Greetings fellow window cleaners!
I have always seperated the screen cleaning charge from the window cleaning charge when I give a quote just to give the homeowner an option. How do you approach this? In addition, I’ve noticed that many of you use Screen Cleaner (winsol) on the screens. Do you wash them first? I tried screen cleaner before, actually used it on double hungs with the screens on the outside (big mistake, as the residue was all over the windows the next time I cleaned…extra work). Now I just power wash with a 1600psi power washer. Anyone else use a power washer to clean the screens?
For my standard, in and out service, screen cleaning is included in my price.
For out only, I typically ask if the customer also wants screens cleaned, and add the cost into my final price. It’s rare that someone asks for a separate price, however.
I’ve never used a PW to clean screens, though you’ll read that many do.
Screen Magic gives great results for many soiling conditions.
Much depends on the screens. If they are heavily soiled I recommend a deep screen cleaning which we charge more for. On most jobs we use Screen Magic as part of our window cleaning bid. Of course if the screens are metal instead of nylon then we either brush them (included in the price) or recommend the deep cleaning (extra).
How I handle it is this. If the window cleaning job requires me to remove the screen then it will be part of the price. I will not remove a dirty screen and replace it without cleaning it. Also, I don’t give them them a break down price (this much for the glass and this much for the screen). It’s just “here’s the price to clean your window and screens, wipe the frames, sills and brush out the tracks”.
I’ve tried screen magic and it works great on some screens, so-so others and on some jobs (metal screens) you can’t use it. if I new I could use it on every single job and get great results every time then I would upsell it.
I include it in the price. Yes maa’m this price is for alllll your windows including removal cleaning and replacement of your screens would today or tomorrow work better for you. kinda like when washing a house i include the windows and anything else they may need. Quote them the full meal deal then let them decide if they’re on a diet.
What kind exactly pressure washing are you using? Is it electric? What are the results? I have been thinking about pressure washer for screens only for long time now…Thanks
I’ve always bid the screens the same time I give their initial window cleaning quote. Letting them know up front there’s no confusion whether the screens are part of the cleaning and 95% of the time they don’t question it. If you sell it with confidence they’ll assume it’s standard. I do have to explain to some that have used other company’s in the past that threw them in. Although I’ve always hated doing screens, I’ll be using Screen magic this year. For those of you that include screen cleaning, that stuff seems too expensive to give away.
I’m going to give customers three choices:
Brushing - $2
Washing - $4
Treatment/restoration (Screen magic) - $6
We might be up selling Screen Magic( haven’t had a chance to see how easy it will be for the guys/myself to apply) this year, but for right now we always include Screen, frame, and sill cleaning with every quote. If they balk at the price, we drop the screens usually, which is fine with me because I hate cleaning screens!
It usually depends on the job when I give the estimate, but I have almost always separated them. I hate screens! But if the just need a quick wipe down I throw that in. However I am just starting to try screen magic, I like the idea of offering different prices… Mmmmm. Thanks Justin.
I’m not sure I get the difference between basic clean and deep clean. To me, a screen is either clean or it’s not. I always give my customers an all inclusive price.
For 99.9% of screens that we clean all we do is take our strip washer with your window cleaning solution on it and scrub them off both sides. Then (if outside tape them with your towel to Tap off most of the water) wipe them clean with your towel. You’ll burn through towels pretty quickly, but this way works great. I’ve had customers look at me and say “is that all you do to make them that clean?!”. EDIT: Make sure to remover the screen from the window first (obviously). And we charge $1.00 a screen for this method.
Absolutely. Of course some screens are dirtier than others. If a screen is heavily soiled we get more to do the cleaning that is required to make it clean. Most of our jobs can be cleaned w/ either a brushing (as in the case of metallic interior casement screens) or Screen Magic on nylon screens.
