Dawn works just dont use to much…or it will leave a build up of film on the glass…a little bit goes a long way Jared.
Yeah I used it for four years with no problems but this year I used ecover and started having problems. My hands were nice but the streaks were bugging me.
I’ll keep experimenting but I think it was ecover. Maybe the aloe?
Sent from my XT1254 using Window Cleaning Resource mobile app
Ecover works great, but you can’t use too much or it can streak
Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource
Technically, soaps shouldn’t cause streaks. Only enhance/magnify/make more obvious etc…
[B]
Let’s think about the “anatomy of a streak.”[/B]
A streak is water left on the glass. Or another way of thinking about it-a break in the seal between rubber and the surface.
Soap may leave a film on the glass like WCS talked about.
But in that case the rubber should still pull the water over that layer of film.
(still should be air/water tight)
What it comes down to is, streaks are caused by any debris (as small as it may be) breaking that seal.
OR a nick/slice in the rubber itself (again, no matter how small.)
I think it comes down to lubrication, or a better word might be “fluidity.”
I’ll go back to the ‘mopping up a small pile of sand’ example;
- a glass of water will make no difference in the little pile.
- 3 glasses might turn it from sand to mud.
- a bucket will break up the sand among the water, making it more tolerable.
- two buckets will pretty much overcome the sand and allow you to mop the floor clean.
Same goes for a squegee pull.
More water vs grit/debris, allows the rubber to drag the debris without nicking.
Maybe this is why I prefer sponges to towels, higher water vs debris ratio.
I cut my edges and have a clean dry spot, so I’m rarely pulling that ‘stuff’ from the edges.
And a really nicely wrung out mop vs squirt bottle on a.
This isn’t a better or worse thing, I’m just wondering.
- but the physics seem to kind of make sense, if we think about it.
Incidentally, I realize the use of the word “seal” just isn’t quite right…
I invite ANYONE to please come up with a better term, it’s just all I could think of right this moment.
I know it’s kind a “meh” term for what’s actually happening. :o
The “contact” between the squeegee rubber and the glass. Just came to me don’t know if that fits perfectly.
Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource
Yeah, yeah, I like that. Much better.
Thanks, man. 
[MENTION=1736]JfromtheD[/MENTION], I like the word “seal.” And I know what your’e talking about, it makes sense that the rubber pulls off the junk and soap from the window leaving very little residuals. However, what I’m seeing isn’t what you’re describing.
I guess the word “streak” isn’t quite correct. Streak implies a nick in the rubber, or a lift on the rubber, or something else where basically water is left on the window.
“Smear” might be a more correct term for what I’m describing. Conditions: fresh rubber + ecover + hot sun + inside glass = smear. It looks like if you took a dirty towel and smeared haze on the window. It’s not on the whole pull, but maybe in the middle of the pull. And it’s HARD to towel off. And before you ask, no, the water didn’t evaporate off the window leaving soap.
I tried different rubber (ettore, 3 star, sorbo), I tried different methods (straight pole pull, side pole pull, fan), I tried leaving gg4 out of the mix, now I just tried changing soaps.
I had never seen this before with dawn, but under specific conditions, it was pretty predicable and repeatable.
I used dawn today and didn’t notice any smears. So I’ll give it a few weeks and report back. I’m wondering if it’s just the aloe that’s maybe reacting with the hot window. Everywhere else, ecover works great.
Concave glass surface?
Pop a clip from your channel?
Not sure.
I have run across windows that have a curve to them, where I can take out a clip, which allows for movement in the rubber.
Also, I have used a sorbo channel with the rubber inserted in the second groove.
- which makes the rubber wider, giving more (again with my bad word choice) “play.”
Nope, the smears happen in different places. Don’t use clips anymore (use Polzn’s idea and clamped the channel down on the rubber).
Yeah, this whole thing is starting to bug me. I’ve ignored it for a long while, but now I’m on a mission to figure it out.
I have run across windows that have a curve to them, where I can take out a clip, which allows for movement in the rubber.
Also, I have used a sorbo channel with the rubber inserted in the second groove.
- which makes the rubber wider, giving more (again with my bad word choice) “play.”
I’ve started using the slayer channels and it definitely helps because I do one side pull and then I’m good to fan. In my case, fanning minimizes the chance of a smear.
Clips and ‘clamped down’ would be the same thing.
Especially if you are doing it to both sides.
Not saying this is the issue, but I’d like to ‘work the problem’ with you.
What I’d do is wet the hell out of the window, and right in the center with a new rubber (or at least nowhere near the edge)
do a straight, half pull.
So you know there is no chance of any kind of interference with your rubber.
See if there is a smear.
Yeah, I think there is some technique to it. In the past (last 8 months or so) if I got a smear, I’d just wet the window up real good and it worked fine. When I got the smear, I wasn’t using a ton of water, but it wasn’t dry either. So now I’m just trying to nail down the problem.
What a nice guy!
I’ve been having the exact same thing happen ever since I started using gg4 in my mix (Tried straight gg4 and it was real bad, then gg4 with dawn and Ecover, going to try dawn and gg4 next)
I get like a “sheet” of water at one end of the blade, like it just skips a big ol section. I thought it was the rubber, so I put new tubber on (went from brand new, right out of the box wagtail rubber to ettore) and it did the exact same thing. That was with my 18" flipper. I tried it with my 12" flipper…same exact thing.
Do you guys think the gg4 is the culprit, or the Ecover?
I’ll try out the mix both ways tomorrow and report my findings.
Jesse
Atlas Services - Exterior Cleaning Specialists
North Carolina
I don’t think gg4 is the culprit unless you’re putting a crap load in your bucket. Even then it’s marketed as not leaving a residue. I’m leaning towards ecover at this point.
I’ve used dawn exclusively and only added gg4 when it was hot out (to prevent evaporation), but I’ll probably start playing with gg4+dawn next.
ive been using palmolive and gg4 and its been working out much better
Sent from my XT1254 using Window Cleaning Resource mobile app
Looks like that’s the way to go then…guess you just gotta deal with dried out hands!
Jesse
Atlas Services - Exterior Cleaning Specialists
North Carolina
No!!! Don’t tell me it’s ecover I just bought 12 bottles of the stuff.
Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource
Chad, you won’t regret it!!
Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Resource mobile app.
