[dennis buller]

i hate asking stupid questions. i know what a chamois is, what a mirofibre cloth is. Yet what is a scrim please ?

[s.hughes]

Hi Dennis

It is an irish reed made into a tough cloth. It is quite hard when you buy it and you can boil it on the hob for a few hours to soften it up. I'm going back a bit because today it is sold rather softer and you can buy it pre-washed.
I only use scrim. I've tried all the other cloths and I just cant get on with them. Scrim is a w/c most well used cloth.
The only other cloth I would use and do use when all mine are wet is t-towels,100% cotton. These are good but get wet very quickly.
I would advise you to buy some. They get sold in metres which I always cut in half and have the misses sew them up. They are easier to use that way because you will just have a bit of cloth in your hand and pouch rather than a bulky amount. You will see what I mean if you get it.
Give it a try, I wouldnt be without it.

Steveyboy

[dennis buller]

thank you steveyboy, a lot clearer now.... i use a leather chamois at the minute, that could change soon

[Ray Pickering]

Dennis.
I asked all of these questions a few weeks ago & i listened to Stevieboy--i bought em cut em in half the missus hemmed them & i would'nt be without them--there good.
Ray.

[Paul Coleman]

thank you steveyboy, a lot clearer now.... i use a leather chamois at the minute, that could change soon

I've tried chamois, microfibre and scrim.  I find scrim much better to work with.
TIP:  Make sure that you get Grade 1 or Grade A scrim.  Grade 2 is far to thin IMO.  Also, there seems to be a difference between Irish and other scrim.  Irish is better IMO .  However, I'm not sure if the real difference was the "Irish" bit or just a different manufacturer.  If you go into janitorial supply shops you often (but not always) pay too much.  I found that it's better to get my supplies sent.  I use Soap National.  There are others too that I'm sure are OK.
Not an ad.  Just a satisfied customer.

[s.hughes]

Yes soapnational is the best 01473 890089. Grade 2 scrim is very good as a wet cloth but to use it as a dry dosnt polish up as well and will not last 2 mins.

Steveyboy

[dennis buller]

what to use has a dry cloth please ?

[windows_chepstow]

what to use has a dry cloth please ?

Dennis,

There's different techniques for cleaning windows.  Some window cleaners only use two scrims per day.  They have a wet and dry one. 

But this is quite an advanced 'art'.  I can't do it and I've been at it a couple of years.

All you need to do at your (our stage) is buy a load of scrims, say ten; cut them in half (there's no need to hem them - if you do that; you'll be ironing them next) so you've twenty.

Wash the window with your T-Bar - don't touch the top.  Don't 'scrub' the window (unless it's dirty), just wet the bugger.

Squeegie best you can.

Use a dry scrim to mop up the edges and stuff you've missed.
When it's wet, change it for a dry one.

To protect your scrims, you can use cut up peices of bath towels to wipe the mess off sills.

If it's a warm day; dry the wet scrims by hanging them round the inside of your car!

At the end of the day; sling all your scrims in the washer for a quick wash and hang them to dry.  You can tumble dry them; but I prefer them hung outside or on a radiator.

-----------------------

Note:

The 'two scrim method' is to:

Wash the window, not touching the top.

Scrim the sides with a wet scrim (if you've just started work; it'll soon be wet).

Squeegie carefully. (The difficult bit).  No mess will be left at the top or sides.

Wipe the sill with a peice of bath towel.

No need to do anything else.  The dry scrim is 'protected' and hardly used.

[windows_chepstow]

i hate asking stupid questions. i know what a chamois is, what a mirofibre cloth is. Yet what is a scrim please ?

You need to spend a day with a window cleaner, Mate.  No offence; but instead of learning from your own mistakes; find someone who'll show you the ropes and learn from theirs. 

Before you get disheartened and 'Jack it all in'.

Regards,

Tosh

[Paul Coleman]

what to use has a dry cloth please ?

I would go along with what windows_chepstow has written mostly Dennis as you're just starting.  I do things a bit differently from him but maybe hear what I do too then make your choices.
I do the following things differently:

1) When buying scrim, I tend to buy them already cut in squares and pre-stitched (grade A stitched) and as I'm a bit lazy I buy them pre-washed as it's less hassle.

2)  On the warmer days, I hang them around the outside of my motor to avoid some of that drying out smell.

3) At the end of the day, I hang the scrims up in the airing cupoard to dry (I live on my own and use a tumble dryer for my clothes so I can get away with it).  I don't wash the scrims very often.  On the odd occasion when I do, I take them to the launderette.  The reason is because I've found that they can sometimes sometimes cause a blockage with domestic washing machine filters - especially when the scrims get older.  The more industrial ones at a launderette cope much better.

I'm not trying to contradict windows-chepstow on this but I just reckon that the more alternatives you're given, the better the choices you will make.

I have recently started working very differently to the above though.  I had a few hours with another window cleaner (Steve aka UBA1) the other day and I reckon that I can do a lot better than I'm doing after what he discussed with me.  Just a change in technique and cutting back on the need to go around the edges (detailing).
I totally agree with windows_chepstow that you would do well to take some time with an experienced window cleaner.  It should help you a lot.  I've been window cleaning since 1991 and I've learned quite a bit recently from this forum and from Steve.