Just starting out. Never cleaned a window in my life. I have a great full time flexible job so I can ease into this.
I think maybe I would like to get my feet wet a little before I go out and get a WFP system.
So apart from WFP what do you consider necessities to get started. I am talking everything from ladders to squeegee’s, etc. Please be as specific as possible
I drive a Ford Explorer and have a 5x10 utility trailer if needed.
I recommend buying quality equipment, as shown in Luke’s video, then do lots of WC to see if WC is a business that you want to pursue. The easiest way to get WC jobs in the beginning is pro bono.
Find friends, family and non profits, they will like your price and will be receptive to your learning curve. If you learn that WC is not the business you want to pursue it will be easier to sell the quality tools you bought than some cheap HD junk.
@gottifire I purchased a couple different starter kits when I first started my business (1 year ago on the 15th). Most of the things that came in the kits, I don’t really use. However, I like to keep things as simple as possible, I also live on an island so I try and stick to equipment I am able to purchase locally (to avoid huge shipping charges).
Here is a list of what I feel would have been essential in the beginning:
26’ Multi ladder (versatile, stable & easy bring them inside if needed)
Window Cleaning Bucket w/ lid (to keep water in when you do commercial work)
Belt Bucket (the Unger belt Bucket I have does not fit Ettore squeeges perfectly, but it still works)
Unger Padded belt (is pretty comfortable and has loops to hang rags on)
Surgical Towles *10lbs. (I prefer new over recycled)
Dawn dish soap (can get big dawn platinum bottles at Costco)
Telescoping Pole 16’
Garden Hose 75’/50’ (don’t go cheap here)
Plastic Hose Nozzle *plastic so if dropped it doesn’t break anything. (We use these a lot where I live, usually need to Hose the windows down first to remove sea salt, and soak the geko poop).
Replacment Squeegee Rubber
18’ T-Bar *make sure it fits on your poleI (I like the rotating kind)
18’ Mop (seems like Unger monsoon works best for me) *anything I can’t use an 18’ mop to clean, I just pull out a micro fiber towel to wet/soap the glass.
Microfiber towles (I use these for frames and tracks, helps stretch my surgical towles)
K then, hope this helps. I think it will vary from area to area though. There are a lot of different variables, Cleaning windows were I live is going to be much different from cleaning windows in NY, so tools needed and mostly used will change as well
If you work flexi for your job maybe ask another window cleaner if you could shadow him for a while to work on technique and to learn.Hopefully you can find someone that would let you do that.
