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rinse with brush on or off

trevor peacock

Active member
Messages
264
Location
littlehampton
on the Gardiner site it shows some brushes you can rinse on glass and some you can't.

Surely so long as the brush is clean you can always rinse with the brush on the glass?

I have the brush on the glass to rinse at the top to stop spray splashing above the frame and bringing dirt down.

Once I'm a couple of inches down I lift the brush off the glass and work down, never any problems.

i also never clean the frame above the glass as I never get it wet so don't need to.

What's your opinions guys?

 
also never clean the frame above the glass as I never get it wet so don't need to.

What's your opinions guys?
Personally I don't think you're cleaning the window, the window is the glass, frame and sill. If you cleaned everything you wouldn't need to worry about any muck being brought down. This is the way I do it anyway, and fairly certain the vast majority on here do the same.

 
I think the main difference is the nylon brushes and flocked brushes. Nylon brushes tend to repel holding dirt better than flocked brushes due to the chipped ends of the flocked brush. 

I personally always rinse off the glass to ensure I have a good visual of the glass, which if here is a disturbance in the flow pattern of the glass I can easily see it and now if I need to scrub again. 

Don't do the top of the frame? Why not

 
I've been using poles for about 15 years.

I've never cleaned frames nor 1st floor sills only ground floor and apart from 1st floor town house bay windows, which I clean with upvc cleaner once a year,  I never get complaints. Although when cleaning the glass the frames do get brushed to a certain extent I suppose. You're just wasting water and time in my humble opinion.

 
Personally I don't think you're cleaning the window, the window is the glass, frame and sill. If you cleaned everything you wouldn't need to worry about any muck being brought down. This is the way I do it anyway, and fairly certain the vast majority on here do the same.
Amen to that brother 

 
You're just wasting water and time in my humble opinion
Well I think 99.99% of the other WFP's on this site must be wasting there time and water as well. I'm a window cleaner and I'm paid to clean the window, you are, in my humble opinion, a glass only cleaner. I'm not on this site to argue with people, you asked for people's opinions and didn't like the first one you got ?

 
I've got no problem with anyone's opinion, thanks to this forum I've learnt a lot over the years.

That's why i said " humble opinion" I'm not arguing with anybody just offering my opinion too.

I have noticed most seem to do frames, just saying that after 15 years with no complaints about not doing the frames I'm quite happy being a "glass cleaner". If I start doing frames now it'll take longer, use more water and I'll earn less money.

Perish the thought!!! ?

 
I've got no problem with anyone's opinion, thanks to this forum I've learnt a lot over the years.

That's why i said " humble opinion" I'm not arguing with anybody just offering my opinion too.

I have noticed most seem to do frames, just saying that after 15 years with no complaints about not doing the frames I'm quite happy being a "glass cleaner". If I start doing frames now it'll take longer, use more water and I'll earn less money.

Perish the thought!!! ?
Contrary to what you think, I believe it will actually speed you up and save water, after you've cleaned them properly first time. My thinking in this is you won't have to be exact in placing your brush and to swipe the sill won't use any water as they'll be wet anyway. Best to let others have their say.

 
I've got no problem with anyone's opinion, thanks to this forum I've learnt a lot over the years.

That's why i said " humble opinion" I'm not arguing with anybody just offering my opinion too.

I have noticed most seem to do frames, just saying that after 15 years with no complaints about not doing the frames I'm quite happy being a "glass cleaner". If I start doing frames now it'll take longer, use more water and I'll earn less money.

Perish the thought!!! ?
Washing glass only will leave bottom frame clean ? Does it not look odd top and sides dirt on?

 
I am aware of the state of the frames.  Some of my customers I’ve had over 30 years, I’ve never cleaned their frames, not traditional or with poles, they look fine and I never get negative comments. I do use a super-lite 0degree splay flicked brush as I have a lot of leaded lights. It’s quite stiff and gets into the corners easily without splaying onto the frames, that must help me as a glass only cleaner?

 
We only rinse on the glass above 45 feet , if using a flocked brush this will hold dirt in the bristles that can easily be left on the glass if rinsing on , there is always a risk running on the glass that dirt will be left behind 

 
I've got no problem with anyone's opinion, thanks to this forum I've learnt a lot over the years.

That's why i said " humble opinion" I'm not arguing with anybody just offering my opinion too.

I have noticed most seem to do frames, just saying that after 15 years with no complaints about not doing the frames I'm quite happy being a "glass cleaner". If I start doing frames now it'll take longer, use more water and I'll earn less money.

Perish the thought!!! ?
To be fair we arnt glass cleaners we are window cleaners the frame is part of the window and in my opinion should be cleaned at the same time as the glass , my customers certainly wouldn’t accept glass only clean , and my commercial work stipulates in the contracts that glass and associated framework to be cleaned each time .

 
I've said it on here a few times...In my 'humble' opinion if you don't clean the frames, especially with WFP it's just pure laziness and it absolutely boggles my mind. Surely once you do a first clean and clean the ENTIRE window and frame and vents, why would you then NOT take literally ONE SECOND to simply run your brush over said frame and vents at every clean, therefore reducing if not eliminating any chance you might catch a dirty frame and put you in a world of hurt. I done a first clean today where the womans previous windy was exactly like you and had left the top of her frames absolutely filthy. I just shake my head. My work ethic will simply just not let my windows get like that. In my neck of the woods a 'glass cleaner' is something to be ashamed of. If it works for you I suppose....

 
Surhly by name ———-.

no need to be nasty!!!

ive been using poles a lot longer than most of you and your views are surprisingl to me. 
when I first starting using poles 15 years ago I was self taught because nobody else did it round my way. That’s why I do it the way I do, I’ve got commercial contracts and as I said before I’ve had customers over 30 years and never had a problem. I’ve always avoided the top of frames because I thought When I rinsed I’d get water on the brickwork and have dirt run down onto the glass. I’m assuming this doesn’t happen which surprises me. 
also if you brush the sill doesn’t this collect **** on the brush which you transfer onto the glass?

i might be old, but I’m never too old to learn!
 

 
Surhly by name ———-.

no need to be nasty!!!

ive been using poles a lot longer than most of you and your views are surprisingl to me. 
when I first starting using poles 15 years ago I was self taught because nobody else did it round my way. That’s why I do it the way I do, I’ve got commercial contracts and as I said before I’ve had customers over 30 years and never had a problem. I’ve always avoided the top of frames because I thought When I rinsed I’d get water on the brickwork and have dirt run down onto the glass. I’m assuming this doesn’t happen which surprises me. 
also if you brush the sill doesn’t this collect **** on the brush which you transfer onto the glass?

i might be old, but I’m never too old to learn!
 


Sorry if that came across as nasty Trevor, didn't mean it to come across like that as I was wasn't being nasty and written text can come across that way when trying to make a stern point. However I did just wake up from a nap after a long day...cleaning lots of frames ?

Nar mate, it's your business and you do you it's obviously worked for ya all these years. Again, just not my way is all ?

Regarding your question about the sill. I find the brush doesn't collect much dirt (on maintenance cleans) . It's never affected me so far doing thousands of sills. If there is any on the brush and you clean the next window, a good rinse will solve any issues.

 
Another thing, years ago I washed a vent above a widow and it dripped black muck for hours, do you get this?

thinking I might change my style if I’m in a minority which I clearly am!!!

 
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