Whats up guys. Today I cleaned windows for the first time ever (my own house). It is a 2 story house and it took approx 2 hr 15 minutes to remove screens, wipe down frames on screens (didn’t clean the screens as they weren’t dirty) and clean inside & outside first story windows. I have to still do the tracks & 2 story window. Longer than I thought it’d take but it was my first time. I have a few questions.
How can I get the bucket on a belt (mine is the blue one) to stop moving around. I felt like my squeegees and mop were making it thrash side to side everywhere I walked. I tried tying the blue string around it to my leg but the string kept falling below my knee and/or loosening.
The tracks were wet because of rain today so I couldn’t clean them. If this a real window cleaning job I would have to do everything in 1 day and wouldn’t want to come back to JUST clean the tracks and bottoms of windows where all the dirt collects. A brush or window track brush (the one with red bristles) would’ve made a mess. In that case just use a microfiber towel and do the best I can to mop up all the wet muddy water/dirt (rain made dirt & hair, etc. turn to a nasty muddy sorta sludge)
The windows came out really nice. But I want them to be so clear that a bird would fly into it. That kind of clean… I’m very apprehensive to use a razor or steel wool. I used a magic eraser instead but this took a lot of rubbing to get some tiny almost needle size patches of paint drops off some windows window. Is there any kind of solution I can put on these spots to make it where I don’t have to rub a magic eraser for 20-30 seconds in one spot? Just to save time if there are multiple windows that have multiple areas of these kind of blemishes.
How do I squeeze off the excess water off my mop after dipping it in bucket? I kept use my hand and was running down the mop but I had to use my microfiber towel to dry off my hand every time and I’d want to conserve my microfiber towels for detailing not for drying off my hands.
I want to practice some more. Would it be bad for my business if I went around town tomorrow and asked
a couple store fronts if I can practice on their windows? Meaning now they now I’m new and maybe in the near future won’t pay me to clean their windows. My windows were already pretty clean as it is a new house.
I think that’s all the questions I have. Thank you.
How can I get the bucket on a belt (mine is the blue one) to stop moving around.
They are kind of made to do that. You get used to it, and sometimes you just hold it still while walking or squeezing between things.
The tracks were wet because of rain today so I couldn’t clean them.
Probably won’t run into this all of the time, but the track brush will loosen it and then wipe it down with any kind of towel, or run around and pre clean the wet tracks with a brush and shop vac. Pain in the butt, but you shouldn’t run into it all of the time.
The windows came out really nice. But I want them to be so clear that a bird would fly into it.
Don’t be so hard on yourself…A one inch razor can loosen or dislodge the hard surface of bug dirt, bird dirt, artillery fungus, silicone, etc, then the Magic Eraser makes quick work of it.
How do I squeeze off the excess water off my mop after dipping it in bucket?
Squeeze the excess with your hand and have a dedicated towel to wipe your hand with, or have a sieve for your bucket.
I want to practice some more. Would it be bad for my business if I went around town tomorrow and asked a couple store fronts if I can practice on their windows?
Clean your windows again - practice technique as much as getting the dirt off. Practice on family and friends houses. Approach a business as a business - you work for a living, you’re not running a charity.
Great to hear your getting some squeegee time. You’ll learn more as you do it, better techniques and methods that you pick up from others but be sure to customize to your preference.
Bucket on a belt is a tool that gets better with practice. Positioning is key. I wear mine at about 5 o’clock and get mostly no wet pants or tipping. Bending down it still stays mostly upright at that position. Walking, it doesn’t get as much of the swinging motion too.
Tracks can be a pain, best to clean dry. Find a good brush to help knock dry dirt out of corners and edges. Know what type of tracks your upcoming job has, some times I will reschedule if overnight rain just because wet sludgy mud kills time. Or dedicate one rag to them and constantly shake excess outside window.
0000 grade steel wool is more friendly but still aggressive enough to efficiently remove tougher debris.
On a typical house we have 50 windows. A few dips in a bucket is all it really takes. We use 5 gallon buckets 1/3 full and dips one end then other using hand to strain excess water, do t over think it.
I would never go around asking to perform free services. Rather try and acquire the account and learn, your initial slow time will get you wondering by itself how you’ll ever make a living from it. Just keep at it, your time will get better depending on your personal dedication.
What most impressed me about your post was how clean you want your finished window to look. Cant teach that but also keep finding ways to increase your speed and keep that quailty.
For inside generally you don’t want any water dripping off the mop when you take it out of your boab. Learned that from @Luke
That helped me a lot. If you have a small dawn bottle you can use that as squirt bottle for when your mop gets dry.
Remember that you are in the
people business. Most issues that arise are from personality conflicts, not glass issues. Hence, good technique is good but only so good.
You can practice on nonprofits’ windows. They rarely have funding for WC so they will be very grateful. Their windows will be real dirty too so that will be good training for the "haven’t been cleaned in quite a while (aka not since Mt. Krakatoa blew its’ top) " new accounts you will be landing.
This was the main reasons I disliked boabs for so long, I had a small liquidator channel a few weeks ago that I had siting in the small slot at the rear, the boab was flopping all around that day at the previous job, then I get to the job where I REALLY needed that 10" channel and it was lost. I have recently purchased the “other” new boab on the market and am very pleased with it no more flopping around. I would have gone with the samurai if they were available here, maybe next year.
I had a job yesterday and I went to do the tracks and they were all wet, we had no rain recently. I suspect the owners washed the house the day before with pressure washer. I was pretty lucky that the tracks were not real bad and just was able to wipe out the damp dirt. The main reason I do the inside glass first is so the tracks are dry when I clean them, track brush and a quick vac does the most of it then clean the glass the runoff from the glass wipe up with rag: tracks clean.
Are you putting water in your Boab?
I know some people do, I find a boab just used to catch any water that may drip from your tools.
Steel/bronze wool seriously polishes glass nice. Birds will fly. Avoid tempered and avoid self cleaning. Using it lightly will enhance the clarity. At least, I believe.
Search knots on google. Make sure you are using a good one to tie, to your leg. I am sure you can find other ways to attach it as well.
Practice - Go at night time when strip malls are closed and practice. I found some vacant stores and used those.
Go grab some jobs, practice while getting paid. You can and will get the perfect result. Even if technique isn’t, the results will be. Your best friend is your detailing towel. Who cares if you get lines, keep practicing and just DETAIL!. Even if you have to BUFF the whole window quickly with a detailing rag. Do it and walk away proud that another practice day is in!
Yes dry towel for sure i usually have 3 towels going. 1 microfiber for picking up excess water, 1 for detailing and 1 for extra detailing/buffing. That one usually stays dry and only comes out to pick up any slack.
i usually have 3 towels going. 1 microfiber for picking up excess water, 1 for detailing and 1 for extra detailing/buffing. That one usually stays dry and only comes out to pick up any slack.
