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New start up discouraged by limescale

mick henn

Member
Messages
44
Location
ireland
Hi

I’m just starting out and I’ve been trying to clean my own windows and a few of them have what I’m thinking is limescale on them and I just can’t get them clean. The only thing from list of things I’ve read on this forum that I haven’t tried is Kilrock. No matter what I’ve tried it’s just not coming off. And as I said I’m just trying to start out so this is very discouraging. The water in my area is very hard so I’m thinking a lot of peoples windows are going to be like this. I’m thinking I can’t charge people to clean their windows if when I’m done they still look like this. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I’m pouring my heart and soul into this business to try make it work but I am very disheartened at the moment. 

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Silly question but is it just 1 window? It could be a failing panel so the moisture is between the panes? Can you feel the 'limescale' on the outside?

 
Killrock is your answer! 
I’ve ordered some Kilrock on Amazon but it’s going to take a week to get here. I wouldn’t be too confident at this stage that it will work because in other posts on the forum it says use this or use that and none of them have worked. 

 
Silly question but is it just 1 window? It could be a failing panel so the moisture is between the panes? Can you feel the 'limescale' on the outside?
It’s on a few windows. Not all of them but a few of them. There’s very hard water here and the wife is always watering plants so that’s what’s causing it I’d say but I just can’t seem to get it off. I don’t think it’s inside the pane as you can see in the photo where the glass is still wet it looks like it’s gone but when it dries it’s on a lot of the window. 

 
It’s on a few windows. Not all of them but a few of them. There’s very hard water here and the wife is always watering plants so that’s what’s causing it I’d say but I just can’t seem to get it off. I don’t think it’s inside the pane as you can see in the photo where the glass is still wet it looks like it’s gone but when it dries it’s on a lot of the window. 
My other half uses viakal on the shower enclosure. She has to put quite a bit of elbow grease into it but seems to work well. It's a job I don't like doing and she moans at me cuz I'm a pro window cleaner haha ? 

The shower enclosure is not exposed to sunlight obviously so I'm guessing your limescale is baked on and dried out. 

Defo let us know your method if you manage to sort it ?

 
I've used Viakal successfully on marks like these. If it is exceptionally bad it might need a couple of goes but it will normally move it.

However, If I have customers who habitually water plants and make this mess then I tell them what's causing it and how to get it off and let them do it as it's a time waster and my prices don't include time wasted regularly cleaning limescale off.

 
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I've used Viakal successfully on marks like these. If it is exceptionally bad it might need a couple of goes but it will normally move it.

However, If I have customers who habitually water plants and make this mess then I tell them what's causing it and how to get it off and let them do it as it's a time waster and my prices don't include time wasted regularly cleaning limescale off.
Yeah this is what I’ve been worrying about. Is it ok to tell a customer “that’s limescale and that’s not part of window cleaning”.  I am new to all this. I only got my equipment last week and have been trying to practice on my own windows but as I said when it dries then and some of the windows still look dirty up close I was thinking how can I charge for that.  
Thanks for all the replies. I really appreciate it. I have Kilrock ordered and will try source some Viakal as well. 

 
Yeah this is what I’ve been worrying about. Is it ok to tell a customer “that’s limescale and that’s not part of window cleaning”.  I am new to all this. I only got my equipment last week and have been trying to practice on my own windows but as I said when it dries then and some of the windows still look dirty up close I was thinking how can I charge for that.  
Thanks for all the replies. I really appreciate it. I have Kilrock ordered and will try source some Viakal as well. 
It’s good to know how to get rid of it as a one off, say for a new customer and charge extra for the service.  However, if you have a customer who then doesn’t listen when you’ve told them what’s causing it and continually sprays hard tap water up their windows leaving that mess, you will make a rod for your back if you keep cleaning it off because they will keep doing it and expect you to keep cleaning it off for them at no extra cost.

 
i always have some viakal in the van,its great for hard water stains,limescale and barbecue grease......but its very rare i actually need to use it...

to the OP most customers only expect you to clean general dirt,bird muck and dust off the windows on maintenance cleans...dont worry so much mate!

 
i always have some viakal in the van,its great for hard water stains,limescale and barbecue grease......but its very rare i actually need to use it...

to the OP most customers only expect you to clean general dirt,bird muck and dust off the windows on maintenance cleans...dont worry so much mate!
Thanks for the reply and for putting my mind at some sort of ease. As I said I’ve been panicking over this the last couple of days. It’s just because I’m new to all this I don’t know what to expect from customers. 

 
A new customer pointed out limescale to me on a couple of leaded windows. I said I had no idea how she was going to get them off, but she was so pleased with everything else I had done that she never mentioned it again! You've got to be confident with customers or they'll sense that you're not confident and take advantage. Especially the older ones who'll add little bits on as the months pass. As Dazmond said, birth muck and dirt accumulated over the time since you where last there. If I looked for something to worry about on each house, then I would find something. Do a good job, and your best! That's all thhey want?

 
Don’t panic over limescale. You are there to clean the window’s; IMO getting limescale off is restoration and needs to charged separately for. As others have said, Kilrock is very good but may need a couple of goes with. 

 
Thanks to everybody for the replies. It really has put me more at ease. And it’s all really helpful for a newbie. 
I lost a good few whole nights of sleep over things like that when I started @mick henn. That and general spotting, descending spot trails from vents, milky runoff from oxidised frames and trying to figure when is enough cleaning and scrubbing enough? Stick with it give everything a good thorough wash and scrub on the first washes. Then a good thorough rinse down from just below the top frame. Don't be hesitant, get stuck in. After one or two cleans you'll be cruising on the maintenance washes.?

 
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