[Clean Cloth]

I use both scrims and microfibre cloths but I generally prefer the scrims as I find they are more absorbent and last a bit longer before getting too wet.  I also find them invaluable for the technique I use when cleaning leaded windows.  The hassle with them though is that initially you have to wash them/boil them or whatever or have a period of breaking them in if not during which stage they won't be very good.  It's also annoying that they come only in such large sizes so I have to cut them down sometimes.   Though I generally like them another issue is that in hot sunny weather they can sometimes be prone to leaving fibres or dust particles on the glass so if it's really warm I sometimes giver preference to the mircofibre cloths.     

I have 1 job with leaded windows and bevelled glass and use a scrim to dry the glass off but as you say it does leave some lint behind. Some types of micro fibre also leave lint/fluff behind but I have found some good smooth absorbent type.
I clean the frames with a towel, soapy water with a mop, dedicated squeegee only used on leaded as it damages the rubber blade, wipe beading and sill with towel, scrim glass dry.
What technique did you use for cleaning leaded windows?

[nathankaye]

Ive made sure I have left myself no leaded windows to do trad, thats for sure.  What a faff they are without wfp.

However, when I was trad I started with a wet (slightly damp) scrim and buffed with a clean scrim.  Then it went to a quick spray with a tablet which disolved in 2 ltre pop bottles of water from unger. (Forgot the name of them) and that worked really well in a spray bottle and then buff clean with scrim.  Yet if they were really dirty it would be a mop n squeegee job and buff to perfection afterwards with a scrim.
Yep, sure glad I aint kept any to do

[NWH]

Scrim or microfiber rung out in water as hot as you can stand,go over the lead with it then go over it with the same but bone dry for perfect results.
Years ago we used to certain parts of the houses ie not south facing with a rung out 1 most shiners did this,always do a perfect job on the kitchen lounge and main bedroom 🤣🤣🧐

[harleyman]

Why dident you keep backpack resin bottle and have done in half a  😑day

[MrChurchMouse]

I have 1 job with leaded windows and bevelled glass and use a scrim to dry the glass off but as you say it does leave some lint behind. Some types of micro fibre also leave lint/fluff behind but I have found some good smooth absorbent type.
I clean the frames with a towel, soapy water with a mop, dedicated squeegee only used on leaded as it damages the rubber blade, wipe beading and sill with towel, scrim glass dry.
What technique did you use for cleaning leaded windows?
[/quote]

What I usually do is just put the water on as normal with the applicator and squeegee it off as normal (but with a squeegee reserved just for leaded windows as you said).  Then I use one of the big scrims to dry it off a fair bit and after that I quickly go over it again with one of the smaller microfibre cloths to get a good finish/remove any fibres etc.   

[AuRavelling79]

I can't help but feel you might not be moving in the best direction, Nathan.

[nathankaye]

Why dident you keep backpack resin bottle and have done in half a  😑day

Initially its a keep fit reason as to why Im ladders again and Im out this friday for the first day doing so.   However, the closer im getting to friday Im thinking I might knock together a new pump box (from all the spares I have) and get a clx 18 pole n brush again and just buy some water as n when I need it.  Yet Im trying to hold those thoughts off for now 😁😁 but ask me on saturday when my legs are aching lol

[KS Cleaning]

Who in their right mind would go back to trad? especially when Nathan charged £100 for cleaning a conservatory roof and could do 35 houses per day WFP, it doesn’t make sense! He made a d.i.y trolley, surely that along with a few barrels would have been sufficient? It would have completed whatever work he has left in a fraction of the time compared to trad.
Perhaps he’s only keeping a little work so he can still claim the grant by saying that he intends to trade for the rest of the financial year?

[nathankaye]

Who in their right mind would go back to trad? especially when Nathan charged £100 for cleaning a conservatory roof and could do 35 houses per day WFP, it doesn’t make sense! He made a d.i.y trolley, surely that along with a few barrels would have been sufficient? It would have completed whatever work he has left in a fraction of the time compared to trad.
Perhaps he’s only keeping a little work so he can still claim the grant by saying that he intends to trade for the rest of the financial year?

Mate, im not claiming the grant!  Sure my business was hit due to covid 19 and isolation etc.  But the truth is, i cant be doing with the hassle of it and the taxes.   Like I said prior, finances are really tight moving forward by not fully working and being a carer.  The extra work im doing will be for kids clothes etc and every penny accounted for.  Trust me, this was no easy choice but you do what you need to for family (legally that is).  So, after the income from the sale of work and the little to do each month will keep my tax bill very low compared to normal.  So claiming what i can on the grant will severely push me over and i would be using a chunk of that to pay my tax bill on account again.  So it aint worth the hassle.

