When compared with other window cleaners, I noticed that I tend to take longer to clean the window. I think I am detailing too much. I am probably being too anal.
Anyone have any advice?
What are you detailing, besides wiping excess solution from the edges of the glass?
I was thinking the same thing?
As long as the finished product is of the best quality then if it takes you a little longer so be it, speed comes with time a top notch finished product should be your goal.
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Count your steps when cleaning a window. Then cleaning another window and see how you can knock off a step or two. The less times you have to holster your sgueegee or towel the better. Like for instance after I wet the window and Im going for my squeegee I also grab my wet towel for the ledge with the other hand. Then when your using your dry towel for the edges and tops use two hands (one finger from each hand in the oppisite coner so you dont have to stop and adjust the towel to get a dry spot. Little things will help you out alot in speeding up. make every move count!
I donāt know what youāre doing, but I went thru something similiar. I was spending a lot of time on the edges. I trained myself one quick swipe per edge and off to the next window. If youāre wiping more than the edge and doing it often, you are doing something wrong.
As cold as it has been getting Iāve been concerned about the amount of detailing I do myself. It is really cold and I hate using a towel with my bare hands (because I canāt find a good enough glove that keeps me warm and allows me to detail) because they freeze. I always tend to leave like maybe a quarter inch or less of solution that I need to wipe. And I have a lot of doors where I want them looking nice. So I looked into some different techniques. I really havenāt found many good videos that helped me but one did.
What the guy did was this: he started the squeegee along the left side going up(Rt handed), then he would go down with the opposite end of the squeegee and keep doing this for a few seconds in what to me seems like a figure 8. I think its called a super whirl or something like that. Anyway if you do this to each side there ends up being nothing to detail except the bottom where everything drips to. I havenāt perfected it yet but Iām doing a lot better with less detailing. I never thought to go over the same area at the side where the tiny amount of solution collects, but now I do and it helps me a lot. Of course you canāt do this with every piece of glass but it certainly has helped me with the ones that I can reach by hand. I donāt know if that description makes sense, ā¦ I can try and find the video if you want to see it.
If you could find the link, that would be cool.
I know some guys might laugh at this but you gotta learn somewhere. I never had the good fortune of having a great window cleaner show me how to clean glass so what Iāve learned is from videos, reading, and just plain trial and error. Just found the link, hope it helps. The part where he starts to talk about not having to detail starts around the 6 minute mark.
If your fanning try using a smaller channel. It helps give better control near the edges and provides more even pressure across the surface of the squeegee. I cleaned only had to use 1 huck towel for 10-15 windows yesterday which is really really good for me. Im still pretty new. I use to use a 1 huck per window.
WOW - I think the trick is using several huck towels. I use a wet one for the bottom sills, somewhat damp for the bottom of the glass, and a dry one for the top and two side edges. I rotate them as my damp becomes close to wet. Iām not talking dripping wet, just the wet I donāt want to be touching glass with. One per window is crazy 
I can get thru a full day with 6-7. Between jobs on sunnier days I put my becoming damp on the dashboard rotating with other damp. Sorry if my blabbering is hard to understand, it makes total sense for me 
I completely understood you, Justin. 
Me, I use one or two maybeā¦ but I do a lot of ācutting the edgesā so I donāt have as much excess water on the sides.
Yeah 1 per window is crazy. You gotta organize. 1 for bottom sills, 1 to wipe off your squeegee if your not tapping, and then your regular detail.
However using a smaller channel did help me cut down on the amount of water left on edges significantly.
We use scrim for detailing. When the temps arenāt freezing we also use a PVA towel called the AquaDry. Itās our sill towel and can be rinsed and wrung out almost dry so it last all day. We can use one scrim all day because of the AquaDry. In the winter I use the previous days scrim as my sill towel. Saves a ton of laundry and is the best detailing towel Iāve ever used.
<a href=āhttp://shopwindowcleaner.com/window-cleaning-tools/towels-sponges/scrim/3-scrim-pack.html?SID=31b2cf977660a9df1e72e8133bd02600&a_aid=mistersqueegee&a_bid=bbf1bb44ā target=ā_topā><img src=āhttp://www.shopwindowcleaner.com/affiliate/accounts/default1/banners/unger scrim-1.jpgā alt=āā title=āā /></a><img style=āborder:0ā src=āhttp://www.shopwindowcleaner.com/affiliate/scripts/imp.php?a_aid=mistersqueegee&a_bid=bbf1bb44ā width=ā1ā height=ā1ā alt=āā />
Hello Mr. Clearā¦
Iām Dangerous good to meet you here. Now Iām not sure how long youāve been cleaning but Iāll approach my response as though your new to the industry, just so that others who may be new can see a Son of Ettoreās point of view !
Being slow in the outset of your work is actually a good thing because you need to learn techniques and process"s. In time youāll pick up speed as you learn processās and master essential techniques. By doing so youāll minimize your moves which make things go quicker and not be rushin (I donāt mean eastern European) !
Rushing can lead you to being sloppy (like the Seattle Sea-Slops) and or toward a serious of fatal accident. So learning at a level pace is a good thing which can help destine you to being a " Son of Ettore " !
