Been awhile.

How are you all?

Been a busy summer for me.

Moved away from carpets and have been concentrating on windows. Next summer or spring, I will be adding an RO/DI system to my arsenal. I will be water fed pole instead of traditional.

So what's new with you all?

I bet an RO/DI system is critical for window cleaning. I saw a couple of guys cleaning some store fronts last week and it looked a lot easier than cleaning carpets

I cleaned this house a while back, The realtors could not find anyone in town or Phoenix to clean these windows. So id you want the Gig let me know just make sure you pole reaches

hey whats up Freemind,

we also just added a window washing truck, would like to hear more about the water fed poles with ro/di water


My guy has been doing commercial high rise windows for a long time, I tried to tell him about the water poles but he didnt seem too excited.. maybe just used to his ways

Is the main benefit speed? and do you still need to manually wipe them after?

Hey Freemind, glad to see you back.

Mo, I remember that crazy MI house........I wanted to live in it until you told me how much it was selling for.

Didn't that house have a crazy elevator too?

Anyway, back on target. I am curious about this window washing venue and would like to hear more about it.

Is this just residential or commercial as well? I watch a company come into the Zoo to clean aquarium tank glass......might be something for me to consider.

Uhhhh. Think I'd pass on that house. Lol.

I service one and two story homes. I do have one 3 story home that I clean the windows 3-4 times a year, but I can reach the third story windows from their deck.

I have a 22' pole and a 30 foot pole. I think I'd come up just a little short for that place.

And RO/DI system isn't necessary to do good work, but it does cut your time down and can handle certain situations a lot better than a traditional mop and squeegee.

I don't ladder up. I use poles. I do have them but have ever rarely needed to use them.

My area is very good to me for window cleaning. I got tired of the price wars with carpets here. After another new guy popped up and priced his work for beer money, I started looking for something better. Window cleaning was it for me.

I do no commercial either. There is another place where pricing is a race to the bottom here. Cleaners/business owners just don't get it here. They all think if they price cut every competitors throat, they'll have all the business themselves. Only problem is, when one goes away, another pops up.

If you have the chance to buy some tools Mo, buy a few and try window cleaning for yourself. For me, it VERY profitable. And you don't have a ton in overheads and investment in tools. It's not very hard to do.

ACpower1 wrote:hey whats up Freemind,  

we also just added a window washing truck,  would like to hear more about the water fed poles with ro/di water


My guy has been doing commercial high rise windows for a long time,   I tried to tell him about the water poles but he didnt seem too excited..   maybe just used to his ways

Is the main benefit speed?  and do you still need to manually wipe them after?

Speed and triumphing over those situations where windows haven't been cleaned in a LONG time.

No wiping at all. You wet, scrub, and rinse.

I am a one man show, so IF I can save time, I make more money. The resin and RO filter will be an added expense, but I can easily afford that.

I have been thinking about converting for a year or so.

Not to be pushy, but how about a video?

Do the poles stress your back much? I don't have the best spine these days and would like to see this process in action.

Like cleaning carpets, it just depends on what your market will bear, as to if it's a good fit for you.

I can make 100-125 an hour cleaning glass. Pretty hard to get close to that cleaning carpets here.

Commercial only works if you have a route, or bigger projects. I'm exclusively residential. I would do commercial, but not cheaply. Hence, no commercial accounts.

milspec6 wrote:Not to be pushy, but how about a video?

Do the poles stress your back much?  I don't have the best spine these days and would like to see this process in action.

Yes, poles put quite a bit of stress on the back, and your neck from looking up.

However, ladders kill my back and feet. Not to mention the fall hurts more the older you get.

Small poles under 8 foot are no big deal. 20 foot is a different story.

My neck doesn't tilt up very well since the surgery, so I might be out.

I do know that your local electric company holds an annual auction each year and you could probably purchase a bucket truck for less than $6,000. I've seen them sell for that for the last 3 years around here.

With that, you could add other services as well. Stringing Christmas lights, gutter cleaning, etc.

Freemind Do you carry the window cleaning tools in your carpet cleaning van?

If I had a bucket truck, the money is in the changing of light bulbs. There are a few guys around here that make big money changing light bulbs in those tall lights in restaurant parking lots.

I wouldn't clean gutters with a bucket truck. There are attachments for your power washer to do that.

And many lake homes here, don't afford the room for the truck. Very small lots and houses are sandwiched together.

Davey Cracker wrote:Hey Freemind, glad to see you back.

Mo, I remember that crazy MI house........I wanted to live in it until you told me how much it was selling for.

 I think it's still for sale Dave they ended up listing it for over 2 million

Mo wrote:Freemind Do you carry the window cleaning tools in your carpet cleaning van truck?

Yes, my truck. I never had a van, as I am a porty user.

All my tools fit in a large roll around Husky tool box. And that is WAY more stuff than I usually need.

Add to that my poles, bucket and distilled water.

ya residential is great money, thats where we are focusing.

most jobs come out in the 300-450 range, we charge $5/pane for normal cleaning and if its hammered or has paint etc or hard to reach etc then $8

do you have a link to a good water pole?

How are you pricing window cleaning?

Wondering if there can be good money in it?

I don't know what products you guys are using to clean those windows, but I might have a suggestion.

There is a group that sells cleaning supplies door-to-door using former gang members looking for a new life (I will try and remember the name). I purchased a couple of cases of their products largely because the kid was a good salesman who was working really hard.....wish I had him running a truck for me actually.

Anyway, they have a glass cleaner that really is the best glass cleaner I have ever used. The local auto dealer purchased tons of it to detail all the cars on the lot as it prevented finger prints so well.

Maybe someone knows who I am talking about and can help here, but I really did find their glass cleaner to be exceptional. The other cleaners / degreasers were okay, not exceptional, but okay.

ACpower1 wrote:do you have a link to a good water pole?

Unger and Reach-It both make a good WFP. Reach-It and Unger both make Ro/DI systems too.

I am thinking I am going with a Reach-It WFP and system.

Davey Cracker wrote:How are you  pricing window cleaning?

Wondering if there can be good money in it?

For me, I am 4 bucks a window, in or out. In other words, 8 bucks a normal size window. I charge more for bigger windows, odd shapes, and French windows.

milspec6 wrote:I don't know what products you guys are using to clean those windows, but I might have a suggestion.

There is a group that sells cleaning supplies door-to-door using former gang members looking for a new life (I will try and remember the name).  I purchased a couple of cases of their products largely because the kid was a good salesman who was working really hard.....wish I had him running a truck for me actually.

Anyway, they have a glass cleaner that really is the best glass cleaner I have ever used.  The local auto dealer purchased tons of it to detail all the cars on the lot as it prevented finger prints so well.

Maybe someone knows who I am talking about and can help here, but I really did find their glass cleaner to be exceptional.  The other cleaners / degreasers were okay, not exceptional, but okay.

I know the salesmen you are talking about.

I use Glass Gleam 4. There are several good pro products you can use, to add to your water.

Freemind1 wrote:

Davey Cracker wrote:How are you  pricing window cleaning?

Wondering if there can be good money in it?

For me, I am 4 bucks a  window, in or out. In other words, 8 bucks a normal size window. I charge more for bigger windows, odd shapes, and French windows.

That doesn't seem like much, but I really don't know.

And on average how long does it take you to clean that window on both sides?......and $8 includes washing the screen too?

each window is pretty quick, at least around here most jobs come out to 300-450

you average less per hr than carpet cleaning, at least for us.. but like freemind was saying expenses are very low.


each window just depends on how dirty it is, I would say about the same time as doing a good job carpet cleaning 1 stair if you flush the nose and hit the risers.