[Sapphire Window Cleaning]

How many of you guys offer a pressure washing service along with your window cleaning?
Is it a good idea or a non-starter?
I'm looking at getting a 4.0bhp petrol powered pressure washer and 24ft lance.

[Nathanael Jones]

4hp is useless, no offence intended, just don't want you to waste your money!
MINIMUM 9hp,.. preferably 13hp to do any kind of large area. 3000psi & 15lpm minimum.

I'd recommend getting a long lance, gutter hook, turbo nozzle, and x-jet turbo injector as part of your basic minimum kit.

[Sapphire Window Cleaning]

Thanks Nat, how could are pressure washers in cladding?

[Nathanael Jones]

E-mail me if you want (Its on my profile)

For cladding you might still need to give it a quick brush/rinse with wfp, but the pressure washer with an X-jet is fantastic for spraying detergents on large area's very quickly. Find the right detergent for the job and it can be as simple as, Spray/Leave for 15 minutes to soak/Rinse,... job done!
I do a lot of work with Sodium Hypochliorite (Strong bleach), mixed with a good degreaser. It cleans up algae & mould in minutes and the degreaser gets rid of those stubborn runs under the corners of window ledges etc.

[Dean Taberner]

Ive got a 5.5hp off ebay,

Its proper cheap and nasty but I use it to clean under the trolley bays and loading areas on my lidl stores,

It does a superb job connected up to my tank.

Dean

[Dean Taberner]

Ive also got a honda one which I aquired from a bad debt but that hasnt worked properly since I hit the connector of it with a hammer

I will eventually get it sorted so then ill have 2 washers.

Dean

[Rob_Mac]

Dean

If you want that one sorting I will take a look at it for you.

Rob

[Dean Taberner]

Rob,

Thats superb mate thank you,

Im off work at the moment,

My nan died suddenly on thursday and me, the wife and my mum found her in bed so its a hard time at the moment as we were all really close.

Ill give you a call when im back.

Thanks again mate.

Dean

[Rob_Mac]

No worries mate, keep your chin up.

When you are back on form give me a call. Got a massively busy period coming up - all over the country but I will take a look at the pressure washer.

Rob

[Dean Taberner]

Will do thanks rob,

Busy is good

Dean

[LWC]

Pressure washing is ok, just make sure to price well. I have a 13hp one, its fantastic shift most things. I did my first job and seriously priced it wrong, but the last couple ive done ive got it right. Some people do gasp when i tell them a price now lol but if you dont price well its a horrible thing to do.

[Ian_Giles]

This really isn't a window cleaning topic if you are going to discuss the techie side of pressure washing....although perhaps it is!!
But interesting to know if it can work side by side with window cleaning, plus of course a pressure washer can also be used for gutter cleaning and the cleaning of cladding...all part of the services a window cleaner offers.

Ian

[Rob_Mac]

Ian

I can level this by saying that the two do indeed go hand in hand. I am getting plenty of calls to clean UPVC & gutters, which I do by using telescopic lance, pressure washer and a wfp.

It has also enabled my business to be virtually a full time pressure washing set up, at a commercial level, from a window cleaning start!

Rob

[Nathanael Jones]

I think pressure washing is the perfect compliment to a window cleaning business. I know many work in the rain, but for those that don't,.. no custie can complain about you pressure washing in the rain.
The long lance is brilliant for gutters/fascia & soffit,.. much faster than wfp.
I ALWAYS and without fail earn more money pressure washing than I do window cleaning too,..

I think there is a learning curve to it, just as there is with window cleaning. Knowing how long a job will take, what method will be fastest or give the best result, and what jobs to avoid all together.
A cheap machine is more often than not a false economy with pressure washing though. You will struggle to achieve the same results and even when you do it will take much longer. A turbo nozzle will make a smaller machine clean heavy dirt better, but you have to be careful as its all to easy to do damage with a turbo!

The best bit of kit I've ever bought for the pressure washer is this:
http://cgi.ebay.ie/Pressure-Washer-Turbo-Injector-simlr-2-xjet-x-jet-x-jet_W0QQitemZ370198783808QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5631912740&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177

Its made a massive difference to the way (and speed) I work.

[Platinum NW]

Just going bk to that legislation on the other post - is it still ok to pressure wash and use detergents while doing so without getting an environmental waste license? I know that wheelie bins cleaners and car valeters without a designated wash bay with the right run off to contain water to stop it going down the drain will need to apply for one

To be honest id just put it down the drain when people arnt looking or tell them it contains eco friendly detergents

[Nathanael Jones]

99% of the water I use on a house ends up in the lawn. Footpaths always slope away from the house and drains are next to the wall, so very little actually goes in the drain.
Most of my detergents are eco friendly,... but when they fail, I always get great results from bleach,.....