Don’t you dare. Brush, squeegee, detail (with a chamois if you can). Those are the three main ingredients of professional window cleaning. I’m talking to you after 25 years man, millions of windows.
Scraping every window is amateur hour and s s S Slow…
Not to mention you could scratch the crap out of certain windows. Can you imagine if that guy stopped to scrape every window? We would still be watching that video.
did I really have to say Brush with water/soap? :faceplant:
Hi mike . thats what i like about forums like this we can all learn of everyone… sure i use a brush but with a wfp system… but hell yes ill try that… obviously it works otherwise you would have tried something else… any chance of a video to show what you mean… any way thanks for the info its much appreciated
the frames are metallic paint in the vid are ***
( blue frames on consevatory. and also lightly oxidizing on the weather side … only if the owner pays more money will i get the surface protectants out… plus this customer hasnt phoned for 2/3 years . going to all the trouble to clean the frames perfect ( surface protectant ) would not be worth it because then she would leave her cleans even longer )
*** very sensitive… if i went over with a brush it could possibly lightly scratch the frame work…depends what brush i guess . here the private house and homes are really spotless…its all about cleaning the frames… glass has always been a doddle… but for frames i usually only use a micro fibre ( 4/5 X)…even though she wants a perfect job… any irritation of that mild oxidization could cause me a big headache… so i leave it go … unless shes willing to pay for the extra work ! the contract originally was for once yearly…if she did it more regular the job would be quicker ,cost less, and her Conservatory would look even better… but some people just dont get it !
and for 10 years i was using a chamois… but i only i use a microfiber dry now… they leave no streaks. and because they are dry they dont effect your clothes or in summer when its hot when slung over your tea shirt or stuck in your pants pocket ( will be getting the new belt cloth clip as advertised by the other firm ) they wont cause any Ru/arthritis due to the wetness that chamois can give you when wet.
john
regards john
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Simon hi !,
A pre soak is quicker than scraping in this situation ( video )… i use a scraper when confronted with IE… Kitchen windows from the inside…or glass doors from the garden side…
Ive just ordered a sörbo 6 " the new one… apparently its very good for uneven glass ( that might save a few headaches )
The idea behind the two washer method for me is… 1 ) wet/soak the glass quickly
2) wash the frames 3 ) scrub the wetted glass squeegee and detail…
the pre soak has helped loosen the all the stubborn insect /fly cr-p which is on every window… please dont forget the windows here are 1/2/3 yearly. you can try with one washer also keep one side of the washer for the presoak and the other side for the scrub… or alternate between x number windows . not forgetting that a washer has two sides… so when i have 2 washers on BOAB i have four potentially clean sides to use… this method is not for everyone because of the weight around the hips… but i dont have any trouble at the moment …the green microfibre from unger is great… it holds loads of water and the water stays in/on the washer when upright in the BOAB longer than any other washer on the market that i have tried …
So you could have an 18 " unger micro/green with a wagtail on your double BOAB … or an unger green with a pulex microtiger etc… or two unger greens for insides and carry a wiljer blue devil sleeve… on you along with a medium sized water bottle for added water when needed… but two Boabs are not heavy !! when you have two 22 " s maybe but a 22" with a wagtail is fine… maybe you are confronted with different size glass on an object its good to have the appropriate tools to tackle the job quickly and efficiently…the sörbo is for me the best squeegee… but can be a pain on certain glass or in certain situations… but that would take too long explaining… when that happens i use the wagtail.
greetings John
Good for you. This is really the best most efficient way to get a window clean on your first cleaning. If you come back regularly after that you may only need to spot scrape. Truly a professional approach.
I tried one of those microfiber towels this summer and I can still remember my first window. I thought “oh oh, this isn’t working and my chamois is in the truck”
It was just smearing water, it did the trick on the first window but after a few more the towel still felt 99% dry but if there was the slightest bit of water it would just smear and I’d have to go over and over it.
It was like waking up from a nightmare when I got my chamois back.
well it depends what the customer is paying or willing to pay for your services !
I charge a little more for first time cleans because I’m usually doing windows that haven’t been cleaned in over 5 years (sometimes 15 or more).
This is how a lot of people here seem to clean windows, I find it ridiculous. It’s a waste of time and they risk scratching the windows up… but they make the customer sign a scratch waiver.
Window Cleaning 7-Step Process | mrbrightsidewindowcleaning.com
I figure they have to clean windows like this because they don’t use the right tool to scrub the window.
This is my method, not that I invented it.
Pro window cleaning method.
Scrub the window with a wet brush, as hard as it needs to be brushed (3 secs - 15 secs depending on size). Most windows are easy, some windows like if they are over kitchen sink or next to the barbecue will need to be scrubbed harder and longer. If you see something obvious like tape, scrape it now when the window is wet.
Squeegee the Window.
Sponge the bottom ledge and Detail the edges.
Done.
*if you need to touch up a spot, use a 1 inch scraper.
12" Nylex Brush $28.00
Something else to consider is different geographic areas present unique challenges. We deal w/ a lot of artillery shotgun fungus here and no brush is going to remove it all. Also if you are dealing w/ restoring glass from things like hard water stains and screen burn a brush isn’t going to get it. You need a chemical and a razor to cut thru a lot of this stuff.
