Hi I’ve read a bunch of posts talking about natural sponges. Is it best to use a sponge to wipe off your squeege blade. What is it best to use a sponge for, and what does a towel work best for.
Hey there Pristine,
I’m sure you knew I’d come on to promote the Natural Sea-Sponge, It does work better then rags and you won’t go through dozens of them throughout the day !
I’ve used them for decades so I think I have a bit of Advanced knowledge of them both ! The N.S.S. beats all else hands down ! No brag just a fact.
Since you said you’ve read a bunch of post about the N.S.S.then what more do you need to read about it ? Well here you go…
I say Buy one from a Window cCleaning supply company perferable here at WCR, Alex has told me they will be stocking up on them in the spring !
Don’t buy one at a paint store or hardware store or any store for that matter because they are junk, window cleaning supply houses carry the right kind .
Now when you get one work with it everyday on every window and not just for a couple minutes and then kick it to the curb ! Grab the techniques and keep trying it !
Use it to wipe your rubber, to wipe the frames and tracks. To wipe the edge of the glass before squeegeeing / when you can, to re-scrub a a chuck of dirt or poop still on the glass after scrubbing and while squeegeeing, easier then pulling out your swab again !
Try it you’ll like it ! If you do, your work will be even more PRISTINE…Ooooooh Yeah
Oh and be safe while doing your work !
Dr.Dange-Ski
Sea sponges are a very valuable tool - they are great anytime you need to soak up water and wring it out. Unlike towels that you can’t really wring out and don’t have much absorption.
I disagree. The sea sponge does not do as good a job at wiping up sills (tracks). It leaves water behind. Use a heavy duty cloth for the most effective wipe up. The sponge may work well for wiping the squeegee blade, but I personally would not recommend it for wiping frames and sills (tracks)
More then likely your not well acquainted with using one because if you were you wouldn’t disagree…The Sea-Sponge has been the standard of the industry before the squeegee came into being…
To clean anything you must use water, so a dry rag to to clean tracks will not function at all ! So your rag must be wet and a wet rag will also leave water behind, more so then a sponge and a sponge when squeezed out is a super cleaning tool for doing sills.
I believe you once posted here that you used a sponge for 5 minutes and you kicked it to the curb after that 5 minutes, well that’s not really using it to it’s full potential, so it’s more of a personal take, rather then a truly trained take on it !
I think if you gave it more time and functionality you’d see how good it really is , I mean a big spectrum of cleaners use it and to compare a sea-sponge to a rag is like comparing a Ferrari(sea sponge) to a electric golf cart(rag) they both roll but one is way better then the other !
Plus I’d never support anything that didn’t work, I’ve got 32 years of experience using the Sea sponge and rag…Heck I was already 6 years a cleaner/Journeymen when you were born ! I believe in learning new ways and teaching new ways and the TRIED AND THE TRUE ways, but using a rag is low end work to clean a window sill and the Natural Sea-Sponge is the TRIED AND THE TRUE…
If you don’t like it well that’s cool, but your only limiting yourself !
Dr.Dange
P.S…A Natural Sea-Sponge not a synthetic sponge !!!
OH, AMEN DORMY…How you doing guy, is that WFP making you big bucks yet ?
We use a PVA towel. Absorbent and can be wrung out.
I agree that there are benefits to using the natural sea sponge like wiping your squeegee blade, getting into tight corners etc. But for me I don’t like the feel of holding a wet sponge and prefer not to have to put my hands in the bucket too often. I’d much rather use a fresh pick up towels to wipe up slop and wet sills/frames because it does work but a dry(er) towel gets surfaces closer to bone dry.
The sponge works but for me it’s a feel thing.
BTW, we keep hearing about window cleaners kicking their tools to the curb. Anyone know where this curb is, I’d like to pick up some free tools!
[QUOTE=Dangerous;173714]More then likely your not well acquainted with using one because if you were you wouldn’t disagree…The Sea-Sponge has been the standard of the industry before the squeegee came into being…
To clean anything you must use water, so a dry rag to to clean tracks will not function at all ! So your rag must be wet and a wet rag will also leave water behind, more so then a sponge and a sponge when squeezed out is a super cleaning tool for doing sills.
I believe you once posted here that you used a sponge for 5 minutes and you kicked it to the curb after that 5 minutes, well that’s not really using it to it’s full potential, so it’s more of a personal take, rather then a truly trained take on it !
