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Removing greying from frames

Chris34

Well-known member
Messages
1,723
Location
Stockport, Cheshire
Hi Guys,

I've got a job for my parents neighbour to do tomorrow.  They already have a traditional window cleaner who I think charges about £5 (they charge his neighbour £3.50), anyway his frames are terrible, really old and plenty of greying, one is actually black.  He wants the frames cleaning.  Now I really want to try and get a wow factor on this one, as good as I can get.  The reason being is that I know another neighbour down the road who raised her brows to my pricing when speaking to my mother, so I want to try and make them look like new just to make a point, the house also faces hers so she would see it everyday.  These are people who think 'cheap is best' so I want to teach them a lesson and hey who knows maybe get further work.

What is the best cleaner and method to remove the greying?  I've got screwfix degreaser but although it will look a lot better and will remove the black dirt it won't remove the greying, so what else is there?

Chris.

 
Try upvc  solvent cleaner it’s a bit like thinners it will de solve the surface and remove the dead film but I expect it will return the black grey is usually the black rubber seals degrading so it will keep coming back degreasers and tfr Virosol will not succeed in removing it , it’s a case of getting up close and personal and doing it by hand , slow process. 

 
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I've noticed that screwfix do a 'no nonsense pvc cleaner' but the reviews are not all good, some of the bad ones say it's no better than fairy liquid.  One of them says it's not a solvent cleaner.  They also do a pvc solvent cleaner but it's a new product so no reviews, will any solvent pvc cleaner do the job?

ae235


Also the black has been caused by an incorrectly fitted wooden fascia that directs the flow of rain water onto one window.  It will obviously come back but just a few days of wow effect will be sufficient.

 
Use a green scouring pad and some yellow cif. Then just work it in by hand and it will come up a treat.For the top sills/frames if you don't want to climb a ladder spray plenty of virosol on to a stiff brush and work it in,hit everything glass/frames/sills, be prepared for lots of suds. Don't try and get it perfect in one visit, once you've had a go at one window move to the next and let things soak for a while then return and go again.When satisfied, rinse well. Make sure you rinse your brush thoroughly as it will streak the next job if any traces of Virolsol are left on the brush.

 
I've noticed that screwfix do a 'no nonsense pvc cleaner' but the reviews are not all good, some of the bad ones say it's no better than fairy liquid.  One of them says it's not a solvent cleaner.  They also do a pvc solvent cleaner but it's a new product so no reviews, will any solvent pvc cleaner do the job?

ae235


Also the black has been caused by an incorrectly fitted wooden fascia that directs the flow of rain water onto one window.  It will obviously come back but just a few days of wow effect will be sufficient.
I buy solvent cleaner from a local double glazing company , it’s what they use when fitting windows , it’s good stuff but don’t use it in a confined space you will be high as a kite ???

7D0870B2-8D4B-44FB-A835-4BA6216F4B0A.jpeg

 
Use a green scouring pad and some yellow cif. Then just work it in by hand and it will come up a treat.For the top sills/frames if you don't want to climb a ladder spray plenty of virosol on to a stiff brush and work it in,hit everything glass/frames/sills, be prepared for lots of suds. Don't try and get it perfect in one visit, once you've had a go at one window move to the next and let things soak for a while then return and go again.When satisfied, rinse well. Make sure you rinse your brush thoroughly as it will streak the next job if any traces of Virolsol are left on the brush.


That's pretty much what I do with all my first cleans lately (had some really grubby ones) but I use screwfix degreaser instead.  Basically I fill a window cleaners bucket (rectangular) with a roughly 1 to 10 solution and I then just dip the brush into it and soak the frames and glass with it, then I go to the next window and do the same, then I go back to the first set of windows and give them a scrub, sometimes I might have to dip the brush into the bucket again if it has dried a bit too much, then I do the same with the second set of windows, then rinse off and scrub thoroughly.  

It's hard work you have to work fast but the results do look good.

 
@Chris34.

IMHO its all very well putting on a show for a neighbour, but you could end up with 'egg on your face.' You aren't cleaning windows to justify your price. If he/she doesn't like what you quoted then that's fine. They can choose whoever they want.

As @Pjj says, that black around the frames is most likely from the rubber seals that have deteriorated over time. You will be able to get that off with lots of elbow grease and careful detailing, but it will be back within a few days.

