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[GQC] Tim

  • Posts: 4536
You most definitely can, and won't leave behind any spots. All done traditionally. Due to the weather today, it was put to the ultimate test.

Let me explain.


House and Location

Big farm house out in the country side with a very big newly build extension. Many different angles on the house for the wind to change direction. One end of the house opens up to the driveway, and hills in the background, many trees on the hills, and along the long driveway. All other sides of the house were steep sloping farmland hills, with trees only at the very top. Picture perfect house and views. Perfect conditions for the wind to pick up debris, from the farmland, trees and road. Ultimate chance for the wind to pick up speed as well.

Weather conditions

The wind came right from the front end of the house which opens up to the driveway, through the trees and everything. Sometimes it came from a slightly different side, but always under the optimal angle, almost 90degree on the window.

Windspeeds at 30-40mph, but must have been higher, atleast the gusts of wind felt much much higher. It was one of the worst winds I've had so far here in Surrey. It was sometimes scary up the ladder, even at very low 1st floor windows. Water flying out of the bucket type of winds.

Cleaning, window types and Inspecting work

This was the first clean, windows were very dirty, and I did not clean any of the woodwork, frames or sills, or anything to begin with. No upvc frames, nice new wooden frames.

In the morning it was quite good weather, so started on the front side of the house, and worked my way along the right hand side of the house. Front was small windows, chest high, the side of the house was 5x ~7ft high french doors, with a 6ft wide half moon window above that. Very big doors. Finished those as well. Then right around a 90 degree corner slightly set back, walkway from new extension to main house. So a nice little corner there for the wind to blow, there were 3 very big shoplike windows there. Finished that, and also did some long georgian type panes that I could do with squeegee which were again right in the path of the wind. The side of the house now and then got the full blast of wind too, when it was raining especially.

The solution used was Squeegee off.

It started to rain so hard, that the windows were streaming with rain, really bad downpour and I couldn't even look inside. I had to find shelter, also because of the very high winds. I thought, oh no.....there goes the good work. The windows were soaking, literally everything. The big french doors and all the woodwork was soaking.

After the rain the sun came out, wind was still very heavy (freak weather really) Sun was quite warm, so everything started to dry again. Again, perfect conditions for the airborn debris to stick against the window.

So I went round the back of the house to clean some more windows, better finish it I thought. After that, I went back to all the windows I cleaned, and they were drying very very nicely to my suprise. Came back 15min later. And (I'm not lying) not a single spot on any of the windows, no matter which windows, or at what side of the house. Well to be honest, there was in all those windows one tiny little spot, apart from that nothing. No matter if they were half sheltered, or fully in the open. Perfect angle to see any spots, in the full sunlight aswell. , I spend 5 minutes examining the windows, nose almost against the window. Examined all the windows aforementioned.

Couldn't believe it.

Now with wfp, when you mix the rain with pure water, the TDS of the rain will be even lower, hence I doubt you'll get spotting anywhere else.

My customers know that I clean in all but the very worst weather conditions, but if they ever comment on it, or object, I'll tell them this story.

I hope we can agree that this was in the very worst conditions possible, and it still didn't make a blind bit of difference. So get out there and clean some windows.


Try that on top of the cliffs in Ramsgate where I work and you'll soon be telling a different outcome  :(  It all depends what the wind is throwing against the windows - here it's salt.

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Soap blowing back on the glass,and have you tried scrimming leaded window`s when there wet.

elite mike

yeh i agree
ime still trad and did some today,but had to choose my work  :D
regards mike

cvdewsbury

If your not bothered about giving the customer a acceptable finish, then thats fine  work in the rain...working in the rain you can not edge around properley,leaded windows you,ve no chance of cleaning....also why the need to get p8ss wet through with the pesetas some of the scrimmers say they earn on here?

[GQC] Tim

  • Posts: 4536
If your not bothered about giving the customer a acceptable finish, then thats fine  work in the rain...working in the rain you can not edge around properley,leaded windows you,ve no chance of cleaning....also why the need to get p8ss wet through with the pesetas some of the scrimmers say they earn on here?

