Dirty windows

[Jay the window man]

So.. a little help if you pros don’t mind.

I’ve gone to house and the windows are pretty bad. Not been done in years. The frames are white.. or well green and brown with dirty. They looked stained though because I was scrubbing and scrubbing but with wfp you can’t seem to get the pressure on them especially over a conny.

How would you guys tackle this issue?
I was looking at razor glide and razor wash on window cleaning warehouse and dipping the pole in the bucket to give it a scrub but is this standard practice?

I see horror stories with tfr.. so I’m never buying that for any reason in side or out haha. I have inside and outside to do in a few weeks time and would really like to give a good account of myself.

Cheers
Jay

 

[Pjj]

We would use a week hypo mix 6-1 spray leave for a few muinits scrub rinse job done , or a 10-1 Virosol mix same process. I find hypo gives a much better finish they come up looking good and it usually removes most staining .

 

[Iron Giant]

Screwfix No-Nonsense degreaser is what some use it's like virosol typically all classed as tfr aka Traffic Film Remover

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I use hot water and degreaser in a bucket and dip brush in and scrub on every window and door. Then go back and finish them off and finally do a third clean on the glass only.

 

[Crystalalan]

I must say thats when the hot water makes a lot of sense

 

[SB Cleaning Services]

So they after their one off clean every 10 years or summit then ?

 

[Jay the window man]

Cheers guys. It was one of those where I thought the frames looked pretty poor even after scrubbing and scrubbing. So I thought I wanted to say to them obviously if you wanted to properly sprucing up I would have to do this this and this. But I wasn’t sure what the best method was. There was several windows of a conservatory which I’m guessing the previous window cleaner couldn’t get to or couldn’t be bothered doing well. I thought I would offer at some point to get them back to like new.

So obviously for this I would use a spray bottle and spray the brush or dip in a bucket ?.

I didn’t want to be using tfr just incase some splashed on other things and I missed it leaving an almost impossible to remove orange residue.

 

[Jay the window man]

I’m presuming all these degreasers and what not don’t have any effect on the window clarity.. they won’t come up smeary etc afterwards?

 

[Pjj]

I’m presuming all these degreasers and what not don’t have any effect on the window clarity.. they won’t come up smeary etc afterwards?

Provided you dilute them to the correct amount and rinse thoroughly they will be fine

 

[tench0771]

Any tfr will help with the clean or a magic spung

 

[ched999uk]

I would say avoid caustic tfr as misuse can cause issues.

 

[Marko067]

I've used a Gardiners 'water through pad' to good effect on jobs like these. It's particularly good on mucky frames and facia boards. I go over everything with the pad first and the follow up with a brush. For stubborn stains I'll put some 'bar keepers friend' on the pad.

 

[Jay the window man]

Asp for this added extra do you charge extra? Or is it that you’re doing the job and you think.. ? doesn’t look great that.. il crack open a bottle of whatever and have a more in-depth go at it?

Or do you suggest to the customer if could do with a more of a deep clean and it’s an extra whatever?

 

[spruce]

Cheers guys. It was one of those where I thought the frames looked pretty poor even after scrubbing and scrubbing. So I thought I wanted to say to them obviously if you wanted to properly sprucing up I would have to do this this and this. But I wasn’t sure what the best method was. There was several windows of a conservatory which I’m guessing the previous window cleaner couldn’t get to or couldn’t be bothered doing well. I thought I would offer at some point to get them back to like new.

So obviously for this I would use a spray bottle and spray the brush or dip in a bucket ?.

I didn’t want to be using tfr just incase some splashed on other things and I missed it leaving an almost impossible to remove orange residue.

Sorry but you are a window cleaner, not a window frame restorer. That's a totally different remit.

We occasionally pour some Cif cream into our brush head and scrub. That's as far as we go. What doesn't come off doing that gets left.

As had been suggested already, this is most probably a one off job. We have all been there.

Give them the option of either 4 or 8 weeks, price accordingly and once the job is finished they will say that they will call you when they want it done again.

You are to be commended for wanting to get the best outcome for a new customer, but it also takes time for a new customer to prove himself/herself as a reliable customer for your business.

 

[spruce]

@Jay the window man
If the windows haven't been cleaned for years then definitely add an extra first clean priced higher than the regular clean. If they are awful, then you might double or even triple your regular price clean. Remember, the odds are that it's a one time clean. Who says they aren't long term tenants who are leaving and scared they will lose their deposit/bond.

 

[ched999uk]

My opinion is that if I got to quote a new job and I can see the frames are all oxidised or the seals are perished and leaving black marks then I manage the customers expectations. i.e. I point out the issues and say I will do my best to clean them but the black marks will reduce but remain as the seals are past their best and oxidisation won't come off with a regular window clean.
That said as I'm not pushed for time I usually give the downstairs sills and front door a quick going over with the pink stuff type cleaner. I sort of base it on, it will take me an extra 5 to 10 mins and what extra would I do with those few mins? OK so when starting out you will have a lot more first cleans so those 10 mins per job add up but once you have a few more customers the first cleans become less but you also have less time.

It's a bit tricky as on one hand you want passers by and neighbours to see you did a good job but on the other your 'time is money' as the saying goes.

 

[Chris34]

My opinion is that if I got to quote a new job and I can see the frames are all oxidised or the seals are perished and leaving black marks then I manage the customers expectations. i.e. I point out the issues and say I will do my best to clean them but the black marks will reduce but remain as the seals are past their best and oxidisation won't come off with a regular window clean.
That said as I'm not pushed for time I usually give the downstairs sills and front door a quick going over with the pink stuff type cleaner. I sort of base it on, it will take me an extra 5 to 10 mins and what extra would I do with those few mins? OK so when starting out you will have a lot more first cleans so those 10 mins per job add up but once you have a few more customers the first cleans become less but you also have less time.

It's a bit tricky as on one hand you want passers by and neighbours to see you did a good job but on the other your 'time is money' as the saying goes.

For me a quality clean will always far outweigh the need to rush, it doesn't matter how busy I am, on a first clean I think of it as like a first impression, I want to create an excellent first impression, I want to create that 'wow, he's really good', because after the first clean you never get that same opportunity to impress the customer, the second and third cleans just don't cut it. So for me it's pink stuff every time on a first clean for the sills unless they are brand new frames. The hourly rate is less but it's my reputation that I'm investing in. So I allocate plenty of time at the expense of reduced hourly rate to create that good impression.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I usually charge 4 times the regular clean or more. Win either way because I really don't want to clean them.