Bakery asked me to clean a 3rd location for them today, but this time instead of just sidewalk/concrete cleaning they want the building washed. They only problem is it’s mostly glass. It’s filthy, and there is lots of dirt and webs and nests and stuff all over, but my question is can this be soft washed successfully? I don’t want to get into window washing. I’m not sure if soft washing will work for this type of storefront, and if it would leave water spots. Would you guys recommend adding a bit of anything to the bleach I’d be DS’ing that would help clean the glass and/or prevent water spots?
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Then I suggest making friends with a local window cleaner. Preferably someone who’s got a waterfed pole. Though on a job this small, I suppose it wouldn’t be too horrible to have to do it all by hand. It’s just that on larger jobs, using a WFP for exterior cleaning is a huge time and labor saver.
You also should warn the customer there’s a chance of getting some drips inside from the power washing. Having a window cleaner already setup to come and do in & out after you wash would be ideal.
I wouldn’t risk soft washing it. Sh can etch glass if it dries on and there’s a lot of it to chance down. My vote is with Alex. Solid window cleaners wipe down frames. Many carry cobweb brushes.
I’d give that one away.
Thanks guys. I’ll start looking for someone today.
Do you guys do window washing at all also, or just focus on pressure washing services only?
I haven’t done a ton of research into window cleaning, but some day i hope to start offering it… will get a WFP, and i guess one of those RO/DI doohickeys.
In the meantime, i have a commercial building coming up that is only 1 story, but has a ton of windows and some glass doors. Can you guys give me some advice on what the most efficient/effective way to clean them would be, if i dont have a WFP? Prior to now, i have just used windex and paper towels if i ever decided to clean a window, beyond just rinsing them off during the house cleaning.
Are squeegees better? Or some other method? Any advice will help.
Sub contract it to a window cleaner.
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@squidskc When you subcontract, do you tell the customer that you do that, or do you charge them as if you were going to do it but marked up a percentage above what the contractor will do it for?
Or is it more of a referral type thing?..“I don’t offer window cleaning, but I work with a guy who does a good job. I can give you his info if you are interested.”
This. Whatever I make on top of the window cleaning is a bonus because I’m already on my way to another pressure washing job with higher margins. I make a few hundred extra bucks a month subcontracting window cleaning of vacant strip mall units to a development company I do al the pressure washing for.
They like to keep the windows clean to attract tenants. All I do is pick up the keys for the month.
As far as subcontracting goes, in my contract it says some services may be subcontracted to qualified and insured subcontractors, but I don’t usually bring it up because most people don’t care. They just want the job done right.
The referral thing I only do for residential and I don’t usually take a kickback for it. My window guy is a great guy and a family man so I like to make a little money on the commercial, but I don’t even bid residential windows. He does 100% of the work. I just give him a name and number to call.
Treat a good window cleaner right. They’re hard to come by. Most I’ve found are unfortunately flaky.
I owed my guy $80 last week for a commercial job and I told him to bill me for $150 so he could get new shirts from my shirt guy.
I’m invested in his success too.
What is a reasonable mark up percentage to use, if you don’t mind sharing?
So for my situation, I’d have the window cleaning subcontractor go with me to the location and tell me his cost to do the job, then I take that and mark it up by XX% and then just quote that for my cost to the customer? That sounds reasonable. I’m hoping to find someone who doesn’t do pressure washing at all in hopes that maybe I could get more job opportunities through working with him.
Most know what they charge per pane or strip mall unit. They’ll tell you. You don’t need them there. You just need one of those baseball pitch count clickers if it’s a lot of windows. My mark up percentage goes down if there’s more windows. Starts at 30% goes to 15%.
On a $60 job plus 30%, that’s only $18, I bid $78.
You’re never gonna make a killing with windows. Window cleaners don’t make a killing on windows unless:
- They’re doing a ton of residential.
- They have huge crews.
- High rise or belt work.
But $18 free for typing in a line item on the estimate and texting the window cleaner is like earning $9/minute. Lol
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You can soft wash that building including the glass very easily.
Looks like a crap job for a waterfed pole because of all the cobwebs and the bits of wall that wouldn’t be cleaned.
Bleach requires quick rinsing on glass.
So… just don’t use the bleach. Using a high quality truck wash will be fine, most of these have water softeners and rinse aids built in.
Spray the soap, rinse it off, voila.
If you’re able to use a squeegee, dry the lower glass that customers look through.
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Is this a Buzzlightyear zero degree deck cleaner suggestion or or buzzlightyear legit pressure washing guy suggestion?
It makes sense to me. If you’re being serious, does EBC have water softening characteristics? I haven’t seen that on any of their info. Would Simple Cherry be a good soft wash chemical to downstream in this situation?
It sounds pretty legit to me.
My silly comments are usually left-field enough that the humour is clear to everyone apart from the most uptight internet hero’s 
Remember, as a pressure washers who’s been asked to “wash a building” your priority is to “wash the building” so as long as the windows look reasonable after you’re finished… that’s fine.
Leaving windows cover d in bleach streaks would be bad
Leaving windows 85% clean with a few water spots… fine.
Once you’ve cleaned the building they will probably hire a window cleaner to come every few weeks
Are you in a hard water area? If so, use a truck wash or throw a bottle of rinse aid like jet-dry into your soap.
Ebc will be fine. Any low bubbles surfactant will do
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Cleaned. DS’d EBC. Did it at night. Went back next morning and wasn’t satisfied. Talked to the manager and they approved me to come back in that night and do it again. Second time I DS’d EBC and then rinsed and then rinsed and then rinsed some more. After rinsing I cleaned the windows with streak free Unger window cleaner and scrubbers. Not what I wanted to do, but it helped a lot.
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What’s this stuff? Do you mean normal window cleaning method, soap and squeegee?
Or is the under stuff a spray n wipe type cleaner
Not sure. Found it at home depot with window cleaning stuff. Worked well enough for me though.
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