Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums

Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!

Register Log in

Tradders

ECLM
WCF

Help Support WCF:

Posh

Posh

Well-known member
Messages
5,706
Location
Cambridgeshire
On the wfp site Damo has come up with a good idea of having a pinned topic showing newcomers the cheapest, best, easiest way to start up traditional window cleaning. I know & admit we don't need a lot but newcomers on here sometimes haven't a clue & instead of repeating ourselves on the same topics they could read this. We could also put in places we think are best to get the gear. What do you think & will you give us a hand. Cheers.

 
Ask them 20 questions on anything trad ie: whats the best way to use a squeegee, clean different windows, what&where is the best place for trad gear? these are normally questions asked by newbies!

Now ask them 20 question and for them to give 20 answers telling them that all answers are within the forum!

That way they will search for the answer rather than keep posting the same questions!

 
Ok I'll get us going & be great if you could add to my list. Mark is going to add some vids.

Ladders

Squeegee (10 & 12 inch seem most popular)

Applicator (10 & 12 inch seem most popular

Rubber (hard or soft whatever your preference)

Cloths: scrim (for detailing)

Micro (for sills & buffing)

Scraper

Pole (most seem to go for the Harris 15mtr)

Bucket

Washing up liquid

Roof bars to transport your ladder

These are the basics to get you started

Extras to make job easier

BOAB (bucket on a belt to hold tools)

Small steps (many lower windows are high)

A vice versa or wagtail squeegee ( for windows that you cannot access with ladders)

This is just a start. We can also do a list for making the job safer.

The ad and disadvantages

What insurance.

Costings

Where to buy

As you submit your input I will edit the list till we get a finished article.

 
Ask them 20 questions on anything trad ie: whats the best way to use a squeegee, clean different windows, what&where is the best place for trad gear? these are normally questions asked by newbies!
Now ask them 20 question and for them to give 20 answers telling them that all answers are within the forum!

That way they will search for the answer rather than keep posting the same questions!
Click to expand...
That's a good idea. If we just do a basic list & with all our knowledge we should cover anything. Then when a newbie asks we can tell them to look here.

 
Stolen this from kips he wont mind /emoticons/tongue.png

Ok H,

Here's a list of stuff I'd reccomend to start off with from wintecs. I like wintecs because they don't charge for p&p and their customer service is good.

This is all kit I own and would reccomend..

Unger bucket- £7.61 - http://www.wintecs.c...&products_id=28

Unger Ergotec Handle - £5.78 (this will be your 'main' handle) http://www.wintecs.c...&products_id=64

10 inch channel w/ soft rubber (this and the handle above I use on 99.99999% of trad jobs. Smaller channel = easier to work with = faster = better.)- £2.58 http://www.wintecs.c...roducts_id=1041

Unger S squeegee handle - £4.09 - (this is for the 6 inch channel below, I use this handle because its smaller and the 6 inch channell only gets used on openers and such where the 10 doesnt fit. They are the perfect combination.) http://www.wintecs.c...products_id=522

6 inch channel - £1.92 - see above - http://www.wintecs.c...&products_id=54

Unger T bar for applicator, 14 inch - £2.75 - http://www.wintecs.c...&products_id=96

Ettore porcupine applicator sleeve - £8.61(has bristles that take off dirt and **** really well - saves me using a scraper a lot. I am the envy of all my friends! Really worth getting.) http://www.wintecs.c...&products_id=83

Pulex bucketonabelt - £10.64 (you can't really trad without a boab, well - you can, but it's a nightmare.) http://www.wintecs.c...products_id=112

Unger 15cm scraper - £7.85 - Have never needed or wanted a smaller scraper since I bought this and the porcupine glove. http://www.wintecs.c...products_id=923

Jumbo microfibre - cut in 2, so it's easily pocketable. £3.03 - http://www.wintecs.c...products_id=641

(Maybe get 2 or 3 if you think you will need to do a lot of detailing?)

Unger soft rubber - 42 inches - My personal favourite rubber. £2.29 - Nothing worse than starting trad work, finding there is a nick in the rubber, and not having any spare. Worth getting. http://www.wintecs.c...products_id=237

Only other thing I think you'll need is a 'sill cloth - I just use whatever, an old teatowel, £1 microfibres from the pound shop, my favourite is a carlsberg beer rug towel thing from the local pub - it's just for sills so it doesnt really matter much.

Now, other people will prolly prefer different brands and items - but this is pretty much the exact kit I use when I do trad work now, these are the 'essential items' that get taken out on the road while a lot of the other stuff - different size scrapers, channels, different handles, etc etc - all get left at home. This is good quality kit, will last, and will do a good job. It is, in my opinion, a worthy investment and well set you off well for learning and mastering trad cleaning!

Total for all above is £57.15, then you have to add on VAT which at 20% is £11.43 giving you a total price of £68.58.

That might seem a lot but consider it is good kit that will LAST and do a good job and it's really not so bad.

