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First Clean

Sewell8996

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Hi everyone... bagged my first customer today £25 for a first clean...

My question is do you use any chemical on the windows for a first clean? Then rinse and wfp or do you just crack straight on?

I've seen some people use some chemical scrub then wait and wfp but I dont want to effect the Finnish

Any help appreciated

Sent using the http://Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 
Hi everyone... bagged my first customer today £25 for a first clean...

My question is do you use any chemical on the windows for a first clean? Then rinse and wfp or do you just crack straight on?

I've seen some people use some chemical scrub then wait and wfp but I dont want to effect the Finnish

Any help appreciated

Sent using the http://Window Cleaning Forums mobile app
depends mate,

if its big/very dirty i will put some virosol on my brush and wet the window then scrub the virosol all over. leave it for 5 minutes(not longer as can sometimes cause discolouration) and scrub and rinse lots.

if not using chems and its really dirty you will have to do lots of scrubbing to get all the dirt off and it can be very wearing .

 
Nice one mate, it depends how dirty they are, imo I wouldn’t say you have to but it does make it easier, I use screwfix degreaser sprayed onto the brush


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check out green pro clean on youtube.

he recently did a video on first cleans.

Bear this in mind, if you do a cracking first clean you may end with more customers through referral's, if its not so good you wont and will probably lose your new customer too.

 
I just charge double and clean them twice. No wiping with cloths etc for me. 

I tell them there might be a speck or two on the first clean, after that, spotless. Never had a problem 

 
Same as Steve....dip an old brush in TFR and go round all windows once and rinse off with customers tap and my hose reel if possible or pure if not....cup of coffee then clean glass again with pure.

 
Same as J and S I get tfr made up extra strong from my local supplier leaves windows as if you had put wax on them.Then good rinse and wash again with pure water no streaks or anything windows sparkling.Make sure you clean frames and sills well or your wasting your time as they will drip and leave stains.

 
I like bronze wool, it glides through the worst stains. Good on frames too.

Great for insides where you cant use chems, makes easy work of the worst windows.

 
Cool man! I tried ubik for the time today. Also tried screwfix degreaser. Only been on this forum for a month and im so grateful. Theres so much i’ve picked up on and so many to learn from, to mention a few part timer, green, pjj, trad man, among others, all legends! So much to be brought to the table here


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Hi everyone... bagged my first customer today £25 for a first clean...

My question is do you use any chemical on the windows for a first clean? Then rinse and wfp or do you just crack straight on?

I've seen some people use some chemical scrub then wait and wfp but I dont want to effect the Finnish

Any help appreciated

Sent using the http://Window Cleaning Forums mobile app
spot on there mate my first clean was a really dirty semi and did not have a clue on pricing took me over 1 hour as it was all done trad..i was even shakey on the ladder up high....lol all this for 5 quid.....live and learn.

 
spot on there mate my first clean was a really dirty semi and did not have a clue on pricing took me over 1 hour as it was all done trad..i was even shakey on the ladder up high....lol all this for 5 quid.....live and learn.
Haha...!! Nice 1, I remember my first trip up the ladder doing me mums house.

Took me ages as I'm terrified of height's. I got half way up three time's and had to go back down for ciggie(quit now). I decided that I would rather fall off and break my neck than be scared.

Looking back if I wouldn't of made that decision on that day I wouldn't have a thriving business and a great way of life with more freedom than I've ever had.

Big pat on the back for me....!

 
Haha...!! Nice 1, I remember my first trip up the ladder doing me mums house.

Took me ages as I'm terrified of height's. I got half way up three time's and had to go back down for ciggie(quit now). I decided that I would rather fall off and break my neck than be scared.

Looking back if I wouldn't of made that decision on that day I wouldn't have a thriving business and a great way of life with more freedom than I've ever had.

Big pat on the back for me....!


Haha, I've never made it to the top of a ladder.

Never attempted to do a window off them as always been wfp. But on 3-4 occasions I've though I could clean gutters off them. 

Not too long ago I went to do a gutter vac job, anyway the tiles were too overhanging and couldn't get the tool in.

I made my excuses and I tried to leave, the old lad went in his garage and brought out a big set of wooden ladders, just use these he said, I used to do them myself.

So I had a go, put them up, they were flexing like mad, got half way up and there was no way I was going up, I was petrified lol. I just came down and told him there was no good enough footing for the ladder. 

How embarrassing that was. I now vow to never go near one again. Except conny roofs, im ok at that height.

 
Your mad in the head.Ladders are a thing of the past far too dangerous.Sky installlers use hooks secured into the wall if using a ladder.You would not get me up a ladder for any money.

 
Used to clear gutters amd clean dormer windows in the roof af a townhouse so above 3 floors of windows on 8.5m triple ladders 

Great fun lol but don't use ladders nowadays

 
I too have no fear of a ladder but I also agree they are a thing of the past in our industry.  The options to do the job a lot more safely are plentiful.  

I know that if not for the affordability of starting trad many if us would not be here today (myself included)  but as we all seem to think there's enough window cleaners about already perhaps it's time to put an end to ladder use in our industry.  

Perhaps it is time our trade and skill sets got the recognition of other 'professional' trades.  Perhaps like mechanics or plumbers etc you should do 5 years apprenticeship to give you time to learn and practice and save for a system.  

Ladders were a god send in a time when they were a requirement.  Now they are an injury waiting to happen. 

 
I too have no fear of a ladder but I also agree they are a thing of the past in our industry.  The options to do the job a lot more safely are plentiful.  

I know that if not for the affordability of starting trad many if us would not be here today (myself included)  but as we all seem to think there's enough window cleaners about already perhaps it's time to put an end to ladder use in our industry.  

Perhaps it is time our trade and skill sets got the recognition of other 'professional' trades.  Perhaps like mechanics or plumbers etc you should do 5 years apprenticeship to give you time to learn and practice and save for a system.  

Ladders were a god send in a time when they were a requirement.  Now they are an injury waiting to happen. 
I agree to a point. However I think it is nearly impossible to completely get rid of ladders in out line of work. Well at this moment in time. There will always be flat roof extensions that mean you have to climb up on to get at, or slipped tiles stopping you using a gutter vac. Until there is a way round those issues a ladder will be necessary. I know the jobs are few and far between, but there will always be those odd 1 or 2 that mean ladders are unavoidable. Obviously if your starting out in similar situations to how you did, then ladders are a necessary tool. And I'd fully support an apprenticeship type training for windys, I looked into this as a way of taking on a member of staff on the cheap when I get that big, and there is one covering external contract cleaning where you can do window cleaning as your placement, can't remember what the actual course name is, but making the industry more, for lack of the right word "respectable" and safer, would benefit everyone, custys and windys alike.

All of my work is now 100% wfp, and I'm slowly converting my father in laws work, whilst facing resistance from him (old school trader set in ways) even though in 25 years he's had 8 falls!!!

 
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