New traditional window cleaner

[Peter J]

Hello all , first of I’d like to thank all the pros on this forum for sharing valuable information, just seeving through threads I have pretty much caught most of my quarries I had, a great community hub, so hats off to WCF

Over the last two years I have contemplated on starting a window cleaning round for myself finally I’m taking the leap, total newbie, I have been researching the pros cons according to my needs and ability to make things efficient as possible giving my circumstances, but I have no hands on experience as of yet ( would love to get some work experience working under a traditional window cleaner working residential )

I would like to go the traditional route due to many factors finance, craftsmanship and logistics being few of the main issues.

Starting with a 18 lt unger bucket kit and a few different size squeege ( which Iv drummed up the courage and ordered )
Still looking at telescopic poles to eliminate the need for ladders, just worried if it will be possible to do good enough job including detailing with a robust set of poles up to first floor?

Once I have all the bare essentials I will practice on my own house which is a 3 bed semi detached

I don’t have a van but I’m mobile I have a saloon car, I’m from the east end, live and work between Essex and central london doing delivery work and Uber which gets me to meet people day to day at home addresses which I’m looking to use to my advantage to canvass and distribute leaflets to get potential customers besides the usual door to door canvassing i will be dedicating some time to.

Any and all advice to a newbie just starting up would be much appreciated.

It’s actually a lot of fun on a good day. I think you’re going to enjoy your new job on the glass

 

[Mr Klear]

You can do upstairs windows with a pole and applicator I used to but it takes a long time to master the skill and not get runs from the top frame

I see where the complications may arise last thing I want is to do a shabby job maybe allot of practice before embarking on real jobs

 

[Pjj]

I see where the complications may arise last thing I want is to do a shabby job maybe allot of practice before embarking on real jobs

Yes it takes a long time to master the skills using a trad pole at height , ground floor is easy and quick learned .

 

[Mr Klear]

Yes it takes a long time to master the skills using a trad pole at height , ground floor is easy and quick learned .

I’m only looking to do first floor to start me round hence why I was hoping I’d probably be able to work with the pole for trad.

But it seems like I’ll have to look into getting the backpack soon as possible

 

[WindyinNorfolk]

This is also from HSE

As a guide, if your task would require staying up a leaning ladder or stepladder for more than 30 minutes at a time, it is recommended you use alternative equipment.

It can be argued that most window cleaners are only up a ladder for 5 minutes at a time - Just showing HSE has contradictions.

AND - BTW - I am in total agreement WFP should be used over ladders - its now in very common usage and a totally (in falling from height aspect) safe.

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Hello all , first of I’d like to thank all the pros on this forum for sharing valuable information, just seeving through threads I have pretty much caught most of my quarries I had, a great community hub, so hats off to WCF

Over the last two years I have contemplated on starting a window cleaning round for myself finally I’m taking the leap, total newbie, I have been researching the pros cons according to my needs and ability to make things efficient as possible giving my circumstances, but I have no hands on experience as of yet ( would love to get some work experience working under a traditional window cleaner working residential )

I would like to go the traditional route due to many factors finance, craftsmanship and logistics being few of the main issues.

Starting with a 18 lt unger bucket kit and a few different size squeege ( which Iv drummed up the courage and ordered )
Still looking at telescopic poles to eliminate the need for ladders, just worried if it will be possible to do good enough job including detailing with a robust set of poles up to first floor?

Once I have all the bare essentials I will practice on my own house which is a 3 bed semi detached

I don’t have a van but I’m mobile I have a saloon car, I’m from the east end, live and work between Essex and central london doing delivery work and Uber which gets me to meet people day to day at home addresses which I’m looking to use to my advantage to canvass and distribute leaflets to get potential customers besides the usual door to door canvassing i will be dedicating some time to.

Any and all advice to a newbie just starting up would be much appreciated.

Welcome. If you want a robust long reach pole I'd recommend the following

Contico Pulex 3 piece telescopic
Unger
Renegade

You'd still need ladders for trad work as it's more challenging with detail work from the ground

 

[Ron Marsh]

Hello all , first of I’d like to thank all the pros on this forum for sharing valuable information, just seeving through threads I have pretty much caught most of my quarries I had, a great community hub, so hats off to WCF

Over the last two years I have contemplated on starting a window cleaning round for myself finally I’m taking the leap, total newbie, I have been researching the pros cons according to my needs and ability to make things efficient as possible giving my circumstances, but I have no hands on experience as of yet ( would love to get some work experience working under a traditional window cleaner working residential )

I would like to go the traditional route due to many factors finance, craftsmanship and logistics being few of the main issues.

Starting with a 18 lt unger bucket kit and a few different size squeege ( which Iv drummed up the courage and ordered )
Still looking at telescopic poles to eliminate the need for ladders, just worried if it will be possible to do good enough job including detailing with a robust set of poles up to first floor?

Once I have all the bare essentials I will practice on my own house which is a 3 bed semi detached

I don’t have a van but I’m mobile I have a saloon car, I’m from the east end, live and work between Essex and central london doing delivery work and Uber which gets me to meet people day to day at home addresses which I’m looking to use to my advantage to canvass and distribute leaflets to get potential customers besides the usual door to door canvassing i will be dedicating some time to.

Any and all advice to a newbie just starting up would be much appreciated.