I understand some being afraid of a razor if they haven’t educated themselves on fabrication debris and the proper use of a razor. But part of our job is to learn and try new things. Imagine how things would be if Ettore hadn’t decided that we needed something better than the old Chicago squeegee.
I went to the Wagtail website. It appears that the regular flipper has been discontinued and is being
replaced by the Whirlwind and the Blue Ribbon Flipper.
The whirlwind is about $35 plus and there doesn’t seem to be much available.
The flipper that was used in the video seemed kind of small and it took a lot of wrist action
to move it. It looked like about 12". It should be small enough to get the job done, but
not so small that it greatly increases the amount of labor needed.
It may look good to do all that moving but we don’t want to wear ourselves out doing it.
Did you use an inexpensive, high-pile microfiber, or a quality, professional low-pile microfiber?
Wetting, scraping, rewetting and squeegeeing is actually fairly fast on first-time cleans, especially compared to scrubbing vigorously with a brush, squeegeeing, then going back over it if necessary with a #9 blade.
You keep mentioning “certain” windows. Are you aware of the difference between annealed and heat-treated glass? Do you really understand what fabricating debris is?
You can’t tell me anything about window cleaning, I’ve done hundreds of after construction clean ups including low rise buildings. I know exactly how long scraping takes.
Go about you business with your 7 step amateur window cleaning method.
This tells us all we need to know about Mike the Window Cleaner.
What does it tell you exactly? That your not even tall enough to be my mini me?
You said the exact same thing about Dangerous, he’s another guy that knew more about window cleaning when you were getting your diapers changed… I’m assuming you don’t wear diapers anymore…
Hi, regarding the wagtail, its the wagtail Whirlwind… i think the original length was 16 " … i cut that down to 14 "… maybe i will get a 16 " later again… i find the 14 " enough for most jobs… in the vid i was just showing the wagtail in use… i would normally use for that consevatory a Sörbo 18 - 20 “… i find they are quicker and smoother… they are better if its cool… but if its really hot inside probably wagtail would be better… and yes i dont car what people say they are fairly demanding when you use a 16” 18 " … and you do feel it a little but nothing significant… its a worthwhile buy especially when cleaning in direct sunlight !.. even thoughi dont get no problems when using a normal squeegee.
Everyone has there own techniques… it depends what job your doing what people are paying and depends what type of people your doing the job for …
a scraper is quicker than scrubbing any day on windows that are really filthy… why go to the trouble of washing scrubbing squeegeeing then washing and squeegeeing again … and then probably scrubbing / squeegeeing even once more… most window cleaners know whats right for them… … it also depends how much energy you have and also how intelligent you are… this job is all about working efficiently… keeping the customers happy… keeping the competition at bay… creating long term security with your system but at the same time realizing the job is hard and its not always necessary to clean like a mad man… your health is more important than anything else…i doubt anyone on this forum is going to change there system that much… the system i use works for me… soaking is a lot easier than scrubbing ! i can soak because the weather is cool… i can soak because 70 % of the work on the window here in Germany is cleaning the frame and sill… getting in all the nooks and crannys with a screwdriver and a microfiber cloth… thats the Germans . they want it thourough… thats why i soak . because i need the time to do the frames … a soak in the most cases is enough… its not necessary to scrape… even though scraping prooves the best way to get nearly perfect glass…
this is very true about the job … the wagtail 14 " is very easy and light to use …i normally use a sörbo 18 - 20 " 3 x 4… a wagtail is good it s like taking a holiday on a health farm.
Scraping a window takes 3 times longer…What are you talking about? Das Noob!
Maybe you’ve never used a brush that is actually meant for scrubbing.
We call those strip washers you use “applicators”, because all they are good is applying water on a window with minimal scrubbing effectiveness. They are only good for pole work, they can’t scrub a window properly. That’s why you keep scrubbing and scrubbing, over and over… they CAN’T SCRUB!
You keep having to scrub your windows twice in your video because you are using a strip washer, you’re SLOW… Now, even though you might be, “Da most superior Vindow Cleaner in all Da Moda Land” Only an Dummkopf would scrape dirt off a window.
Good God I’m glad we sank the Bismark! Darwin at work.
And btw, they are talking about normal window cleaning procedures not after construction clean up.
come on then, mike the window cleaner, can you make a video of this brush method in action? i for one would be very interested to see how it is
I would like to see it also, I worked with a older high rise guy for a short time, he would use a boars hair brush on french panes, since there has been so much talk about it, would love to see a video of you doing your technique. You may teach us all something!
It’s snowing where i live and I tried to make a video for mr squeegee a couple weeks ago it was horrid. I don’t have a video camera… It’s not rocket science though. You get a brush in your hand and wet the window exactly like you would with a strip washer. The difference is the tool, a brush has bristles, it bust up the dirt. You don’t have to scrub vigorously, just a quick once over even yearly houses, that’s all you need to do. The only times I have to apply some pressure is on windows by a barbecue or inside over the sink. It’s the bristles on the brush that do the work.
Take a look at this guy and try to figure out what he did to brush that window. It probably took 5 secs or less. It’s easy, brush, squeegee, detail.
You do not need to scrape windows as part of the normal window cleaning technique.
