DrogonFly tips?

[Luke Elliott]

No thanks to Brodex (sorry I won't rant again) but thanks massively to cleaningspot I recieved my Drgonfly indoor kit today.

Took just a few minutes to set it up and start playing. It will be in use tomorrow. A Lean too conservatory roof (underside), several high up velux windows and indoors of what can only be described as a mansion.

I've been window cleaning for ten years, six with a WFP. So pretty experienced but this is still a new piece of kit. So if anyone more experienced with one has any tips and tricks please feel free to shoot?

I've heard adding rubbing alcohol to the mix helps? Is that to decrease drying times or to help cut through heavy dirt? Should I add detergent or would that prevent a smear free dry?

 

[Tuffers]

I was reading up on internal window cleaning gear just incase I got that WOW job. They seem to recommend using 'pure' water on the micro.

 

[Luke Elliott]

Yeah that's my thought. I saw a video online where a chap recommended rubbing alcohol though. And said you 'could' use detergent.

 

[Luke Elliott]

I'm guessing, since this thread didn't get much response that there aren't many dragonfly's out there right now? So having done some work with it now I thought I would give my views on it so far. I'll continue to update the thread as I work with it more. I've got several jobs in mind where I believe it will come in very handy. The pictures show the work I did with it today. Everything you see was done with the dragonfly.

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The glass roofs and Velux windows would have taken considerably longer without it. Access would have only been possible with a large set of steps and for the high ones still would've needed a trad pole as well. There were some more Velux windows I forgot to photo in the main house. Access to these would have been awful. Above cabinets in the kitchen and above a toilet and in a bedroom. So for getting to awkward windows it's 10/10.

This was a first clean so a pretty good test all round. First thing I worked out was how to shift the first clean levels of dirt. Started with just the buffing pad. This didn't touch it. I then tried the scrubber pad. It improved things but still not great. Remembering what I'd seen on here I quickly dropped some ecover into the water reservoir. And a couple of drops onto the scrubber pad for good measure. This gave the pad dramatically more slide and really began to shift the dirt. To be honest, they looked pretty clean right away. But I went over with the buffing pad for good measure. So for now I think that will be how I'll attack first cleans and dirty inner roofs. The ecover made zilch difference to the finish of the window. But I think this is more to do with the pad being the operative feature as opposed to the water. Still it was interesting to see it.

I tried a few perimeter windows with easy access. Overall first clean verses first clean when access or reach isn't a problem, I would say trad methods are faster. So I did the rest of the inner perimeter windows trad. However, if the windows are up to maintenance standard this might be different. On a window that's already clean you need not use the srubber pad. Just the buffer. I'll be testing this on some other jobs and will report back in due course. I've got some large office windows to do where not bending down or crouching all the time will save time. But I still suspect that simple easy indoor window cleaning may still be faster trad, if you are pretty quick with it anyway.

Pole length comes into things a lot. To get to the high stuff I used an 18ft. I didn't buy a pole for this it's just one I wasn't using. It was great to get pressure onto the high stuff. But for low down stuff you really want an 8ft or something. So to manage everything you'll use it for I think ideally you'd want two poles set up for it. Maybe something like a 12 would do everything. But I wonder whether it would flex too much when you need to apply pressure at height or be too long still on close quarters work. More experience needed to know.

It certainly cleans a window well. I asked my Dad who was working with me to judge which ones where does trad and which with the dragonfly. He couldn't tell.

Pads, you need lots of pads. The kit came with two scrubbers and two buffers. This worked ok for what I did today but I needed to wash, rinse and let them dry then go back to the dragonfly work in the afternoon. Think of your pads like you do scrims. You need a bunch of them to keep working.

Guess that's about it for now. Certainly I'll keep feeding back as I use it more.

Ps I have some shops in mind to use it on. Currently I clean the signs with WFP then windows in and out trad. I am curious to try a small pole because it would allow me to do the signs with the dragonfly and the insides. Se being done weekly you could in fact do all of it including the outside with the dragonfly. Would this be quicker than my current approach? I don't know. But it would mean not packing up the WFP the n pulling out the bucket for each shop. Food for thought.

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[Tuffers]

You ever seen any of Mark M's YouTube vids? How much did you pay for your dragonfly kit? Mark has done it very cheaply.

[media]

[/media]

 

[Luke Elliott]

Yeah I did think about making my own version. To be honest I'm always so busy that I decided against it. I had a couple of ideas either using a pump action like that dude or a back back. To be honest the dragonfly is well designed. And it is easy to use. The problems have been ironed out and it's a case of just cracking on. Everything works. You can do it on your own. And more power to you if you do. But as I learnt from building a trolley system years ago; to make something as refined and 'polished' as an off the shelf product, you often end up spending near as much anyway. And a lot more time. And time is money. So I took the plunge at £468 including vat. I know. I'm a sucker.

