There is sometimes a debate about pure water versus the traditional method of window cleaning. As mentioned in a previous blog, personally I think there is merit in both. It doesn’t have to be a question of either/or; as much as I love using the pure water pole-fed system, there are situations when we need to switch to the traditional method. For example, when cleaning indoor windows.
How does it work?
There are a number of different traditional methods. In this post I will be concentrating on the method that uses an applicator, squeegee and bucket.
First of all you soap up your applicator. This may sound simple enough, but if you use too much soap the windows smear and there is a film left. Too little soap applied on the window, you often find the water dries too quickly, and you are again left with smears and streaks. Interestingly, nowadays when you see a traditional window cleaner, we mostly carry our applicator and squeegee in a bucket on a belt! I must admit it is one of my favorite pieces of equipment, and I thank the person who designed it.
Next comes the part with a bit of skill. Moving the squeegee in an s-like motion, you remove all the soapy water from the window in one go. It sounds easy till you try, it took me about a year to get the technique just right. Another window cleaner who taught me explained; “It’s the same as with playing tennis, it’s all in the wrist”. After we have squeegeed the window, we use a scrim to remove any water that has been left on the edge of the window. I personally like to use a microfiber scrim, I find it best for not leaving marks.
And lastly we use a microfiber cloth to get any water drips, from your frames and sills.
Like I said at the beginning of the post, there are times when we do use the traditional method. At the end of the day, no matter which method we use, our main goal is always the same; to leave your windows looking the best they possibly can!
Blue Sky Cleaning 