Whether window cleaning is a good business for you to start depends on a lot of variables, such as your health and level of self-motivation. Window cleaning is by no means a non-physical job, and when we include reach and wash this still applies. With ladders you will be doing a lot more daily exertion and also risk more injuries but with the reach and wash system there is still effort involved and muscles being used daily. If you carry any light injuries or health conditions the first thing to do is have a doctor check you over.

The ability for you to turn this into a viable business then depends on how hungry you are. Now I hear so many stories up and down the country that cleaners can’t get enough work or for the price they expect. This is a mindset they have accepted and is not conductive to any level of success. So be honest with yourself before starting this, if you would feel disheartened easily then I certainly could think of easier careers to follow. I can confirm that if in your country monthly window cleaning is an acceptable and common trend, this business can and will work if you want it enough. But nothing in life is easy right?

WHAT ARE THE MAIN ADVANTAGES OF A WINDOW CLEANING BUSINESS?

The main advantage over many other self-employed start-up’s, is that this offers you recurring custom month in month out. For a moment consider some friends or relatives you may know who carry out other trade type business’, they may constantly have to drum up new work. We don’t.

The actual start-up costs of this business are very low, for example when I started all that I had was a bunch of cheap fliers printed off a library pc and a car with ladders on the top. For a couple of hundred pound we are then able to continually make money, and the replacement costs of equipment are cheap at that stage. Here is a list of the most common advantages of running a window cleaning business

• Recurring custom
• Low start-up costs
• Ability to make extra money by offering customers gutter clearances, pressure washing etc services
• Low overheads for expansion compared to other platforms

WHAT CAN GO WRONG WITH STARTING A WINDOW CLEANING BUSINESS?

Early on, everything! Assuming you are totally new to this, you have the added stress of learning how to clean windows https://fifewindowcleaningservices.co.uk/purified-water-window-cleaning/ while also learning the advertising side and the financial side. The most common early mistake I can think of is pricing your work too cheap and this can lead to issues later down the line, when you have to revisit this with many customers-and risk losing a lot of work at once.  Another common thing that can go wrong is that you do not grasp the art of advertising early on (this blog right here is even part of our advertising), and I cannot explain enough how many good trades people are out there but are not busy. Why? Because they are invisible online. Have a look at our window cleaning Dunfermline page and you will see the type of content that is essential https://fifewindowcleaningservices.co.uk/ to rank a web page on google.

WHAT ARE THE AREAS TO FOCUS ON EARLY ON

• Learn how to use a facebook business page
• Consider having a website built-in-fact I had my early one live before I had cleaned a window
• Be prepared to canvass door to door, for customers
• Understand clearly what your aims are early on, ie how much money do you NEED to make to do this full time
• Befriend a local window cleaner (under rated vastly)
• Join forums such as https://windowcleaningforums.co.uk/ and ask questions

Blog post written by Chris Fotheringham

The post IS WINDOW CLEANING A GOOD BUSINESS TO START? appeared first on Fife Window Cleaning Services.

Wooden famed windows can cause serious issue for window cleaning, due to the fact that if the paintwork is not complete and there are areas of untreated paint; this can cause water to become trapped in the wood and subsequently lead to dirty run marks on the glass. This is a common type of window and frame on older buildings, that were developed prior to upvc frames being installed as standard, but with care these specific frames need be no issue.

To successfully clean such a sash frame and window, it is essential to do so in a two stage process; even after the initial clean. We would scrub all the frames and rinse them thoroughly, ensuring to have our water pressure high as we attempt to blast all impurities downwards and out of the framework. Between the top and the bottom half of these windows there is often a horizontal and deep part to the framework that needs a careful scrub, and we also want to ensure that there is no dirt left here.

It is quite possible that after all frames/glass has been washed and rinsed off, there may be some run marks. You can observe this better when the glass is generally dried out. To eliminate any run marks we would bring the pole back to the glass again, and firstly switch the pump on. We do not spray any closer than half way up the glass panel because we do not want any over spray to catch the upper frames again (potential contamination and runs could occur). So instead we do as said, and then bring the brush head as close as possible to the glass without touching it and raise it until we are around 2 inches from the top of the glass. This final rinse is glass only, and we rinse off all upper glass panels, and then the lower half of these windows are rinsed off after all the upper ones have been completed. This whole exercise is done to limit risk of older framework contributing to dirty run marks on the glass.

• Sterilize all framework
• Be careful with single glazing glass, turn hot water off on cold days and be gentle on the glass
• Final rinse 2 inches below top of glass, to avoid further drips

PVC SASH AND CASE WINDOWS

More modern sash and case windows can often have multiple plastic panels per window, and usually these are placed over one large glass panel (for decorative effect) but sometimes you may have several separate glass panels within the framework  as well. The reason these frames can be an issue to clean, is that with each vertical section of frame is another opportunity for dirt to congregate and run down onto the next glass panel. Our objective is to completely sterilise these frames on the first clean, to prevent any issue.

