WINDOW CLEANING
By preference we use water-fed poles for the reasons outlined below, but sometimes we come across jobs where this system is not practical to use. This includes indoor cleans, delicate windows, wooden frames where the paint has oxidized, flaking or in need of redecoration or unusually heavily soiled windows.
You may be asking yourself what the advantages are of water-fed poles that use pure water, so here is why they are so special.
-We work from the safety of the ground to a height of around 35 feet. The water we use is NOT tap water. If we were to clean your windows with tap water and leave them to dry white spot marks would appear - this is because the microscopic minerals that are suspended in the water are left behind as the water evaporates.
- We use 'pure water'. This is water that has been cleaned through a series of complex filters to remove 100% of all suspended particles - when we brush-clean your windows and rinse them we can let the windows air-dry and they will dry crystal clear.
- You will get better cleaning results. Pure water always has a desire to balance itself by returning to an impure state and it therefore has a capacity to absorb large amounts of dirt from your windows. As a result when we brush and rinse your windows will dry naturally to a streak free shine.
- Health and safety is a major consideration and legislation has been brought into effect to limit the use of ladders as temporary workstations. The law as we understand it now states that ladders can only be used when all viable alternatives have been considered. As a responsible company we have decided that the water-fed pole system is a safer viable alternative to using ladders at height. If the job can be completed to the same high standard we demand for our customers without using a ladder, then we have an obligation to embrace this.
- Environmentally friendly. Pure water only is used, eliminating the need for any harmful detergents and chemicals.
- Reduced disturbance to you, the customer. As you know, we offer a discreet and speedy service - we recognize that no-one likes having tradesmen around for longer than is necessary. Cleaning with water-fed poles is usually quicker, thus we can usually be at your property for a shorter period of time than when using the `old fashioned method`.
- Windows may well stay cleaner, longer! The absence of sticky soap residue means that dirt will find it harder to cling to your windows, hence your windows stay cleaner for longer.
- As your windows will be brushed clean almost unavoidably the frames and sills will be cleaned at the same time - many window cleaners charge extra for this - we don't.
- We can reach with ease difficult to reach windows. Third floor windows, conservatory roofs, windows above conservatory's etc. are all now within reach.
- Water-fed pole cleaning works in the rain! Although we will not work in severe weather, showery, misty weather will not hinder our work. This will help us to continue to ensure a regular and professional service to all of our customers.
Please note that over the space of two or three visits the process will leach all deposits from around the windows, seals, resulting in an improved finish each time, until ultimately the finish will be perfect. Please be patient if the initial visits results are not perfect - industry experience shows that two or three visits can be necessary for maximum effect.
Finally, to dispel a few myths...
You can't clean windows properly without using detergent...
Because the water used in a water-fed pole system is pure it has a much higher solubility than tap water, which means that substances will dissolve into it much more readily. This drastically increases its effectiveness as a cleaning agent. Whilst it is true that detergent would be required with tap water, this is not the case with purified water.
Water-fed poles will leave marks on my windows.
If the cleaner properly maintains his system so that the water is always totally pure, and uses a correct technique so that all dirt is properly rinsed from the window, then there will not be marks left over except in the circumstance described above that relates to the initial clean. It is important to choose a window cleaner that not only has the knowledge of how to do a good job with his equipment, but also the patience and thoroughness to complete the job properly. Bad results are down to bad window cleaners, not bad equipment.
Water-fed poles are not sufficiently gentle on my windows and will damage them.
The only part of the pole that will be in regular contact with your windows are the bristles on the brush-head. These bristles are soft, made of a material that will not scratch glass, and arranged in such a way that they will not get small stones (or other things that could scratch your windows) trapped amongst them.
Occasionally the brush-head itself may touch your window frames. The brush-head is lightweight and made from plastic; unless the cleaner is being extremely careless and your window frame is extremely weak, there is no danger of any damage being done.
Lastly, water-fed poles are extremely lightweight, with most now being made from composite materials like carbon-fibre. The pressure put on your windows resulting from the weight of the pole is therefore very minimal, and certainly not enough to cause damage.
The water-fed pole is inaccurate and will not be able to clean right into the corners of my windows; the only way of doing this is to be 'up close and personal', and this requires a ladder.
The bristles on the brush-head are very flexible and will splay outwards when pushed against the surface of the window, meaning they can reach right into the corners. As long as the cleaner ensures he rinses the window properly there will be no dirt left in the corners once he has finished.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, I hope you have found it helpful and that you would feel happy to have your windows cleaned with a water-fed pole system, a technology with many benefits that can be confidently embraced by both window cleaners and customers alike.
