Window cleaners - do yours?

[FlorayG]

Not legal to use ladders? What about windows like mine that are 200 yards from the road? nobody has a hose that long
we keep getting really good window cleaners and the after a while they just pack in and stop coming ( or fall off their ladders?) so currently we don't have one, but they do dry the windows

[wobblywibbly]

Originally Posted by Irishlass

Ours get dried. But then again ours still use ladders😂 apparently they're not allowed to anymore for "health and safety reasons"
Ours costs £2.50 yo do. That's for our downstairs bay window and 2 upstairs windows plus the door window.

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they are allowed to but people tend to misinterpret the 'Working at Height' regulations to exclude all ladder use; rather than them being used if no other safer method is practicable...

[Carol_G]

My old window cleaner used the brush on a pole attached to a tank on his back. Left them wet and seemed to dry OK. I just don’t think the brush does a particularly great job. My window cleaner now is up the ladder the old fashioned way. What a difference. I’m £15 a month for him but worth it.

[thehails]

My window cleaner uses the reach & wash system & because it uses de-ironised water which has all the impurities taken out of it all then it doesn’t need drying. It will dry without smears.

[not2old4disney]

We paid our window cleaner £5 for 10 windows and 2 doors (none of them are large windows) he didn't dry the windows just used a squeegee thing over them but he definitely used tap water as sometimes filled his buckets up at our house - however the window cleaner disappeared over a year ago, not sure what happened to be honest as we no longer even see him around the local area which we used to do so I just do them myself now. Have been looking at the window vacs lately as I think they would be worth it from what people have told me!

[Brave5]

My husband has a window cleaning business (30 years now!) He does it the old fashion way with a ladder - extra insurance is needed over a certain height but that wouldn't apply to most houses. He doesn't 'dry' windows but squeegees them and cleans around the frame so no water drips down the sides or from the top.

Ladderless systems are good if the right type of water is used - DH works closely with another window cleaner in the area who uses the ladderless system - some people like the old way and some the new so they help each other out

[ally1966]

DH has been a window cleaner for over 20 years. He still uses ladders and tap water. They clean the dirt off the glass then use a squeegee to get rid of excess water. Finally they clean round the frames and sills with a scrim (cloth).

The pure water systems shouldn’t cause marks on the glass if used properly. The main problems with them seem to be that because the pole cleaners don’t get up close to the glass they can miss smaller / stubborn marks that need scraping off and that they don’t wipe round so tend to leave the dirty water dripping down the frames. DH has several customers who have switched to him specifically because they are dissatisfied with the new methods. However he has also lost a few over the years because there are windows that he can’t reach from the ladder eg. those above conservatories.

Using a ladder is certainly not illegal, although whichever system you opt for please make sure that they have public liability insurance.

... and Irishlass you’re getting a bargain!

[Guest]

Ours dries afterwards but he uses a ladder and his own water . I don’t like the pole things , I don’t think they clean as well

[familyofthree]

We pay £3.50 a fortnight to our window cleaner. He uses a ladder and squegy to take off the excess water. My only issue with him is he refuses to clean the upvc part of our windows, not sure why we have asked him a few times how much extra it would be but he always says he doesnt do that!

[Twin mummy]

We've got lots of windows, 2 bays, 1 bow plus patio doors, 2 doors and 11 other windows! Ours uses the old fashioned ladders and squeegee and drys them. Costs us £9 a month.