Spotting

Hi All,

I'm getting the odd spotting issue and pretty sure it's down to having some runs from the top frame/seal. I seem to be having too much water left on the frame/seal when I'm cleaning them. There's obviously a fine line between cleaning the frame well and leaving them dripping ? I definitely don't seem to get the balance right !!

As a newbie, I'm just starting the 4th set of washes for my 1st customers right down to still doing quite a few 1st cleans. I do take ages on first cleans and rinse rinse rinse but still left with spotting sometimes. I'm now using a gardiners clx and hybrid brush and a small pole with a flocked brush downstairs. the problems are the same with both which makes me realise I have a **** technique, despite reading loads on here.

My own patio doors are the worst and they've been cleaned ALOT lol the practice doors !

If you wash the top seal then go back to the window a couple of minutes later, washing/rinsing an inch below the seal, how does the top inch get clean ?

It's horrible going and cleaning houses with zero confidence, even though I've only had 3 complaints. One of them was shocking (wooden frames must have oozed ****), and looked like I'd chucked a bucket of dirty water over them. Very embarrassing

Help !!

My water is always 000.

Hi All,
I'm getting the odd spotting issue and pretty sure it's down to having some runs from the top frame/seal. I seem to be having too much water left on the frame/seal when I'm cleaning them. There's obviously a fine line between cleaning the frame well and leaving them dripping ? I definitely don't seem to get the balance right !!

As a newbie, I'm just starting the 4th set of washes for my 1st customers right down to still doing quite a few 1st cleans. I do take ages on first cleans and rinse rinse rinse but still left with spotting sometimes. I'm now using a gardiners clx and hybrid brush and a small pole with a flocked brush downstairs. the problems are the same with both which makes me realise I have a **** technique, despite reading loads on here.

My own patio doors are the worst and they've been cleaned ALOT lol the practice doors !

If you wash the top seal then go back to the window a couple of minutes later, washing/rinsing an inch below the seal, how does the top inch get clean ?

It's horrible going and cleaning houses with zero confidence, even though I've only had 3 complaints. One of them was shocking (wooden frames must have oozed ****), and looked like I'd chucked a bucket of dirty water over them. Very embarrassing

Help !!

My water is always 000.

Click to expand...

Hi mate,

Firstly & most importantly : keep going, all will be well, it just takes time & practice but if you are willing to continue to ask the questions & learn (as you have done) then everything WILL all work out well in the end. These are just teething issues which all of us experience in one form or another in the early days.

So, how similar is your cleaning technique to this? :

http://windowcleaningforums.co.uk/threads/basic-window-cleaning-video.16043/

Thanks Alien,

I think I watched that a long time ago but was certainly worth another viewing. I'm maybe not leaving enough time between giving the frames a good cleaning and then doing the windows ?!

His water is also on a lot higher pressure than I have mine on !!! Is this normal as I've seen a lot that say that sort of pressure causes spotting due to it going in an upwards direction off the glass ?

Some go round cleaning all the frames etc and then back to the beginning to clean just the windows. Might be worth a shot.

Whatever you do the rinse is so important, it's the key part to avoiding spotting etc.

With regards to pressure, I'm like you in that I have mine much less but his technique is good that it allows him to work at that speed. Main thing is that you brush remains close to the window when rinsing.

There's lots of other things it can be mate. Most common are top seals being full of dirt, water in air vents, dirty brush etc etc but there can also be really bizarre ones.....& frustrating. Make sure it is definitely the outside windows as it is surprising how much people think it's on the outside when it's actually on the inside, has the double glazing gone and the window has condensation actually inside the window making it look streaky? Is the window scratched.

You will get a feel for it all and learn as you go along.

I always double check before I leave and had to go over a streaky window on a clean today. Do I know what caused it? No......Does it therefore matter......No......Was the customer happy? Yes........Did I get a tip for going back and cleaning that window when I could have just left.......errrrr No.......b*****d! /emoticons/wink.png

Hi Aide, when you say you have a spotting issue are you seeing the spots when the glass is dry? Or are you thinking that they are spotting because there is a run of dots when cleaning?

I've got an estate where I clean about 30 houses on and have been the cleaner on it since they were built quite a few years back. Over the last 12 months I have noticed on just about every house I get a run of dots from most windows. I tend to rinse just below the start of the run after my initial rinse. I'm always seething as I fear that they are going to dry cr4p. Strangely they don't as when I go collecting they all look good. I'm baffled by it.

No its once dry Tuffers. I'm glad it still baffles you experienced boys too !! Well actually I'd rather it didn't baffle any of us lol......Just a few spots sometimes with a dirty edge

Some go round cleaning all the frames etc and then back to the beginning to clean just the windows. Might be worth a shot.
Whatever you do the rinse is so important, it's the key part to avoiding spotting etc.

With regards to pressure, I'm like you in that I have mine much less but his technique is good that it allows him to work at that speed. Main thing is that you brush remains close to the window when rinsing.

There's lots of other things it can be mate. Most common are top seals being full of dirt, water in air vents, dirty brush etc etc but there can also be really bizarre ones.....& frustrating. Make sure it is definitely the outside windows as it is surprising how much people think it's on the outside when it's actually on the inside, has the double glazing gone and the window has condensation actually inside the window making it look streaky? Is the window scratched.

You will get a feel for it all and learn as you go along.

I always double check before I leave and had to go over a streaky window on a clean today. Do I know what caused it? No......Does it therefore matter......No......Was the customer happy? Yes........Did I get a tip for going back and cleaning that window when I could have just left.......errrrr No.......b*****d! /emoticons/wink.png

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My windows are still wet when I leave, or was this a big house you noticed ?

Good example of the weirdy beardy ones Tuffers. Glad it all worked out in the end though - they usually do thankfully.

A lot of my houses are the beading type, but its strange how the sheeting ones with the pain in the ass inch on both edges cause more hassle than a full beading window !!

Have you ever tried rinsing with your brush on the glass .. On some windows I do about a third of the way down the glass then lift off then finish off rinsing about an inch off the glass ... Very similar to Alex gardeners video .... On some glass I splay the brush out fully on the window rinsing at the same time (small movements along the top edge of the glass) then lift off and rinse window as normal , keeping the top edge dry as possible it's sounds strange but it works for me

Is there any chance of a picture of the spotting?

If I see a picture I can usually always work out how to stop the spotting. On my own round anyway.

Is there any chance of a picture of the spotting?
If I see a picture I can usually always work out how to stop the spotting. On my own round anyway.

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I'll take one if I get any tomorrow Jonathan as I've rubbed clean with a cloth now on my own. Mind you there's prob a couple upstairs