I think if you gave it more time and functionality you’d see how good it really is , I mean a big spectrum of cleaners use it and to compare a sea-sponge to a rag is like comparing a Ferrari(sea sponge) to a electric golf cart(rag) they both roll but one is way better then the other !
Plus I’d never support anything that didn’t work, I’ve got 32 years of experience using the Sea sponge and rag…Heck I was already 6 years a cleaner/Journeymen when you were born ! I believe in learning new ways and teaching new ways and the TRIED AND THE TRUE ways, but using a rag is low end work to clean a window sill and the Natural Sea-Sponge is the TRIED AND THE TRUE…
If you don’t like it well that’s cool, but your only limiting yourself !
Dr.Dange
P.S…A Natural Sea-Sponge not a synthetic sponge !!![QUOTE=Dangerous;173714]
What condescending comment. Sorry for having an opinion.
I’m sorry you feel I’m being condescending, but I’m not being that way, I’m just expressing how I think, in no way do I see you in a low manner …It’s to bad you have to have such a low opinion of me…Never said you were wrong for having an opinion !
Having an open mine is a good character trait , so if you really feel I’m condescending to you I apologize for your miss understanding to my reply !
David Gutierrez / ADVANCED Window cleaning Service, Seattle Washington
I don’t have a low opinion of you, I always enjoy your comments and ideas on here, and you are very courteous, that’s why I was surprised when reading your comment. I’m sorry if I misunderstood what you meant, but I can only go on what you wrote. There is no problem having an opinion on something but the way you stated that rags = low end work, and implied that I would obviously agree with you if I used a sponge more often. I’m sorry, it just sounded condescending when I read it, but as you say, you didn’t mean it that way, so I accept that, and apologize for getting the wrong end of the stick. Just to point out though, I did try sea sponge, for admittedly only about 10 minutes, and found that it got wet very quickly, and no matter how much I rung it out, once it was wet it stayed wet, and left water behind on the frames and sills. In contrast, I use Mixed fibre cloths, which are not sold on window cleaning websites in the U.S., and they work great. I do use water, I spray the frames with water, and wipe them clean and DRY with the cloth, and then clean the window, and use the water that has dripped onto the sill to clean it, using the sill cloth. The results are great, not low end work at all. Just because a particular tool has been used for many years it does not therefore mean it is the best tool. You used TSP for years, then discovered Ecover, and switched.
Its all personal preference… here in Germany its all Micro fiber because i really do believe that i am the best frame cleaner on earth… its my job… and thats not exaggerating … !! when cleaning frames it has to a be a microfiber ( s) for me . i have a sea sponge in my car. and yes yes a sea sp. works great… it works best for dange because he feels better with it because of the type of windows he does and the work he does … it is a again a personal choice thing…
One thing i have to say is my personal guess is after 30 + years of window cleaning your going to be looking for the most energy saving system possible… and so i guess dange is only using his head. and using an efficient system… windows cleaners change
with age and with experience they know what they are supposed to do and what is not important. they read there clients wants and do enough to keep them happy and loyal .
Hey Gary,
Apology accepted , no reason to not debate, to debate brings out info for other to to think on and for the debaters to learn what’s right and wrong…
Yes I used TSP for years and I have no disregard for it to this day, it is still a good working soap , though the ecover is much better and last longer !I still haven’t used a full 32ounce bottle yet and I think my 28 bottles are going to last 5 or 6 years !
I have used rags to clean when I had lost a sponge or found I was out of sponges and from years of working with a Natural Sea-Sponge I know for a fact it will out preform a rag, huck towel, diaper, teary cloth. Maybe you just got the wrong kind of Natural Sea-sponge, I’d be willing to send you one that is highly functional if you were to PM your address.
You should be sure to get one from a window cleaning supply co. !
Thank you for expressing you don’t have a low opinion of me I appreciate your thought very much !
I no longer use any rags and if I needed a rag I’d use a dirty scrim instead (not for detailing) !
If your process works for you great I’m just trying to educate those with the desire to know !
The PVA towel works good also but not as good as the natural sea-sponge ! Sorry Tony !!!
I think I’ll start a thread on all the things I’ve learned on the WCR forum !
Okay Gary I’m glad we were able to be on an even keel !
Your Friend Dave
Here Here, John !
How ya doing bud ?
Take care pal…Dange
