New to window cleaning and doing it for fun just for experience, going D2D and stuff. The only thing that sort of is blocking me right now is figuring out how to do flyscreens, especially since I live in Australia and it seems most flyscreens must be removed from the inside(I haven’t found a way to safely remove from outside, if anyone knows please tell) so If I have to remove flyscreens I would have to go in their homes but I’m a bit hesitant since I don’t want to break anything and also don’t think many people are that easy going to let you go in their home. So the question is do I tell them they have to do it or do I somehow just wash while the screens are on? Im currently using basic stuff like squeegees and microfibre mop heads.
If anyone knows please tell me. I’m not sure if it’s normal for window washers to go inside homes to remove flyscreens.
Would you be happy if someone only washed half of your car? 
Welcome bro!
I agree that outsides-only seems simpler, but it’s not an ideal result. Most of my resi customer’s interiors are dirtier than they realize, it only becomes noticeable once the exterior is cleaned. Because of this, some might even assume you did a poor job on the outside.
Yes, you may have to go inside anyway to properly remove certain screens, otherwise you may bend the frames.
Next time you run into one, update us with a picture? I’ve only had to go inside if the screens have that spring loaded peg fastener.
It’s impossible to clean glass with the screens on, so nix that idea right off. As far as breaking things goes…you will, knock a photo off the wall, tip over a flower pot, knock an electric blind off the window frame and pay 1000 dollars, or hit a ceramic moose off a desk and pay 500 for it. Yeah, I’ve done all that in 25 years. Do people down under not want you cleaning the inside?
So far I can do it with my own homes screens, it’s just putting them back seems like an impossible task, it seems like a one way thing. I use one of those paint scrapers to lift the flyscreens up and then pull them out, but I can’t seem to manage to put them back inside. Here’s an image of pretty much the typical screens you find here, they have pull tags. Not sure if America or any other country have the same but I’ve seen other people on videos remove them from the outside and put them back on from outside.
1st rule of screen removal is not to use those plastic tabs to remove the screen. The sun eats them up and then when they snap off, you may own a screen repair. They go back in by getting one corner in the frame at a time, get the top left corner in the top of the frame, the top right in the right side and with a quick smooth motion, rotate in the frame making sure the bottom right corner snaps in the bottom track at the same time. You can use a little more force on metal frames then you think, they’ll flex. Do a little research on screen repair none the less. You will break one or two.
I have found in 25 years of cleaning windows in Australia that 75% of screen are only removable from the inside, in most instances this will involve removing the sliding window in order to get the screen out, not something you can do from the inside.
Only cleaning one side of the glass is quite problematic, as if the inside have not been maintained or poorly maintained then your work will not shine as you would like it to.
Ever residential job I do i start inside remove windows/screens, dust and vacuum the track and clean the inside of the window.
Depending on your location the inside of the glass may be dirtier than the outside.
Thanks for the insights! Yeah I was going to say that it seems our screens are a bit different, I see a lot of Americans removing theirs from the outside. I have a question, would it be best to go d2d or door to business I guess to store fronts to clean their windows first? And then move up to residential?
If you have more time than money, d2d residential will pay you better, if not quicker. I don’t know if you have a particular “season” But if you’re not in season, flyering will pay off in the long run. I’ve gotten calls 6 months, 1 year and beyond from the time I left a flyer in their door. I also don’t know your postal system but trying to get postcards in those neighborhoods that are gated is worth while. Residential is most likely to earn you free clients (word of mouth)
Yeah thanks! I was wondering about cleaning in the winter though? How do I get jobs when it’s cold?. I’m in Australia so our winters are pretty much just overcast and rainy so no snow. The only reason I would want to do business is because storefronts are quicker to clean and have no flyscreens and I can walk inside without it feeling odd 
TBH if I were you I would get yourself some experience.
Many younger people watch a video or 2 with some influencer bragging how easy this is and how you can make bank, thinking they can just buy some hardware shop gear and deliver results.
There is much more to window cleaning than you can pick up in a you tube video, at the end of the day would you learn MMA from you tube videos then go challenge a champ. No you would not even consider it, but you assume you mimicking what you see in a video will make you a good window cleaner. It will not, you might fake it for a while, go back on all the windows you have cleaned in the shade and look at them when the sun is shining right through them nice and low, it will show every error, every buff of a linty cloth , everything…
Yes! Agree 100%. I’ve pulled those off too many times thinking…“oh this one should be fine”. Nope don’t trust it. Don’t touch it. Don’t even look at it funny. It will snap off.
I do agree, but how am I supposed to get experience then without going out and cleaning? ATM I’m not quite sure what you actually mean?
After 8 years since starting mine, I’d highly advise you to go work for someone to learn on their dime. Do it for a season, save some money, and then do your thing. Right now, you don’t even know what you don’t know.
Well said.
OP, spend a few weeks on here just reading and searching, it’s worth the investment of your time.