We dip our brush head into a traffic film remover on the first clean of such frames, so that we can get a very deep clean of the plastics especially.  The likes of spider webs and moss build up can also have a detrimental effect on how the glass dries, so we want to get rid of all of this. It is important to spend a lot of time scrubbing vertically on these windows because rubber seals and cob webs need banished from our soon to be spotless windows. We then rinse off sections starting with the top and working our way downwards. A second rinse pass is then used to rinse off the second top sections of glass, a third pass to rinse of the third sections of glass from the top etc and so on. Do not be alarmed by runs on the glass when it is still wet because often these will dry spotless but to be sure, scrub that area again and rinse off once more.

• Use a degreaser
• Scrub vertically particularly
• Look for drip patterns and return to those areas
• Sterilize framework fully ie removal of webs, moss etc
• Rinse off in vertical sections

LEADED WINDOWS

Leaded windows may look like a difficult surface to clean with purified water, but as long as you get the first clean right then there will be no further issues.  While the process of cleaning these is very similar to that of sash and cash windows, we have found that using something like lemon juice works well here.  The citrus acids help to break down dirt and grime, and so can be sprayed onto your brush head and used to scrub into the glass.  On a first clean use a lot of water, and make sure that you go over the same windows at least twice, and if time allows you can wait for the upper frame to stop dripping and rinse of the glass a final time.

• Use a degreaser
• Double rinse glass and return to finally rinse again
• Scrub deeply over each part of the lead, vertically and horizontally

OPENER WINDOWS

These are the small windows that you usually find above the main living room windows, within the same frame and they usually are two identical small windows that can be opened outwards slightly. The reason we have included these types of windows here is due to a particular dirty run that they can cause, if not cleaned properly.

On a first clean, we always clean these windows before even doing any upstairs windows. The reason for this is that often the dirt caught between the panels can lead to a dirty post clean run right down the middle of the main glass panel. So we scrub the openers with water on all the time, and spend a fair amount of time rinsing as well.  At this stage there will still be a noticeable run mark down the main panel, but we are moving on to another window now and plan to come back to this panel soon.

When we return to the openers we rinse off these two small glass panels and avoid the upper frame, and perhaps clean the front door and such like before finally rinsing off the main glass panel at least twice. Be prepared to get issue with this particular window the first time because you are flushing the framework so clean that a great deal of dirt has to wash away, and sometimes even after the first clean it might take a second clean until you have no more issues here. So just educate customers as you go, and be honest about the fact you are offering such a deep clean that its inevitable sometimes on a first clean you may get water runs (but you will fix for free and because the frame is now sterilized this won’t be an issue moving forward)

• Always start on these windows
• Spend a lot of time scrubbing the top of framework and the gap between and below the opener windows
• Rinse off openers separate from main window

The post HOW TO CLEAN TROUBLESOME WINDOWS WITH THE WATERFED POLE SYSTEM appeared first on Fife Window Cleaning Services.

Purified water is water that’s been processed in a way that removes impurities and thus becomes suitable for the intended use. Distilled water is popular, especially in other countries; but recently water is purified in various other methods such as reverse osmosis or deionisation. Moving forward in time water has been purified to such a degree that not only can it be measured in parts per million (PPM) but also now in parts per billion and parts per trillion. Purified water is used in the pursuit of medical experiments, heavy industry use and in our case window cleaning. Depending on the way water is purified, this can be done on site or also pre purified in a laboratory or warehouse type setting.

When water is purified, this means that is has been deionized. The process removes all minerals such as zinc, magnesium and iron. Deionization is a chemical process that uses specially manufactured ion-exchange resins, which exchange hydrogen and hydroxide ions for dissolved minerals, and then recombine to form the water that is now purified. Three types of deionization exist: co-current, counter-current, and mixed bed. Since the resin we use for window cleaning is often classed as mixed bed resin, we shall look at how that process is developed.

MIXED BED DEIONIZATION

Mixed bed deionization is a 50/50 mixture of cation and anion resin combined in a single ion exchange column. With proper pre-treatment, water purified through a mixed bed ion exchange column is the purest form that can be made. Most commonly mixed bed demineralizers are used for final water polishing treat to clean the last few hard to treat ions within water prior to use, and this is done as the final stage of many window cleaners reverse osmosis system; more on which later.

HOW DO WE USE IT FOR WINDOW CLEANING?

The two main ways in which purified water is made for window cleaning are through vessels in the van that produce purified water on demand, this is done by running a tap through the vessel and pure water is produced at the other outlet of these canisters. This is deionisation, and can be done with two DI vessels side by side for more cost effectiveness. Ion exchange resin fills the chambers of the canisters and remove all impurities, however when the resin becomes well used we have to change the resin or the PPM of water purity starts to decrease. This approach is often used in what is termed soft water areas, because it is cost effective to treat pre purified water using a DI vessel in areas where the initial impurity is not too high. In areas of hard water ie where there are many chemicals in the water, reverse osmosis is used to purify water. The photo of the inside of the van shows the rear of our system, which houses two DI vessels for purifying water on the move.

Reverse osmosis is the use of a filtration system that removes impurities from water, and in the case of window cleaning there is a carbon and sediment filter housed usually next to a large holding tank. The water passes through the large filters and then into a holding tank, where it can be pumped directly into our vans. We change these filters from time to time, because like the resin they also wear out after some use. There is a photo here showing some of our new reverse osmosis filters before we set them up.

WHY WOULD WE USE PURE WATER FOR WINDOW CLEANING?

