[paul mather]

My wife is considering coming with me a couple of days a week.

We would both be using WFPs. Question : do any of you guys work in pairs ie both on same house & how does it work out? Am I right that with all the extra water coming down you don't want to be cleaning the bottoms before the tops, so how does it work out in practice.

I suppose conservatories are handy for the other operator to get on, with but not all houses have connies.

I think it will cost me £400 plus to set my wife up with a pole hose & reel, more powerful pump & a pump to improve my water pressure as I can just about make enough water for me at the moment. So I want to know what you all think before I spend so more money.

[DASERVICES]

  Paul,

  Are you ready to do all the high work, I think your wife will have a prob after
  the first house with the weight of the pole. You then need to think can you
  stand all day doing tops.

  Working in pairs works well on large house, not small as you have to wait
  for the drips to stop.

  Doug

[Archy136]

If I was you I would only have her using a second pole on really large properties.

On standard houses I would use her moving the hose around so you dont have to stop you can just concentrate on cleaning. You'll be surprised how much quicker that will make you.

[cleantech.co.uk]

If I was you I would only have her using a second pole on really large properties.

On standard houses I would use her moving the hose around so you dont have to stop you can just concentrate on cleaning. You'll be surprised how much quicker that will make you.

we have a customer local to us with 5 staff

4 of them clean (with backpacks) 1 refills backpacks, and when he uses the system in his van, the boy refilling just pulls hoses around.

he reckons that emplying sombody just to do this (he never actually does any cleaning) more than pays for itself, as the boys doing the cleaning never have to stop unless there hungry 

Justin

[poleman]

Easy one does the back windows and one does the fronts - job do 

Andy

[stuart@skypole]

its known as goffering justin,

but normally two opperatives use poles ups & downs taking it in turns and then the goffer sets up at the start and end of each job also ensuring the two opperatives work hassle free by moving the hoses etc,

it works well and can earn upto £420.00 per day with two opperatives and one goffer in a van with 1000ltr tank and two pumps.

rgds,

stuart

[stuart@skypole]

we call them goffers

remember caddy shack the film

its just funny

Darn Goffer

(or golfer)

 

[ronaldo]

Do this sometimes 2 men both with backpacks one does fronts other does backs and you can fly round and earn big money very quickly if you the houses in a nice run.

[Alex Gardiner]

Chris,

Poleman has it right. Nice and simple.

Alex

[pjulk]

Yes we often do this one does fronts and one does backs.
We use two reels from the van mount each reel has its own pump.

Sometimes one does the from with the van mount and one does the back with trolley whichever is quicker really.

Paul

[paul mather]

Yes we often do this one does fronts and one does backs.
We use two reels from the van mount each reel has its own pump.

Sometimes one does the from with the van mount and one does the back with trolley whichever is quicker really.

Paul

Yes that sounds great but my wife is 5 foot 4 inches & will not be able to cope with an extendable pole so she would have to do the bottoms.

[neil100]

Paul,

If my son works with me we allways as a rule do seprate houses.

I will do the left hand side of the street he will do the right. The hoses are 100mtr so have a fair old reach.

You just have to try not to cross over the hoses as you will get in a tangle.

You could do tops only of a back pack and let your wife do downstairs only with the hose. When tops finnished work back towards her.

Two people are never as effecient as one so its not the case that you can earn double the money of one.

Nel.

[paul mather]

Paul,

You could do tops only of a back pack and let your wife do downstairs only with the hose. When tops finnished work back towards her.

Two people are never as effecient as one so its not the case that you can earn double the money of one.

Nel.

Yes thanks Neil,
It's true what you say I used to work with my dad a few years ago & we were lucky if we got one & a half as much done.

I'm starting to think that it's not such a good idea actually

[neil100]

My wife asked if she could come and help me at the weekend.

I got my lightest 18' pole and said just clean a couple of windows on our house, It looks easy see what you think.

She was blowing and aching after one window.

Took a rain cheque on the help.

Nel.

