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first floor sills

trevor peacock

Active member
Messages
264
Location
littlehampton
I've been wfp's for 15 years, very rarely get complaints only lost a couple of customers in that time.

I've never wiped the 1st floor sills, except on first cleans.

Mainly because I don't want the brush picking loads of ****, ( when i do ground floor I always wipe sills and have to flick the bristles to get the **** off or it goes onto the next window )  also because you can't see them and it's difficult to get the angle with the brush.

Be interesting to see what you guys think, if you do wipe the sills are you forever lowering your brush to clean the bristles and as you can't see them how do you know if they're clean?

 
I've been wfp's for 15 years, very rarely get complaints only lost a couple of customers in that time.

I've never wiped the 1st floor sills, except on first cleans.

Mainly because I don't want the brush picking loads of ****, ( when i do ground floor I always wipe sills and have to flick the bristles to get the **** off or it goes onto the next window )  also because you can't see them and it's difficult to get the angle with the brush.

Be interesting to see what you guys think, if you do wipe the sills are you forever lowering your brush to clean the bristles and as you can't see them how do you know if they're clean?
The best brush for upstairs is a sill brush. But I find them heavy. You can see those odd windows that have an issue with muck in the upstairs sill gap as you can see bits of muck running over the sill edge with the rinse water. Its usually an issue with windows that's sill doesn't fit so water drains off them. We have one house that I just turn the water off and do my best brushing the bits off. On occasion I wrap a towel around the brush head and wipe the sills with that.

I've only ever had one woman complain about one sill that was left "filthy" (her words.) It was a first clean as wfp was new to me. She pointed to the offending window. To her surprise I took the ladders off the van and had a look. There was a little bit of muck in one corner - the rest of the sill was fine. I wiped it off with a cloth.

As I came down the ladder she said. "I told you." I replied that there was a tiny bit of muck in one corner and I'm sorry I didn't get that off. "Well I think the service you provided was disgusting and I won't be needing you again." I guess she just wanted a one off and was looking for a reason to justify her cancelling my service. ? "Thank you so much for your business. Good day to you."

 
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I have a couple of sill brushes. Invested in the red stiff bristled one recently. They are good at getting into corners as well as the sill but to be honest after the first clean its not so difficult to get the sill clean with a quick wipe. Can't say i've ever stressed about bits on the brush, as long as you're chasing these down the window while rinsing they shouldn't be too much trouble. Do the entire upstairs and then give your brush a quick dust off when you drop the pole down naturally, not very often I feel the need to bring the pole down specifically to clean the brush TBH.

I've only ever had one woman complain about one sill that was left "filthy" (her words.) It was a first clean as wfp was new to me. She pointed to the offending window. To her surprise I took the ladders off the van and had a look. There was a little bit of muck in one corner - the rest of the sill was fine. I wiped it off with a cloth.

As I came down the ladder she said. "I told you." I replied that there was a tiny bit of muck in one corner and I'm sorry I didn't get that off. "Well I think the service you provided was disgusting and I won't be needing you again." I guess she just wanted a one off and was looking for a reason to justify her cancelling my service. ? "Thank you so much for your business. Good day to you."
Sounds more like she was after a freebie mate, better off without people like that. These people need to remember that good window cleaners are in short supply so even if they want a one off they're better treating you with respect so they can call you again in the future.

 
A Gardiners Supreme with DuPont bristles is ideal for sills, @trevor peacock totally amazed you have barely touched upper sills in 15 years  just because you didn't want to get your brush dirty and never got complaints ?

 
Only once I’ve had someone say that the sills had bits on them last time. I always give the sill a quick side to side 3 times. Chances are I probably am leaving some specs or leafs caught up.

i don’t use a sill brush but will buy the extreme sill

 
Only once I’ve had someone say that the sills had bits on them last time. I always give the sill a quick side to side 3 times. Chances are I probably am leaving some specs or leafs caught up.

i don’t use a sill brush but will buy the extreme sill
I was gonna hold out for that but I bought the stiff bristled one to get me through.

I had one customer ask me ''is there any chance you can do the sills this time please'' I was really shocked, hadn't long gone full time. I asked her why she didn't call me back, she said she thought it was extra. I explained I can't see the flat of the sill and asked her to check my work this time, since then a quick rub over with the brush seems to have sufficed.

 
Oh ok. Yeh I have the red stiff radius sill brush as well. But not too keen on it on normal regular window cleans. 

Love it on conservatory roofs though!

 
I always clean the sills, use a gardiners flocked sills brush. For maintenance cleans use a gardiners supreme and can still clean sills.
As for [emoji90][emoji90][emoji90] on your brush bristles, well hey that's part of the job and par for the course.
I certainly would not cut corners for the sake of cleaning my brush.

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 
I absolutely do the sills every single time as that's how I've always sold my service. "Your quote includes all frames and sills". I think that's what sets me/us apart from the bucket bobs who don't touch the frames or sills. Those guys are GLASS cleaners, not window cleaners as far as I'm concerned. If you do a good job on the first clean as best you can, surely wiping the sills HELPS you to at least get rid of excess water and drippage? I'd rather do that than simply wait for the drips to stop.

 
Extend the pole a little more then stand back and scrub the sill to get a better angle

Rinse it and you will know it is clean when bits stop running off in the water

Job done

Then just a quick scrub on future cleans

Never get complaints

 
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