My advise is to just go about your business quitely without fanfare and not draw too much attention to yourself.

Just because your neighbour says your prices are too high doesn't mean that she is right.

 
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I agree with most of the above but be VERY careful with solvent cleaner. If you don’t know what you are doing and the frames/seals are badly oxidised you could end up causing more damage. I did a conservatory once and I couldn’t remove the black ‘run off’ from the solvent cleaner - luckily I did a small test patch first but it took a good 30-45 minutes to get it anywhere near decent again. Old UPVC seems to fair better with solvent cleaner but I’ve still not found anything that performs better than the pink stuff. Used along side the white scourer pads that Gardiner’s sell. With regards to the ‘wow’ factor, unless you charge well the 4 hour first cleans will start to grate on you a bit, I used to love a good first clean but dread every one of them now!!!

1FB2B476-58B8-49B5-B99C-F35F29F92A61.jpeg

 
Use the pink stuff and microfibre cloths its great value for money. For light greying magic sponges work a treat. I’ve never bothered with solvent cleaners. They pong real bad and can’t be much good for your skin. No gloves needed with the stuff i’ve mentioned. Hope this helps. 

Unger rub out is also very good but i tend to keep this for limescale on glass and hard water stains as it’s 3 x the price of the pink stuff. Passing on from Den who originally mentioned the pink stuff. Its great and never looked back

 
Use the pink stuff and microfibre cloths its great value for money. For light greying magic sponges work a treat. I’ve never bothered with solvent cleaners. They pong real bad and can’t be much good for your skin. No gloves needed with the stuff i’ve mentioned. Hope this helps. 

Unger rub out is also very good but i tend to keep this for limescale on glass and hard water stains as it’s 3 x the price of the pink stuff. Passing on from Den who originally mentioned the pink stuff. Its great and never looked back




I have Hurd several people say this stuff is good I have never seen/used it what does it come in liquid? Cream cleaner ?? Where do you get it ? I might get some to keep on the van as another thing that might come in useful now and again 

 
I have Hurd several people say this stuff is good I have never seen/used it what does it come in liquid? Cream cleaner ?? Where do you get it ? I might get some to keep on the van as another thing that might come in useful now and again 
It’s a paste that comes in a tub. You can get it in Sainsbury’s for £1. Some of the bargain shops sell it for 79p if you are lucky enough to find it. I usually buy 12 at time from someone on Facebook as I’ve never seen it in stock in Sainsbury’s.

 
It’s a paste that comes in a tub. You can get it in Sainsbury’s for £1. Some of the bargain shops sell it for 79p if you are lucky enough to find it. I usually buy 12 at time from someone on Facebook as I’ve never seen it in stock in Sainsbury’s.




Is something that cheap really that good at cleaning ??? 

 
Is something that cheap really that good at cleaning ??? 
Better believe it dude ?

ebay not bad i buy like 3 tubs for £6 or £8 lasts ages especially when not doing many first cleans. Best used on a micro fibre cloth. Kind of looks like peanut butter only its pink 

 
@Chris34.

IMHO its all very well putting on a show for a neighbour, but you could end up with 'egg on your face.' You aren't cleaning windows to justify your price. If he/she doesn't like what you quoted then that's fine. They can choose whoever they want.

As @Pjj says, that black around the frames is most likely from the rubber seals that have deteriorated over time. You will be able to get that off with lots of elbow grease and careful detailing, but it will be back within a few days.

My advise is to just go about your business quitely without fanfare and not draw too much attention to yourself.

Just because your neighbour says your prices are too high doesn't mean that she is right.


I get your point but I won't get egg on my face, I've made it clear that I will do the best I can but they will not look like new.  I'm just trying to do the best job I can.  I just don't like it when somebody says they have their windows cleaned for £3.50 and act like it's the same clean as what I'm doing only a lot cheaper, the whole street has the same attitude, I just want to open their eyes a little.

I've already used magic sponges and they're great but don't always get the finish I want hence me trying to find other tricks to try.  

I've ordered some solvent cleaner, I'll try and find some of that pink stuff and I'm trying to find some of that bar keepers cream (nowhere seems to sell it round here).  

CIF cream cleaner....squirt in on your brush and scrub away......the black frames will come up great trust me!....?

hope your charging well for them......


Do you not find it's a bit abrasive?  I'd imagine it gets the dirt off but does it not take of the glossy sheen?

