Hey guys, so I’m a newbie but have been doing a lot of practice and have gotten a lot better. However I’m torn between two solutions I’m having issues with both of them. My issue is while I’m getting a lot better on larger windows sometimes I miss miss a spot or leave a streak on the glass, and when I take a step back and look it’s not apparent until later when it dries. Now obliviously this is a user error but again I’m new and still learning. However when I use dawn and the spot/ streak dries it leaves a horrible hazie white spot on the clean glass. Now if I use GG4 and happen to miss a spot it’s a little more forgiving as it won’t leave a haze or a residue. So that’s my issue with dawn.
Now with GG4 obliviously it dosent have the slip that dawn has however I know there are a lot of aftermarket slip additives I can use to improve that my main concern/ problem is the lack of suds. I love being able to see suds not only dose it help when useing steel wool but when I’m fanning (for me at least) it’s easier to see what I’m doing and easier to help me prevent missing a spot.
So what do I do? I don’t want to loose the suds but I don’t want to clean someone’s windows and than leave and after I leave when it dries the customer is left with marks on there windows. However with GG4 sometimes it’s so hard to see the solution on the glass sometimes it’s like pure water.
Is there anyway to add suds to GG4 with out adding dawn?
in my opinion, use dawn and just get better at not missing spots. it comes with practice.
also, is this residential or commercial? if it’s commercial, just be up front with them, hey, i’m still new, it’s my intention to give you the best service of anyone in town but if happen to make any mistakes and don’t catch them, please give me a call and i’ll be back by the same day to make it perfect.
You pretty much have to decide what’s more important to you as the operator. Can’t have it both ways. You get less residue with GG4, but it’s harder to see if you’re missing a spot without the suds. You can get serious haze with dish soap, but it’s a safe bet you’ll see your sudsy error before the solution dries on the glass. The better you get, the less of an issue this becomes. Just pick one or the other and roll with it.
P.S. People who mix Glass Gleam and dish soap together are weirdos.
What type of practice have you been doing is it cleaning the same window over and over or is it actually in the field with actual dirty windows?
If you’re cleaning the same window over and over any Mark Left Behind is going to be less noticeable because what your leaving is only clean water and soap if you’re in the field you leave a mark the Mark will show up more because it’ll be dirty water left behind
Also what type of Squeegee are you using ? if you over squeegee a window the opportunity leave marks is highly increased.
I wouldn’t recommend a new person to use any system that uses small squeegees 2 over fan windows.
to reduce mistakes try this:
cut in at the side and go across the the top.
make your turn and when you go across again keep your eye focused on the top edge of the water keeping your blade with about an inch over.
do this all the way down.
try to do it so your passes are as straight as possible and go slowly enough to be accurate.
I want to actually start doing work in the field so right now I plan to concentrate on commercial/ storefronts. How ever as far as practice goes it’s been just at my house with the same 4 or 5 windows, so yes I basically keep cleaning clean windows. As far as squeegees I’ve been practicing with a few different kinds and sizes to gain exposure with different channels and handles. I’ve been using an unger ninja,unger ergotech stainless and sorbo quicksilver all models in both 12 inch and 18 inch. I’ve been bouncing around between all 3 to see what I like and that seems to be harder than I expected as I like and dislike things about each.
put the word out to your friends that you’ll clean their windows for free so you can get some practice
Sounds like your not using enough water before you squeegee. (Window is starting to dry by the time you grab your squeegee)
Don’t want suds? Use less soap. Dawn and Joy are the best soaps. You don’t need soap gimmicks to clean windows.
The suds are a great way to learn and see that you missed a spot here and there. So what if you have a little more to wipe up on the sill after you clean the glass. The suds will be an easy marker to learn what you’re doing.
On that note, I use GG4 and Ecover (on my last bottle now… so bummed) I don’t use GG4 on every job. I prefer GG4 for storefront work, also mixed with dawn sometimes, the GG4 is great for a shine and I love it.
You just have to keep experimenting with water amounts and soap amounts. Don’t ask people “the ratio of soap to water blah blah blah” on the forum, the best way you can get an answer is to just go for it and learn how to eye ball the amounts.
When I was learning I used wayyyy too much soap sometimes, slowly I learned how to make a bucket properly though.
The only real good tip I can give you for mixing a bucket would be to put water in first (I prefer just under half a bucket of water) then I add a little bit of soap and toss my strip washer in to mix it up.
I’ll have to take a minute and record a video of it for tomorrow, I have a mellow job tomorrow so I’ll have a little time. I’ll post the video in here tomorrow when I get home.
Use gg4 + Dawn. You get the slip of Dawn, the stay-wet-longerness of gg, the streak forgiveness of gg4 and an amazingly refreshing smell you only get from using the two.
P.S. There will be haters, but don’t let that discourage you.
… Use a hog hair brush and you will NEVER have a problem
with “no suds” gg4.
Interesting… I’ve never heard this idea before.
GG4 is all I use. 3/4oz to 1 oz per 3 gal. of water. Any kind of scrub sleeve = no suds. Hogs hair = too much suds if not careful.
Yeah and if you use it with dish soap you’ll have enough foamy lather to shave a yak…twice.
oldschool trick. Ammonia. The old timers swear by it and so do I with a couple squirts of dawn. You get a great sparkle and shine with ammonia but you want to make sure and clean off the seals so they don’t dry out faster than they normally would. I have been using this since I started in the 90’s. I make about 3 gallons per load in my big bucket and would guess I use a couple cups of ammonia for the outsides and a little less for the insides as it is pretty strong for some sensitive home owners or restaurant goers. If I am trying to go detail free or can anyway I sometimes add some dawn right to my sleeve for slip. Try it and see what you think.
Are your hands like a leather after working with ammonia for so long
not too bad. i think the dawn counteracts that.
i have tried many of the products the distributors push and they are all hard on the hands.
