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Tradding.. how to stop the bucket spilling?

Tango

Well-known member
Messages
1,072
Location
Dirt. Planet Dirt.
Hi

I got a job which requires the insides of the windows to be cleaned. I didn't want to do insides but it's commercial and came to me from another windy doing me a favour so i'll take it..

Now i've gone and bought the trad gear from screwfix. Just one thing puzzles me.. do you tradders fill your bucket with water and soap at every place you go to or do you keep it in the bucket between jobs? - If it's the latter, how do you prevent it sploshing around and spilling in the motor? - Is it a case of keep the level very low so the sides can stop it escaping?

Thanks

Tango

 
Hi

I got a job which requires the insides of the windows to be cleaned. I didn't want to do insides but it's commercial and came to me from another windy doing me a favour so i'll take it..

Now i've gone and bought the trad gear from screwfix. Just one thing puzzles me.. do you tradders fill your bucket with water and soap at every place you go to or do you keep it in the bucket between jobs? - If it's the latter, how do you prevent it sploshing around and spilling in the motor? - Is it a case of keep the level very low so the sides can stop it escaping?

Thanks

Tango
Chuck the water after use...why would you keep it? It will be dirty & senseless to carry around in a open bucket in the van...Screwfix applicators arent the best imo, you sound inexperienced fella not being funny but theres a lot more to tradding than a screwfix bucket set. You need blade scrapers, dozens of micro fibres especially if its a big job, maybe

a harris pole, goo gone sticky stuff remover, if its commercial there may be stickers or posters inside windows you will come up against. Could turn in to a right mare and wouldn’t want you coming away feeling de-flated or embarrassed. Safety & care is also of the utmost importance as its completely different to working outside. Whos going to be walking around ready to slip? Is it a car showroom/art gallery/antique shop with priceless valuables as stake? All youd have to do is knock the end of your harris pole in to a car/vase/painting or god knows what else while reaching for a high internal window and uh...oohh. 
apply soap to applicator never to the water...

with greatest respect fella look before you leap, gain some experience with basic exterior trad work and then domestic interior before leaping in to a internal commercial job, why has he passed it on to you also think about that one ?

 
I was trad for years and found that if you keep the bucket less than half full and have your tools and detergent bottle in it that stops the water sloshing over the sides. But avoid sharp braking. Also oblong buckets are less likely to slop, as you don’t need them as full to completely immerse the applicator. 

 
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Chuck the water after use...why would you keep it? It will be dirty & senseless to carry around in a open bucket in the van...Screwfix applicators arent the best imo, you sound inexperienced fella not being funny but theres a lot more to tradding than a screwfix bucket set. You need blade scrapers, dozens of micro fibres especially if its a big job, maybe

a harris pole, goo gone sticky stuff remover, if its commercial there may be stickers or posters inside windows you will come up against. Could turn in to a right mare and wouldn’t want you coming away feeling de-flated or embarrassed. Safety & care is also of the utmost importance as its completely different to working outside. Whos going to be walking around ready to slip? Is it a car showroom/art gallery/antique shop with priceless valuables as stake? All youd have to do is knock the end of your harris pole in to a car/vase/painting or god knows what else while reaching for a high internal window and uh...oohh. 
apply soap to applicator never to the water...

with greatest respect fella look before you leap, gain some experience with basic exterior trad work and then domestic interior before leaping in to a internal commercial job, why has he passed it on to you also think about that one ?


Seen some tradders around over the years.. they seem to carry on using the same water once they're done then moving onto another commercial and using the same grime over and over lol.

As for the type of place, it's a small commercial. Just 2 windows, nothing overly complex, they just want them kept clean. No posters etc. Another windy was doing it but they've for whatever reason decided to switch, enquired with a windy i have contact with who passed it to me. Nothing sinister about the windy who gave it to me. Oh and both windows are enclosed - nobody else will be in there with me as they're display windows.

To be honest its only this one job that I'm going to consider as possible trad anyway so i'm not going to be investing in serious trad gear. The inside i'd prefer to clean with microfibre and windolene if i'm honest. That might not sound like a great option to you tradders but i've always found it leaves glass looking great. I'm not a big fan of leaving microscopic sticky soap particles behind..I'm not keen on trad at all if i'm honest.. I'm a wfp man at heart lol but this one job came my way and i couldn't turn it down really

 
Yeah the tradders youve seen probably either have no access to clean water if theyre a high street walker, or they fill up on outside taps where they can dude. And if no-one has the back done or if its all front onlys god knows how many houses they could do before they reach an outside tap. 

