When doing residential and taking out screens is it better to take out ALL the screens out at once and waste 30 minutes doing it that way? Or is it better to take the screens out one at a time WHILE doing the tracks if tracks are included? It seems more efficient taking them out one at a time as you go and clean the tracks and am interested in how you do it. Thank you guy’s!!
I personally prefer to remove the screen, brush it off, then set it aside while I brush out the track, wash and detail the window, then replace the screen. Unless the customer paid for screen washing, then I will go around and collect all of the screens and take them to a central location, wash them, then clean the windows while they dry. I feel the less laps around the house, the better.
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I’ve found some windows are custom fit, so mixing screens is just asking for trouble. I tend to keep screens with the window and process everything as it sits.
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For that reason I mark each screen on the top with a Sharpie pen which window it came from. 
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I mark screens too. The vast majority of my jobs include screen washing.
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if it is just my partner and i we take the screens off as we go and set them next to the window. then when we finish the outside he heads inside and i start washing the screens. if we’re doing the tracks he does them as he does the insides. if i finish washing screens before he finishes the insides i will head inside to finish up.
if our employee is with us he goes straight to screens while we start on the glass
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I’m going at it solo, so while I do the estimate beforehand, I check if the screens are able to come out via the exterior (preferred) 1 story only. If they mostly or all do, then I pop them off one at a time starting with exterior first. If the windows, screens, tracks & sills are super dirty, I apply a different method / extra step for the overall better clean. Basically, not every house will be the same, so be flexible and adjustable and most importantly stay positive!
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Thanks guy’s!
We clean tracks as our standard service. Of course, we price for them. But we don’t have a package where a customer can request that we skip them. If they do request it, we usually tell them to call a discount service provider. It’s how we roll and so far so good.
In our case, since we always clean tracks, we remove screens first and clean the tracks right then. In fact, we carry a whole different set of tools in our belt during that process. A stiff bristle iron brush, or basting brush is good for crusty tracks. After you break it up, we use a loose bristle paint brush to brush it out of the track and outside. (Sometimes the wind kicks it back inside, so it takes some practice.) We’ve found that cleaning tracks when they’re dry is less messy than once the dirt gets wet and muddy.
If the windows are truly “track” windows, then it’s tough. Most of the vinyl windows here only have a sill that’s smooth and flat except for a single raised edge that holds the screen frame in place. “Track” windows are different to us and they have an actual track, like a slot that the sash sits into. Those suck. They are tough. Usually requires a vacuum, we’ve found. We use a DeWalt Vacuum that’s battery or cord use. In those situations, we certainly charge per window. And in some cases, our price is so high that the customer never calls us back. Our point of view on that: we’re fine with it! lol!
Screen removal and track/sill cleaning is no waste of time! When done properly, it makes everything after much easier. And we’ve gotten pretty quick. Occasionally, we’ll bring a can of foam cleaner. (Basic foam cleaner that you would use in auto detailing.) We’ll use that on the vinyl frames and inside the left & right tracks if they’re really bad. Makes detailing later much quicker and clean.
And btw, we make up the time on doing this by cleaning screens using our Screen Cleaner, from WCR. We’ve found it worth every penny!
Hope we’ve given you some good ideas!
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This is great for someone who is just starting! thank you!
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I cannot see how people would run around and remove screens and then run around and put them all back even if they are marked. WHY WOULD YOU GO BACK TO A WINDOW YOU WERE ALREADY AT? I have done both it takes seconds to take a screen out and seconds to put it back in. It takes several minutes to run around to different parts of a home stack all the screens in one location and then put them all back. What would be faster cleaning your kitchen, then your living room then your bedroom or cleaning a little bit of each room and then running back and doing all of them again. Silly
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Appreciate that advice!
Yes that a thought how much TIME WOULD YOU SAVE NOT HAVING to go around take screen out then go back around to put them in after cleaning them??
Plus making sure that there in the correct windows especially where there are near similar sized windows.
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Are you gonna drag a screen cleaner to every window?
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Mop and bat dry, no screen machine needed! Takes 15 seconds to clean a screen
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Then you level a soapy residue on the screen 1st rain it will be attracted to the glass, increasing the frequency of clean needed.
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Hey, more business! 
Joking of course! I’ve had plenty of customers specifically ask for a good scrub and rinse because the other guy did exactly that. If wiping down screens is what you do you better not charge more then a dollar, if anything at all.
That’s a little too scientific! I have seen people excited when I mop and bat dry their screens. None of them have ever looked at me and said hey that’s going to leave a residue. Lol
$2 to $3 a screen mop and bat dry, wipe the frames!
If you think people look at you with excitement how do you think they react when they see me with a screen washer. Most come our just to comment on how well, and quickly it works.
