First Clean Methods

[Part Timer]

This is where you need to be brave and tell the customer the potential problems. No matter how long you've been doing the job you can't do much with them apart from glue them and that's not our job

 

[BWC]

This is where you need to be brave and tell the customer the potential problems. No matter how long you've been doing the job you can't do much with them apart from glue them and that's not our job

I told them. I had to be so gentle with it.. took me 5 hours to get them looking perfect  (apart from the obvious which they need to do) ? 

NEVER AGAIN!

 

[Part Timer]

I told them. I had to be so gentle with it.. took me 5 hours to get them looking perfect  (apart from the obvious which they need to do) ? 

NEVER AGAIN!

It's all a learning curve, at least it hasn't actually cost you money, just some blood sweat and tears. As I've said before, class your first year as an apprenticeship and the bad jobs go into the memory bank. If everything went smoothly you wouldn't learn.

 

[Cleanco]

Once over with the pole to get them”wfp ready” and then another pass with trad equipment to get any bits that I’ve missed especially on the top windows were you can’t see. Charge two cleans but probs takes as long as three. I like doing it this way for piece of mind knowing that top sills are spot on and I’m not gonna be leaving spots and runs that quite often occur using wfp only on first cleans. I have tried wfp only on first cleans but that only seems to work when they have been previously cleaned wfp. It just takes too long to get a good finish with wfp alone especially if they are really bad. I’ve found that certain stains that come off really easy by hand can take a lot of scrubbing and energy when trying to remove it with the pole 15’ away. 

 

[spruce]

It's all a learning curve, at least it hasn't actually cost you money, just some blood sweat and tears. As I've said before, class your first year as an apprenticeship and the bad jobs go into the memory bank. If everything went smoothly you wouldn't learn.

Yep, calm seas don't make good sailors as the saying goes.

You can't buy experience @BWC. You've got the job right  the next clean will take less than half the time and the third time will be a bit quicker than that.

Those windows are awful. We have 4 houses on one estate we do with similar issues. We have knocked a few of the 'struts' off and have a few loose ones which are bound to come off in the next few cleans. We haven't had any customer complaints about it as its not our fault.

When you start out you are most likely picking up other cleaners dross. But once you have sifted the good from the bad and grown your round, you will also be in a better position to pick and choose.

As @Part Timer says, the first year is your apprenticeship. You need to be looking forward to jobs like these as this is the best way of learning.

Despite the pain I'm sure you have a deep down feeling of achievement @BWC

 

[BWC]

Yep, calm seas don't make good sailors as the saying goes.

You can't buy experience @BWC. You've got the job right  the next clean will take less than half the time and the third time will be a bit quicker than that.

Those windows are awful. We have 4 houses on one estate we do with similar issues. We have knocked a few of the 'struts' off and have a few loose ones which are bound to come off in the next few cleans. We haven't had any customer complaints about it as its not our fault.

When you start out you are most likely picking up other cleaners dross. But once you have sifted the good from the bad and grown your round, you will also be in a better position to pick and choose.

As @Part Timer says, the first year is your apprenticeship. You need to be looking forward to jobs like these as this is the best way of learning.

Despite the pain I'm sure you have a deep down feeling of achievement @BWC

Thanks @spruce The results were great. I’m happy I persevered. Very much feeling a sense of achievement with an overwhelming feeling of aching in areas I didn’t know I could ache! I can’t wait to get a SLX. Doing that job with the CLX 27 wasn’t the best. I got it second hand, I bet it’s easily 8 years old. I’ll be built like a tank if I carry on with it ?

 

[BWC]

It's all a learning curve, at least it hasn't actually cost you money, just some blood sweat and tears. As I've said before, class your first year as an apprenticeship and the bad jobs go into the memory bank. If everything went smoothly you wouldn't learn.

Completely agree with you! I went from shock to frustration to laughing at myself in the situation ?‍

 

[Danfire]

Sometimes I'll just trad the first cleans. If they are really filthy with years of muck I'll connect the wfp to the customers outside tap then blast and scrub away 99% of the dirt. Then I'll trad the windows and normally have to do a bit of scraping on any remaining bits of paint, silicone, glue and stubborn bits of filth that didn't come off with the wfp. Once the first clean is done it'll be wfp from the next clean.

 

[Iron Giant]

I trad nearly all my wooden sash windows because I think the pure adds to the rotting process

Custys not having there windows painted properly and maintaining them sufficiently is what causes the issues, some people will have a guy out who gives them one coat of paint and then they get left for 5 years plus, a custy of mine had new wooden sash windows in the front of his house a few years ago and they are in dire need of painting,

I also had an old custy years ago, they lived in a big old vicarage with a lot of the windows being really old, he would have them painted every 10 years I think it was, but he specified to the painter that he wanted them properly prepped and the number of coats of paint to be applied, those windows never looked ready to painted even after 10 years 

Absolutely no need whatsoever to be getting up a ladder and tradding windows when you are wfp, practice and refining your technique is what will see anyone being able to achieve 100% finish on a job or at least 99.9% 

 

[ks789]

Custys not having there windows painted properly and maintaining them sufficiently is what causes the issues, some people will have a guy out who gives them one coat of paint and then they get left for 5 years plus, a custy of mine had new wooden sash windows in the front of his house a few years ago and they are in dire need of painting,