The main reason this method was used for window cleaning originally, was to overcome high level cleaning issues. In fact Alex gardener who now runs one of the most successful Uk window cleaning supply companies https://gardinerpolesystems.co.uk/  states that he began making homemade window cleaning equipment to specifically overcome reach issues. The other main reason this is becoming so common, is that ladder work brings a lot of fall risks and more so with the way many new build homes are styled.

In practice we could use tap water, but as explained further up; the mineral composition has not been removed and this will result in severe spotting and staining to the glass. The reason for this is that those minerals will dry in a fine layer over the glass, and become visible to the human eye. When we use purified water there are no traces of anything in this water to dry onto the window, and the deionised water actually helps in the cleaning process because it sticks to all the dirt particles as we clean the windows. This happens, because the water is chemically drawn to attract new particles to replace the ones we have removed. As we rinse off the glass, the water that is rinsed off takes with it all those newly dirty particles.

To see a list of our full services please visit https://fifewindowcleaningservices.co.uk/

Blog written by Chris Fotheringham

The post PURIFIED WATER WINDOW CLEANING appeared first on Fife Window Cleaning Services.

FIRST CLEANS WITH THIS NEW AGE SYSTEM

This is really what cuts the professional cleaner from the cowboy, and for good reasons. As we discussed in our other blog, the purified water helps remove impurities from the glass while we clean. But, on these first cleans there are a lot more impurities than normal to remove; the frames may have not been cleaned for a long time either and so thorough sterilization is essential. If someone done this initial clean and did not spend adequate time scrubbing the glass and frames; and then rinsing the glass a lot more than on subsequent cleans, there is a high likelihood that white spotting marks will remain on the glass when it dries. This is the residue of dirty water essentially, the salts that have not been thoroughly rinsed off the glass.

Secondly, more homes now have vents above the windows; and these cannot and should not be ignored. If you have had a window cleaner use this system and there are streak marks on the glass, then I can guarantee one of two things. 1) they have either not flushed out the vents or 2) the rubber seals are perished and the water has dripped down from them. We always flush the vents right out on first cleans, by turning our hoses upside down and jetting water directly into the vents and cleaning them right out. We only need to do this the first time, but it ensures everything is now sterile. If the seals are leaking, this is always only the case on older windows that have perished rubber partly due to soap residue; and is something we experience in one of every so many hundred properties that we clean.  In this last type of instance, we would then traditionally clean those windows.

PURIFYING WATER ISNT OPTIONAL

We have mentioned on other blogs the ways in which water is purified, we use a double DI system in the van to purify water on the move ie supported from customers tap supplies, and we also have a reverse osmosis system that purifies water at our base. If we did not check the purity of the water this would cause issue, and is another reason that this systems reputation has been let down previously by poor workmanship. The van digitally tells us when the parts per million (PPM) ie purity level of the water begins to diminish, and we change the resin to bring it back down to 100% pure water. Those that let their water purity level decrease will start to notice white spotting on the glass at around 10 PPM on first cleans and perhaps 20 PPM on windows that have been previously been cleaned by the water fed pole system.  The reason for this is that first cleans have much more dirt to remove and so the water purity really comes into play even more so.

SCRUB, SCRUB, SCRUB

Those that have not spent the adequate time scrubbing bird mess and such like off the windows will soon hear from the customer, and experience has taught me to identify these marks on glass by the way the water runs around such marks on the glass when we are rinsing off. We pre wet the glass and only then start to vertically scrub the glass clean, the purified water helps in the softening of marks and also we can come back to windows that have very stubborn marks after we have cleaned a few more windows on the house. The fact that we use a hot water system also helps in removal of stubborn marks because similarly to cleaning dishes, hot water simply cleans them better than cold water.

THAT FINAL RINSE

Those that use backpacks and carry small amounts of purified water clearly have to be mindful of not using too much water per house. They just don’t have the water supply with them, but we carry a 500 liter tank in the van and can top up our purified water supply at any outdoor tap. When we have cleaned the windows with this system, if we do not adequately rinse off all the windows then there is a good chance that dirty runs will be visible when the glass dries. We rinse off in a zigzag formation and always do so twice, double rinsing the glass essentially and in an effort to get a sheet finish on the final rinse.

THE MENTALITY OF PURE WATER WINDOW CLEANING

Most of the time when we clean windows no one is home, and they come home to nice clean and dry windows all the time. Occasionally though customer have asked why their windows are still wet when we leave, and this is due to the fact we have sterilized the windows clean by way of cleaning with purified water. This can take some explaining, and is a mindset shift for some. We appreciate this, but i promise that the level of clean is second to none. When cleaning windows traditionally there is always a fine layer of soap still left on the glass, and this is invisible to the human eye but remains enough to attract a fast buildup of dust and dirt over the following month. When we clean the windows with purified water they will stay cleaner for longer, there is nothing in the water to attract dust to the glass. Like many other windows cleaners https://saxonwindowcleaners.co.uk/ in Andover and throughout the UK, we also made the change from traditional cleaners to water fed pole cleaners and we can honestly say we do not know one person who has reverted back to traditional cleaning.

For a list of all our services please visit https://fifewindowcleaningservices.co.uk/

Blog written by Chris Fotheringham

The post WHY HAS PURE WATER WINDOW CLEANING NOT ALWAYS BEEN POPULAR? appeared first on Fife Window Cleaning Services.

