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How to be faster

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Hi all!

I've been doing traditional window cleaning on the side for three years now, mostly just on Saturdays. I started from nothing, and taught myself as I went along!

Customers are very happy with my work, problem is that I'm way too slow in my opinion!

On a VERY good house and on a good day, I can just about turn over £20 in a hour, but for the most part, a £10 house (10 windows) takes an average of about 45 minutes for me to complete. A £20 house took me two hours to complete today.

My speed has increased over time, but any improvements levelled off for me over a year ago. I don't really know where else I could improve, though I have some thoughts I'd like to run past you guys.

- When squeegeeing, I quite often leave a line of water around the edges of the frame, which I then have to wipe off, which is time consuming. Is this bad technique, or just down to the type of window?

- How do you know when a squeegee rubber is worn out? Been using the same rubber for over a year since I bought my current squeegee, and it doesn't seem to be leaving any streaks or anything. Would I be surprised with the difference if I changed it?

- I clean like so: First I wipe down the frame quickly with a microfiber, then I scrub the glass, squeegee the glass, and go around the edges with a detailing cloth, as well as rubbing off any remaining little marks on the glass like from spider webs. Finally I mop around the frame again to remove the water, before giving the sill a quick scrub with the microfiber and a wipe dry. For each window, I always use a large detailing cloth, a wet microfiber for scrubbing marks off the frame, and a dry and clean microfiber for mopping up water on the frame at the end. Does this sound ideal? (Customers always complement my work quality at the end, it's just the speed)

- Would say my physical speed is average to slightly slower than average, but I struggle with keeping the quality if I try and bump it up a gear, and can't seem to keep up a higher speed for extended periods of time anyway. To keep trying to do so feels quite stressful almost. Any tips here?

- Does my pricing sound reasonable? I price £1 per window, thats for the glass, sill and frame. £2 per sliding glass door, £3 for bay windows. Then I may adjust the price slightly if there is difficult access, or hard to clean frames etc.

Many, many thanks to you all!

Dan

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You sound very methodical, maybe you're going overkill? The jobs you've mentioned, are they first cleans or repeat work? After a year using mop and blade you should be banging the work out by now. Seems odd you've not changed your rubber in a year and it isn't knackered. Can you mop and blade both left and right handed, that was one of the first things I learnt to do when I was trad.

 
You sound very methodical, maybe you're going overkill? The jobs you've mentioned, are they first cleans or repeat work? After a year using mop and blade you should be banging the work out by now. Seems odd you've not changed your rubber in a year and it isn't knackered. Can you mop and blade both left and right handed, that was one of the first things I learnt to do when I was trad.
Hi Tuffers, thanks for your answer. You may be onto something with the overkill, I have been told I can be too much of a perfectionist, trouble is, I've never understood where/how I'm supposed to not be a perfectionist! Do I leave the frames a bit dirtier? Miss a few marks on the glass.. Etc. Can't help feeling dissatisfied with it if so, but if the customer is happy and it's the only way to earn better, then I guess it must be done. Working my main job in a clean room probably doesn't help with this!

Mmh.. Maybe it is knackered. I just assumed I wouldn't be able to use it anymore once it is. Or is it more like a razor blade, getting slowly and slowly more blunt and harder to shave with, though still possible to use.. I'm quite a novice really, having only been part time and self taught!

These are repeat customers yeah. I can squeegee/mop with either hand yes, but struggle using both hands at the same time, usually this ends up slowing me down even more!

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Hi Tuffers, thanks for your answer. You may be onto something with the overkill, I have been told I can be too much of a perfectionist, trouble is, I've never understood where/how I'm supposed to not be a perfectionist! Do I leave the frames a bit dirtier? Miss a few marks on the glass.. Etc. Can't help feeling dissatisfied with it if so, but if the customer is happy and it's the only way to earn better, then I guess it must be done. Working my main job in a clean room probably doesn't help with this!

