Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums

Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!

How to get rid of spider poo poo

Amos

Member
Messages
124
Location
Surrey
Hi guys do you know what is best to get rid of spiders **** off upvc Window frames ? Completely off !! Cheers !!

 
Spider poo will leave a stain that we have been unable to remove with conventional cleaning methods we have on the van. But we have found that the vast majority of them will fade and disappear over the winter.

 
Do you mean the small spots on white UPVC window frames? I thought this was fly poo.... I use 1 part G101 to 10 parts water. Spray on with spray bottle, leave for a few minutes and then WFP as normal.

 
Cheers guys what about bleach spruce ?
/emoticons/biggrin.png

I wrote a lot more in my original reply but after reading it I decided to delete it. It was all about using bleach.

Now I have never used bleach so i don't exactly know the answer to that one. However, I believe our job is to wash windows and sills and we also wash the frames. Our job isn't to spend time removing spider poo stains (or any other stains for that matter.) You will find that these spider poo stains get worse into September and October so if you found a way to remove the stains you would waste valuable cleaning time doing it. On your next clean they would be back again.

I have never had a customer complain about not removing these stains. I have found that the winter sun will bleach them over time. They will be invisible next spring so why would I waste my time now?

Bleach doesn't remove the stain. It bleaches the colour out of the stain so you can't see it. Bleach takes time to work. See how long it takes to 'remove' a stain from your white shirt. Then you have to remove the bleach totally. I'm told that bleach left on UPVC sills will turn yellow from the sun.

Why would I want to go back to the stains 30 minutes later and rinse all the bleach off? Just don't go there. You aren't doing a frame restore.

-

 
Quick rub with a magic sponge usually fades them out a bit but they don't normally 100% dissapear

As Spruce said just don't bother

 
Cheers spruce , Your knowledge on just about everything on this site amazes me cheers
Yours will be the same in 10 years time;) There have been many other oldies on this and other forums, but eventually they loose interest and you never see them again. In my early days they were my crutch to lean on.

Nowadays if we have a problem we can just ask on a forum and we will get numerous ideas and opinions. When I first started wfp there was nothing like this. We jumped into the deep end and we had to learn to swim quickly or we sank. There were just 2 of us wfp in our whole area to start with so we relied on each others experiences, and boy, did we need each other. Whilst we were trying to work out the best cleaning technique and making the most of crappy equipment, we were also having to convince customers that this was the new way forward.

Having had a senior moment stepping off my ladder from the first floor window thinking I was on the ground made me seriously realise that if I was to continue working I needed to be alive.

We bought a trad round and converted it to wfp. Most of the houses were dormers. So not only were we new, we were foreign (South Africans) among Yorkshire folk trying to convince our new customers that this was the way to go. (Yorkshire folk aren't the most trusting; I know as I married into a Yorkshire family.) We were also new to this technology ourselves.The only way most on that estate could be convinced was when we told them they didn't have to pay until they were totally satisfied with the job. Thankfully that didn't take long, but we spent hours explaining to different people how this magic water worked. "What do you put into the water to make it dry without spots?" "Its not what we put in but rather its what we take out that makes it so special." De-ionised water meant nothing to most people back then. It was rocket science to them.

I'm all to aware of what works for me may not work for you. It just gives you another angle to consider. Our circumstances could be totally different.

As I mentioned on another post I'm the wrong side of what we call youth. In the same way as you have taken a long guided leap of faith into the wfp world, I'm also in the same position. For example, I need to consider a fixed motorised hose reel as winding hose and lifting a hose reel in and out of the van is literally killing me. But I also need to keep the van doors locked whilst working around the back.

In the winter having warm water to work with would make my life a bit easier - I think. I'm not interested in if it cleans faster etc as I can't work faster; it just means that warmer hoses are easier to manage than cold ones. If its really cold I have a warm air diesel heater fitted to the van which I can leave on. It gives me a warm retreat to thaw out when I need to. That was very important for me.

At one time these were 'likes' but I'm not too sure when things like this change from 'likes' to 'needs'.

So in a way we are both on diving boards ready to dive into the pool. Its the same pool, we are just on different diving boards. New window cleaners like you who take the proverbial bull by the horns and are prepared to go for it give me a lot of encouragement and motivation. So its a two way street. I get as much out of this, probably more than what I put back tbh.

I need to thank you for doing that.

-

 
That is why i am on here @spruce

I haven't got the experience wfp as only been doing it 1.5 years roughly but have almost 24 years trad experience to offer as i have been doing it since i was at school working with my mates dad on saturdays and holidays

Anyone can pick up a wfp or applicator and squeegee and "clean" a window but to do the job 100% and work round problems and learn quicker and better ways to do things is what it is all about

Some people will still work exactly the same 20 years down the line as when they started but they are probably not on any forums either as they would not be interested in gaining knowledge

I am always improving wfp and trad skills and aim to be as good as i can

This forum has been a great help

 
That is why i am on here @spruce

I haven't got the experience wfp as only been doing it 1.5 years roughly but have almost 24 years trad experience to offer as i have been doing it since i was at school working with my mates dad on saturdays and holidays

Anyone can pick up a wfp or applicator and squeegee and "clean" a window but to do the job 100% and work round problems and learn quicker and better ways to do things is what it is all about

Some people will still work exactly the same 20 years down the line as when they started but they are probably not on any forums either as they would not be interested in gaining knowledge

I am always improving wfp and trad skills and aim to be as good as i can

This forum has been a great help


I think we are all 'creatures of habit'. Once we find a way that works we stick to it, not considering there maybe another way we haven't thought of.

This is why forums like this are a great help to all of us.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I like to constantly challenge myself

That is why i taught myself to use swivel squeegees on a pole

Not through necessity but because i enjoy the whole process and challenge of learning new skills

I can do a whole days work without ladders for tops if i wanted to but usually just wfp them

Good skill to have in case it's needed

I have a couple of jobs where it is quicker and easier to trad pole the whole lot than to get the wfp out

Gonna have more fun when i play with the excelerator on Saturday

Gotta get some soon for a school i have to do

 
I like to constantly challenge myself
That is why i taught myself to use swivel squeegees on a pole

Not through necessity but because i enjoy the whole process and challenge of learning new skills

I can do a whole days work without ladders for tops if i wanted to but usually just wfp them

Good skill to have in case it's needed

I have a couple of jobs where it is quicker and easier to trad pole the whole lot than to get the wfp out

Gonna have more fun when i play with the excelerator on Saturday

Gotta get some soon for a school i have to do




Using a swivel squeegee on the end of a pole is a very good skill to acquire.

A few years ago some areas were under hose pipe ban due to water shortages. Whilst there was much debate as to whether this effected wfp or not, some customers might object to its being used on principle.

-

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Relatively new to this so it's much appreciated that you guys share your experience - thanks again!

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums app
Its nice to hear appreciation like this. I talk for myself and many other experienced posters on this forum who provide help to new ones.

At the moment it may appear that you are taking and not giving much. That's fine as in time the proverbial pendulum will swing the other way.

-

 
For a really good laugh, use a steam cleaner on the rubber surround to the windows ... and watch rivers of pooh water come out. I got bored after about 15 minutes, and it was still flowing. Absolutely disgusting.

The rubber must be about 1mm thick - and must act as a sponge for the spider's poop.

I just put the tip of the steam cleaner right on the rubber - not using any attachments, as the steam is at it's hottest right where is leaves the tip. And then I just run it up and down the window, over & over, for several minutes.

It's quite amazing how dark the water is - and it doesn't smell too clever either.

 
Last edited:
Back
Top