Still seems to work though, the windows are obviously coming out clean or nobody would use them. Tradders magic maybe ? one guy round here walks around cool as a cucumber in sandals, shorts and vest, short pole and a bucket, in all weathers, same outfit, does some very busy high streets. I keep thinking to myself this guys definitely got a higher profit margin than me ?. I can dream on. 

I use wfp so have a pure water supply for any trad work. 
from reading the post my first thoughts were omg, now it sounds like youve panicked & over complicated a small matter ? youll be fine mate. 
if windowlene and microfibres works for you why not? Providing the windows are small ish. Dont worry about what anybody else thinks man. You probably had it nailed before you bought your screwfix stuff lol. 

 
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If your only doing this one job trad why would you need to keep the water?

I do The Shell museum, in Glandford Norfolk (google it), the internals are awkward and i do them with a pole, the place is FULL of delicates and the worst is a pricless tapesty thats really really old.

Im seriously considering dumping it tbh as its to much risk.

Screenshot_20191121-053950_Samsung Internet.jpg

 
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I have an Unger bucket with lid. Which stays in the van. I carry enough so it lasts the day 2.5 gal. 

Yes its the same water for all the jobs. The dirty water gets squeegeed off, that doesnt go back in the bucket. 

But if your only doing the odd inside, you can carry a plastic 25ltr drum with plain water, or even a few fairy liquid bottles  filled with soapy water and just squirt it straight onto the applicator.

You could prob do two inside jobs with 1 large fairy liquid bottle of soapy water.

 
You only need to change the water once it’s dirty, not after every job as that’s just a waste. Now I’m mostly wfp a bucket of soupy water may last me all day. I fill the bucket half way and leave my pad in it to stop the water sloshing around.  I also keep the bucket in a plastic container or wedge it it somewhere to stop it tipping over when cornering or braking heavily. 

 
I've been trad for over 10 years and never used a bucket unless really big jobs, your best bet is the carry one bigger washing up bottle of clean water only and another small one of solution and just apply as needed, it last forever and can always top up if needed 

 
I have an Unger bucket with lid. Which stays in the van. I carry enough so it lasts the day 2.5 gal. 

Yes its the same water for all the jobs. The dirty water gets squeegeed off, that doesnt go back in the bucket. 

But if your only doing the odd inside, you can carry a plastic 25ltr drum with plain water, or even a few fairy liquid bottles  filled with soapy water and just squirt it straight onto the applicator.

You could prob do two inside jobs with 1 large fairy liquid bottle of soapy water.


Cheers for the tips - hadn't realised that some buckets came with lids - the only buckets i've been seeing are without! Weird..

Anyway that job's over now, what a bloomin farce it was too. Quite a lot of confusion in there on their part.. ended up doing the sign only and not the glass as another windy has just done em and they're sticking with him - Idiots! That's my £15 every week (£10 cheaper than the other guy) gone up in smoke! Still charged em £20 for the sign so all's fair as they say. Kinda grateful if i'm honest as it was in an area I absolutely dread...

 
I use an old 20l hypo barrel with the top cut off and a few inches of water in to keep everything in and wet but use a bottle of solution in my pouch to keep the applicator wet.

note the spare rubber and pressure washer jets in the storage bins .

always have a couple of pre cut rubbers in there.15743411089428161551086836854975.jpg

 
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Notice the protectakote has come off the floor and not the arches.

Never use bitumen paint as I did and it was **** but nothing else sticks to it now.

Just a heads up

 
The ettore buckets have lids and a spray bottle and unger belt with the bottle pouch will allow you to spray inside windows with a pre made solution. No bucket needed etc but have supply to fill up bottle and spare soap with you

 
Notice the protectakote has come off the floor and not the arches.

Never use bitumen paint as I did and it was **** but nothing else sticks to it now.

Just a heads up
The mistake I made after I gave my van floor 2 layers of protecacote was to bin the small remainder in the tin.  A couple years on and its chipped away a bit in the heavy traffic areas and I can't touch it up.

 
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