[xxmattyxx]

If you havent changed the rubbers on your squeegee in a year you need to go and have a look from the inside of the windows you clean when the suns out. There is NO WAY you'll be doing a job to be proud of it thats how you do things.

Bet theres smears all over, mostly along where the edge of the blade has been.

Matt

I've had the same rubbers for a year. What'd mean you change them every day?
What about swapping them around? how often are you supposed to change them?

No one has mentioned the green bits on the applicator sleeves- even wfp these are good for stained and dirty windows and cons roofs.

[Village Gleam]

I better buy some then. It's true I don't use them often. How do I know when they are nicked?
Do you just change them without even checking, if you cleaned the window properly how can they be nicked?
I'm asking JD because I don't know.

[windowwashers]

I better buy some then. It's true I don't use them often. How do I know when they are nicked?
Do you just change them without even checking, if you cleaned the window properly how can they be nicked?
I'm asking JD because I don't know.

I would change the blade at once a week or at least turn it and use the other side, you will notice the difference in speed if you do, and the cost of rubber is cheap compared to time lost.

[xxmattyxx]

I better buy some then. It's true I don't use them often. How do I know when they are nicked?

You ought to be able to see lines left on the glass of water.

Do you just change them without even checking, if you cleaned the window properly how can they be nicked?

They get damaged on the frames, particularly wooden frames and those with crumbly paint-work. A hosue with dodgy frames can do a blade in within one frame of it being used there.

Stubborn particles on the glass nick them.

Sometimes you drop your blade it gets damaged.

Sometimes they arrive damaged.

Clumsy workmanship.




They also wear out, you change the tyres on your car?


Matt

[gsw]

just out of interest fellas, apart from patio doors where the hell do you use a 20" blade on domestic?

[Dean Aspects]

Any large window! :
 I do houses that have windows larger than patio doors on sunrooms for example and many more although its mainly used on shop windows

Dean

[M & C Window Cleaning]

I use two squeegees, one 20mm shorter than the other. Once a week I turn the blade over and at the end of two weeks I cut 10mm off each end and put it in the shorter squeegee. This way I make a blade last up to 4wks just tradding the downs. If I was tradding everything they would obviously only last half that. I learned a long time ago that a new blade will speed up your cleaning time as you do less detailing and this more than compensates for the extra cost of buying them.

[Ian_Giles]

Trad tools....

Bucket on a belt.A pouches belt with 2 pouches on it, one for your wet cloth and one for your dry one, either scrim or microfibre.
I'd personally use an Unger Swivel Lock Squeegee handle...very, very versatile.
A 10 inch, a 12 inch and a 14 inch squeegee channel.
A 14 inch window cleaning bucket.
A dozen scrim or microfibre clothes...personally think microfibre is miles better.
A window scraper, either the 4" Unger one, or the 4" Ettorre one, the Unger one is good as you can clip it into a squeegee handle.
A pointer ladder, go for a 6' one and ensure it has articulated rubber feet. much better than a crate or a step ladder.


If you are WFP, you should not need an extension pole for trad work, and as you will always be relatively inexperienced with trad, pole work will always be a struggle.
A 14 inch squeegee is a good all round tool, will cope with a wide range of window sizes, but have smaller blades too.
An 18 inch one isn't really needed unless you have a great many large, plate glass windows to clean, takes a while to get the hang of it too...
Don't bother with an 18" applicator, not worth it for the most part, if you were 100% trad and did lots of showrooms and so on.

Rubbers need changing regularly, even when looked after they wear, and you can tell just at a glance too, the ends get rounded off.

If you are WFP, then you will need to use GG3 as yo uwill be topping up your water with pure water, and that is softer than a baby's bum!

Using a squeegee is easy once you have experience, but you won't be good at using it unless you are using it day in and day out.
I've had countless guys work for me, and in almost every case it takes time months of constant use before they attain any reasonable speed.

Time I got my sorry backside into work!

Ian

[jdemarco]

I better buy some then. It's true I don't use them often. How do I know when they are nicked?
Do you just change them without even checking, if you cleaned the window properly how can they be nicked?
I'm asking JD because I don't know.

Because i am very quick with a squeegee i probably wear mine out quicker than most (please dont think im bragging) on some jobs i wipe the sill with a single stroke of the squeegee so this will wear it out also and like matt said flakey nackered up frames will nick the edge. Im very surprised you cant tell when your rubber is nicked mine laves that annoying single thin line as you pass along the glass either in the middle of rubber or at the edges then its time to change your rubber... or maybe get your eyes tested!
i can use my 20' 80% of the time using my 14' for the little opener sash at the top part of the window.

[Village Gleam]

I bought all the kit at the start. I think my works okay, but i'm slow. I was good with a pole on ups because i didn't see any need for ladders. I still sometimes do cons roofs this way and finish  wfp, but I was never able to use larger squeegees properly.
I've seen people do that s maneuvre, and people doing shops like they're in a ballet.
My favourite trad tool is the rough applicator, ungers is green. I only get this sort now, I would love something similar on the back of my wfp brush.

When I first came on this forum nearly all the threads were about trad- then there were the trad versus pole rows, but you don't even get that now.