I learned two ways. From watching YouTube videos and trial and error. How did you folks pick up the trade?
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worked for a large window/exterior maintenance for almost 2 yrs.
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Worked on a crew doing CCU for 2 years after high school. That’s where I learned the basics like fanning, scraping, ladder safety and work flow.
Fast forward 10 years.
Learned a lot more from the WCR forum this year about different methods and tools. Natural sponges, scrim towels, wagtail and liquidator squeegees, bronze wool and a few other things were totally new to me a few months ago but are now a part of my daily arsenal.
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Ok so you guys can laugh at me… but I will be honest. My first lessons on window cleaning were youtube videos from…
The myth, the man, the legend…
Don The Window Cleaner Marsh
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Hey man whatever works.
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From a surfing buddy in Socal! Then it was trial by fire, Learned all the important stuff from The WCR University and members!!
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When I was offered a job running the cleaning company I eventually bought I encouraged the owner to branch out into WC but he was satisfied with keeping it as an included service for current clients. I became intrigued with the WC process and did all of the WC for our clients once he showed me how to straight pull and feather. He didn’t fan so I learned that from YouTube.
Like @Samuel said I have learned so much from being on the forum, such as carrying a detail cloth and a frame cloth, 3M Glass Cleaner, Liquidator, 0000 steel wool, scratch waivers, etc. Thanks!
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Doing work for a friend. He sent me to all his places where quality didn’t matter that much. The back of a car body shop, cheap grocery stores, etc.
The first day he showed me, he took me to this very nice house on a river. They have a big, glass pool room. Tons of glass. He shows me how to fan on a pane, then watches me do the next one. Then he says, “Do this entire room. If you start a window and your squeegee comes off the glass, do that window again.”
Then he left to do the rest of the house.
That was basics. After that, practice, practice, practice. And plenty of tips from others along the way.
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Same way…youtube videos and trial and error. Found several helpful YT channels like yours, Steve-O’s, and Wagga’s and started watching and trying to mimic the mechanics of different fanning techniques and pulls. When I started, PolznBladz’s channel was down, but he replied to me on here one time and started sending me some of his old videos before he started his channel back up. Tons of helpful people in this industry for sure.
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I have a small Janitorial company and had picked up accounts with window cleaning requirements, so I went to YouTube and watched Luke, Steve 0, Inwinblades and WCSkills (Mark Strange). It has just been under a year so far and I’m still learning and most of all enjoying the trade! Thanks guys for sharing your expertise 
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Funny to look back, but I bought a VHS tape online. This guy was selling an instructional video of how to clean windows, tools I need to buy, etc. YouTube did not exist back then.
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its funny i never new people washed windows until i saw the job post on craigslist. i never thought about it, and grew up poor so we never had our windows cleaned by a pro.
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I was working at a bakery , one day I asked the window cleaner who cleaned the shops windows for a job (1989). The rest is history
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I learned so much from his videos. Felt they were a great start on the path.
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I’m pretty new… Like 6 months, but, I am an employee and work on jobs far beyond what I would realisticlly get on my own in that time frame, I can say this…
The first video I ever saw was Steve-0… It was magical… Luke the window cleaner has been an incredibly strong influence… I have watched hours upon hours, read everything I could ( and I still do) wagga… Lee burbidge… Polzn… Anyone that had any info… I had all this info , but an unpractised hand.
The first window I ever had to squeegee was on the second floor exterior, on a slanted roof, and reality hit pretty quick. All these fluid techniques I had studied so diligently in my mind had not made the move into my body haha… Awkward, juttery, sloppy and streaky… I did the same window about 7 times until it was passable…
Since then real time practice , and getting nose to glass on both sides of the pane has really helped. Anyone who appears masterful, was at one time, a bumbling newbie haha. But I’m still learning lots, and thanks to Steve o , Luke and Reanna , polzn, and everyone else who gives of themselves to educate… Just remember, no matter how good the teacher , you gotta show up and invest yourself in the work…
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I got an aluminum squeegee and watched a grip of YT videos. Cleaned my sliding glass door using different techniques hundreds of times, then started up with a local storefront guy. I then worked for a company that focuses on residential, and learned how to work my way around a house. Since everyone on crew had a different way of doing things, I wrote down which made sense and which didn’t.
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my wife’s father cleans Windows for the past 30 years. I worked with him for a couple days and then he started having me do his jobs for %30. I was a roofer for 4 years before this so ladder safety was already there.After about 6 months I went out on my own and the rest is history. He still gives me jobs when he can’t get to them. I would always pick his brain on things if I didn’t know them.
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That means a lot… I’m glad the videos have helped you
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He is a big reason why I choose window cleaning. I was searching for a service business to startup and here pops up this old guy that was kinda funny to listen to… then he posted the video where he said he showed 70k earnings… lets say I was instantly hooked…
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