I also had an old custy years ago, they lived in a big old vicarage with a lot of the windows being really old, he would have them painted every 10 years I think it was, but he specified to the painter that he wanted them properly prepped and the number of coats of paint to be applied, those windows never looked ready to painted even after 10 years 

Absolutely no need whatsoever to be getting up a ladder and tradding windows when you are wfp, practice and refining your technique is what will see anyone being able to achieve 100% finish on a job or at least 99.9% 

I wondered about this when I first started, but then I thought, as some had said, what about all the torrential rain they get? Some I do are in dire need of repainting, and some even re-puttying, but this is nothing to do with wfp as they were already like it. I point areas out to the customer, and the bits that are really bad, just go really careful.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I wondered about this when I first started, but then I thought, as some had said, what about all the torrential rain they get? Some I do are in dire need of repainting, and some even re-puttying, but this is nothing to do with wfp as they were already like it. I point areas out to the customer, and the bits that are really bad, just go really careful.

Rainwater doesn't draw anything out of the wood but pure will draw out everything if they are not sealed. I seen it with my own eyes, the new wooden windows were only primed and some bits were rotten.

 

[ks789]

Rainwater doesn't draw anything out of the wood but pure will draw out everything if they are not sealed. I seen it with my own eyes, the new wooden windows were only primed and some bits were rotten.

 I'll be slowly ruining some windows then. I def cant and wont do these trad. These huge shop ones too, dont seem sealed. I wonder if one day I'll walk past and the glass has come out. Might have to leave that customer.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

 I'll be slowly ruining some windows then. I def cant and wont do these trad. These huge shop ones too, dont seem sealed. I wonder if one day I'll walk past and the glass has come out. Might have to leave that customer.

Keep an eye on it or take a photo between glass and bead. Look at it this time next year to see if you notice a difference. Pure water draws the dirt out that's why it continues to draw the soap from the rubber seals till there is no more to draw out. fwiw

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

First cleans are discretionary to each individual.  Just because I do it one way it does not mean you have to.  

I know exactly what chemicals in the can will do exactly what to each and every job I been to look at and I know exactly what level of result I can achieve, this comes from nothing more than experience over the years of doing it.  

Ubik on a first clean is great as it's degreasing properties just strips all levels of **** off the glass as well as the frame.  You can't know how to clean any window at all until you are stood in front of it seeing what kind of state it's in, once you see that you can decide the best way to tackle it. 

As for price yes, im may cases I will charge extra and get the result I promised, in other cases I will charge a hell of a lot extra and explain restoration takes time. In the third type of case, if it's not going to take long at all and they seem they will be a good ongoing customer I may well not charge any extra.  

The only tool you have to help you make a decision is experience and you personally looking at the window. 

We can all sit here and say 'I would do this' or 'I would do that' but until we are stood in front of the customer with our eyes on the job at hand it's all theoretical. 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Look who's back!

 

[willy windows]

I know !!

I was surprised to see him back on the forum !

Have you seen his latest video, well new to me, a Questions and Answer Feb 2020 video on Youtube.He's planning on doing 1 a month I believe.

I thought he was too busy running a string off bamboo girls out of the Green Dragon pleasure house or such like to be able to comment on the forum again !

I Boom Boom long time, only 10 dollar.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

One of my customers came round to pay their bill after coming back from Asia. I kept my distance just in case. ?

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

I know !!

I was surprised to see him back on the forum !

Have you seen his latest video, well new to me, a Questions and Answer Feb 2020 video on Youtube.He's planning on doing 1 a month I believe.

I thought he was too busy running a string off bamboo girls out of the Green Dragon pleasure house or such like to be able to comment on the forum again !

I Boom Boom long time, only 10 dollar.

This shows you are but a child - was only $5 dollar when I was a boy!  

I am not 'back' I never left - - always here just watching and chilling. 

Yes I will do one Q&A monthly on the YT Channel -- 

There will be some updates to the channel as well over the summer whilst I am back in the UK 

Scottish jokes about keeping distance but Cathay Pacific have cancelled all flights through Hong Kong until further notice (my routh back to UK) 

Regarding the Green Dragon, like all good businesses, the girls run themselves. 

 

 

[Glen]

Hi Chris is that diluted or neat degreaser. If diluted what ratios please 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

This shows you are but a child - was only $5 dollar when I was a boy!  

I am not 'back' I never left - - always here just watching and chilling. 

Yes I will do one Q&A monthly on the YT Channel -- 

There will be some updates to the channel as well over the summer whilst I am back in the UK 

Scottish jokes about keeping distance but Cathay Pacific have cancelled all flights through Hong Kong until further notice (my routh back to UK) 

Regarding the Green Dragon, like all good businesses, the girls run themselves. 

 

Your not even back and you are causing trouble ? Some things never change.

 

[Chris34]

Hi Chris is that diluted or neat degreaser. If diluted what ratios please 

Diluted and it's 1 to 10.  I sometimes strengthen it a little to 1 to 8.  You can tell how strong it is by how it sticks to the surface you're cleaning, too weak and it runs off like water, too thick and it foams up too much, you need it thick enough so it sticks to the surface so it can eat into the dirt.