[Mr. S]

............ more and MORE window cleaners are beginning to use wfp?

Need I say anymore?

If so should we start getting paid what we truly deserve from our customers?

[matt]

imho the more window cleaners, the more choice for the customer, the more chance of prices coming DOWN

[Londoner]

I fear the day when we are paid like plumbers will never come. I do see a lot more vans about with brushes and poles on the roof but actually cleaning windows I still see a lot of ladders.
I worry that WFPs will create a situation where people outside the industry will see window cleaning as a business opportunity in its own right. To an extent this has already started to happen, there are companies offering franchises ( can you believe it ? )
These clowns will have to try and muscle in on our work and the only way they are likely to do that is by offering a lower price. With expensive vans and staff to pay for they will be desperate.  

[JohnL]

Interestingly I have noticed how many of my customers are commenting on how much water WFP must consume when we are supposed to be on a collision course with global warming and possible water shortage problems!   

Sorry if thats a slight change of tack to this thread   

[Ian W]

I was thinking the same thing. The average person uses about 160 litres a day, so using 500 litres or whatever to clean windows seems to be opening up the trade to claims of being wasteful. Has anyone heard of any claims like this?

[ronaldo]

I wouldnt worry about it, a car wash at your average Tesco stores will use more water in a day than every window cleaner in that area would in a week and i cant see them being asked to close, and the amount of water that gets wasted through leaks everyday around the country would keep all the window cleaners on wfp going for years.

[xxmattyxx]

That may be the case, but theres always going to be an element of double standards and hypocrisy in society.

Lets not forget either, that although a window cleaner might only use say 400 litres of water cleaning windows, how many litres has he needed to produce 400 litres of water.

What other trade uses 1,000 litres of water per man day?

[Ian W]

I agree - I am sure all of those things are wasting more water. But the water companies are being panned for not repairing leaks, car washes get closed during any drought, etc.

For window cleaners solely using wfp, isn't there a chance that there may be restrictions enforced in the future? No one will be paid what they should be worth then.

Being a newbie, I had forgotten that there is waste water produced too. From an environmental perspective, somebody is going to be looking at the industry soon, surely?

Just another thought, how much water do the trad cleaners use per day?

[gordonswindows]

All very good points but can i just clear up a misunderstanding.
Many car washes use very little water as the tank is only filled once when first built. The water is recycled it just pumps through filters to clean it and uses it over and over much like the little water features you can buy. Many fountains also operate like this.

[gordonswindows]

All very good points but can i just clear up a misunderstanding.
Many car washes use very little water as the tank is only filled once when first built. The water is recycled it just pumps through filters to clean it and uses it over and over much like the little water features you can buy. Many fountains also operate like this.

[Ian W]

I didn't know that. Once the water gets low is the water automatically topped up, or does it have to be checked manually?
I am not sure that the same thing could be applied to wfp, but imagine the possibilities if it could? Perhaps something like the carpet shampooers that suck the water back out of the carpet. Imagine using one 200l tank a month! 

[matt]

I didn't know that. Once the water gets low is the water automatically topped up, or does it have to be checked manually?
I am not sure that the same thing could be applied to wfp, but imagine the possibilities if it could? Perhaps something like the carpet shampooers that suck the water back out of the carpet. Imagine using one 200l tank a month! 

i think you have just described the pro 10

[Clive McDonald]

The standard and the subltey of the plants is getting better. That was brilliantly worked in and none of us saw it coming. Will it win me a lot of commercial work and pay for itself in a couple of months?

[Paul Coleman]

All very good points but can i just clear up a misunderstanding.
Many car washes use very little water as the tank is only filled once when first built. The water is recycled it just pumps through filters to clean it and uses it over and over much like the little water features you can buy. Many fountains also operate like this.

Even with a recycling unit, each car takes about 18 litres to clean.  I'm sure this must be so because this was the figure presented to drought order hearings last year by the car wash profession.  If the usage were less, you can be sure they would have said so.  In fact, carwashes without a recycler in the Sutton & East Surrey water area had to close down until a recycling unit was fitted.  Sutton & East Surrey was the only water company to activate a drought order.  Other companies obtained them but they were never activated.

[simon knight]

I didn't know that. Once the water gets low is the water automatically topped up, or does it have to be checked manually?
I am not sure that the same thing could be applied to wfp, but imagine the possibilities if it could? Perhaps something like the carpet shampooers that suck the water back out of the carpet. Imagine using one 200l tank a month! 

But surely then the water wouldn't be "pure".

[Pat Purcell]

The standard and the subltey of the plants is getting better. That was brilliantly worked in and none of us saw it coming. Will it win me a lot of commercial work and pay for itself in a couple of months?

Makes you wonder why?

[Ian W]

Simon, no, you are right it wouldn't be pure water. There would have to be a filtering system. That'll teach me to open my mouth before putting my barin in gear.

Matt, I didn't know about the pro 10. Thought I was onto something. 

[matt]

The standard and the subltey of the plants is getting better. That was brilliantly worked in and none of us saw it coming. Will it win me a lot of commercial work and pay for itself in a couple of months?

indeed, they no longer stand out like a sore thumb, must be paying  better

[calmore]

I am not sure that the same thing could be applied to wfp, but imagine the possibilities if it could? Perhaps something like the carpet shampooers that suck the water back out of the carpet. Imagine using one 200l tank a month! 

I'm a CCer and had been wondering whether it'd be possible to devise a window cleaning attachment for a portable carpet cleaner!

I mean, most machines have a 100psi+ pump, sufficient to feed a pole. It'd also have twin vacuum pumps to dry the glass squeaky clean.

All it'd need is a filter and a pump to move water between the waste tank and the solution tank and bob sherunkle!

[Clive McDonald]

Just checked you out Calmore to see if you are real.(you are)

One thing though, if you or someone spends £100k plus on the R&D involved with you are idea, are you still on for having your windows cleaned for £7/£8, or have you found someone?