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WATER-FED TRADITIONAL CLEANING SYSTEM

rugbywolf

Well-known member
Messages
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Location
Midlands
I have put this video up on here before, but I'm putting it up again because now I have made videos showing how I did it, if anyone is interested.




 
26 minutes ago, rugbywolf said:

I have put this video up on here before, but I'm putting it up again because now I have made videos showing how I did it, if anyone is interested.


Im mainly wfp but thats great, very innovative.

 
Does it work yes but why not just go wfp far easier rather than all that messing about pumping up a sprayer and having to hold or have it on s belt . I think it might be useful for an occasional job but I would rather trad the job or pole it rather than a combination of the two 

 
What is it with wfp people. They're like some of these religious groups, insecure in their own religion, and have to go about telling everyone that they are in the wrong. This is the TRADITIONAL page. I'm not interested in wfp, I don't want to discuss or look at it. I considered changing over to wfp some 10 years ago, and I didn't feel that it was altogether in the customers best interest. It was mainly created for industrial/commercial use, which is OK. This system of mine is actually easier to use than squeegee and applicator. I have always been a modifier and always had an eye on being quicker and more efficient.

 
What is it with wfp people. They're like some of these religious groups, insecure in their own religion, and have to go about telling everyone that they are in the wrong. This is the TRADITIONAL page. I'm not interested in wfp, I don't want to discuss or look at it. I considered changing over to wfp some 10 years ago, and I didn't feel that it was altogether in the customers best interest. It was mainly created for industrial/commercial use, which is OK. This system of mine is actually easier to use than squeegee and applicator. I have always been a modifier and always had an eye on being quicker and more efficient.
That’s fine you can clean windows what ever way you want , safety is main priority, why don’t you invent something stop you from 

slipping on the ladders ?

 
 
I still use a combination of both methods and  wfp doesn’t always give the best results but is only on very rare occasions. For everything else wfp is better in every which way. When it first came out we only used it on commercials for health and safety reasons as rugbywolf has mentioned. Nowadays though with all the new stuff out and cleaners having perfected their techniques you can get more or less perfect results every time whilst also working safer and causing less damage to property’s and also being able to get those out of reach windows from back in the trad days. I always say it’s best to use all the tools available with each having their own pros and cons. 

 
What is it with wfp people. They're like some of these religious groups, insecure in their own religion, and have to go about telling everyone that they are in the wrong. This is the TRADITIONAL page. I'm not interested in wfp, I don't want to discuss or look at it. I considered changing over to wfp some 10 years ago, and I didn't feel that it was altogether in the customers best interest. It was mainly created for industrial/commercial use, which is OK. This system of mine is actually easier to use than squeegee and applicator. I have always been a modifier and always had an eye on being quicker and more efficient.


Mine not criticising you just saying that watching your video is painful , if that’s how you want to work then fine but times change  you are choosing  to use mop and blade that is a progression from the chamois  , wfp is a progression from mop and blade , times change and the way we work has to alter as well , wfp cleans the frames to a very high standard mop and blade doesn’t , we regularly are picking up customers from traders as customers want the frames doing , I was trad for 10 year s going over to wfp was the best thing I ever did , earnings have gone through the roof , customers far happier, can do work that you couldn’t do before and so the list goes on , then there is the H&M’s aspect , if you go down the road cleaning with ladders and have an accident and the health and safety executive get involved look out they will throw the book at you , it’s not illegal to use ladders but the law is very clear if a safer alternative to ladders is available it MUST BE USED , no ambiguity there my friend , trad is fine for shop fronts but it is now a very outdated way of working , when I started wfp 18 years ago all the trad guys laughed there socks of at me saying it will never take off doesn’t do a good job etc , now whose laughing, there is only one guy left doing it and he’s loosing work hand over fist to wfp , wether you like it or not trad is a dying art most modern window cleaners cannot use a squeeze and I know lots that don’t Evan have one !!! How you want to work is up to you but think about your safety you are clearly an older cleaner you don’t want to have a fall and end up disabled when a better and far safer alternative is out there 

I've been cleaning windows since 1967. what do you think we used before wfp.
In that case you should still be using a chamois leather not mop and blade ???

 
Mine not criticising you just saying that watching your video is painful , if that’s how you want to work then fine but times change  you are choosing  to use mop and blade that is a progression from the chamois  , wfp is a progression from mop and blade , times change and the way we work has to alter as well , wfp cleans the frames to a very high standard mop and blade doesn’t , we regularly are picking up customers from traders as customers want the frames doing , I was trad for 10 year s going over to wfp was the best thing I ever did , earnings have gone through the roof , customers far happier, can do work that you couldn’t do before and so the list goes on , then there is the H&M’s aspect , if you go down the road cleaning with ladders and have an accident and the health and safety executive get involved look out they will throw the book at you , it’s not illegal to use ladders but the law is very clear if a safer alternative to ladders is available it MUST BE USED , no ambiguity there my friend , trad is fine for shop fronts but it is now a very outdated way of working , when I started wfp 18 years ago all the trad guys laughed there socks of at me saying it will never take off doesn’t do a good job etc , now whose laughing, there is only one guy left doing it and he’s loosing work hand over fist to wfp , wether you like it or not trad is a dying art most modern window cleaners cannot use a squeeze and I know lots that don’t Evan have one !!! How you want to work is up to you but think about your safety you are clearly an older cleaner you don’t want to have a fall and end up disabled when a better and far safer alternative is out there 

