I’ve been doing pretty much all tiny storefronts, mostly 10 panes and under, usually exterior only because they have so much crap on the inside. Yesterday I did my first bigger job. Technically still a storefront I guess, but I washed 65 sides.
I definitely learned a lot. My speed was OK, but my fanning still isn’t as optimized as it could be. Also learned little bittie vestibules are a PITA to do with a pole. Should have brought a stepladder, but it wasn’t originally supposed to be included. I also definitely need a bigger squeegee and mop. I have an 18 inch squeegee and mop, and the large panes definitely would have gone faster with bigger tools. Not sure if I want a 30 inch, 26, or 22 though.
All in all I’m super stoked. He wants me back in two weeks when they’ll move the tire racks out of the windows I couldn’t hit, as well as to scrape some overspray on the interiors. Then it’s biweekly for exterior, and every 4 weeks for everything.
Thoughts on a microfiber and a 50/50 DI/ISO mix for the interiors once the insides are clean? I tried it today, but the interiors had too much built up junk to work. Seems like once I have a base clean it would save time detailing.
Noted. I just stumbled on the two DI indoor waterfed setups WCR sells and figured they must work. Are they just a gimmick then? I assumed they would save time detialling and wiping up the water from the sill. I do this part time to supplement income since I take care of an elderly family member, so I’m just hunting for anything that will save time, haha.
It’s not a gimmick, there’s just a time and place for everything. A tire shop is not one. The windows that have tires in front of them will probably have a film that would be smeared by the pads.
I don’t think you necessarily need a bigger squeegee. What you do need is to be efficient with your 18. And knowing how to efficiently use a pole will save you a ton of time. A bigger squeegee might help but it might not if you have to switch between different sizes.
If anything you might want a wagtail for upper windows if you already have skills with the pole.
That all makes sense. I for sure need to up my efficiency, I just figured the same level of efficiency with a larger squeegee would translate to decreased time per pane, since almost all of them are the same size.
On a other note, just had my first account pull the old “We’ll call when we need you.” My quote sheets specify that the price is only good for every 4 weeks at most, so I don’t charge extra for first time cleans on repeat accounts. Cleaned their grimy ass windows, and they informed me they would call some time in October.
A larger squeegee can help, BUT what helps more is getting your technique down solid where you don’t have to think. I spent like 99% of my time with an 18" and a wagtail 12" for both storefront and residential. 18" is probably the most versatile squeegee size.
Yeah, when giving the quotes you tell them that if you want it done every 4 weeks, I’ll just show up and start cleaning to not get in the way of your business or customers (never check in with the customer or else you’ll get the “they still look good, maybe next time”). You have a route and you reserve specific times for specific jobs. If they want an “on demand” service, then raise their price up by 50% since you’ll always be doing the “first clean” AND you’ll have to juggle your route to maybe (maybe not) fit them in when they need it.
You can ask them if they want an 8 week schedule and raise the price by 25%. But let them know you don’t do quarterly for less than (make up a number) $150.
You’re trying to build a route made up of many businesses. If you go chasing one off jobs, you’ll waste gas and time.
Edit: it’ll also help you to start thinking of being a bigger business with established routes. “I’ll be in the area next week and can fit you in then.” Or “I’m in the area today cleaning your neighbors business would you like a quote? I can get it done today.”
Yeah, I told the I was offering a repeat service, they said they’d let me know if they wanted monthly or bi-weekly, then they just changed their mind, haha. They woukd have been a bad customer anyways.
I am definitely doing what you mention in the edit. Between lack of time and the fact that nothing is closer than 20 minutes from me, I just can’t afford to be running all around, not at storefront prices. Right now I’m focusing on one particular town until I either can’t take any more there, or I just can’t get more accounts. Then off to the next closest town.
I use a 36" sorbo and a 22" sorbo on my big sites and it saves alot of time. My fav soap is the Winsol 120, with a squirt of dawn. I do mine on a monthly. If I had to do them every 2 weeks I’d definitely be hiring some help cause they are some huge sites. The 36" saves me about 200+ pulls and shaves off about a hour or so.
Fanning is cool and I enjoy it, but when you have 200+ plates…just pull em
It seems like every time I straight pull I have to wipe down the rubber, tapping it off never seems to work. But if I had a bigger squeegee I wouldn’t have to pull it down and wipe as many times. I think I’m gonna try fanning with a smaller squeegee on smaller jobs, strsight pulls with a larger squeegee on the bigger jobs. I felt pretty unprofessional with how long the tire shop took, even though they were fine with it.
If that is the case maybe try another slot in your channel to lay the rubber in to. I’m runnign black diamond this season and it’s been good so far. Maybe try another soap too. Some soaps will bleed more I notice…hell sometimes the high humidity seems to cause problems some days…
Don’t feel bad you will get in your groove after you do it enough times. My first big commercial site took my two trips. Now I got it down to 5 hrs!
I usually do most my fanning with wagtail slimline flipper 18"…I love that thing on my smaller jobs…
My current setup is super budget, the Unger pro 18" swivel stuff from Home Depot. It only has the one place to insert the rubber. The humidity might be part of it, we’ve had an insane amount of rain in my neck of the woods recently, to the point of flooding we haven’t seen since Irene.
So I absolutely angle my squeegee, the only thing I don’t do that they suggested is leave 2" at the top of the pane. The tire shop job is a handy example. Tons of drip marks from the manager cleaning the glass himself. If I had left a gap, wouldn’t there have been a strip of unclean glass? Thus far all my jobs have been first cleans, so the whole pane is usually pretty dirty.
I might have to pick that up for maintenance cleans. It’ll blow having to buy a new pole, even the short Sorbo pole is like twice the cost of my 8 foot unger, but I dig the nipples a lot
