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Technique for first clean

DrGonzoSnr

Member
Messages
65
Location
Overseas
Hi gang,

I've started up now and loving it but struggling to price correctly. I know that will come with time and experience and also my technique will improve.

Question today is what do people do for first cleans when the windows and frames are filthy? What I have been doing is cleaning them all twice as I am so nervous of leaving water marks from dirty water running off the tops of the frames. I have started to get some very large houses so trying to go round them twice is taking so long. The second time I don't touch the frame on the top of the window, I just aim for glass. As I am a newbie and getting to grips with the job it is all taking me a long time.

One idea I had is to clean one side of the house twice. This would obviously save me a lot of time.

Just wondering what people do for the first cleans? I guess it all starts with pricing it right and then it's not such an issue but I've only been doing an extra 25% for first cleans.

 
I give frame and window clean , jump on next one do the same  , then go back and do glass only , seems work for me that way , also I tell customer  there is a possibility might get odd spot on glass  with it being the first clean ,  

 
Whatever it takes to be honest mate. I connect the pole up to the outside tap to start with if they're that bogging. No point wasting pure water to start with. I use normal water & de-grease, rinse, then i switch to purified water, do a standard wfp clean, then i get up the ladder, have a butchers for stubborn stains, soap up & blade scrape anything the de-greaser hasn't removed, check sills & frames, get rid of all the greys if i can with magic sponges and pink stuff, micro fibre cloth any loose dirt left on the sills. Happy days. You wont need the ladder again for a good 6 months i’d say if you do everything right the first time. Twice a year its worth getting up there to check that alage and lichen arent colonizing on the sills. Tends to be yellow and green lichen that build up on window sills.

25% extra is not a lot for a first clean, i quote between £60-£100 or even more if its a lot of glass/frames etc. a few will pay it, many wont, if they dont like the price i just say well i can do you a basic de-grease and wfp clean for lets say 1/3 of that price, some then take me up on that offer. Some will want the first clean for the price of a maintenance clean but this just destroys the market and puts every other window cleaner out of work, its likely they wont get them done again for a blue moon so they’ve gained and we’ve all lost.

Its hard trying to break in to the market but try to charge a jobs worth once you’re experienced. I spend 2-3 hours on a first clean sometimes. When you can clear gutters for £60 a pop or an average driveway and take 2-3 hours at £150 a pop then i dont see the bother doing windows for less when youre taking the same amount of time and effort. Its a massively under valued industry and only we as window cleaners can change this.

Hope this helps dude

 
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I just use an old brush and give them a damn good scrub, with the flow rate turned up . Usually only clean them once , but occasionally have to do them 2 or even 3 times . I had one a couple of weeks ago that just would not come right , i explained to the customer that with regular cleans they would get better and they where fine with this . You can only do your best !

 
Pricing : First I decide what the six weekly charge will be. 

I generally charge 50% extra for the first wash, and if it's very dirty I expect it to take at least double the time of the subsequent 6 weekly washes. I always charge what I think is a proper, fair rate for both the customer and more importantly for myself. 

Technique : I start with several swipes across the whole surface of the sill, as this is generally the most dirty part of the window unit. This dirt will then be getting flushed away while I continue with the main wash. I start the main wash with several sweeps across the top frame, including thoroughly flushing out any vents. Then I do several vertical agitations working across the side frames and glass from the left to right and back, repeat once or twice. Next I make two across and back sweeps on the top of the pane to start a curtain of water which I bring down with quick, descending, horizontal sweeps. Finally a few sweeps across and back on the sill to finish. I do all the top windows on one side, then all the bottom ones, before moving to the next side. 

This sounds long winded but it is easy and quick. Spend extra time on the first wash to get everything out of the nooks and crannies. This will make a great difference when the customer looks at it after, and it will make your follow up cleans much, much easier and quicker. After the first wash I would aim to do the regular washes at the rate of about 30 seconds per average size wìndow unit. 

 
I generally charge 50% extra for the first wash


I mulled this over and decided not to go with it initially as a) some won't pay it on principle thinking they're being conned and not understanding that it genuinely does take longer b) it would be more hassle than it's worth explaining it and c) those that do take it up might then decide to be non regulars.

So now i've decided i'll charge it... but i just won't tell them until i go back for repeat work. "Oh don't worry about £X, just call it £Z instead - didn't take me as long this time" - turning it into a discount / favour / windy keeper. Obviously it depends on the property, if it's a mid to lower class looking place i probably won't bother as i just need the work but mid-upper class I will.

