Water fed pole customers issues

[GBW]

So after over 40 years of window cleaning I’ve invested in a full water fed pole system service.

After 14 months I am still steadily loosing customers due to spotting being left on the windows after the drying process is completed.

My water is running at zero I also live in a soft water area .

My work is 90% estate based so not working on exceptionally dirty main roads.

It is very frustrating that some windows are completely spotless yet many other windows still produce spotting even though my water reads zero . All the frames have now been fully cleaned after 14 months of pole cleaning .

Any suggestions on what is going wrong?

 

[RickyG]

Might be the frames mate upvc starts to oxidise a little as it gets older & can leave spotting, try scrubbing the frames first with a couple of squirts of elbow grease on the brush & give it a double go over across the top, do the glass then move onto next window then go back & do the just the glass again try not to hit the top of the frame when rinsing the glass & it should come up a treat

 

[ched999uk]

Did you buy your tds meter of a reputable supplier or amazon/ebay? It could be that your tds meter is faulty.
It might be tricky time wise but either scrub more then a very good rinse or scrub,rinse then do rest of window then come back to first ones and just rinse the glass again.
If more rinsing works then maybe that's all that's needed. Maybe up your flow rate?

Have you cleaned your own windows to see if you get spotting?

 

[Iron Giant]

If you've been adhoc with trickle vents you'll also get issues going off what I've seen personally some lads are adhoc with frames etc and this only leads to issues,

Not pointing the finger but it does happen and frames can oxidise without a decent scrub rather than a quick pass every time

 

[Pjj]

So after over 40 years of window cleaning I’ve invested in a full water fed pole system service.

After 14 months I am still steadily loosing customers due to spotting being left on the windows after the drying process is completed.

My water is running at zero I also live in a soft water area .

My work is 90% estate based so not working on exceptionally dirty main roads.

It is very frustrating that some windows are completely spotless yet many other windows still produce spotting even though my water reads zero . All the frames have now been fully cleaned after 14 months of pole cleaning .

Any suggestions on what is going wrong?

Sounds like it’s down to technique, use the search bar at the top of the page this subject has been covered many times before ime sure you will find what you need

 

[Bwfc]

It can be frustrating as most windows are fine but some seem to Have a problem. I have a new estate where the seals drip down later, only thing I can do is wipe bottom window seal.

 

[bobski]

Maybe find someone local who can watch and advise?

 

[Orgasmic window cleaning]

Make sure your brush is clean. Give an extra rinse making sure the water only hits the glass. Remember, you want a good flow with low pressure.

 

[dazmond]

Where's abouts are you based?if your near me I could come out with you for the day to see where your going wrong mate....?

 

[spruce]

So after over 40 years of window cleaning I’ve invested in a full water fed pole system service.

After 14 months I am still steadily loosing customers due to spotting being left on the windows after the drying process is completed.

My water is running at zero I also live in a soft water area .

My work is 90% estate based so not working on exceptionally dirty main roads.

It is very frustrating that some windows are completely spotless yet many other windows still produce spotting even though my water reads zero . All the frames have now been fully cleaned after 14 months of pole cleaning .

Any suggestions on what is going wrong?

Not every UPVC window frame is wfp friendly.

Our lounge and downstairs bedroom windows aren't. They get the morning sun (East facing) and unfortunately the top frame oxidizes. It's being doing this for the past 18 years and still does it. If I rub my finger across the frame, a white residue is transferred to my finger. The result is white run spots down onto the glass.
It's our house, so I don't particular bother too much. The wife complains, but she doesn't pay the window cleaner in cash or kind for the service. ? I've really scrubbed those frames and rinsed well, but the problem still remains. I'm certainly not changing the windows to solve the problem.

A neighbour behind us has the same issue with some downstairs windows, funnily enough, not East facing. Once I scrub and rinse the top transom bar, I dry it off with a cloth before doing the glass only below it. It only takes a few moments and keeps the customer happy. Those spots got 2 previous window cleaners cancelled.

We have more issues with windows with 2 openers above a large pane of glass underneath. On a few houses, we get a dirty water streak running from the openers above.
We find the best approach with these, especially older windows with failed seals, is to wash the openers first and come back to the lower window later when the openers have stopped draining down. There was a local window cleaner who dumped all his customers with these windows as they took him too long to clean to acceptable standards. These days, if I'm asked to clean a house with these windows, I add extra and explain to the customer the issue we might have.

 

[Iron Giant]

I think he might have gone back to trad, give it till next Wednesday then if he doesn't check in we can rewrite the Craig David song 7 days

 

[micky gin]

Had same problem on a contract.Increased flow rate ,opened up pencil jets opening so water flushed the glass & ran down instead of rinsing under pressure water tends to bounce back & not give a proper rinse.

 

[TimB]

I have one customer where this is a constant issue. Their rubber seals are just perishing and constantly leak dirty water. Only solution is that I use a clean scrim to wipe the top frame and 1 cm of glass. Then when you use the brush and rinse, don't touch the top.

If your water is good you shouldn't have spotting. 99% of runs or marks are coming from the top of the frame. I have a friend who works at a phenomenal rate with no issues or complaints, he only cleans above frames a few times a year.

 

[oldtimer]

Sounds like it’s down to technique, use the search bar at the top of the page this subject has been covered many times before ime sure you will find what you need

to be honest bud i only clean the glass and sills ok if the frames are piggin then ya i will give them a good go but i use the customers water then do with my own water i try and stay away from frames i had the same prob as you bud now doing it this way no probs

 

[Iron Giant]

@GBW be interested to know if you got sorted as you got some good advice and we didn't even get thank you

 

[Rich2410A]

So after over 40 years of window cleaning I’ve invested in a full water fed pole system service.

After 14 months I am still steadily loosing customers due to spotting being left on the windows after the drying process is completed.

My water is running at zero I also live in a soft water area .

My work is 90% estate based so not working on exceptionally dirty main roads.

It is very frustrating that some windows are completely spotless yet many other windows still produce spotting even though my water reads zero . All the frames have now been fully cleaned after 14 months of pole cleaning .

Any suggestions on what is going wrong?

 

[francie]

to be honest bud i only clean the glass and sills ok if the frames are piggin then ya i will give them a good go but i use the customers water then do with my own water i try and stay away from frames i had the same prob as you bud now doing it this way no probs

Half a job lol,are you happy walking away from the job with dirty frames,you can't charge the maximum with just doing the glass mate?

 

[Den]

@GBW be interested to know if you got sorted as you got some good advice and we didn't even get thank you

This is why we used to have a 3 monthly cull on a forum i was admin, our policy was if you didn’t post you got removed.

 

[Cleanco]

Half a job lol,are you happy walking away from the job with dirty frames,you can't charge the maximum with just doing the glass mate?

Still a lot cleaning that way bud. They do seem to be charging less than most but will be spending less time on the job which will even their hourly rates out compared to cleaning the whole unit for a decent price. I suppose if they are makin good money and the customers are happy as they are gettin what they paid for then leave em to it. They have probably been cleaned that way for many years and the custys won’t know any different although problems may arise when they realise there are other options in abundance out there these days.

 

[dazmond]

to be honest bud i only clean the glass and sills ok if the frames are piggin then ya i will give them a good go but i use the customers water then do with my own water i try and stay away from frames i had the same prob as you bud now doing it this way no probs

So you plug into customers outside taps to clean their frames???

My bet is you use a backpack and carry very little water with you....

 

[Iron Giant]

This is why we used to have a 3 monthly cull on a forum i was admin, our policy was if you didn’t post you got removed.

Above my free pay grade