So you can edit it about or not use it /emoticons/smile.png

 
i recommend either a 12" or 14 " wagtail squeegee , an Unger ergotec 14" applicator + SYR tiger sleeve ,Pulex b.o.a.b fitted high onto a decent leather belt , several scrims cloths . you can get most of the list from www.cleaningspot.co.uk

ive a team of 4 and we all have the same gear that works well

 
Stolen this from kips he wont mind /emoticons/tongue.png

Ok H,

Here's a list of stuff I'd reccomend to start off with from wintecs. I like wintecs because they don't charge for p&p and their customer service is good.

This is all kit I own and would reccomend..

Unger bucket- £7.61 - http://www.wintecs.c...&products_id=28

Unger Ergotec Handle - £5.78 (this will be your 'main' handle) http://www.wintecs.c...&products_id=64

10 inch channel w/ soft rubber (this and the handle above I use on 99.99999% of trad jobs. Smaller channel = easier to work with = faster = better.)- £2.58 http://www.wintecs.c...roducts_id=1041

Unger S squeegee handle - £4.09 - (this is for the 6 inch channel below, I use this handle because its smaller and the 6 inch channell only gets used on openers and such where the 10 doesnt fit. They are the perfect combination.) http://www.wintecs.c...products_id=522

6 inch channel - £1.92 - see above - http://www.wintecs.c...&products_id=54

Unger T bar for applicator, 14 inch - £2.75 - http://www.wintecs.c...&products_id=96

Ettore porcupine applicator sleeve - £8.61(has bristles that take off dirt and **** really well - saves me using a scraper a lot. I am the envy of all my friends! Really worth getting.) http://www.wintecs.c...&products_id=83

Pulex bucketonabelt - £10.64 (you can't really trad without a boab, well - you can, but it's a nightmare.) http://www.wintecs.c...products_id=112

Unger 15cm scraper - £7.85 - Have never needed or wanted a smaller scraper since I bought this and the porcupine glove. http://www.wintecs.c...products_id=923

Jumbo microfibre - cut in 2, so it's easily pocketable. £3.03 - http://www.wintecs.c...products_id=641

(Maybe get 2 or 3 if you think you will need to do a lot of detailing?)

Unger soft rubber - 42 inches - My personal favourite rubber. £2.29 - Nothing worse than starting trad work, finding there is a nick in the rubber, and not having any spare. Worth getting. http://www.wintecs.c...products_id=237

Only other thing I think you'll need is a 'sill cloth - I just use whatever, an old teatowel, £1 microfibres from the pound shop, my favourite is a carlsberg beer rug towel thing from the local pub - it's just for sills so it doesnt really matter much.

Now, other people will prolly prefer different brands and items - but this is pretty much the exact kit I use when I do trad work now, these are the 'essential items' that get taken out on the road while a lot of the other stuff - different size scrapers, channels, different handles, etc etc - all get left at home. This is good quality kit, will last, and will do a good job. It is, in my opinion, a worthy investment and well set you off well for learning and mastering trad cleaning!

Total for all above is £57.15, then you have to add on VAT which at 20% is £11.43 giving you a total price of £68.58.

That might seem a lot but consider it is good kit that will LAST and do a good job and it's really not so bad.

So you can edit it about or not use it /emoticons/smile.png
Click to expand...
I would agree that Wintecs are very good for buying trad gear.

 
sounds like a good idea lads

proper way to use scrapers!! sounds like you have covered everything

what about just thinking the other day

if we listed our favourite piece of kit, something we wouldint be without and how we use

lets see what we all come up with

 
sounds like a good idea lads

proper way to use scrapers!! sounds like you have covered everything

what about just thinking the other day

if we listed our favourite piece of kit, something we wouldint be without and how we use

lets see what we all come up with
Click to expand...
Thats easy.

I couldn't be without unger

Ive tryed othere make over the years but never been the quality of unger.

Bought my first unger product in 1990 and still buying it now

 
Unger do make the best tradders kit am not so sure about there wfp equipment though...
Click to expand...
yes I did mean there traditional stuff , not used the wfp stuff but doesn't look up too much
 
Hi

Any one out there want to update this with information on Insurance, company's to use (and avoid!) prices paid, type of insurance you may hold?

Looking for advice on this specific to window cleaning, traditional is what I will be doing.

Thank you

James

 
Don't bother with all that just get wfp gear and a karcher window vac instead. Simples :Image13:

 

Similar threads

M
Porsche Cayenne setup question ?
2
Replies
21
Views
970
Master Jedi Alejandro
Master Jedi Alejandro
Gavin
  • Locked
  • Sticky
Forum Rules
Replies
0
Views
7,112
Gavin
Gavin
K in Kent
  • Article
Online Presence Pt 3 - Websites, Links, Content & Keywords
Replies
5
Views
1,503
K in Kent
K in Kent
K in Kent
  • Article
Esablishing an Online Prescence Pt 1 - Google Business Profile
Replies
0
Views
830
K in Kent
K in Kent
Gavin
  • Article
How to start a window cleaning business
Replies
2
Views
12,544
Cleanny
C

Latest Posts

Back
Top