Window Cleaning Secrets

Window cleaning is not that fun for most people. It is so frustrating sometimes to get streaks out of windows so that they look like a professional cleaned them. There are a lot of different things that professionals do in order to clean windows without streaks so they look beautiful and clean.

For windows to be cleaned like a professional, you need to know how the professionals clean windows. There are certain ways that you should clean windows to ensure they are streakless.

The professionals use a variety of instruments. The number one tool is a squeegee. It really helps to get the windows perfect. A good squeegee can be a window cleaners best friend. The better the squeegee, the more clean the windows will be.

To get your window cleaned correctly, you need to use a good cleaning solution. Some traditional ones are vinegar solutions, dishwashing liquid with water, but there are also many commercial cleaning solutions available online.

When you pick out your favorite cleaning solution, then you can use it to wash the windows with a great squeegee. When you use a squeegee, wipe the window from left to right to help wipe off the solution that you are using to clean. Then use a lint-free cloth to wipe off the squeegee to keep it dry. You should also use the cloth to wipe off the windows that still have solution on them.

Once you are done cleaning the windows, you should look them over and make sure that there are no streaks. If there are streaks, you need to use a lint-free cloth to wipe it down a little bit. You may need to re-clean certain parts of the window. The important thing is that you clean the windows until there is no spots or streaks.

As in any business, there are some companies that are not as ethical as we would all like. Being aware of the potential dangers is at least some defence against these type of companies. Here are some examples of unscrupulous behaviour you need to watch out for.

Overcharging for difficult access. Since some areas are indeed hard to reach and not all companies have people with the necessary training or experience to carry out the work, some companies take advantage by overcharging for these areas. Within the overall job, this may seem relatively small, but it can make a few percentage points difference in the overall price. Make sure you get several quotes and have them broken down so you can see where the overcharging is taking place.

Using unnecessary access equipment. Some companies will insist that special access equipment is required, when the job doesnt really require it. Rope access is a typical example, when in many cases Reach and Wash can be used instead.

Unjustifiable price increases. It is easy for a company to get in on a contract by bidding at a particularly low price. Once in, they find reasons to increase the price. These usually are accompanied by very plausible sounding reasons that are rarely in fact, valid.

Pricing low and cutting corners. This is probably the most common form of SCAM among window cleaning companies. They price the job up and then submit a much lower price to win the work, with the knowledge that they will not do the job thoroughly every time. They do this by leaving some windows out each time and rotating the missed windows in the hope that it isnt picked up. The best defence against this is to require them to estimate the time on site as part of the contract and then make sure that they spend that time each visit, by getting them to sign in and out.

Hiring untrained people. Some companies take on more work than they can really handle, usually by pricing low to win the work, and then have to hire inexperienced workers to do the work. Not only does this result in poor quality, but is likely to lead to a higher rate of damage to property. There is also a higher risk of theft. More importantly, the risk of accidents, to both window cleaners and employees is also greater.

Poor communication skills. What starts off well at the beginning can very often go badly wrong through poor communication. Speak to existing clients to check that you will be able to get through to people who help sort things out when your requirements change or when there is a problem. Upfront payments. Some companies ask for an upfront payment and arrange to do the work the following week. Of course, if they do not appear you will find it hard to contact them.

When you are negotiating with your window cleaning contractor you will be in a strong position anyway. Having said that, there may be elements of their offer that you would like to improve.

If you could be more flexible on some issues, which are the ones that really make a difference to your contractor to help you get what you want?

Payment terms. Since the amounts involved may be relatively small to a large corporate, paying promptly can be a powerful tool. As for most small companies, cashflow is paramount. That means that if you can agree to pay in say 15 days, or at the very least pay on time, this will be a major consideration for your contractor to agree to your requirements.

Stability. Having a regular job and not having to re-quote for it each year can be very valuable to a contractor. Fixing a longer contract (subject to performance of course) can help to keep the cost down. Even another six months might be enough to reduce a percentage point or two off the cost.