Plus the work I have saved is a steady days work which some is a nice drive to get to. So its my little escape and a bit of extra exercise as well using ladders.   So all is good.
However, absolutely its hard not to quickly build back up again as Im getting a lot of soft washing jobs coming through and i have asked other shiners in the area and it turns out Im pretty much the only chap who offers the service. So i could quickly build that side back up and yes, i charge good money for my services I offered in Doncaster etc and lettung go of it all is still pretty hard, but hey ho. I prefer to think of the positives

[KS Cleaning]

Who in their right mind would go back to trad? especially when Nathan charged £100 for cleaning a conservatory roof and could do 35 houses per day WFP, it doesn’t make sense! He made a d.i.y trolley, surely that along with a few barrels would have been sufficient? It would have completed whatever work he has left in a fraction of the time compared to trad.
Perhaps he’s only keeping a little work so he can still claim the grant by saying that he intends to trade for the rest of the financial year?

Mate, im not claiming the grant!  Sure my business was hit due to covid 19 and isolation etc.  But the truth is, i cant be doing with the hassle of it and the taxes.   Like I said prior, finances are really tight moving forward by not fully working and being a carer.  The extra work im doing will be for kids clothes etc and every penny accounted for.  Trust me, this was no easy choice but you do what you need to for family (legally that is).  So, after the income from the sale of work and the little to do each month will keep my tax bill very low compared to normal.  So claiming what i can on the grant will severely push me over and i would be using a chunk of that to pay my tax bill on account again.  So it aint worth the hassle.

Plus the work I have saved is a steady days work which some is a nice drive to get to. So its my little escape and a bit of extra exercise as well using ladders.   So all is good.
However, absolutely its hard not to quickly build back up again as Im getting a lot of soft washing jobs coming through and i have asked other shiners in the area and it turns out Im pretty much the only chap who offers the service. So i could quickly build that side back up and yes, i charge good money for my services I offered in Doncaster etc and lettung go of it all is still pretty hard, but hey ho. I prefer to think of the positives

Fair play Nathan. Maybe worth checking if the selling of goodwill is taxable? I know you can’t claim tax relief on buying work.

[simon w]

Just out of curiosity what did you do with your pressure cleaning equipment Nath?

[nathankaye]

Just out of curiosity what did you do with your pressure cleaning equipment Nath?

I ended up renting a machine but I have kept all my hoses and lances etc because I may periodically pick up the odd job here n there or in the future.

[Granny]

Hi Nathan surely you would be better taking the grant.
Forget about the tax situation if you do simple accounting cash basis (money in / money out) in same tax year.
You can spend the grant on a trolley or backpack and your tax liability is reduced or gone.

[NWH]

I would buy a trolley and barrels I would never go back to just traditional only,the only way I’d do that was if I had a massive amount of low level-shop work.

[Clean Cloth]

I would buy a trolley and barrels I would never go back to just traditional only,the only way I’d do that was if I had a massive amount of low level-shop work.

NWH, I have seen you make a couple of comments about the Liquidator channel and not liking it, can you tell me which channel you prefer?

I do use a Liquidator for my 10 and 14 inch and a cheap channel for the 4 inch squeegee.
I did not get on with the Moerman rubbers at all (they all left fine line along the entire length of the rubber).
I tried Ettore soft, sometimes from new they would also leave lines, Razor red I found difficult to use, very sticky, I like Unger soft and my favourite at the moment is Black Diamond.

[nathankaye]

So mother in law snapped a pic of me shopping with one of the little ones. (The older ones left playing on playstation so easy for wife to listen out for.......quiet time)
As you can see, the exercise of ladders will be an advantage 😂😂😂😂

[NWH]

Lol yeah do you know what you are having yet Nathan I hope twins aren’t in the family 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Dave Willis]

I've never "detailed", never got the whole idea of it. Wipe up bottom yes, but never edges or tops. So i use the Costco microfibres.

Better off with quilted Andrex I would have thought.

[robert mitchell]

You think how much we used to use hand tools daily-weekly-monthly my goodness,I can go a couple of weeks without using any now when I do the odd few windows trad now I enjoy it.
When you look at it and compare it now it’s almost like we retired and took up another trade really,completely different.

What are you smoking ?  Its nothing like taking up a different trade , your still washing windows!

If a carpenter starts using an electric drill rather than a hand one ........is that like taking up a new trade?

[NWH]

Ask a carpenter that’s fixing a roof on from new or putting a stud wall up on big projects if he wants to go back to his hammer over his nail gun,many will tell you completely different job these days.