 

[Mr Klear]

Seriously consider getting a 'backpack' (don't put it on your back use a trolley), trolley, a clx22 pole and some barrels (maybe free from local car wash) then you can buy pure water from Spotless and away you go. Admittedly it will cost you more than a squeegee but it will be mush quicker (after you get used to it) do a better job than a trad pole on upstairs windows (as wfp can do frames and sills).
I started in a car with barrels (hatchback. 6, 4 in boot and 2 behind drivers seat - all strapped in), it wasn't quick but I didn't have any customers at the beginning so it didn't matter.
Once I gained customers and found I liked the work I bought a ABC if you want together we done it without me I have a Own Number thing is everything okay with you this is it I need a little bit like a pony it’s about a girl I’ll put across in a bit ago I was aggressive Automatica prefer where did you go on with your lifeh

buy the ladder now -or borrow it .I started off with a B&Q 7 rung triple ladder this went Inside my car ,passenger seat removed . Stay with the ladders is my tip carve your niche . Im still on ladders 15yrs in [with employees] and enjoy the climbing if im honest . Good luck,well you wont need luck if you get that ladder asap

I

@Mr Klear I started like this mate. I am actually ok at cleaning windows on first floor with a pole and squeegee, but it's very awkward and you can never get the frames very clean. If you are able to the order yourself a backpack and a composite pole (like a Gardiner CLX) I used to clean the tops with a water fed pole and the bottoms with a squeegee - loads of people start like that. That way you don't need to carry lots of pure water when you are out and about. Even now if I have a low level bungalow I use a squeegee all round and I clean doors and patio doors with a squeegee too. You can buy water from your local spotless dispensing station very easily and then just upgrade your equipment when you have a bit of earnings saved up. Best of luck with it buddy, you'll be fine.

 

[Mr Klear]

Great, my first unger kit arrived today was well excited to use it till I realised they sent me the 12ltr bucket instead of the 18ltr on the ad.

12ltr seems just too small as I want to do residential as well as commercial so I’m going to send it back

What’s the standard preferred bucket size most windy’s use? Or recommend

 

[ched999uk]

Try and get 1 with a lid - they are never water tight but with a lid you will spill a lot less in the car.
Personally I would say the number of litres is a bit irrelevant, it's more about the applicator size that fits IF you are intending to do big commercial panes of glass a bigger applicator is good but to stat with it doesn't matter.
That said if you didn't receive what was advertised then ask the company to supply the correct stuff or a partial refund.

 

[Mr Klear]

Try and get 1 with a lid - they are never water tight but with a lid you will spill a lot less in the car.
Personally I would say the number of litres is a bit irrelevant, it's more about the applicator size that fits IF you are intending to do big commercial panes of glass a bigger applicator is good but to stat with it doesn't matter.
That said if you didn't receive what was advertised then ask the company to supply the correct stuff or a partial refund.

Only the big ones come with lids also more storage space so probably get one of those

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Great, my first unger kit arrived today was well excited to use it till I realised they sent me the 12ltr bucket instead of the 18ltr on the ad.

12ltr seems just too small as I want to do residential as well as commercial so I’m going to send it back

What’s the standard preferred bucket size most windy’s use? Or recommend

It's okay but the moment you want to get 18" squeegees and applicators you'll wish you went bigger. Less moments better coverage

 

[Bell Pallisey]

i personally prefer the 12 litre unger bucket and have 2 sit alongside each other in a plastic spill box in my van. The 12 litre is made of unbreakable plastic too . iv not had the bigger unger bucket but i once had a pulex 18litre, not nearly as easy to carry ,a hater in fact

 

[Bell Pallisey]

all HAIL the 12 litre unger

 

[Scrubsy]

Only the big ones come with lids also more storage space so probably get one of those

@Mr Klear I use a 10 litre Bluewater bucket (I have 2). They are the best bucket by an absolute mile. The lid has a rubber gasket and clips on securely all round. Mine has been used hundreds of times and is still like new. I got it from window clean centre. Looks like this and will also fit an 18" applicator. Fantastic piece of kit.

 

[Mr Klear]

i personally prefer the 12 litre unger bucket and have 2 sit alongside each other in a plastic spill box in my van. The 12 litre is made of unbreakable plastic too . iv not had the bigger unger bucket but i once had a pulex 18litre, not nearly as easy to carry ,a hater in facing actually gone back to the drawing board

i personally prefer the 12 litre unger bucket and have 2 sit alongside each other in a plastic spill box in my van. The 12 litre is made of unbreakable plastic too . iv not had the bigger unger bucket but i once had a pulex 18litre, not nearly as easy to carry ,a hater in fact

I’m actually keeping this since Iv decided to get a WFP and a backpack think this little bucket will do me fine

 

[Armistead Cleaning]

For a few years I worked from a Toyota Yaris- back seats folded down, carrying a back pack, pole and four 25l containers.

 

[Mr Klear]

seems like the way forward for a newbie the backpack and SLX 25 pole it is

 

[Yogi1872]

The top windows will be an absolute mess

 

[spruce]

@Mr Klear hasn't been back on since the 20th of May after he joined 12 days earlier.
I wonder if he ever did start window cleaning.

Perhaps we might hear from him in 2 years time asking about backpacks.

 

[Cambridge Cleaner]

Why cant people have staff using ladders ? - please post a link showing me where I cant have an employee using a ladder - Thankyou

Working at height regulations