How many of you great window cleaners out there can work without detailing ? I must be missing something, cos I can't seem to get it right unless the squeegee is so slow and precise that I might as well race round window then detail anyway. I have been at it for a year or so now and reckon I would be fairly swift, but time is money! Any tips?
I wouldn't call myself a *great* window cleaner but I'm OK. I've been at it since 1991 and have only very recently started to avoid detailing. I still have to do a little bit of detailing as I don't get the action right every time. What I have found is that like you said, at first, I had to go slower with the squeegee. Now I have got the action better, I am speeding up.
My times speak for themselves. No way could I be called a tearass but I have been trimming about 20 - 30 minutes off three hour jobs and the work looks fine. I've probably been doing the smaller jobs quicker too but it's harder to notice the benefit on those timewise. I know it doesn't sound good but I find it easier if I don't soap up all the way to the edges like I used to (this does NOT apply to first cleans). The rubber tends to carry the liquid outwards anyway once the technique improves.
The devil is in the detail
Bear in mind that with the outer edges not soaped up, the squeegee rubber is more prone to sticking if you try to cut in from an outer edge. Start further in, on the soapy stuff, and work towards the corners. It's harder to explain than to do. It's only recently I've been shown this stuff. I'm glad that after 13 years I was humble enough to allow myself to learn something new (to me). Personally I think the customer is getting a better job now. When I was detailing everything, the scrims got a little damp and sometimes marked where I was detailing. It may not show up on the outside but it can do when looking from inside.
