[Cov_Cleaner]

If I brought a gallon of De-ionised water for a couple of quid could I use it with my squeezee (without soap) and expect the edges of windows to dry up spot/streak free without needing to soak my scrim wiping round? Or is their any way I can use it in a washing up liquid bottle to rinse down and somehow simulate the pure water reach pole method? ie: A quick sponge and rince rather than slow wash and dry!

[Polepro]

Simple answer is no, De-ionsed water that you by in shops for battery top ups etc is 30ppm for window cleaning you need 0ppm. If you squeegee without soap the rubber blade not glide. However, if you use pure water with just a little fairy liquid the rubber will glide and you will get fainter tide marks than usual.

Tom

[pdhanson]

This had occured to me too.

I thought about having a garden pressure sprayer full of the stuff in a back pack and spray the window to rinse it.  I tried it with my own windows and it seemed to work ok, not sure if it would be faster though, maybe a little bit.  Especially for georgian.

Perhaps a small hand-held brush with the rinser head at the top.

The best DI water I could find is from Halfords (£3.98 for 5 litres - used to top up batteries) and as far as I can tell is pure enough not to leave spots.

I'll be using it on a commercial job next week, I'll let you know how it goes.

Silly

[Cov_Cleaner]

I have used a squeezee before without soap! slightly harder than with and only because I'd run out due to new jobs. Totally unprepared I know, I should have had a spare bottle anyway!

Silly, I also thought about the garden spray bottle! I didn't want to go into too much detail about the idea. I've been cleaning for 10 years and have only just discovered this much needed time saving alternative method. AND I'm seeking to cut corners from the outset!! I didn't think it would go down too well!

The De-ionised water isn't great, better than normal water, but by no means acceptable.

It would seem that the cheapest way is to buy the cheapest equipment, bottle the water and do the above!

Cheapest equipment needs a mains water supply (from customer) or an onboard tank/pump and it's only £199 + VAT

http://window-tools.com/domestic.htm

[pdhanson]

I used the Halfords water today on a commercial job.  Hmm better than nothing (which is what it normally gets!) but just ok, not great.

My pole and brush kit is a bit rubbish though, heavy and really awkward to handle.  Any one recommend a good one?

However!  I have discovered a place that has its own RO unit and sells the water to you (you bring your own container) much much cheaper.

I bought 5 litres and have just done my house windows with it, waiting for it to dry now to see if it was ok...

Silly

[sham33]

Let me know how it works Phil. Might try this myslef with a dash of GG4.

[paul w]

whats wrong with fairy and tap water all of a sudden ??

[pdhanson]

Hmm, the water, though cheap and passed through an RO unit, is not good enough.  It will need a run through a DI unit to be of any good.

OTT do a little "domestic" one for £25, might give that a go.

(The thing said it would be <10ppm, obviously this isnt good enough)

It might be that they havent replaced the membranes though, but as I don't have a TDS meter I cant be sure.

I'll let you know what progress I make.

Phil

[Cov_Cleaner]

Thanks for your message Silly. Been asking advise from allsorts of global water experts!!! I've been encouraged to check out RO water available from Tropical Fish shops!!

[Pdh]

cant you just buy a gallon of tap safe that fish keepers use{or is that just a stupid thought}

[pdhanson]

Thats not stupid dirkstar, all ideas are good news.  

However, though tapsafe will kill any bacteria etc, it will not remove salts dissolved in the water, and it is these salts that leave residue when water dries.

Even a small amount of these salts is enough to leave a residue bad enough to make windows look not "clean".

I have just distilled 5 litres of water to test my pole kit on one customers house who has a few unreachable windows.  Though it took a while to do, this will be as good as, if not better than DI water.

(The only way to purify water was to distill until Ion Exchange resin was invented)

Silly

[Pdh]

 finish dishwasher tablets anyone tried these  in a bucket

[Peter Fogwill]

 finish dishwasher tablets anyone tried these  in a bucket

Very caustic, it would burn your hands, and damage paintwork etc.

Peter