I once ask the Son of ETTORE who train me ( when I was a Pollywog ) " When will I be considered a Window Cleaner ? " He threw me his rag at the end of the day and said , " When your rag feels like this by the end of the day Pollywog, then youāll be a Window Cleaner " ! My rag, (# umpteenth rag), was really damp and his rag (# 1 ) was dry as a bone and still pretty, pretty, pretty, clean !
My brother Mr J-ster hit the nail on the head when he said that he cuts his edges most of the time and saves himself from having to detail very muchā¦This is advanced technique, his exclaims can will be acquired with time and effort and training, which also will help bring you to the level of " The Sons of ETTORE " !
Now donāt over shoot you need to take clear aim Mr Clear, detailing is still practiced by even the " Sons of ETTORE " ! Iām always checking my work even when I walk by it to garner something from my truck ! Visualization is key, and seeing your work from a different angle always gives you a better angle (Iām not talking about fishing) at seeing and detailing. Just another step towards that level of " Sons of ETTORE "!
One last point but not the final lesson in learningā¦
Many here will rough shod me on this because many here donāt use it , but using a sponge to wipe up ledges, clean frames and wipe off squeegees will help minimize time and effort and the use of less rags itās key to being a " Son of ETTORE ", Iām sure if you could ask The King of window cleaning today ( GOD rest his soul ) he would tell you that he used a sponge and that it should be a key element to being a Window Cleaner.
" Thank You Mr. Ettore Steccone for all youāve done to adopt many as your Sons ! "
Now mine you Iām not saying that not using a sponge wonāt work because I know of many who donāt and window cleaning can still happen, but without one it is like using a fillet knife opposed to a pocket knife when filleting a beautifully caught and killed 30lb King Salmon, caught on the Klamath River right at day break with no wind, and being right in your 16ā kicker boat, within sight of the river bar ! OH YEAH ! Now thatās sweet, and using a sponge is real sweet yawl ! Again Iāll say, it also it prevents the use of a ton of rags !
Well Mr. Clear many here have given you some real good pointers, Floyd-sterā¦ Mr. Simpleā¦ Mr. Justinā¦ bubba-Joeā¦Brother Jfrom-DeTwaā¦Tommy boy from RACE CITYā¦and the MEGA CLEANER in I-O-WAY [COLOR=ā#ff8c00ā]MISTERSQUEEGEE ![/COLOR]
HOWDY YAWL !
WELL thatās my 2,000,000 pennies for you, have a great business and [COLOR=ā#ff8c00ā]" BE SAFE ! "[/COLOR]
DANGEROUS āSON OF ETTOREā
Does anyone have successes notching their squeegees? Like the brits do to get rid of excess water on the edges. Dog Earing Window Cleaning Tip
Wateron-skiā¦
Iām Dange good to meet you hereā¦ HOWDY !
Say excellent tip MY MAN ! Thatās something from the school of " THE SONS OF ETTORE " ! Iāve been doing that for 31 yearsā¦and I got it from a " SON OF ETTORE " ! You sound like you might have shades of being one [COLOR=ā#8b0000ā]( " SON OF ETTORE " )[/COLOR]yourself Wateron-ski !
Mr. Clear these folks are loaded with info ! Just take your pliers and bend down slightly the corners of your channel and that should push your rubber into the edgeā¦I couldnāt be as clean without doing that !
Dangerous to dirt
P.Sā¦just checked out that sight that Wateron-ski put out there Mr.Clear-ski and it looks right on DUDE, give a look-see and a try-ski Mr.Clear-Ski and all you other New-skis !
Check out this video about a DVD that has allowed me to nearly eliminate the need to detail with some simple to learn advanced techniques.
The DVD is over 40 minutes of traditional advanced skills. I use it to train my help and have stepped up my skills, and speed as well. I already had over 5 years experience when I bought this DVD. It has been the best $35 that I have invested.
YouTube - Advanced Window Cleaning Skills DVD
Hope this helps you out!
Matt
Does anyone have successes notching their squeegees? Like the brits do to get rid of excess water on the edges.
I do that. It works pretty good.
After you mop the glass, use a towel to edge BEFORE you squeegee the glass. So your pre-wiping. Doesnt matter if the towel gets wet. Just wring it out after a while. This way you can also keep your hands dry and warm wearing water proof gloves. I do this if Im working in heavy rain or really humid weather, where the edges ābleedā really bad. You just have to fan a little more carefully.
I can get the edges 95% clear of water using this method.
Iāve found that if you are using huck towels the best way to reduce time is to use two fingers to point it towards your edge.
I always pull from the upper left corner down, then without taking the rag off the glass I rotate my fingers slightly to bring a slightly drier part of the rag in contact with the water and pull across the bottom.
Finally I start again from my upper left working across the top, slightly rotate and pull down.
Make SURE your motions for ragging are always in a top to bottom direction, never up.
Another thing I do is take the channel rubber corner and (for the lack of a better term) ācut outā the top giving me a slight dry section at the top when I pull down. It reduces the amount of water you have at the top making for less drips and easier ragging.