Cheers for the advice guys, all food for thought.  I'll take some before and after photos and put them on here.  

Oh and Dazmond it's a 3 bed semi, it's £40 for 2 bay windows, a porch with pvc door, bathroom window and 2 side windows.  Should have been £60 for the whole house but can't get the back done due to them having a wolf and them being out, probably get eaten if I tried.  it's not a restoration clean and I've not said that I'll be doing all this but I want to practise on this one as it's a service that I might start offering if I can get the desired results, obviously I would charge a lot more though.

 
I wouldn't use cif as it's to abrasive, I banned my wife from using it years ago as it scratched our bath quite badly, I use magic sponges and Bar Keepers Friend were required, but I charge double for a first clean and don't go up a ladder and go all out @Chris34 I would say what you are doing is close to a restoration clean, but i totally get why you are doing it. 

 
Is something that cheap really that good at cleaning ??? 
For the money it's really good, done a window frame and sill the other day as she got hundreds of splashes of fence guard on it, was all gone in a couple of minutes. 

I use it for ingrained stains or black scuff marks.

Some times I find the john guest fittings on the brush can make a black mark on the plastics doorsteps so handy for that. 

 
I know the unger rub out isn't cheap but it is an excellent product. This should also be priced in with the job to cover the cost. I had to restore someones front door - yellow tired looking with boot scuffs and marks..... it looked like new when I finished. A very happy customer too.

John

Gleam Clean

Tamar Valley window cleaning 

 
I get your point but I won't get egg on my face, I've made it clear that I will do the best I can but they will not look like new.  I'm just trying to do the best job I can.  I just don't like it when somebody says they have their windows cleaned for £3.50 and act like it's the same clean as what I'm doing only a lot cheaper, the whole street has the same attitude, I just want to open their eyes a little.

I've already used magic sponges and they're great but don't always get the finish I want hence me trying to find other tricks to try.  

I've ordered some solvent cleaner, I'll try and find some of that pink stuff and I'm trying to find some of that bar keepers cream (nowhere seems to sell it round here).  

Do you not find it's a bit abrasive?  I'd imagine it gets the dirt off but does it not take of the glossy sheen?

Cheers for the advice guys, all food for thought.  I'll take some before and after photos and put them on here.  

Oh and Dazmond it's a 3 bed semi, it's £40 for 2 bay windows, a porch with pvc door, bathroom window and 2 side windows.  Should have been £60 for the whole house but can't get the back done due to them having a wolf and them being out, probably get eaten if I tried.  it's not a restoration clean and I've not said that I'll be doing all this but I want to practise on this one as it's a service that I might start offering if I can get the desired results, obviously I would charge a lot more though.


Sorry for using the expression 'egg on your face.' It was a bit harsh. I didn't mean it that way.

We have a job where the frames are always black when we get to them. We scrub them clean and they are black a week later.

Someone passing by could say the windies who clean that house don't clean those windows very well do they.

I have always said that if you get none of all the quotes you make then you are too expensive. If you get all the quotes then you are to cheap. You need to aim for about 40 to 60% quote acceptance. Its nothing to do with one person's thoughts on what the going rate should be.

If she is getting her windows done for £3.50 then thats her business. We have a business with a number of vans cleaning fronts wfp for £2.50 and backs for £2.50 for a 3 bed semi. They do a terrible job and insist they do them once every 2 weeks like they did when they were trad. But they are loosing business.

I mentioned about the trad guy doing 4 bed houses on an up market estate in our area for £6. He fell off his ladders and won't walk again a couple of years ago.

WFP was too expensive for him.

 
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I wouldn't use cif as it's to abrasive, I banned my wife from using it years ago as it scratched our bath quite badly, I use magic sponges and Bar Keepers Friend were required, but I charge double for a first clean and don't go up a ladder and go all out @Chris34 I would say what you are doing is close to a restoration clean, but i totally get why you are doing it. 
its fine.....dont forget any house with greying black frames will have old old windows......it doesnt matter if it scratches the plastic a bit as long as it makes them whiter.....

i did one last year which was really bad,never had a window cleaner in years,i used half a bottle of cif!just squirted it on my brush and scrubbed away like mad..i charged them £80 and was done in an hour.....i now clean their windows regularly...they were over the moon with the first clean.....?

 
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