In that case you should still be using a chamois leather not mop and blade ???
I don't entirely agree with what you say. I have never lost a customer to wfp, in fact the only customers I have lost have either moved away or died, but I have picked up a lot from wfp!  Wfp people won't go over a fence or through houses, or sometimes over garages (it's not dangerous if you take care). I've seen wfp operators leaving hoses over roads, along pavements in towns. I appreciate that it might be quicker, but all I hear from wfp is how much money they earn. With a ladder you are in front of that wind when you do the upstairs, but you can't see all the fly spots and insect pooh that I can, and certain times of the year it gets quite bad, especially in rural areas like where I live. One other thing that I have found is that wfp ops buy rounds up knowing that they are going to lose some, which in fact breaks up what could have been a compact round, and then those customers can't get a window cleaner (trad) because there won't be enough work to make it viable. I sold a round which was extremely compact in a village of nearly all 4 & 5 bed detached, which I had been doing for around 15 years. The two who took it on were wfp and said that they would do whichever the customer wanted. Within 18 months they had lost a third of that work. Change is not always for the better.

 
A warning to all - including the OP. 

This is turning into a spat so calm it down.  

The OP is entitled to his opinions as are those replying. 

@rugbywolf yes this is the 'traditional' page but that does not mean only traditional stuff can be discussed it is after all an open board. 

If you wan to disagree so much with other peoples opinions (and you're sounding wound up by the replys)  then simply don't post. 

All opinions are welcome here but spats and abusive replies will not be tolerated. 

**Written as a moderator**

 
I was not being abusive, I was merely stating a fact.
Let's see...

What is it with wfp people. They're like some of these religious groups, insecure in their own religion, 
Almost comical, definitely laughable. 

didn't feel that it was altogether in the customers best interest. 
To have a system that leaves the frames and sills cleaner than dragging a dirty rag round them? Wonder what the customer thinks? 

This system of mine is actually easier to use than squeegee and applicator
Ermmm..... it is a squeegee and applicator just with a spray bottle atrached

fact the only customers I have lost have either moved away or died, 
I  42 years you never lost a customer due to economic downturn such as they got laid off or had kids and had to cutback expenses?  Answer no and well......B.S. to be honest. 

Wfp people won't go over a fence or through houses, or sometimes over garages
All my lads do so where'd you get this from? 

it's not dangerous if you take care
It's called an accident for a reason

but you can't see all the fly spots and insect pooh that I can
Yes, I can, partly due to 20/20 vision and partly due to polarised sunglasses. Mostly due to just looking though. 

--‐‐-------------------

The minute someone critiqued your method you started a slew of your 'facts' that in no way related to showing a benefit of the tool you've made just attacks other methods of cleaning. 

Lastly, your tool appears for all intents and purposes to be a 'fliq' attached to an Unger sprayer on a belt just using a pressurised bottle instead of a 'squeeze' action that would ultimately result in the same result.....soapy water on glass. 

Just an observation.   

 
Let's see...

Almost comical, definitely laughable. 

To have a system that leaves the frames and sills cleaner than dragging a dirty rag round them? Wonder what the customer thinks? 

Ermmm..... it is a squeegee and applicator just with a spray bottle atrached

I  42 years you never lost a customer due to economic downturn such as they got laid off or had kids and had to cutback expenses?  Answer no and well......B.S. to be honest. 

All my lads do so where'd you get this from? 

It's called an accident for a reason

Yes, I can, partly due to 20/20 vision and partly due to polarised sunglasses. Mostly due to just looking though. 

--‐‐-------------------

The minute someone critiqued your method you started a slew of your 'facts' that in no way related to showing a benefit of the tool you've made just attacks other methods of cleaning. 

Lastly, your tool appears for all intents and purposes to be a 'fliq' attached to an Unger sprayer on a belt just using a pressurised bottle instead of a 'squeeze' action that would ultimately result in the same result.....soapy water on glass. 

Just an observation.   
I am not miffed because it was criticized, if your happy doing it your way then that's fine, but the fact that newbies come on this forum is to get advice and help. suggesting to them that wfp is the 'best way to go' is not helpful for a person starting, when you consider the cost involved setting up, when they probably haven't got enough work, or know if they are going to be able to make a go of it. That's my point which you have missed. And by the way, you are not understanding the principle of my system. It's not an unger sprayer and I don't wipe round with a dirty cloth.

 
If I was trad only I would be all over it ??

Would be be a great setup if you walked a lot of the round to save carrying a bucket 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I personally use both WFP and Traditional depending on the job and situation. Check the attached pic. This is a busy row of shops that I do fortnightly. To use WFP I would have to be high vis, signs all over the place and with one tap at the extreme end of the building, 170m of hose (no need to comment on carrying your own water, the busy car park would make that just as problematic). The alternative, and I do this every other month to access the glass awnings and high glass above the awnings, is an early AM start prior to commencement of business. NOW this system of @rugbywolf would have real value here and in fact I’m keen on transferring this idea so my 12 foot trad pole could be utilised. I only use ladders on a ‘no alternative’ basis. I can see this also being incredibly useful in busy malls and glassed walkways. It so easy to ‘diss’ something when you haven’t tried it. ‘Pfft, all it is, is Wag, blah blah, Fliq’ ... sure and if it works or improves on the original or something new comes from a combination of the existing and known? Why not? After all Excelerator/Fliq would not exist without the years of Wagtail/Flippers that came before.  I see the value and thinking behind it.  Nice one @rugbywolf

884B03B0-3CC1-4749-BE71-BA0B7A2C48DE.jpeg

 
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