I didn't know leaded were windows (just kidding)

If you do a good job in squee'ing then you shouldn't have to detail much. Why clean in the rain? Sometimes you have to work to stay reliable. Main problem with being a window cleaner is staying reliable. If I stay home everytime it rains I go out of business.

mci services

have to say i agree with gqc. i recently did a similar job had to be that day as the farm is let out as holiday homes. anyway weather conditions were absoultly terrible. anyway when i left it was still chucking it down with wind that day gusting up to 50mph . any way two days later gets a cheque with a note thanking me and saying how sparkling the windows were

sf

  • Posts: 347
agree totally you can clean windows  trad in the rain leaving exactly the same finish as on a dry day.we work on contract domestic for housing
associations never have a complaint even in the heaviest of rain.
just a case of most private domestics not liking their windows cleaned in the rain.


fairy in the rain leaves smears, did try that a few years back when I used it.

ladder work in the rain + mud is asking for trouble IMO bad enough when dry.

trad on the ground floor is fine

Ian

[GQC] Tim

  • Posts: 4536
I've never had a slip, I've got safety boots, trainers + ladder + mud/wet is asking for trouble imo. If you've got good footwear shouldn't matter too much.

Another reason why not to use Fairy then I guess. :)

Adam Boss

  • Posts: 251
If you know how to squeegee then you will always do a good job, leaving the glass dry behind the blade is the reason.
Use a soap that is made for cleaning windows and a perfect rubber a gives perfect finish every time. :)
A good post G Q C.   ;)
Regards

Adam
EST: 1988

[GQC] Tim

  • Posts: 4536
Thanks Adam. :)


m b shaw

  • Posts: 101
we always work when its wet,found out years ago it does nt make a scrap of difference to the finished result. i think its like a sort of old wives tale that you can t work in the rain. the worst part is when other w/c say to me, have nt done much this week you can t work in this can you,i just smile and think bloody amateurs .still i was once like this when i was a bloody amateur.    cheers mick

Moderator David@stives

  • Posts: 8829
We have the same problem in Cornwall, people sometimes moan when its raining but say nothing when theres a 30mph wind, and we all know which is worse.

Dave

groundhog

  • Posts: 1806
I clean in the rain, and find most of my customers are ok with it, although I do get the odd one making comments like 'surely your not going to clean them on a day like today!' I always reply that I clean windows in all but the worst weather conditions, but as always if you are unhappy with the results after they have dried off then you can give me a call and I will come straight back out to re-clean any unstisfactory windows. So far I have not had a single call due the rain!!  :)

geefree

  • Posts: 6180
Sorry to seem naive on this strong subect,

but i have tried it in the rain, trad..... and squeeging is fine, then as i get ready to detail with the scrim, rain lashes on the glass, and i have to detail the bloody lot as i cant see if the edges that i have detailed ... will dry ... scrim clear .. or rain smudge clear...  ???

Gary.

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Trad cleaning in the rain is a waste of time,at least with WFP the customers know there left wet anyway and they know they dry clean.

L.J.Thorpe

  • Posts: 2056
Sorry to seem naive on this strong subect,

but i have tried it in the rain, trad..... and squeeging is fine, then as i get ready to detail with the scrim, rain lashes on the glass, and i have to detail the bloody lot as i cant see if the edges that i have detailed ... will dry ... scrim clear .. or rain smudge clear... ???

Gary.
that is why i never did trad in the rain :)

paul saunders

  • Posts: 1110
Trad cleaning in the rain is a waste of time,at least with WFP the customers know there left wet anyway and they know they dry clean.

 What a load of rubish!!!
Trad clean in the rain = wet windows
WFP in the rain = wet windows
where's the difference???
I can remember when waking up stiff in the morning was a good thing.

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
The trad method to the customer will appear to be a waste of time as they think that once wet there dirty again,the WFP method there wet anyway and they know on previous cleans they dry clean so doing them when raining dosen`t seem as bad.Think of it from a customers point of view,most of the time i don`t clean in the rain antway unless i`m finishing a job.