Timing for special work. If you have special, one-off type jobs that need doing, but that are not time critical, ask if there is a time when your window cleaning contractor is less busy. These periods occur less frequently these days, but each contractor may have, because of their particular mix of clients, a time of year that is less busy than others. They might be more flexible over pricing during this period.

Time is the key factor. Since labour cost is the most significant part of your window cleaning contractors costs, the time taken is the most important factor when it comes to pricing. Anything you can do to help them reduce the time taken to carry out the work, will reduce the cost. For example, access to some areas may be difficult because of cars being parked in the car park. If those cars can be moved to another part of the site on the days the window cleaner is due, this might reduce the cost. Alternatively, get the windows cleaned at a time of day when the car park is empty. Even small actions, like ensuring that internal window sills are empty can make a difference.

In Britain today professional window cleaning companies in London are using water fed pole reach and wash systems to clean glass surfaces deemed to be at a height too dangerous or risky to gain access by traditional methods.

Contrary to what some window cleaners believe, it is not against the law in the UK to use ladders for short periods of time.

It would be wrong to believe that ladder use is illegal but many window cleaners still misunderstand the law in the UK.

But how, may you ask does the water fed pole system work and will it give me the same results as a traditional clean?

H2O, Aqua or Water is constructed from one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms existing as two ions charged in water.

The water purification process removes all mineral and particle impurities from the water enabling it evaporate naturally without leaving behind any trace mineral deposits on the surface the water was on, but there are other benefits of using pure water to clean windows that are not as straight forward as one might imagine.

A fact that is not widely known about pure water is that it performs in the same way as a solvent, as the water is in an unaturally pure state it will aggressively fight to return to its more natural “impure” state, absorbing dirt on contact.

Without the science lesson, pure water eats and absorbs dirt on contact and after all dirt is removed the final rinse with pure water will dry leaving perfectly clean smear free glass.

Reach and Wash WFP can access windows up to 7 floors high all with out the risks of ladder access, and trained professional window cleaners will be able to get perfect results every time rain or shine.

Rain repellents are now entering the UK market place with one of London’s leading window cleaners using a product called Hydrostom that is added to the pure water cleaning system. These hydrophobic polymers keep the glass surface cleaner for far longer periods of time, reducing the yearly costs of window cleaning for their clients.

If you are not experienced in the role of buying or managing window cleaning services you might find it useful to know in advance the sort of problems that might arise. Read further to find out some of the problems

Being aware of the items listed below might enable you to think ahead about how you will handle them when they occur, or better still to have a dialogue with your window cleaning contractor to identify how they will handle them.

Window cleaners do not turn up on the agreed dates or times.

Equipment failures (often but not always due to poor maintenance).

Weather conditions preventing cleaning. This applies especially to windy conditions where rope access is involved, but snow and ice can also be problematic.

Staff sickness. Illness can hit any business, but the smaller the company, the more susceptible they are to having problems meeting schedules if members of staff are off sick.

Quality problems. For lots of reasons, some windows may not be cleaned, or only part cleaned. Streaking and squeegy marks. Bird lime. Initial cleans with the Reach & Wash system. The first time Reach & Wash is used on buildings they usually come up streaky the first time, but are fine after following cleans.

Damage to property. This could include: Window sills/ledges (caused by heavy use of ladders or careless use of cherry pickers), Breeze Soleil, Cladding (UpVC), Guttering, TV aerials/satellite dishes/airconditioning, Latchway systems, Roof tiles/slates, Glass/windows (yes, they sometimes get broken rather than cleaned!), Cars/vehicles in car parks, Flower beds (and other landscaping), Lawns/gardens. Internal damage including: Desks, Computers, Water stains on carpets, Items being moved and not returned properly, Theft, Accidents to window cleaners and/or employees or members of the public/visitors