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How much soap do trad guys use?

Martyn

Well-known member
Messages
1,316
Location
Guernsey
In a fit of boredom the other night I watched some You Tube vids, mostly about the Moerman Accelerator which looks like it could be useful for some interior high level work that I do. One thing that struck me is the vast amount of detergent some of these guys were using, I never use anything like the amount when I trad windows, in fact I always found too much to be undesireable.

Is it just me? Do you trad guys lather it on like shaving foam? Please help this old WFP cleaner understand. ?

 
In a fit of boredom the other night I watched some You Tube vids, mostly about the Moerman Accelerator which looks like it could be useful for some interior high level work that I do. One thing that struck me is the vast amount of detergent some of these guys were using, I never use anything like the amount when I trad windows, in fact I always found too much to be undesireable.

Is it just me? Do you trad guys lather it on like shaving foam? Please help this old WFP cleaner understand. ?
I only use trad for internals which is not much, but I like my solution to suspend on the window not dripping but also not lathering like shaving foam as you described. 

 
I have the moerman excelerator which is very good for a few awkward windows that I clean, but for the fliq pad you need quite a lot of soap for the slip of the squeegee. It’s good but obviously leaves thicker solution to clean off the sills. The moerman gel is expensive but very good. The unger gel is really good as well.

 
I find if you use to much soap the glass is smeary , I think the reason ones use a lot is to get more slip on the glass , personally I think this is a case of less is more , we only use gg3 very small amount in a gallon of water removes the dirt fine doesn’t leave smears or a sticky feel to the glass . 

 
Back in the day when I had a few office suites and a car showroom on my list I used the Unger Gel and quite liked it, then I got a bottle where the quality had dropped significantly and I stopped using it. Recently I have discovered the Moerman stuff and I am happy using that, the bottle should last me a long time as I only use a squeegy on about 20 pieces of glass a month these days.

 
@Martyn Yes the moerman soap is really good. I use the excelerator / fliq in the 10 inch as I have a few small windows where it does a great job. I couldn’t  get on with the 14 inch though, but anything from 14” up to 18” I prefer wagtail.

 
I use the Moerman Excelerator with the Fliq. They are excellent tools. 

The soap that I use is from Unger and its very thin, its made this way to be applied directly to the pad and does not need lots of water to be held in the pad for it to perform as required. 

If you use standard WUL (washing up Liquid) it's far too thick to be applied straight to the pad without lots of water. When using WUL as a soap it needs to be diluted. 

 
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The soap that I use is from Unger and its very thin, its made this way to be applied directly to the pad and does not need lots of water to be held in the pad. 
That's where I had an issue with it, I believe that it used to be thicker and therefore you needed to use less of it, to me that seemed a ploy to increase the volume of sales.

I won't comment on the WULies, I don't want to start a bun fight. ?

 
I don’t use washing up liquid on windows. Only my opinion but I don’t think a it’s as good as proper window cleaning solution. Plus it’s not good all day for my hands, whereas the proper window cleaning solutions and gels give me no problems. I do use WUL if I’m giving low level gutters a scrub down though (WUL and a car cleaning brush on a pole?).

 
I don’t use washing up liquid on windows. Only my opinion but I don’t think a it’s as good as proper window cleaning solution. Plus it’s not good all day for my hands, whereas the proper window cleaning solutions and gels give me no problems. I do use WUL if I’m giving low level gutters a scrub down though (WUL and a car cleaning brush on a pole?).
My thoughts exactly, I spent years in my youth with only washing up liquid and now my hands look like pork scratchings! 

I only use pro liquid now! my hands would never forgive me. 

 
I only do a few trad, but one I do, with hundreds of small panes, I dont use any liquid, just bit of pure in a bucket and small mop and blade off. Seems to work ok

 
I only do a few trad, but one I do, with hundreds of small panes, I dont use any liquid, just bit of pure in a bucket and small mop and blade off. Seems to work ok
Do you find your rubbers wear rapidly? ?