 
Why does everyone worry so much and faff about with first cleans?

If it's got green frames etc a little spray of chemical on the brush will take it off, if it's just dirt then don't bother and just scrub it well

Takes me the same time as a normal clean plus a few extra seconds per window to rinse it well

Done it this way for about 3 years now and never had an issue

I work on a high flow anyway and just give them a good clean

I mulled this over and decided not to go with it initially as a) some won't pay it on principle thinking they're being conned and not understanding that it genuinely does take longer b) it would be more hassle than it's worth explaining it and c) those that do take it up might then decide to be non regulars.

So now i've decided i'll charge it... but i just won't tell them until i go back for repeat work. "Oh don't worry about £X, just call it £Z instead - didn't take me as long this time" - turning it into a discount / favour / windy keeper. Obviously it depends on the property, if it's a mid to lower class looking place i probably won't bother as i just need the work but mid-upper class I will.
Stop over thinking things

Give a price and clean the windows

Charge a decent price per house and you won't need to charge first clean prices as you will be earning well anyway 

 
A good stronger than usual flow rate goes a long way on first cleans. If they are hangin use the help of some sort of degreaser as well. Some frames are just a pita for runs and sometimes you just never know what they are gonna be like and how much rinsing they are gonna take to run clear unless you hang about to wait for them to dry(not an option as time is money) or bite the bullet and see what they are like next time you turn up. If I have any inkling that they are not going to dry well then I’ll just give the top frame a dry off with a cloth and blade the water off the glass. I always charge a premium for first cleans so this extra time covered in the price. Perfect finish guaranteed every time. 

 
Get yourself a battery pump sprayer, put virasol in it, apply and go over  with pure, I used to fill a second back pack with virasol but time consuming I Always do top frames if you don't they will get dirty when it rains clean out vents as well but take your time and be patient so you'll need to charge for it remember if they are that bad look at the money they've saved  not having them done don't be tempted to price low just to get the job explain you are going to carry out a deep clean, I never get called back for spots or streaks quite the opposite I get texts saying they are immaculate but it can take me one and a half hours to do some I never say it's a improving process because of one off cleans you can't do a ok job for a one off.

 
ill charge up to double the maintenance clean price if the windows are really dirty and havent been cleaned for years and years,i basically just scrub and rinse for twice as long with pure hot water and spray a bit of virosol (in a little spray bottle)on my brush...

i certainly dont get the ladders out and check upper sills and all that....?

 
I’ve never charged for a first clean cause I’ve been building work. I just take the hit as it’s a long term investment, like advertsting or better equipment. 

I’ll normally do the windows twice but only within reason. So I’ll do all the tops on one side, then go back to the first one. Then do all the bottoms on that side. I don’t walk round the entire house twice. 

Also, I guarantee all my work but with the caveat ‘we ask for more leeway the first couple of cleans’ and folk are always fine with it. 

‘How where the windows last time Mrs Smith?’

’Ohh a few streaks but to be expected, they hadn’t been done in so long!’ 

‘Brillant! Any problems this time let me know’ and there never is. 

I remember how worried I was starting out but honestly most customers are just normal people and don’t expect perfection, they just want a good job at a good price and done as often as they had signed up for. Same all goes for holidays, illness, ‘I sat on my pole and snapped it in half so I’m going to be late this month ’ folk (most) really don’t mind!

 
ill charge up to double the maintenance clean price if the windows are really dirty and havent been cleaned for years and years,i basically just scrub and rinse for twice as long with pure hot water and spray a bit of virosol (in a little spray bottle)on my brush...

i certainly dont get the ladders out and check upper sills and all that....?
Think I need to get myself a hot water set up. Even if it’s just for first cleans and one offs. Had one the other day and charged 3x the regular for the first clean. Had to get the ladder out it was that bad hence the 3x. If I was to do it 100% wfp I would have been there all day and probs had no arms left from all the scrubbing and rinsing and been well out of pocket. 

 
Stop over thinking things

Give a price and clean the windows

Charge a decent price per house and you won't need to charge first clean prices as you will be earning well anyway 


Also Darren mate can you use a nice long clx and show us how to cope with remote windows above a conservatory LOL. Got em done today but 'twas a tad difficult.. lol

 
Also Darren mate can you use a nice long clx and show us how to cope with remote windows above a conservatory LOL. Got em done today but 'twas a tad difficult.. lol
get yourself a decent pole like an xtreme or SLX and stick an xtreme brush on the end,it makes the awkward angle windows easier....

 
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