This year as part of our cleaning package we clean the glass in and out, interior frames, sills and screens. I would like to know how many of you do or do not clean exterior frames as part of a normal window cleaning. I’m not talking about with a WFP, just normal window cleaning? I’ve had a couple people complain about exterior frames not being done and I just say that they aren’t included. Any input would be appreciated.
I always wipe 'em down.
Define “clean.”
Wipe them down. That’s what I’m talking about. Good to know Larry, thanks. We clean our drips but I may start telling the guys to wipe the exterior frames down as well. Do you wipe out the tracks as well Larry on a normal window cleaning?
We wipe the sills but I don’t do the whole frame unless I’m using the wfp.
I brush and vacuum the screen tracks at the time I brush and vacuum the interior tracks. Typically, I charge extra for a track detailing, but sometimes I just wipe them with a microfiber cloth as part of my standard service (situational.)
I do
Tony, do you get any complaints for not cleaning the exterior frames or do you tell them prior to the cleaning that the exterior frames will not be cleaned?
I dont offer any other service then a clean window. To me the window is the entire surrounding area to include the outside frame. There are some guys who charge lower then I do here and my thoughts are to seperate my company from them the window is cleaned to an extreme. Besides the glass, all tracks are completed cleaned out to the point were fingers or a tool with a rag is inserted into the track. All dirt is to be removed. ALL DIRT. Upper sashes are lowered and cleaned. Upper track when it’s lowered is cleaned. Corners of the sills, same thing. etc. I tell my helpers if you can move the dirt with your finger it must come off. If it does not come off, then wet your finger and try again. If it comes off, then it must be removed. We can’t make windows look brand new but we seriously try. Res customers do notice that stuff. Outside all frames are wiped down after being sprayed with some cleaner. If they are wooden frames we dont go too crazy as most of the stuff can’t come off. But we do try to get it off incase the customer might decide to paint. Any mold or mildew is must to take off. It makes a difference. Clean a home like that and then go stand back and look at it. It’s one thing to see nice shiny glass. It’s another thing to see the entire surrounding area clean. Really makes the house stand out and makes the windows look almost brand new. When we work like this on the outside, at least every other customer, when someone is walking in the street will book us after an estimate request. I also hear a lot “My last window cleaner did not do that.”
That was an easy answer for me when I started, I do outside frames. Do your own windows, a couple just the window and a couple with frames and all done. Then ask yourself which would you be happier paying for.
Jesse
Do you do glass cleaning or window cleaning? If you do glass cleaning then don’t worry about the frames, if you do window cleaning; well, the frames are part of the window.
I actually have a resi job on Friday where the customer told me that she canned the former window cleaner because they half-assed the sills and tracks.
But as far as exterior frames go, I’ll wipe cobwebs and debris out of them, but anything more is coming at an extra charge
Do you guys usually just charge one price for everything or do you have packages?
I do tracks and frames. I don’t get as ‘down and dirty’ on them as Ray, but they look way better when I’m done.
Now I just clean the glass, wipe up my excess solution, wipe off any loose debris/webs from the sill and around the window frame and go to the next window.
A couple years ago we were in a drought situation - no pressure washing allowed. Windows had to be done from harvested rainwater or well water. I had this one guy call me to clean his windows because he was putting his house on the market. All the window frames were white, painted wood. They were slightly discolored with black mold and he wanted me to wipe down the frames of every window with bleach and then clean the windows. So I laddered up with my respirator on and a spray bottle of bleach mix and some throw-away towels and did it. It took me 2 hours and a few face-fulls of bleach just to do the frames (when you’re on a ladder spraying bleach, there’s no where to go when the wind blows). When I was done, I invoiced his wife for the windows plus $90 for bleaching the frames. She seemed a little upset that I had charged her for the frame work (he was on the phone at the time), but she paid me and I left. I decided then that I wouldn’t do housewashing type work without a machine again.
I do a lot of housewashes where the tracks are chock full of grass, webs, bugs and dirt. When I’m rinsing, the webs literally plop to the ground from the tracks. If I can do a housewash for ~$200 where I clean EVERYTHING from the tracks, frames, sills, etc., there’s no way I’d do it by hand. That would be like handing your lawn guy a pair of shears and telling him to start cutting the grass. If someone has really dirty frames etc. I just tell them the best way to get everything clean is to do the housewash then do the windows. Works pretty well.
Not once. Of course most wcers here only clean the glass and then upcharge for sill cleaning. We include wet wiping the sill and using Screen Magic on the screens as our standard service.
Well said Rob!
Most people around here think that 10 bucks a window is pretty high. Especially if it’s a larger house. In order for me to clean the exterior frames and clean/vacuum tracks, I would have to charge $12 - $14 or so per window. Even if I do a great job selling, in my opinion, around here I would lose a lot of business charging 12 or more bucks per window. Especially when it’s just simply not necessary. These are my thoughts anyway. Thanks for your replies guys. I appreciate it.
It takes less than a minute to take a damp microfiber towel and go over the frame quickly. By cleaning the frame, the window should stay cleaner longer. Removes dirt that can wash down on the window. Customers love it when i tell them I do it for “free”.
I agree. We clean the whole window and if the shutters have something on them like bird stuff I will hit that too. Why not?
I clean the outside frame as part of the standard service its not that time consuming. As far as the track cleaning I negotiate that before hand because that is time consuming. If I am going to deep clean the tracks of a window you have to get paid for your time.