I've got a couple of doors with multi panes that I wet with a squirty bottle with pure and a glug (technical term) of GG3 then blade off.

 
Do you find your rubbers wear rapidly? ?

I've got a couple of doors with multi panes that I wet with a squirty bottle with pure and a glug (technical term) of GG3 then blade off.
Thing is, thats the only property I do trad really. I do a couple of indoors too, and leaded window diamonds just with scrim cloth. As that big house is only each 2 months its not too bad for £80. Should really take the time to master the blade really

 
Thing is, thats the only property I do trad really. I do a couple of indoors too, and leaded window diamonds just with scrim cloth. As that big house is only each 2 months its not too bad for £80. Should really take the time to master the blade really
Quick scrim round the edge too.

 
What brand re you using? 
The reason I asked the question is he is using just pure water which means there is no lubrication for the rubber which in my experience causes drag which equals rapid wear. It's the reason I put a glug of GG3 in my spray bottle.

Over the years I have been on a journey with rubber, probably like most guys. I started with Pulex because that's what I could get locally, then moved into Unger and learned that soft is good, hard is not for me. Then Wagtail became a thing and guys were swearing by the rubber so I thought I'd try some, I found it a bit on the hard side. Finally I got a Sorbo/SBC squeegy and found that to be the best rubber I have used with good longevity.

A few years ago there was a guy on one of the forums that had previously worked at a rubber factory, he reckoned that all the rubber from the major manufacturers came out of that factory and was all the same. I don't know if that's true but the marketing guys are always trying to convince us that they have re-invented the wheel.

 
The reason I asked the question is he is using just pure water which means there is no lubrication for the rubber which in my experience causes drag which equals rapid wear. It's the reason I put a glug of GG3 in my spray bottle.

Over the years I have been on a journey with rubber, probably like most guys. I started with Pulex because that's what I could get locally, then moved into Unger and learned that soft is good, hard is not for me. Then Wagtail became a thing and guys were swearing by the rubber so I thought I'd try some, I found it a bit on the hard side. Finally I got a Sorbo/SBC squeegy and found that to be the best rubber I have used with good longevity.

A few years ago there was a guy on one of the forums that had previously worked at a rubber factory, he reckoned that all the rubber from the major manufacturers came out of that factory and was all the same. I don't know if that's true but the marketing guys are always trying to convince us that they have re-invented the wheel.
I wouldn’t use only pure for that exact reason. If I get an awkwardly small internal window or anything like the odd leaded window I spray one microfibre with pure to clean the glass and a dry one to buff. Works brilliantly at the odd job or two. Wouldn’t use it with a squeegee personally though.

PS. Yes the sorbo rubber is absolutely brilliant. I use that and the wagtail blue sometimes. Sorbo is designed for colder weather (really soft). Wagtail is better in the hotter weather as it’s quite hard/firm.

 
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I use the Moerman Excelerator with the Fliq. They are excellent tools. 

The soap that I use is from Unger and its very thin, its made this way to be applied directly to the pad and does not need lots of water to be held in the pad for it to perform as required. 

If you use standard WUL (washing up Liquid) it's far too thick to be applied straight to the pad without lots of water. When using WUL as a soap it needs to be diluted. 
GG3 for me 

 
Think a lot depends on rubbers, sqeegee and technique ,in past i have used washing up liquids and window cleaning soaps . At the moment using a pressurized hand pump connected to wagtail with moerman channel fitted with syr rubber with fliq . 1 litre of water with 5ml GG£ and 1ml of added sparkle works a dream for me and last all day my need top up if really hot day.

 
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When I was tradding I'd take a 25 litre barrel with hot water to work and a rectangular window cleaning bucket I'd squirt about an egg cup full of  Fairy into the bucket and just add water and that would last me until lunchtime, then repeat for the rest of the day

What water was left was used to wash off my scrims.

I know some people change their water after every house but unless they were really bad I could do 15 houses on one bucket.

As much as I love wfp, trad days were so much simpler.

 
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