On many of the residential window jobs I do, the windows are plastered with dead bugs (I think?), small spots all over the windows. Anyways, I have yet to find a time effective way to remove them. I use both a scrubber and extra fine grade steel wool, which removes some of them, but not nearly all. Scraping with a razor takes them off with ease, but due to the volume this is extremely inefficient and kills profits. Has anybody had experience with this/have any thoughts or methods to better remove them?
Thanks
Not bugs, scatter mold, shotgun mold - it goes by a few names.
If there is mulch or organic matter on the ground near the windows it pops and can travel up to 20+ feet. Doesn’t take long to stick to the glass, frame, and building.
It usually comes off fairly easy by soaking it well, let it dwell a few moments, then scrub with extra fine steel or bronze wool or white 3M scrub pad, then wet and squeegee as normal, or WFP. Stubborn ones do take a razor for ease.
Soak well, scrub well, razor is fastest. They come off easier when you charge more…
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I assume you’ve tried wool/pad with a cream abrasive like cif?
Hogs hair brush. Tried and true.
fingernail or 0000 wool-after soaking in both cases
…I think the organic material is helping strengthen my nails
Warner Plastic Pole Sander Head,… Amazon.com
Unroll a wad of bronze wool (bronze wool pad might work) attach it to the sander head above, screw it on to a small pole. Wet the window or windbreaker then scrub away.
if it’s yellowish, out in southern west coast that’s bee pollen, need better product answers for sure on that stuff
Have you tried TSP? You want a solution that cleans better than dawn, that would be the stuff. Everybody used it back in the day. Now we use use something more gentle.
PS
TSP and a Hogs hair brush. Powerful compilation!!!
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I appreciate the responses.
Looking further into it I believe Garry is right about the substance. “Shotgun” or artillery fungus. Seems like that stuff covers every window, regardless of what is below it. Maybe just something to do with my area (Pennsylvania).
So basically what I am understanding is before washing the window, soak in solution for a few moments and just scrape or scrub as efficiently as possible. Stuff seems tougher than steel wool, so biting the bullet and immediately scraping seems like the best option. However, I will be looking into a hogs hair brush as well.
Thanks again. WCR community has helped alot.
Hey that sounds like something I can get behind
I buy some larger nonscratch brillo pads. They’re about as big as my hand and I can just do about two passes on the whole window and its good to go. Worth a shot, they’re $5 at Home Depot.
When you mentioned a white 3m scrub pad, I immediately thought of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. Would they be a quality substitute? I have an abundance of them and would like to use them on glass when needed.
I cut them in half as it is just the right size I need and they last longer that way.
8" scrub pad
Mr Clean Magic Eraser I also use for removing stubborn debris like silicone, greasy hand prints, etc.
I get those from Aliexpress for about 5c each - they are melamine foam.
Not quite the same thing, Magic Eraser is what you are thinking of? Think of the green abrasive Scotchbrite pads only the white abrasive pads don’t scratch glass like the green do.
Yes I was thinking of Magic Eraser. With plastic abrasive pads - just as you said the green Scotchbrite pads scratch. Wikipedia says they have metal oxides in them.
I have found that the floor buffing and wood floor sanding people use round and square plastic pads with colour coded abrasion. I have good results from using the white pad but also the red pad on the glass. Green pad and above are too coarse for glass but green - red are suitable on most plastic and metal window frames. I know the colour coding is not universal so you must test first - I will ask 3M about their opinion because I think they are the original manufacturer.