WHY WOULD YOU CHANGE TO WATERFED POLE?

There are various reasons but we can start with safety, here is a blog i wrote for one of my friends and this clearly highlights many of the risks that ladder work pose; along with how waterfed pole window cleaning can minimize this  http://purpleelephant.co/safety-conscious-window-cleaners-in-chester/         You cannot go onto a building site now without noticing the scaffolding towers and hard hats everywhere, this is testament to the changing view of health and safety in some work places. Ladder use on one new build building site i worked on was banned.  As shown above, deaths resulting from falls are still a big problem in the UK ; and you have to ask yourself why this is if some industry have such stringent health and safety policies such as the building trade.

The answer is simple, not all industry value health and safety the same. The UK working at height regulations only offer a recommendation that ladders should only be used as an alternative to other methods of window cleaning when they are the only means possible to do the job.  A recommendation allows flexibility because there is no statutory law in place, and furthermore insurance cover for window cleaning is in place for ladder work as well; these offer incentives to start in this industry, often with little over heads. A set of ladders and a bucket are very cheap compared to a waterfed pole system, but the danger risk is always there. Trade spec ladder feet are made of hard plastic, but in winter frost and ice can and i promise you do increase the percentages of falls that happen.

Using waterfed pole allows the operator to work from the ground, and therefore completely eliminates fall risks. Associated with falls are also the general wear and tear on the body that ladder work presents, clicking knees and worn cartridge are common. I don’t know any traditional cleaners that don’t have some niggle or injury to tell of.

QUALITY OF WATERFED POLE WINDOW CLEANING

The finish waterfed pole window cleaning produces is second to none, but don’t expect it to always be as easy to get to grips with as traditional cleaning. When done right the frames will have a deeper clean than traditional cleaning methods can offer, and because there is no soap in the purified water we use; this limits how dirty the glass actually gets in between visits. Soaps attract dust, and this is why traditionally cleaned windows may seem dirtier by the time you next clean them. Further to the actual quality of window cleaning offered; are a few other waterfed pole  aspects that deserve a mention, such as that there will be no ladder marks on the customers grass and no ladder feet damaging render; also there is more privacy for the customer due to no strange man peering through their bedroom window! It is worth mentioning the process of how to clean using waterfed pole now, and also what can go wrong and how to prevent this.

HOW TO DO A FIRST CLEAN WITH WATERFED POLE

One of the most important aspects of this system, is making sure that the first clean is done right. This will set you up down the line for easier maintenance cleans-or rather, regular window cleans. Everyone has various ways to do a first clean with the waterfed pole, but all generally agree that the frames should be treated separate from the glass on this initial clean. To do this, we scrub from the top of the frame along the sides of the frame and then move onto the sills. This is sterilizing the surrounds, because the number one cause of streaks and dirty runs after a first clean will likely be due to the surrounds not being sterile enough.

When we scrub the frames, we also scrub around the vents and then rinse over the frame/vents a couple of times as well. Many window cleaners will also flush the vents out on a first clean, done so by turning their rinse up and into the vents. This is done at the same time as the frame clean, and done so to prevent future issues with leaky vents dripping dirt onto the glass. Be careful not to get too much water inside the windows, and if the vents are closed this won’t be an issue anyway. It should be pointed out that not everyone flushes the vents, and many manage fine without this approach so I will leave it up to you to decide what suits, but some vents on your round may always leak and cause issues-do not be put off by this but instead you will come to realize the one or two that are to simply be avoided.

Speaking with bob from http://purpleelephant.co/ he suggests his top tip for first cleans is to add a traffic film remover to the clean, this is a soapy substance you can buy from any hard wear store or online, that breaks up dirt of the glass and the frames. You can spray this onto the brush head, have a bucket beside you full of it and dip the brush head into it or alternatively use a backpack and mix it with the water. Obviously the final rinse has to remove all the soap or the windows will streak badly.

After all the frames and vents are cleaned, the window sills are scrubbed and rinsed directly after this. Now it’s possible to leave a puddle of dirty water on the window sill if you don’t do this. Due to the fact there is lots of dirty water coming off the now spotlessly clean frames, so scrub those sills and then sweep the water from one end of the sill to the other and off the edge with your brush head. We now go back to the first window and rinse only on the glass, I personally do this one inch from the top of the glass and by keeping the brush head close to the glass-this avoids too much overspray catching the vents and causing more drips to come down.

The glass should have been given a light scrub along with the frames at the start and so when you go back to the first window (glass clean only) , give it another scrub and proceed with the rinse of glass only. Our other friend Darren at https://preispasst.de/ suggests rinsing in a zig zag formation on the final rinse, to try and create a sheet effect on the glass. The success of this sheet or cloaking depends on the type of glass you are cleaning, but is advisable to get good coverage of water all the same.

WHAT CAN GO WRONG WHEN CHANGING TO WATERFED POLE

Before we mention the actual window cleaning itself, it is worth noting that this system despite being around for a long time it still relatively new to a lot of customers and also is not always trusted due to that. Customers will appreciate this system when they are used to it, but I do think it is so different from traditional cleaning that sometimes it requires an explanation. I made up information sheets for all my customers who asked about this system, they were handed out to those who asked about what we were now doing. I know others who lettered their full round to state their intentions, but I personally felt this would end up being a negative and draw more suspicion and scrutiny. So ensure that you find a way to educate those that require this, which may also be a video showing how it works on your facebook business page or a blog like this that they can refer to, you decide.

The other main part in what can go wrong is down to operator error. With traditional you clean a window and leave when it is dry, you visually inspect that window and know its fine/or needs attention again. The mindset of waterfed pole window cleaning is different, everything you do in preparing that window/ frame on the first clean is what gives you the peace of mind, as you leave it to dry on its own. So what operator errors are common?

Lack of creating a sterile environment is the main thing that can work against you. I say sterile environment so you think of the frame/sill/window/vents/possible drips from overhanging render surround as one thing. Its vital to make sure that all vents are scrubbed, rinsed and if flushed (then flush until the water runs clear), think of the frame the same-all dirt must be removed and rinsed. So you WILL use a lot more water on first cleans waterfed pole BUT it will enable you to work so much faster once these initial cleans are done.

A final brief mention is worth giving to equipment, you have to understand how things work before you use them. An example is knowing how and why you change resin-to ensure that you are using 0 ppm resin, so the glass wont streak. Do you know how often to charge your battery for the system?, and are you comfortable with reeling out and in before you turn up at your first job. Having a trial run is important before you rock up at a house, not only to test your process of doing a first clean on your own home but also to get used to using the system itself. So to combat things going wrong here, befriend a local window cleaner who uses this system is my advice to you.

For a list of our full services please visit https://fifewindowcleaningservices.co.uk/

Blog written by Chris Fotheringham, Fife Window Cleaning Services

The post CHANGING A TRADITIONAL WINDOW CLEANING ROUND TO WATERFED POLE? appeared first on Fife Window Cleaning Services.

EQUIPMENT

A cheap entry into this trade is usually via traditional window cleaning, and there are pros and cons to this approach. The positives are clearly a cheap start up, and the learning of skills that will help you for interior window cleaning and if you need to have a backup plan should your waterfed pole system break down occasionally.  The cons are mainly risk of injury, as we discussed in a blog we wrote for purple Elephant http://purpleelephant.co/safety-conscious-window-cleaners-in-chester/ where work related injuries from falls are an all too common occurrence.

If you do choose to start out traditionally here is a list of some of the essential equipment you may need

• Ladder, preferably a two part and lightweight trade ladder made by someone such as Ramsey or Lyte.
• A squeegee, and a good size to learn on is a ten inch one. I usually use a 14 squeegee for domestic jobs, and sometimes a 20 inch one for shop fronts.
• An applicator, this is the t bar and pad that washes the window. There are a few varieties out there but having one that’s ideal for first cleans means looking at the likes of the ettore porcupine applicator sleeve because it is rough and will remove dirt easier. Facelift also make a good applicator sleeve that has a tag on the end for removing stubborn dirt.
• A bucket, of which ettore and unger make good ones and some have lids. This lid is helpful in cold weather, where you can go out with hot water in the bucket and it will keep warm in winter mornings.
• Cloths, and lots of them. Bear in mind you will be fixing more mistakes when you start. I use microfiber cloths for wiping frames and sills, and grade A pre washed scrims for glass detailing. Fish scale microfiber cloths are also very good, they have very good absorption and are lint free.
• Cleaning liquid, of which there are many options. Many window cleaners still choose to use things like fairy platinum though, because its thickly concentrated.
• Belt, unger offer pouches and belts. This is important, so you have somewhere to store your cloths and other essentials.
• Scraper. These can be bought off ebay and such, but please be careful how you use them on glass. Always wet the surface first and do not pull back on the glass. This may cause trapped dirt to scratch the glass, so always lift off the glass after each forward motion.
• Appropriate footwear, this is very important. You want something that has good tread and a non slip sole
• Some kind of upvc restorer, and this can be very cheap if you shop around. Currently there is a brand called the pink stuff that many of us use, and this abrasive can clean marks on frames /doors/sills very easily.

If you choose to start window cleaning with the waterfed pole/reach and wash system then there are two main options left. Do you go to a professional installer such as https://www.daqua.co.uk/ to fit this for you, or do you instead have a DIY system built? There is much advice on the above mentioned forum on how to make a DIY system and the advantage is that when things go wrong you will have a better insight in how to fix this, although a professional system brings warranty cover and sometimes better options than a DIY system can offer such as split relay charging off the vans battery as mostly standard.

LEARNING TO WINDOW CLEAN

So you want to learn how to clean windows? Well there are youtube videos showing how to do so both traditionally and waterfed pole. Practice on your own house until you feel confident, and if going waterfed pole then try to clean a few different styles of windows; this will give you a feel for the different approach you may need to use for each.  Here is our own window cleaning page, if you want to look at a few photos and how we set up what we offer https://fifewindowcleaningservices.co.uk/window-cleaning/ . While one of our other blogs discusses how to clean windows waterfed pole, traditionally you can clean windows either with straight pull downs or in the fashion you may often see window cleaners use.

Straight pull downs are what I started with, and the advantage is that there are less risk of lines on the glass if you are new and unfamiliar with how to angle the squeegee. Personally, I wish I just started cleaning windows with the proper technique, which is shown here by Unger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4B6FGw0E4o

HOW DO I GET WINDOW CLEANING CUSTOMERS?

We all have our preferred ways of gaining work but here is what I would advise on doing even before advertising for work.  Having a social media presence is a massive advantage in current times, with so many people using the likes of facebook. Now down the line you may also add other accounts such as instagram and twitter for your business, but the MUST one is a facebook business  page.

I also had my website built before I started cleaning windows, but that’s optional of course. What this helped with was my focus, I was already committed and work does come in from websites I can promise you that how much so depends on the quality of the website designed so get advice and shop around (not for the cheapest but for the best), and expect to pay around 500 pounds for a good site.

The local buy and sell sites on facebook are golden, it is how many start getting their brand visible. I used to have a set message I would copy and paste onto all my local Facebook pages each week, day 1 I would advertise on page 1, 2, 4, 5 day 2 I would advertise on pages 6-10 and so on..

The final piece of advice I will offer is deciding on what mediums you will employ to gain customers in a more direct marketing fashion. I know of some large companies that spend massive amounts of money on flier campaigns, and this may provide around 0.2/0.4% returns per 100 fliers on average. The results of these flier drops depend on variables such as the flier quality, and is there a clear call to action on the flier and does it offer a clear and simple solution to a buyers needs? Thickness of fliers varies also, and I have had more success with card like double sided fliers than with 100gsm paper ones.

Door to door sales is possibly the best way to get work coming in fast (fliers can lead to a slow and constant supply of work-sometimes you may be called months later, after a flier drop) , at least it was for me. If this is something you choose to do, I suggest having a rough idea of what you will say and let the rest be natural, otherwise it is just a robotic pitch with no persona. Some tips here are to always smile, take business cards with you to offer those that may be interested, and know what price you are happy with for each house as you walk up that drive to chap the door.  Do not be put off with rejection, in fact embrace it. This is a numbers game and rejection and set backs are a part and parcel of building a successful run, so say thank you for your time and move onto the next door as fast as you can.

HOW WILL I GET PAID OFF MY CUSTOMERS

Originally we all cash collected, and many still do-sometimes on a set date each week. I feel this is counter-productive though, because we are doing a job and spending more time going back to collect. What if the customer is not home when we collect, or have no money on them? Trust me when I tell you that this is a regular occurrence.  So some also offer bank and paypal options on their cleaning tickets that they post through the customers door after the window clean is done, and this helps cash flow somewhat. The issue with this though, is again not everyone pays when they are supposed to. People are busy and it is an easy thing to forget but if you have all of your customers contact numbers, a text reminder can be useful for payments.

Now my full residential round is paid for via https://gocardless.com/ where on my websites ways to pay page is a link the customer can use to sign up to; this is a direct debit scheme and we debit the money after the window cleans are done. The cash is in our bank a week later, and we post a cleaning ticket through the letterbox to say we have been out to clean windows that day; however the customer also receives an email notification from gocardless to say what is coming out their bank and for whom. If you do not have a website you can still use this payment method, by sending a link to customers via text email or perhaps on your cleaning tickets.  https://fifewindowcleaningservices.co.uk/payments/ here is my own ways to pay page, and there is a blog on there that breaks down the advantages of gocardless.

I hope this blog has been of some use to you, and it is by no means a complete start up guide; but more of a help guide to get you on the right path.

Blog post written by Chris Fotheringham https://fifewindowcleaningservices.co.uk/

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Window Scratches & Repairs

The exterior glass surface of a commercial building can often come in contact with harmful airborne substances that may cause damage overtime. Someone without a trained eye and experience will just wipe the windows and maybe cause more damage or scratches to the glass surface. Whereas a professional window cleaner will not just notice, but already have a cleaning procedure in place to prevent these damages from occurring and when they do, they will clean them effectively without harm to the glass surface of the windows. It’s a fact that routine professional window cleaning can prevent expensive repairs or replacements of glass and windows to your property.

Artificial light & Natural Light

Having clean windows not only shows you maintain your property well, but that you care about the environment and your employees. Various studies done involving the workplace show that a clean well organised office improves moral, attendance and employee productivity. It’s easy to see how a sparkling clean window not only enhances the feel, appeal and atmosphere of your business, but it also allows the maximum introduction of natural sunlight into the room or office. Anyone that has worked indoors for long periods of time using artificial light will tell you about the tremendous difference between natural sunlight and artificial light.

Dirty Windows Look Unprofessional

Having dirty windows to the exterior of your property looks unkept and unprofessional. How do you expect customers to see your business? As a clean well maintained professional service or a dirty unkept, shabby unprofessional service. If it’s a professional window cleaning service you’re offering, then you must show you are organised in work and in all areas of your business and elements.

Small offices set in corners and rooms without windows are never in high demand because people want a view of the outside and natural sunlight. When the sun is shining it lifts the mood of the office and the staff. Of course having office windows brings benefits, but they need to be maintained professionally to maximize these benefits and to do this you need to have a regular office window cleaning service.

Safe Window Cleaning

Never take chances and risk your health to clean commercial windows without the proper equipment. It is very dangerous for someone who does not have the proper training or equipment to even attempt cleaning the outside of their commercial property. Professional window cleaning services are licensed, insured and have experts with years of experience who know how to do the service properly without risks.

Fast and Convenient

Using professional window cleaners also save you lots of time, as they know exactly what they are doing with the correct equipment; they also do the job extremely fast and efficiently leaving your windows in good health and sparkling bright. Window cleaning companies provide you with scheduling plans to suit the specific needs and running times of your office. Additionally, window cleaning companies will work with the owner or manager of the business to ensure they meet the specific requirements of your business and budget. A professional window cleaner will provide spotless results, a safe environment, convenience, protection to glass surfaces, as well as a cost saving service all year round.

If you have any commercial properties set in Lancashire UK and you want a professional window cleaning service with over 25 years experience, then get in touch with WFC Commercial Window Cleaning… http://wfcwindowcleaning.co.uk/

Written by Bernadette Kyriacou

(WFC Commercial Window Cleaning)

Fife Window Cleaning Services

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As window cleaners in kirkcaldy https://fifewindowcleaningservices.co.uk/window-cleaners-kirkcaldy/  we have always maintained a degree of traditional window cleaning. This involves the use of an applicator to apply the water and soap, and a squeegee to wipe off the water and soap. Here is an image of a door we also cleaned as part of a regular window clean in Kirkcaldy, we clean the frames, sills and doors. This brings us onto the process of how we clean these windows traditionally.

KIRKCALDY WINDOW CLEANER METHODS

We have tried various window cleaning specific soaps to clean windows and find that ecover is the best. We prefer this due to its natural ingredients and a lack of a strong alcohol based mix. An alcohol based mix that can erode seals over time. This soap that we use limits any risk of lines on the glass and is less likely to erode rubber window seals. This soap is not tested on animals either and is used in our window cleaning buckets, along with fresh warm water.

When we arrive at a house we douse the applicator in the soapy water to make sure that its wet but more importantly that there are no gritty substances within the applicator; which would scratch the glass. We then wet the squeegee rubber slightly,  which will improve the ‘slip’ on the glass. The slip is a slang term for the degree of lubrication a window cleaning squeegee has on glass. We then firstly use a wet microfiber cloth to wipe all the frames and rubber seals, and always wipe above the vents due to this being an area that dirt congregated. We follow on from this by drying the frames with a separate cloth. When scrubbing the glass with the applicator, the first thing we look for are any stubborn marks that may take more time to clean. If these are severe we will dampen them and come back to that window, using the butt of our applicator to scrub the marks with the more abrasive tag that it has on its edges.

We finally use our squeegee to clean the glass. We actually use moerman liquidator squeegees, they have plastic end clips that mean we can get right into the sides of the glass and not leave a soap line. Usually using a scrim or cloth to wipe this excess soap line is called “detailing” and we still do this when needed, but as said this tool gets closer into the edges of the glass. To wipe up any excess soap on the sill, we have a scrim (window cleaning specific cloth) that we use for this as well.

Being window cleaners in Kirkcaldy, there are some buildings that can be challenging to clean traditionally. The below description one is an example of one we clean using a different method for.

WINDOW CLEANING IN KIRKCALDY AT HEIGHT

Ladder use works well but when cleaning windows at height there are obviously risks involved, and if the building is on a slope or bus area this can also be risky. To clean a building like this we use hot purified water. See our related blog here (link). The process of this involves us having deionised vessels in the van, of which tap water enters through. This tap water is purified and thus; in a state to clean the windows.

On approach to this job we turn the diesel boiler on, extend our telescopic poles and tackle the Upvc frames first. The first clean includes us rinsing out the vents, and deeply scrubbing all around the Upvc from top sides to bottom. It’s important we do this, it’s creating a sterile environment around the glass we will move onto; otherwise on the final rinse dirty splashes off the frame can contaminate the glass.

We use a sill brush for this, it’s a wider and more angled window cleaning brush that gets right into the corners of the upvc and the sill. After the above frames are cleaned we scrub the glass in vertical motions, agitating the glass and helping vertical water flow. We finally rinse from the upper frame downward and in an s shape direction. This covers a greater area and this first rinse is coating the glass with water for our final rinse. When using this type of window cleaning in Kirkcaldy the final rinse is on the glass only. We again use the s shaped rinse, and are looking to have a uniform cloak of water on the glass. A sheet of water helps the rinse, meaning the whole glass panel will dry with the same finish. Before we finish, the brush is then used to rinse off the sill. After all this is where all the dirty water has went.

For more information on the services we offer please visit www.fifewindowcleaningservices.co.uk

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Paint on windows can be unsightly and obviously for a home owner, this is a challenging job to take on due to access and fall hazards. While window cleaning traditionally in Dunfermline we have had to remove paint on many occasions. Depending on the type of paint, it can be very hard to remove these marks.

REMOVING EMULSION PAINT FROM GLASS

Emulsion paint is water based, although due to vinyl or acrylic resin added to modern emulsions they are still fairly hard wearing paints to remove. Usually we can remove emulsion based paint with the following process

• Wet the area with warm soapy water
• Leave to dwell for ten minutes
• Use the end of our window cleaning applicator to scrub the marks off

If this does not work then we will apply some methylated spirits to the area. This is an alcohol based chemical that can be bought at many local supply shops, and it will break down the paint. Personally this is a COSHH item for us being a business, and that means that under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 we have to have it stored appropriately and also we have a risk assessment tin place for its use. Please do not use this substance without A wearing goggles B having gloves on and C disposing of the empty bottle safely.

When we have done the above, we finally buff the window and clean it as normal. There is no risk to the glass, after all how do all scientists store their chemicals?. In glass tubes.

REMOVING OIL BASED PAINT-WINDOW CLEANER DUNFERMLINE

Again; when working within the town, oil based paint is an equally common occurrence. This is probably more visible for us around windows, due to it being a paint that is used on window frames for its hard wearing finish. Here is the process of how we would remove that.

• Put a wet cloth on the bottom of the window frame
• Apply the paint thinner to the affected area
• Leave to dwell for ten minutes
• Wipe excess off with a cloth

This isn’t always enough to remove all of the paint. In which case, we would then use a window cleaning scraper to take the remains off.

CORRECT USE OF A WINDOW CLEANING SCRAPER

To take any remaining marks off we have to use a window cleaning scraper, which is essentially a razor blade inside a sleeve. On approach to this, the priority is not only to remove the paint on this window but to ensure we do not scratch the glass. This is done by first wetting the glass with some warm water and traffic film remover, traffic film remover seems to soften the paint a little and is a chemical we use for Upvc cleans often. We push the scrapper onto the glass, only moving forward and then lifting it off the glass when we have pushed forward as far as we want to go; the reason being that on the backward motion this is when scratching can happen; due to trapped grit under the blade. After a few attempts this will remove all of the paint, and we polish the glass with a microfiber cloth to finish. This was important because over time the glass has become faded under the paint.

RESTORING FADED GLASS WHEN WINDOW CLEANING IN DUNFERMLINE

As above, we can attempt to polish dull glass. But what if this isn’t enough?. In this case we will mix 25 % vinegar with 75% of water and rub this onto the glass. Vinegar not only brings a sheen to glass but is also finely abrasive and will remove minor imperfections from the window. Once this has been rubbed onto the glass we can then use warm water to clean the window as per usual.

For more information on our services please visit Fife Window Cleaning Services

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THE EXPECTATIONS OF WINDOW CLEANING IN FIFE LICENCE APPLICATIONS

The two main parts that make up the significant checks of the licence are a police check and an insurance check. When you complete the licence application it is essential that you provide proof of your public liability insurance, whereas the police check is taken from your name and address as such. There is currently no PVG form completed for this check, although a meeting is held locally where Police Scotland will be represented within a Fife Council licencing board committee meeting.  Prior to this licence application being sent off, two passport photos should accompany the form and the local councils are fully responsible for the management and process of these applications under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. For more information on the application please see here  https://www.fifedirect.org.uk/topics/

WHAT LED TO THE INTRODUCTION ON LICENCES

Licences were introduced to police an area of work that was previously without qualification, authority or membership. All jobs have some degree of expectations but without a licence it meant that anyone could enter this area of work and answer to no one. As Councillor Bob Young states, “We place a lot of trust in those we employ to carry out work at our homes. They are often working while we are away so it’s very important that they are fully trustworthy.” This article shows that there were a few unlicensed window cleaners caught working in west fife as recent as 2014 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-30195839

TRUST SIGNALS OF A LOCALLY LICENCED WINDOW CLEANER IN FIFE

On my website pages it lists my Fife Council Licence number, and we have found that having this licence has been a substantial selling point. Window cleaning isn’t quite a trade or a profession at its very simplest form, in fact it falls somewhere short of that. This obviously attracts all sorts of people, some with good intentions but some with not so good intentions. If you have a regular window cleaner they have access to your garden, become familiar with your routines and probably are potentially within contact of your children. This should not in any way be alarming, but I am merely highlighting some of the trust signals a licence can bring to your window cleaner in Fife. To highlight some of the risks we face every day, the office of National Statistics suggests that half of all burglaries are committed by someone we know. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/

POLICE CHECKING WINDOW CLEANERS IN FIFE

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 highlights that all convictions within a certain term can be taken into account, when judging if someone is fit to work in certain areas. Depending on the type of crime and area of work not all convictions’ are termed “spent”. An example of this may be a person with a sexual offence history applying to work with vulnerable children. More recently the PVG scheme in Scotland was brought forward to qualify people to work with children or vulnerable adults; and to bar others that were deemed a risk to those people. Window cleaning in Fife licencing involves a basic police check but this is vetted by police Scotland, whereby they  look at the history of the offences and make a judgement call as to whether its seen as a risk to the public. Of course anyone also has the opportunity to appeal these decisions as well.

INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR FIFE WINDOW CLEANERS

Liability insurance is the type of insurance we require to have in place. This offers protection for any accidental damages to property, people in the area and also to yourself. Many health policies for us will not be valid unless we have the correct work insurance in place as well. If you imagine ladder use, it is always a possibility that this could fall to one side and damage your car for example. Rather than claiming off your home or car insurer, we would be able to cover this with our respective policy. For those window cleaning firms that hire staff they also have to have employer liability insurance in place, which is a form of cover for all of their workers.

Fife Window Cleaning Services

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