customers I am picking up ones that have already fallen out with window cleaners and have been very critical but I have tried hard to learn from it even when the complaints have not been justified.

[EasyClean]

No offence intended to the 'honest' traditional window cleaners with regards to missing toilet/bathroom windows although I know for a a fact that it is a commonly practised thing amongst those with sub-standard prices as a way of cleaning houses faster to compensate for the below standard prices which they accepted.

When I WFP I use a high flow rate along with telescopic poles fitted with mono-filament brushes. I always ensure bird droppings get a soaking first, then the top frames are thoroughly scrubbed, whizz down the sides, quick scrub up and down, then rinse (Brush on) from the top downwards, finishing off with a quick wipe off along the cills. Even when I'm rinsing I'm quick.

I don't think I could guarantee doing the job any faster without compromsing a quality clean. My set up, which order of windows to clean (allowing for drips to run off, etc) is spot on.

How can other window cleaners do an average 3 bed semi in 10mins is beyond me. I can't and have been thinking to myself perhaps I'm too slow or doing something wrong?

I can clean very large properties/blocks of flats/hotels quickly because I find there is little time spent fluffing around setting up and putting away but doing small houses is too time consuming.

I live in the Westcountry where wages are low in comparison to many other areas but do charge a higher price for my work than other local window cleaners. I realise that the most important issue for a good hourly wage is getting a good price to start with so I'm not selling myself short and always try to get a decent price. I don't think I can raise my prices much more without sacrificing my workload because of the prices other local window cleaners are charging in my marketplace.

The only reason I started this topic was to see how I could improve my overall speed (without actually cheating) and I have read all the above comments and taken it all in. I do appreciate all the help I get from this forum and I too like to help other members with advice wherever possible.

[EasyClean]

after a few cleans you'll realise that the glass doesn't need much attention at all - really its only the top frame that needs a good clean, the glass only needs a quick brush over as the water used to clean the top seal has done most of the work for you already!

Hi JM123, I've read your comments. Are you saying that you just pay attention to the top frame (Not the sides) and simply rinse the glass without scrubbing. If so, does the glass dry perfectly without leaving any deposits of dirt behind. I sometimes think that I am going to quick on the rinsing as I am getting really fast now but still cleaning the windows properly without any complaints.

[JM123]

Hi easyclean, sorry I didn't describe it very well.  I start on the top seal, back and forth twice then up and down both sides once, I then scrub the glass very quickly then rinse from the top, zig zagging all the way down.  A normal pane takes about 15seconds/20 seconds to do but I don't clean the sills unless its a conservatory.  Its a waste of time as the water running down the glass cleans the sill anyway. 

[EasyClean]

Hi easyclean, sorry I didn't describe it very well.  I start on the top seal, back and forth twice then up and down both sides once, I then scrub the glass very quickly then rinse from the top, zig zagging all the way down.  A normal pane takes about 15seconds/20 seconds to do but I don't clean the sills unless its a conservatory.  Its a waste of time as the water running down the glass cleans the sill anyway. 

Snap, exactly the same as you in method and time except I clean the sills as well because a lot of my older customers would moan if I miss the cills because a lot of my work is on the coast where the sea salt is carried in the air on windy days.

[JM123]

Hi Easyclean, I do a fair bit of work in Portrush/Portstewart - North Atlantic comes in there - it doesn't get much saltier than that, just turn the flow up a little, 1pm on the varistream and you don't need to do the sills. 

[Jacob Keyes]

Have you thought about goin on the BWCA Waterfed Pole Course? They'll show you all the tricks to get the best results in the shortest time.  I'd recommend it to anyone, even someone who's already been WFP for a couple of years might learn a thing or two.  www.bwca.co.uk