Mmh.. Maybe it is knackered. I just assumed I wouldn't be able to use it anymore once it is. Or is it more like a razor blade, getting slowly and slowly more blunt and harder to shave with, though still possible to use.. I'm quite a novice really, having only been part time and self taught!

These are repeat customers yeah. I can squeegee/mop with either hand yes, but struggle using both hands at the same time, usually this ends up slowing me down even more!

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Regarding your squeegee, you can turn it over to give it more life or you can take a slither off the end if it starts leaving trails.

I'm not having a dig here, but if you were doing this full time you'd be forcing yourself to work faster! From what you've said, you're doing £10 an hour. Even for a side line that's not enough IMO. I do feel that you're going overkill, people surely don't expect a window cleaner to be at their house for 2 hours and only pay him £20 do they? 

 
on maintenance cleans all you need to do is wet glass, wipe frames with damp cloth, squeegee off glass, detail, wipe sill and bottom frame, your method works well for first cleans but a little bit overkill imo. Obviously if there bird poo, or other stubborn marks then more scrubbing needed.

 
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It sounds to me like you are treating every window like an individual restoration project. Clean it and move on. Don't aim for perfection, unless you are charging perfect prices. Contrary to what a lot of folk say on forums... a happy customer is not the most important thing, the most important thing is that you earn a good wage! -that's what keeps you in business.

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I know i posted this before but it is an example of all that is needed on a regular clean

Obviously i would wipe the frames very quickly first

If you need to detail that would take a couple of seconds per window once all have been squeegeed

I'm not a tradder anymore really so excuse the makeshift belt 





https://youtu.be/1M4B_cOLDq4

 
Changing to moerman excelerator helped me to speed up a bit. ( a lot less detailing required )

Also followed advice on here about leaving bucket in van...take a water spray with you on your belt if needed.

I explain from the start that frames and sills are wiped down..not fully restored.

I will make sure all bird muck and spiders webs are removed though.

 
You are being a bit of a perfectionist. Essentially detail a lot less. Give the frames a quick wipe with a dry cloth and that’s it. Soap up but dont let the applicator touch the frame and then squeegee right to the edge. Soap the sill and blade the soap away. Detail only the bottom glass of the window if have to. Then give the frames a good scrub down every few months.


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I second changing over to moerman gear. If your a perfectionist,then perfect your technique with liquidator squeegee, then you'll save time by not having to detail. I used to detail like crazy,then watched loads of poll n bladz on YouTube,now hardly have to detail.
Also experiment with solutions. I've been using hand cleaner from aldi after watching video of wagga recommending it. Great slip,and not too much bubbles.
Don't use bucket on a belt full of water,just use it to hold your tools. I have a drinks bottle in a holster,with premixed solution,and I just squirt that directly on to applicator. Much better.

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Cut the time in half!!   First swab the glass, then wipe round the frame and half an inch of the glass with a well wrung-out (not completely dry) cloth - this removes all the water from the edges and also cleans the frame.  Now squeegee and follow with a wipe along the sill.  Wring out the cloth and do the next one.

No need to detail if you do the wiping round properly - plenty of pressure and one smooth wipe round, after you squeegee the edges will be perfect.

Trust me, I'm a window cleaner!  40 plus years experience. :1f61c:

 
Cut the time in half!!   First swab the glass, then wipe round the frame and half an inch of the glass with a well wrung-out (not completely dry) cloth - this removes all the water from the edges and also cleans the frame.  Now squeegee and follow with a wipe along the sill.  Wring out the cloth and do the next one.
 
No need to detail if you do the wiping round properly - plenty of pressure and one smooth wipe round, after you squeegee the edges will be perfect.
 
Trust me, I'm a window cleaner!  40 plus years experience. :1f61c:
Mate. Tis exactly how i did it for year's before wfp. You can fly that way. Anybody watchin used to smile and wave boys. Smile and wave...

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i keep seeing other windys carrying a bucket about why why why its knackering and heavy a 2 pint sports bottle and a bottle of soap is all that is required to do 5 -6 3 beds and your not as tired and keep a decent pace. or am I missing somthing

 
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