Hello hope all is well.
I just had a question regarding screen cleaning.
Do any of you take out the screens and clean them in the house with like a scrubber and perhaps a towel?
I’d much rather save the time of removing all the screens, taking them outside, hosing them and then putting them back in.
So instead I am considering just removing a screen per window and cleaning it on the spot some sort of way.
I would probably need to put a tarp on the ground to prevent the carpets and floors from getting wet or something.
Part of how I sell my service is that I clean and towel dry the screens as well as clean the tracks and windows. I have a screen cleaner set up in the front yard for all of the neighbors (and the homeowner I’m working for) to see, or folks driving by. Think of it as a marketing tool. I charge to wash the screens so it is not a waste of time for me. Now, if it is just a couple of screens then I lay down a large bath towel and clean it right there on the spot as I do that (those few) windows. If you get it set up right you can clean several screens at once, towel dry, and stand on their corners to drain more effectively while you are cleaning the windows, then collect all of the now dry screens and replace them to their particular window. I know sometimes all screens don’t fit all windows so I write on the top of the frame with a sharpie which window it cam from. I can be in and out lickity split for the job I’m doing.
I’ve used a spray on foaming evaporating type cleaner on screens before, did it inside. Something like Evap foam no rinse for AC coils. It was my boss’s idea. If the screens aren’t filthy I would possibly do that. Just put the screens on a thick beach towel and spray.
But Screens are always so dirty. There’s no way to get them really clean inside without making a huge mess and being more trouble than it’s worth. Just take them outside and clean them.
I use the screen cleaner when there are more than 20 but usually we wash with a hose and mop then use thick and white/super thick on a sponge to make them look incredible. I charge $2-3.
I find the perceived effort of using the screen cleaner is a plus. A guy was driving by one day as I was on the sidewalk working the screen cleaner and he said “You must be a professional window cleaner”, then asked for a quote to do his windows. Use it to your benefit right out in front for all to see.
It’s really up to you. However, I would never clean screens inside a home because where I’m at it would result in a mess.
You could just tell the customer that the screens get a quick wipe, or for $2-3 extra you can run them through your screen washer. The screen washer is a great marketing tool when the neighbors see you outside washing screens. And it could easily be an upsell.
Personally, I found that trying to clean them by hand (in my area - the southwest) took longer than running them through the washer.
Plus, I designed my screen washer to provide advertising space: just get a custom sticker made with your company name and phone number.
i tried for awhile taking them outside and cleaning them with my wfp equipment for an extra fee. then i tried the unger fluffy pads on a pad holder dampened with water. does a better job way faster.
at that point i dropped the fee for the screens and added it for wiping the tracks. much better.
we will take them outside if they are really bad otherwise over a drop cloth at the window.
Totally agree with cleaning them with a cleaner appliance. It helps you stand out and works oh so awesome if you’re rural or in a dusty area (PHX, Utah, etc). Our customers love it!
I find with the really dirty screens that I have to use a wet white scrubby pad to agitate the dirt off then run them through the screen washer with 5 or 6 back and forth swipes to get the mesh nice and clean. I do charge for screen cleaning and track cleaning that is reflected in the over all price.
I took like a scrubber type of thing for yesterdays job and just scrubbed the screens with the soap and water from the bucket and then used a dry towel to dry them up.
I was also placing a tarp / towel on the floor so the floor wouldnt get wet.
I think this saved me time.
In Las Vegas our screens seem top attract the red dust and everyone wants screens cleaned. I try not to use my bucket water as it gets it very dirty after just a couple screens. It’ll take a good 2-4 scrubs to get the crud off and on sliding windows with screens when we wash them on the track it acts as a anti-soap and shield against squeegees and I squeegee of the water from the screen wash first then use my mop so as not to get it saturated with the dirt from the screen.
I can’t not charge for screens as we will spend the same time getting them clean as with 2 panes of clean at $6 vs $2-3 for the screens and solar screens are nightmares.
Have you thought about a screen cleaner? It rinses as it agitates, that way you aren’t scrubbing with your mop. I’ve gone from $3 to $4 per screen. The window isn’t really clean if the screens aren’t as well. I get that they can take that same or more time than a window. Charge for that, $5-$6 window per side, $4 per screen, $2-$3 tracks, the job is the job and charge accordingly.
Soap attracts dirt, it is its purpose.
If you don not rise the soap off with water, and only pat dry, the screens will attract dirt much faster.
Which in turn will take longer to clean the next time around.
Hello long time dreamer here, but this month I started my business. I have been debating a screen cleaner but in the mean time I did buy a WFP system. For screens this week, I set up my 5 foot blue step ladder with trigger clamp across to act like an easel. I attached my WFP brush directly to water (No filtration) and brushed the screens with running water.
I have not found an effective WFP solution/setup to clean screens. Maybe a one-off when its a small bathroom screen, maybe. Trust me, the screen cleaner tool is designed for efficiency and ease. We use it all the time, from small screens to 8’ tall sliding screen doors. We originally purchased the screen cleaner for a commercial resort job knowing that cleaning about 3,000 screens was going to suck loads of our time if we didn’t have the screen cleaner.
It takes less time and effort to setup, use, and take down the screen cleaner than it does ladder, clamps, and water fed pole.
With brushes working both sides of the screen on the screen washer, running it back and forth several times gets a good clean job. (You may still have to use a scrubbing pad to get the frames done well no mater how you do it).
Don’t forget the marketing aspect of working “that cool screen washing tool” out in the front yard for all potential customers to see. Trust me, it catches peoples eye. Use that to your advantage.
I may get a screen cleaner at some point.
For now on this weeks job what I did was take a brush I bought at home depot and just clean the screens inside of the home.
They come out pretty well.