 

[norm]

good review @Luke Elliott do u think its money well spent?

 

[Luke Elliott]

For me yes. I've been toying with it for ages and only needed that one job where it was essential to take the plunge. I have enough jobs that I'm certain it will save time on. I guess it depends what your work is like. I normally only work four days a week. This first job in value has paid for the kit so I will do five days this week and that's the dragonfly paid for.

 

[Tuffers]

Yeah I did think about making my own version. To be honest I'm always so busy that I decided against it. I had a couple of ideas either using a pump action like that dude or a back back. To be honest the dragonfly is well designed. And it is easy to use. The problems have been ironed out and it's a case of just cracking on. Everything works. You can do it on your own. And more power to you if you do. But as I learnt from building a trolley system years ago; to make something as refined and 'polished' as an off the shelf product, you often end up spending near as much anyway. And a lot more time. And time is money. So I took the plunge at £468 including vat. I know. I'm a sucker.

£468 and there was me spending nearly 700 smackers on a greenhouse for Lady Tuffers today she's worth it though

 

[Luke Elliott]

£468 and there was me spending nearly 700 smackers on a greenhouse for Lady Tuffers today she's worth it though

Well if Brodex had played ball we could've all had it for £350. :thumbsdown:

 

[Tuffers]

Well if Brodex had played ball we could've all had it for £350. :thumbsdown:

Brodex now sell greenhouses? /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[Luke Elliott]

Brodex now sell greenhouses? /emoticons/biggrin.png

Yes. But they'll take your money then not tell you that they don't have any greenhouses in stock. Then they'll kick up a fuss about refunding you and hope that you'll just go find a greenhouse elsewhere and pay someone else for a greenhouse that's actually exists.

 

[cheapncheerful]

great post ....me of course i would have done a runner...:rofl:

 

[norm]

For me yes. I've been toying with it for ages and only needed that one job where it was essential to take the plunge. I have enough jobs that I'm certain it will save time on. I guess it depends what your work is like. I normally only work four days a week. This first job in value has paid for the kit so I will do five days this week and that's the dragonfly paid for.

guess thats what matters

 

[norm]

You ever seen any of Mark M's YouTube vids? How much did you pay for your dragonfly kit? Mark has done it very cheaply.
[media]

Mark M has a lot of good knowledge which he shares

 

[norm]

£468 and there was me spending nearly 700 smackers on a greenhouse for Lady Tuffers today she's worth it though

@Tuffers is on a promise i think:thumbsup:

 

[Tuffers]

@Tuffers is on a promise i think:thumbsup:

I've got a week off @norm :hehehe:

 

[norm]

I've got a week off @norm :hehehe:

:thumbsup:

 

[Luke Elliott]

Yesterday I did a yearly clean on a customers house. She has her usual window clean done but once a year she has the conservatory roof in and out done as well as the inside house windows. I did the conservatory inner roof with the dragonfly and the used it for a few more bits it seemed to make sense for.

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The conservatory roof was a darn sight easier with this. Normally I'm on a set of steps doing it trad. You can use a trad pole but it's difficult in the apex of the roof to get good cleans. You do still get drips though so if it's a carpeted floor protect it as usual. The scrubber pad just ate through the dirt on the polycarbonate.

The kitchen windows are normally both awkward and fiddly. I'm normally on the counter with one of them. And the other you have to squeeze by the counter. Pole made it easy.

The landing window speaks for itself.

The lobby entrance area was far better. Normal you have to crouch down but this enables just standing. I've got a couple of office cleans due in the next two months. Both with a lot of office partition glass. Normally I'm stretched to reach the top and crouched to do the bottom. Just standing there with the pole has got to be a lot easier. Will post pics when I get to them.

Also a first time I've used it on already 'clean' windows. It's is far quicker than a first clean as you would expect. But I still did the upstairs and remaining ground floor windows traditionally. For simple indoor work I still think trad is quicker.

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[Smurf]

I'm liking that dragonfly more & more :thumbsup:

Subject to the weather tomorrow I have a simular size conservatory to clean inside & out so on the inside glass roof as I forgot to order the unger indoor kit will be using microfiber floor mop pads instead. I'm not so pro after all am I but it will do the same job for now /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[Luke Elliott]

Probably still work just fine! Actually while I was cleaning she was showing me her new "flash mop." It has a refillable container that attaches to the pole. Pads that remove. A swivel head. And trigger to release a squirt of detergent. I was sitting there thinking "that's really not a million miles off what I'm using!" :rofl: