[Tom White]

As has been mentioned, speed comes with experience. If he's new to this then the last thing he should be thinking about is speed.
Quality should be his priority for now, people teaching him to clean a window in 15 seconds and don't clean the frames are just setting him up to be a poor quality window cleaner who will gain a bad reputation.

Yes, it's rocket science isn't it?

You still haven't given your technique for cleaning windows.

[Blackadder]

Whilst on this thread (with experienced windy's) I was wondering if I could pose a question, only been WFP for 6 months and think I'm doing a good job but there are two places I do, that every time I've finished and gone back to them later (I do insides too) there are a few runs and a bit of spotting? They are both on Georgian sash windows with wooden surrounds? I've turned the flow up...down...rinsed twice and still doing it, these particular windows can't be done trad either, it's frustrating!

[David Kent @ KentKleen]

Answering the original post, IMO you cannot rush your cleaning with WFP. I would keep doing what you are doing.
Decide what sort of business you want too run.
Here are your options=

Low cost splash and dash.
Or
Higher priced do more than is expected sort of job.

We went for the second option, we have a superb customer retention rate, we charge more then double than some in our area. We clean around 2.5 standard 3 bed's an hour on average. We are currently setting up our 5th full time van. (this has been achieved in 4 years)

Hope this helps.  

[NWH]

15 seconds is right turn your water up

[NWH]

15 seconds is right turn your water up

[Frankybadboy]

15 seconds is right turn your water up

me thinks you need to speed up that to slow

[chris turner]

Ok adam here goes...
Some of tosh' advice was sound. Pull your hose to the furthest window and work back on yourself, that way you have plenty of slack.
Now as for your equipment, if you can afford to buy a pole from gardiner,  do it yesterday. You can get an 18 foot clx for less then a days wages. You'll never get quicker using a Harris pole day In day out.
As for cleaning the windows, you don't need to clean them twice. Clean the top of the window frame first, always. Then run your brush round the rest of the window frame.
After that move onto the glass, start with an up down motion, from the top of the glass to the bottom, going left to right then back across the glass right to left. Basically you want to 'sweep' the glass twice.
Then run your brush across the bottom of the glass where it meets the frame, move your brush to the top of the glass and this last bit is important, and takes practice...
Push the bristles of the brush into the top corner of the glass, so the bristles go right up against the frame, and slide the brush across from one side to the other, just once. Doing this will 'catch' any water drips from the top of the frame which is the number 1 cause of spotting.
Now if the water sheets down the window, you can rinse very quickly, from the top of the glass going across in zig zag motion working your way down.
If the water doesn't sheet the glass, then when rinsing start from slightly below the top of the glass, about an inch down, with brush as close as possible to the glass without touching it. Then again go across in a zig zag motion working your way down.

This may sound like alot of effort but in time it becomes instinctive. You'll soon know within seconds what type of glass your cleaning and the best way to clean it.
You"ll get more confident in your cleaning which will lead to an increase in your speed.

[PoleKing]

What's the problem with that, Chris?

It's unlike Tosh, but he's spot on from what I know.

Avoids the frames on regular cleans...cowboy
15-20 seconds a window...cowboy
Drips don't affect finish... error yes they do cowboy, not on every window but on certain windows drips cause terrible spotting.
Of course if he's spending only 15 secs a window he probably never even bothers checking his work.
Apart from those things, the rest is sound advice tosh!

Have you ever cleaned in this manner?

[PoleKing]

Answering the original post, IMO you cannot rush your cleaning with WFP. I would keep doing what you are doing.
Decide what sort of business you want too run.
Here are your options=

Low cost splash and dash.
Or
Higher priced do more than is expected sort of job.

We went for the second option, we have a superb customer retention rate, we charge more then double than some in our area. We clean around 2.5 standard 3 bed's an hour on average. We are currently setting up our 5th full time van. (this has been achieved in 4 years)

Hope this helps.  

Didn't you post recently that most of your work would be quicker trad, David?

[DG Cleaning]

We all have different techniques.
i don't treat windows any differently whether they sheet or not.
One agitation of the glass up and down doing the upright frames as I move across the window.
Then one agitation side to side from top to bottom starting with the top frame.
Give the sill a wipe.
Thats it zero complaints lovely clean windows
Oh forgot to mention lots of flow I'm not sure this would work if I used a controller.
But then again I don't go through much water with this method.

[chris turner]

Answering the original post, IMO you cannot rush your cleaning with WFP. I would keep doing what you are doing.
Decide what sort of business you want too run.
Here are your options=

Low cost splash and dash.
Or
Higher priced do more than is expected sort of job.

We went for the second option, we have a superb customer retention rate, we charge more then double than some in our area. We clean around 2.5 standard 3 bed's an hour on average. We are currently setting up our 5th full time van. (this has been achieved in 4 years)

Hope this helps.  

That's the sort of advice you should listen to. ^^

Don't set yourself a target of x houses an hour, set yourself a daily target of how much you want to earn. That's how I plan my day, whether it be 15 lower priced jobs or just 6 higher priced jobs. I don't care how many houses I do an hour or a day, as long as I hit my target earnings and I do a quality job, I'm happy and customers happy.

[8weekly]

Answering the original post, IMO you cannot rush your cleaning with WFP. I would keep doing what you are doing.
Decide what sort of business you want too run.
Here are your options=

Low cost splash and dash.
Or
Higher priced do more than is expected sort of job.

We went for the second option, we have a superb customer retention rate, we charge more then double than some in our area. We clean around 2.5 standard 3 bed's an hour on average. We are currently setting up our 5th full time van. (this has been achieved in 4 years)

Hope this helps.  

That's the sort of advice you should listen to. ^^

Don't set yourself a target of x houses an hour, set yourself a daily target of how much you want to earn. That's how I plan my day, whether it be 15 lower priced jobs or just 6 higher priced jobs. I don't care how many houses I do an hour or a day, as long as I hit my target earnings and I do a quality job, I'm happy and customers happy.

Were you the person that cleans the insides for free?

[David Kent @ KentKleen]

Correct.
IMO cleaning all frames with wfp every time (not just cleaning top edge of glass down over and giving the top edge of the frame a brush when you think it needs it) takes longer than trad.
We advertise that we clean ALL of your frames (not just some of the frame) and doors EVERY TIME we call (not just every other time), so that is what we do.  

[PoleKing]

Correct.
IMO cleaning all frames with wfp every time (not just cleaning top edge of glass down over and giving the top edge of the frame a brush when you think it needs it) takes longer than trad.
We advertise that we clean ALL of your frames (not just some of the frame) and doors EVERY TIME we call (not just every other time), so that is what we do.  

Hmmm.

[David Kent @ KentKleen]

The correct in my last post was not answering the , clean the insides for free post.

[chris turner]

Answering the original post, IMO you cannot rush your cleaning with WFP. I would keep doing what you are doing.
Decide what sort of business you want too run.
Here are your options=

Low cost splash and dash.
Or
Higher priced do more than is expected sort of job.

We went for the second option, we have a superb customer retention rate, we charge more then double than some in our area. We clean around 2.5 standard 3 bed's an hour on average. We are currently setting up our 5th full time van. (this has been achieved in 4 years)

Hope this helps.  

That's the sort of advice you should listen to. ^^

Don't set yourself a target of x houses an hour, set yourself a daily target of how much you want to earn. That's how I plan my day, whether it be 15 lower priced jobs or just 6 higher priced jobs. I don't care how many houses I do an hour or a day, as long as I hit my target earnings and I do a quality job, I'm happy and customers happy.

Were you the person that cleans the insides for free?

Indeed 8 weekly I do the odd internal for free, maybe 1 a month the uproar that caused  
What does that have to do with this post

[PoleKing]

The correct in my last post was not answering the , clean the insides for free post.

What does this mean?

[PoleKing]

Answering the original post, IMO you cannot rush your cleaning with WFP. I would keep doing what you are doing.
Decide what sort of business you want too run.
Here are your options=

Low cost splash and dash.
Or
Higher priced do more than is expected sort of job.

We went for the second option, we have a superb customer retention rate, we charge more then double than some in our area. We clean around 2.5 standard 3 bed's an hour on average. We are currently setting up our 5th full time van. (this has been achieved in 4 years)

Hope this helps.  

That's the sort of advice you should listen to. ^^

Don't set yourself a target of x houses an hour, set yourself a daily target of how much you want to earn. That's how I plan my day, whether it be 15 lower priced jobs or just 6 higher priced jobs. I don't care how many houses I do an hour or a day, as long as I hit my target earnings and I do a quality job, I'm happy and customers happy.

Were you the person that cleans the insides for free?

Indeed 8 weekly I do the odd internal for free, maybe 1 a month the uproar that caused  
What does that have to do with this post

It gives a better picture of the kind of business you're running.
It helps people make a decision on whether they want to follow your advice on the forum.

You must've missed my question, Chris. Have you ever cleaned in the manner you're so vitriolic of Tosh admitting to?

[chris turner]

Answering the original post, IMO you cannot rush your cleaning with WFP. I would keep doing what you are doing.
Decide what sort of business you want too run.
Here are your options=

Low cost splash and dash.
Or
Higher priced do more than is expected sort of job.

We went for the second option, we have a superb customer retention rate, we charge more then double than some in our area. We clean around 2.5 standard 3 bed's an hour on average. We are currently setting up our 5th full time van. (this has been achieved in 4 years)

Hope this helps.  

That's the sort of advice you should listen to. ^^

Don't set yourself a target of x houses an hour, set yourself a daily target of how much you want to earn. That's how I plan my day, whether it be 15 lower priced jobs or just 6 higher priced jobs. I don't care how many houses I do an hour or a day, as long as I hit my target earnings and I do a quality job, I'm happy and customers happy.

Were you the person that cleans the insides for free?

Indeed 8 weekly I do the odd internal for free, maybe 1 a month the uproar that caused  
What does that have to do with this post

It gives a better picture of the kind of business you're running.
It helps people make a decision on whether they want to follow your advice on the forum.

You must've missed my question, Chris. Have you ever cleaned in the manner you're so vitriolic of Tosh admitting to?

yes poleking theres 1 house I clean in that manner every 6 weeks or so, my own
Would I clean a paying customers house that way, no.

[David Kent @ KentKleen]

I answered 'correct' to your question poleking not too 8weeklys question too chris. Although we clean the odd inside window for free. Mainly kitchen windows for older people who cannot reach.  A free gutter clean for an old lady led too a nice commercial contract.
I know alot on here think its mumbo jumbo 'american' nonsense, but I believe, Do more than is expected of you and you will never ever be short of work, friends and love. Seems to be working for me, although working tomorrow, valentine's day and our wedding anniversary, the love bit might be out the window lol.