Window Washing Professionalism – Don’t Drip

Perhaps one of the most over looked problems with first time window cleaners is dripping water inside the clients home or business. At first the drips go unnoticed by a beginner simply because they are placing all their concern on cleaning the window right. However to your client the drip does not go unnoticed, especially if it lands on a wooden floor or a fabric that stains.

There are some very important things to think about when window cleaning inside to prevent dripping. There are some basic techniques to use and some equipment that can help. I remember when I first started window cleaning and even worse then dripping I spilt my holster bucket inside the home on the rug with brown dirty water. What’s worse is that it happened right in front of the client. Talk about a moment of panic!
The holster is the number one cause of dripping and spills in the home. Make sure to keep an eye on your holster when you are kneeling on the ground. Typically you shouldn’t have to kneel but every house is different and the situations you find yourself in to clean a window. In my case I was kneeling on the ground and to the point where I had forgotten about my holster bucket and the entire thing emptied out on the floor.

So be aware of your bucket at all times. Another thing is to always empty your bucket before you come into the home and wipe it down dry. After you have been cleaning for awhile always empty your bucket on occasion to prevent it from filling up, in case for some reason you do tip your bucket. Also by empting your bucket regularly you won’t have drips coming off your washing wand as you pull it from the holster, or your squeegee for that matter as both sections can do this.

The next best tool if not the best tool to prevent drips from your bucket is to have a drip guard that you can place on the bottom of the bucket which catches water running down the bucket. You only want to place the drip guard on when you go inside to clean. Don’t put it on outside while window cleaning or it will get soaked and wont work when the time is right. When I first got mine I put it on in anticipation because I was excited to use it and it got soaked. So wait until you are ready to begin work inside. Also don’t forget to take it off after wards to dry out.

Besides the drip guard it is always a good idea to pull your squeegee out over top a washcloth and direct your squeegee to the window with the wash cloth underneath to catch any drips to and from the window. This is really important when working over top beds and couches or anything valuable. It also saves you from wiping up any drips on the floor.
Another important window cleaning drip catching method is when you squeegee the window. You can hold your washing wand down below as you squeegee and follow along with your squeegee to catch the dripping from the squeegee. Catching drips with the washing wand works great with sliding glass doors or if the windows are so dirty that the water coming off the window is black which can sometimes stain the windowsill on contact. Staining of the windowsills happens when they have a flat paint with no gloss.

One other method to catch drips is to lay down towels but this is a very time intensive. It is much fast to use the window cleaning wand to catch the drips. No matter what you do, be sure to check for drips on the floor and anywhere near by. It is very unprofessional to leave drips, which can stain and damage the customers property. 

Commercial Window Cleaning

Commercial window cleaning can be just as lucrative as residential although harder to get your foot in the door. Unlike residential window cleaning the commercial side can be very difficult to land a contract or to even make your existence known. Why it is true that you can go door to door offering your services, most companies have a no soliciting policy, usually in the form of a front secretary who takes your information packet or card and puts it in the trash as soon as you walk out.

Since staring my San Diego Window Cleaning company I have learned that if you are determined that commercial is the way to go, the best way to get a commercial job is to market your business so that companies find you instead of you finding them. They will call you up and about ten other competitors to come out and place a bid. If you win you can land a sweet continual contract that guarantees so many cleanings per year. You can also get paid some good money although not as much as the equivalent in residential. When you do get paid it typically can be anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months. You will have to invoice the company and wait for your check. Also most commercial properties are not going to pass along your information to other businesses so don’t count on getting referrals from them.

My San Diego Window Cleaning company does not clean a lot of commercial buildings because the range in size which goes from low rise to high-rise. If you are doing a building with several floors you might pull in several thousand dollars for the cleaning. However projects at this magnitude will require a crew of guys and a lot more equipment. For the sole proprietor I think the limits are going to be three stories with a water fed pole. Although you can make a lot of money with commercial you might find that you could have made more money in residential in the same mount of time.

The upside to commercial window washing is that you can fill up your schedule faster with lots of commercial repeat cleanings. They like to do things like clock work, every so many months, continual regular maintenance. The down side is they are looking for the cheapest deal. This can mean a significant cut in profits as you compete to be the lowest bidder. Yet at the same time most businesses are not nearly worried about any imperfections in your cleaning abilities which might allow you to clean faster.

If you are looking for more great articles on window washing just check us out at San Diego Window Cleaning or Carlsbad Window Cleaning.