Cleaning windows part time?

IVRZ

Hi all, hope i have this thread in the right place.
Im thinking of taking up cleaning windows a few days a week for some extra dosh.
A guy comes around our house every month or so and charges 20 euros for a three part window inside and out. This time he didnt turn up so i got some sprays and stuff and did it myself. Done in no time. Lovely job. Actually enjoyed it. I thought.......i could do this for 20 euros, or even 10 euros a pop. I have a car. Get a few regular customers together and go out a couple of days a week when the weather is ok.
Just wondering..............Is there a window cleaners mafia/union or whatever. How do i know if im treading on someone else's turf. Or maybe its just every man for himself out there?
Anyway, has anyone any experience of this and any knowledge of how it works.
Would appreciate any pointers. Cheers:):):)

tenchi-fan

There's not a mafia but it's considered bad form to poach clients and a lot of people will refuse you for that.
Why not go to one house on the street and ask does a window cleaner cover the street already.
I remember my mam asking a cleaner could he call round to our house.. he said he was too busy! He said he does all the businesses in town and literally does not have time to do residential any more.
So I think you're on to something. There's a certain knack (apparently). you also shouldn't skimp on equipment.

IVRZ

Thanks TF. Thats good advice. Putting it top of the list........:)

looksee

You don't have to use commercial sprays, a bucket with water, a tiny amount (like a couple of drops) of fairy liquid and a shake of vinegar is better, a sponge on a long handle and a squeegee, and a fistful of scrim. You will also need a ladder, upstairs windows are the more important for householders.

Mrs OBumble

looksee wrote: »

You will also need a ladder, upstairs windows are the more important for householders.

And as soon as you start thinking about ladders, you also need to start thinking about public liability insurance.

Eg, what happens if a client's kid starts climbing the ladder (either while you're up it, or around the corner getting other gear from the car). Best case kid pulls ladder down, does no damage. More likely case kid falls and gets hurt (parent sues you) or breaks windows or something (parent claims off you).

Sorry, it had to be said.

IVRZ

thanks Looksee thats a great hint, just the sort of stuff I need to know. By the way, what's scrim?
Ok Mary, apology accepted.:)

looksee

IVRZ wrote: »

thanks Looksee thats a great hint, just the sort of stuff I need to know. By the way, what's scrim?
Ok Mary, apology accepted.:)

http://www.clickcleaning.co.uk/search.aspx?search=scrim&category=1&gclid=CMnm7omflKQCFcH-2AodJgJ9JQ

Its a lint (fluff) free cloth that is very good for polishing windows. You can buy lintfree cloths in the supermarket but they would be an expensive way of working.

If you were to offer to clean the plastic window frames as you go, you could reasonably charge a bit more - I would be glad to pay for the plastic to be cleaned too.

Fully agree with Mary about the insurance btw.

patwicklow

its a good idea, but why not go the extra mile and get the ladderless window cleaning kit, its amazing a guy done my 3 front windows for a tenner he was done in about 5min and the result was amazing, and it does the gutters aswell
with no ladders to be hauling about you get through more jobs = more dosh

IVRZ

Thanks Looksee ill get some of them.


Whats that ladderless kit then Patwicklow? Is it like the magnetic squeegie things so you can put one on the outside of the window and clean the outside from inside? How does it do the gutters?

Oh I see, water-fed extension brush handle. Very cool, but seems like big outlay just to try something for a start.
What about the magnetic cleaners, you know, one inside one outside held together by magnet., Do they work? Any good? Anybody tried them?

IVRZ

Where'd everybody go? All out cleaning windows?:D