[bertie 1967]

hi newbe to wfp been doing some new customers with wfp.  Had 1 moan but told her will look better after 2/3 cleans.

Done old trad customer today with wfp and all the bottoms were all smeary?
they looked crap so had to do again WHY DID THEY GO SO SMEARY

All wfp r/o system is new.  Water was 000 on tds.  Poles are new.

Any one any ideas why this has happend.  Will the hot weather were having in southeast anything to do with it

Cheers Andy

[johnny_h]

smeary? or spotty ? what i did when i moved them over to the new system was when up the ladder the month before i made sure all the tops of the windows and surrounding area were cleaned
on new customers now i clean the top half of the window and rinse right around the house then go back and re do the window but dont go upto the top of the frame wash and rinse wash and rinse again

[Anglocom]

When you clean windows with wfp for the first time, use more water. You're having to remove months/years of Fairy Liquid. Second clean should be fine.

[d s windowcleaning]

bertie what wfp system are you using van mount , trolley or backpack ?
it seems like you are not using enough water to rinse , i was the same when i first started and there will be a few more besides me the first few cleans were a nightmare , i wasnt even getting half the houses done which i had done on ladders due to lack of water .
what i started to do was use a spare pole and soapy water and soap up all the frames and glass and just rinse off  with pure on first cleans since i took up that method ive never had a problem with smears /spotting .
that was over 4 years ago and i still use this method on any first cleans i do now and will be confident that the result will be 100% every time , no need for the second and third clean to get it right .
after the first cleans were done life got really easy hope you try this method even if only on 1 house just to seen the diffrance between just using pure on a first clean .

[ian1972]

keep on scrubbing and rinsing spend some time on the first cleans

[mark dew]

Really hot sun can cause the windows to dry a bit spotty. But the most likely cause is not enough time and water spent on the job.
The good news is that once they have come up good that 1st time, they pretty much always come up good afterwards.
It's just getting that initial spotless clean with wfp that takes the time.

[ian1972]

the more effort u put in on those first cleans the better honestly it will b worth it

[pingu]

On 1st cleans...I have and always will clean the house twice...this I find is the only way that works for me to ensure that I get that spotless finish.

I have tried the 'once' approach and it has never really worked for me.

Cheers
Dave.

[ftp]

Ditto, first cleans are a total pain. I would guess most of the complaints are from cleaners trying to do the first one in one pass. In my opinion it can't be done.

[pingu]

I have to admit...I would be ashamed to tell a customer that it'll would take 2 to 3 cleans for me to be able to make their windows clean, it's no wonder the general public and fellow w/c's have such a low impression of wfp.

Cheers
Dave.

[bridger windows]

hi all i am new to this forum, have been cleaning windows traditionally for 8 years and am thinking of moving over to water fed poles, am just a bit worried what the customers will think. how do they react to all the water left around the property and can you guys using the system clean the sills as well as with elbow grease? Can the windows look as good as my regular clean on first clean with pole? I only have 420 customers so cant afford to lose any!

Thanks, Dave

[paulben]

Think of it this way I would rather lose a customer than fall of a ladder. one word of warning If you do downstairs trad before upstairs sill has stopped dripping it will end up a right mess .
summer not too much prob with water on floor but winter carry plenty of salt and if its going too freeze hard dont do above doors or paths but tell customer why you havent done them and adjust price to suit .

[prestigeclean]

i,m in the south east if you want to come and see how you get a spot free finish and do the job real quick 07791964204 regards alan

[vision tech]

I have noticed that some of my custies window frames are made of aluminium and coated with white and since i went wfp they smear because the white coating comes of frames when they are old, so i do them trad.

when custies complain about water all over the place, i laugh and say it is just the same as when it rains, but one custie had an answer for me today,
he said when it rains i have to go out and brush it away so i dont want to do it when you clean the windows aswell.

[GWCS]

I have noticed that some of my custies window frames are made of aluminium and coated with white and since i went wfp they smear because the white coating comes of frames when they are old, so i do them trad.

when custies complain about water all over the place, i laugh and say it is just the same as when it rains, but one custie had an answer for me today,
he said when it rains i have to go out and brush it away so i dont want to do it when you clean the windows aswell.

they must live a sad life brushing rain away..

[bridger windows]

Thanks all appreciate feedback. Have been thinking about moving over for years think now is the time! What do you do about windows that are locked slightly open or old leaded windows where water can pass through. Is it a bad idea to do tops with pole and bottoms traditionally due to dripping. Are customers generally happy with the change or is it a bit of a battle to convince them; im not a great sales man!

[EZclean]

clean open windows as normal, its not a pressure washer, 2lpm max. old leaded's will leak through, normally its only a trickle or 2, and customers i find are fine with it cos they know they are old windows.

i have lost about 6 customers in total with me changing over in Jan this year,
i kind of knew beforehand which would not 'like it'. 3 of them are the same family all sisters in their 70's on different streets.  :

most wont be in and most wont care. the others will be fine because its safer for you 'not going up them ladders all day', i have had customers say to me they are happier with the new way and the glass has never looked so clean.
if people work in an office then they will probably be used to seeing windows cleaned wfp and so is not alien to them.
go for it, you will struggle the first month, 2nd time will be easier and quicker, 3rd time round you'll be flying, you honestly will not believe how much you can get done by lunch. its a no brainer.

[bridger windows]

thanks matey im feeling more and more confident, starting to tell customers it will be happening, not might. Im going for 700l heated system as this is as much water you can put in long wheel base nissan primaster. how much water do you carry? im local so can re load easily. Did you offer price reductions on jobs that were priced high due to difficulty?

[EZclean]

700l hot 

yes please.....

i started with a trolley and 25ltr tubs could onl get 6 in the car aswell as trolley. so iw as coming home at lunch to top up.
now got van and 600ltr tank.
i use 400ltrs give or take a bit. but i always take 500-600. i like to know i've got enough. i'd hate to be having a good day and flying through it and then not have enough.
if you're on your own you wont be coming back to top up with 700l thats for sure.
i didn't tell any of my customers about chaging over i just did it overnight. no i tell a lie, customers had gone from flat roof semis to pitched roofs, due to age of the roofs they were leaking. i used to walk across and do the bedrooms, but the pitches were really steep and big and the ladder placement was just impossible, so on these i stopped doing the fronts and said i will be changing to a new system and will then carry on as normal.
they are now happy again.

dont reduce your prices just cos you can do it quicker, price the same as trad, i have a £30 big leaded dorma bungalow that took ages to do trad, but the with the pole i now fly round it in half the time,. i slow down a bit when they are in though. lol
you've invested in euipment to allow you to clean easier previously difficult windows, now you can do above conservatories,for this alone i have customers who will never go back to the old way.
all the best with your new system, like i say it is frustrating at the start, and your body really aches for about 3weeks till you get used to it. but as long as you kow what to expect it will make it easier to deal with.
my biggest tip on your first day. turn that flow right up, do not skimp on water, and stay away from the top of the frame only clean it if you 'catch' it with the brush or jet. do all the frame a few cleans down the line. it took me 10 houses to realise this on day 1.

[bridger windows]

Thanks again cant wait to get it going now, sick of ladder work! Ive heard you can work in the rain with this sys, do you and how many extra houses can you get done in a day. I understand it will take longer to start with as i remove deep dirt and soap residue, my friend recons on extra 150 a day if trad was averaging 250. Im going to be using a splitter so two people can work.
Sorry to pester!