Cleaning in the Sun problems,....help

sounds like you all need a WFP! No more streaks in the sun.

This is just something that I’m going to struggle with and continue to do so. I was prepared to be amazed with the GG4 and Super Slip, … but I was not. Started with straight GG4 without any SS the squeegee just would not move,… seemingly stuck to the window.

Really, why is the alleged best window cleaner soap without any glide anyway??

So I added some Super Slip,… a little better but squeegee would still stop in places. Added a little more (capful), … slides around OK but leaves basically the same result as dishsoap. It still leaves a residue and doesn’t glide as well as Dawn IMO. So for the past week or so I’ve been experimenting with various amounts and haven’t found a good happy medium yet.

Today I’m doing these big transoms and the sun is shining from a far window directly into the transom. Using GG4 and SS. Not good results. Nice smooth pulls, but when dried the smears were present. So I went to the car, got a clean sleeve and used straight water. Also flipped my squeegee to the best sharpest edge. Better,… but still leaving dried residue marks. I could not clean this window to my satisfaction and was pretty frustrated. Must be some soap left in my ā€œcleanā€ sleeve or on my squeegee.

To top it off, I popped open a door to clean the other glass door (sliding double doors) and broke the damn thing. I’ve done it many times without problems (it’s the only way to clean these things without closing all doors and obstructing traffic), but today it came off it’s bottom hinge. Manager said ā€œno worriesā€, but I felt terrible.

Anyway the ā€œsoap in the sunā€ issues continue for me. I’ll keep trying the suggestions given and try to persevere. You’d think by now I’d know what to do. I think it’s because I care about the results a lot and perhaps when I was working for someone else I didn’t. Anyway thanks for the help people.

Hmm… Have your tried scrubbing a soaked window with steel wool and then re-wetting? It might be some sort of soap residue.
I have this problem sometimes, I just chalk it up to poor glass.
Also, with straight gg4, you should try super clean water and almost ā€œdragā€ your knuckle’s across the glass. Not quite, but almost. that will help with the slip.
Clean in the sun is hard, I don’t care how experience you are. If your experienced, it just means you can do it, lol, not like it’s preferable.

I broke a storm window last friday 'cause it was re installed incorrectly and before I left I couldn’t get the super old alarmed screens to to connect according to their control panel. I felt terrible too, but you know what? It’s just part of it. Pay for it and move on. Or in your case, I guess you have a free pass. Free cleaning next time?

I use ecover also, and Have the same issue with the white streaks and dusting as with dawn when working in direct sun. We use ettore rubber. Searching for a solution. I’m going to try the GG4 I suppose

Contrary to some there are also professional window cleaners who do use Dawn. Be sure to get a good amount of your solution on the glass and you may have to do small sections at a time if it is evaporating before you can squeegee it off. True on the dirty water, or could be the angle you hold the squeegee, or a combination of things. The tip on the steel wool may help too if some other contaminant is on the glass keeping you from getting it clean and dry. Humidity really sucks to try and get some clean glass too.

If all else fails spit on it and rub it with your shirt sleeve. j/k

We have been using dish soap for 40 years now works great for us, cheap easy to get a hold of smells great. When using it in the sun just need to really use lots of water on the window and keep your squeegee swings short dont take to much water off at one time. Thats just my 2 cents on the topic hope it helps

A Wagtail with a pad could be a solution for you as well.

I didn’t see any mention of fanning. Do you do that? Are you doing straight pulls only. Fanning helps with the speed before it evaporates and if you keep your washer in the other hand and load it up really well with lots of water and less soap than normal, then that should help. I’m not sure the wagtail with a pad would help as it doesn’t really hold enough water. I have those horrible sunny windows and I know my wagtail Flipper or whatever it’s called this year just can’t keep up.

The Wagtail is used in Australia & Dubai because of the heat problems & the quick drying. I use a bottle on a belt - this does the trick - just pour the water in the pad & squeegee straight away without changing tools. I think if using straight pulls it will count a lot for glass drying out, especially if you are trying to change tools. If you are using this method as ShinyWindows mentioned, I don’t think you have a chance unless you try it with 2 poles with applicator & squeegee. Personally I know that wouldn’t work here in 120+ heat on the glass.

I’ve been cleaning windows for 7 years I never used to have this problem at the beginning when we used pulex rubber and ammonia with dish soap, I’m allergic to ammonia though it burns my leg. I started using sorbo and had this problem especially when fanning its mostly designed for straight pulling and they have a fanning rubber but it sucks. I started using ettore a couple years back had no issues with their t shaped rubber i switched to ninjas and had to start using their rounded rubber and the problem persists. We use dish soap and I’ve tried gg4 with hard water and gg3 with soft water and that makes it worse on the type of windows that are giving us problems. I tried using the pulex rounded rubber and it doesnt streak but I’ve noticed the quality go way way way way down recently like within the last 12 months or so, now the edges wear out in less than a day and leave squeegee lines on the ends so I have to go through one piece of rubber a day whereas used to get it to last a week a few years ago. With the ettore rounded it streaks just as bad as the sorbo and the pulex edges wear out way to fast. The quality of rubber has gone WAAAY DOWN. I don’t know what the manufacturers are doing differently but it sucks. Or maybe its me but gg4 is the worst in the sun and dish soap is always good except lately with the rounded ettore rubber so I don’t know what to do.

Wow, I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe just don’t clean glass in the sun?

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If you want perfect windows for interior glass that is hot and facing direct sunlight:

  1. get a small pump sprayer and fill with deionized water
  2. put a towel below the window
  3. spray entire glass piece down
  4. straight pull from top to bottom
  5. wipe edges with ā€œECLOTHā€

Bam! Perfect, streak less, shiny clean windows even in direct sun-hot glass

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I hate working in direct sunlight. When I do a residential I ask the customer what’s the earliest I can start so that I can clean the windows ahead of the sun. When I explain that to customer they agree. I’ve never had one yet argue that point. I’ve recently started using dazzle 100. I wanted to see if it would perform better than dawn in direct sun, well, it doesn’t. At least not for me. Heck towels are a nightmare in direct sun just as has been stated already. My advice would be to start early and work ahead of the sun.

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I agree with the post about the quality of squeegee rubber. I used brand new Sorbo rubber today in my 18 inch and no matter what I did (fanning, straight pulls, side pulls) it all streaked like something fierce.

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Welcome back, [MENTION=6469]Jaran[/MENTION] :slight_smile:

I once posted that GG4 is the best window cleaning solution period or something similar and that was before I used it in the sun on certain windows its great in the shade on most residential windows and some commercial windows but it has a tendency to leave a residue even when used as directed, thats why I mostly use dish soap im gonna get some slip and see if that helps.

I’ve used slip several times before but after 7 years I’m still learning stuff every day so Im gonna try it again and see if i can notice any difference. also not sure if my employees are ruining the rubber I’m honestly fishing for advice on the best rubber for ninjas

Hey Jaran in regard to soap and slip, I have been using this for the last few months and seems to work good.

EBC Glide Window And Glass Cleaner

I was wondering the same thing with the ninjas and the rubber

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