[paul mather]

My thought was I could get my wife a 3 or 4 foot pole just to do the bottoms with, she could earn a few quid & then in turn she wont keep mithering me for money for extravagant luxuries like shopping & shoes for the kids.

[windows_chepstow]

Yes that sounds great but my wife is 5 foot 4 inches & will not be able to cope with an extendable pole so she would have to do the bottoms.

Paul,

I work with Wor Lass.  This is mostly how we work.

We pull up and Wor Lass will start on a house with a conservatory; trad.  She only uses A-Frames when needed.

I WFP tops and then would just keep moving onto the next property.  Sometimes I can be five or six houses ahead of her.

She follows, cracking-on with the ground floor windows and doors; collects or puts chits through their letter boxes.

When I get too far ahead, I'll change my backpack for a belt kit and 'squeegie' my way back to her direction.

When I get close, I'll go back to the WFP.

There may be the odd Georgian or Leaded house in our cluster of houses, so in this situation, I'll crack on with the WFP and get well-ahead of her and then do this 'awkward' property 100% with the pole.

When we have inside and outside work, she starts on the inside.

Okay, we're not as fast as two operators both using a WFP doing 100%, but we're both faster than me by myself or me doing 100% WFP (which I'm not brave enough to do; yet).

Together, we have a good hourly rate.

However, I'm faster with a squeegie than her; so if she had the physical capacity to use a WFP, I'd prefer to do the trad and let her use the pole; but she hasn't.

What I'm saying is, why don't you consider employing her to the ground-floor only?

Also, the sexist pig I am, I don't think many females could hack window cleaning, day-in, day out; especially in some of the more adverse weather conditions we experience.

[paul mather]

What I'm saying is, why don't you consider employing her to the ground-floor only?



That was my idea but she would have to use a pole as her squeegie technique leaves a little to be desired.

I guess what I'm interested in is whether it's worth spending a few hundred quid on some more gear. I don't want it to end up being a white elephant.

By the way Tosh how does your wife get on in the winter, mine says she's not sure she could hack the cold weather.

[windows_chepstow]

That was my idea but she would have to use a pole as her squeegie technique leaves a little to be desired.

It takes time; the same way it took you time to learn.  Just be patient.

I guess what I'm interested in is whether it's worth spending a few hundred quid on some more gear. I don't want it to end up being a white elephant.

I can't help you here, since I don't know your Missis or her capabilities; but anything you purchase will be tax-deductable; you'll also be able to use your Missis tax allowance; and if all fails, you've got spare equipment for when yours wears out.

By the way Tosh how does your wife get on in the winter, mine says she's not sure she could hack the cold weather.

She moans and gripes, but gets on with it; like we all do!  She's also a marathon runner, and I do call her a 'tough old-bird'; which she loves (not)!  Just make sure you spend a bit of money on getting her the right clothing for winter.  Remember, there's no such thing as bad weather; just the wrong clothing; apparantly.

But I won't ask her to work in 'extremes' though.  I'd rather just get on with it by myself; it's a lot less moaning for me to listen to (and a lot less 'nodding of my head' and saying stuff like, 'ahhh, poor thing'; making the right noises).

She only works part time too; usually.  Four days per week, for around 20 to 25 hours per week; tops.

Most of my work is close to where we live, so it's no problem dropping her off, then heading back out by myself.

It's great if you've got school-age children; since you can be flexible and work-around school holidays without opting for the 'child care' scenario; which Wor Lass doesn't agree with.

Anyway, her nose would bleed if she worked longer; and she'd make me do house-work; which then would start my nose bleeding.

But really, this is a whole different thread called, 'Working with your Missis'.

[JohnL]

go·fer also go-fer Pronunciation (gfr)
n. Slang
An employee who runs errands in addition to performing regular duties.

JohnL

[Jeff Brimble]

"But really, this is a whole different thread called, 'Working with your Missis' "
Well go on then do it, we seem to work similar. - except I work for my boss and know my place (cough)