you need to be heatwise you need to learn heat training to know when to stop and take a break how much water to drink Etc but you will not adapt to the heat by working in it 15 minutes at a time. know your body know when you’re pushing it too hard but also know you do have to suffer a little bit in order to adapt but you only stay where you’re comfortable you’ll never be able to expand
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Let’s not overestimate just how bad of a week it was heatwise. The entire country was literally boiling. Talking with a few friends that are landscapers in the area - all of them said they barely made it through the week. These guys have been in their field for decades, and yet it almost did them in. So, I empathize with you starting for the first time right in the middle of a heatwave.
Hang in there. Give yourself a chance to not have a crappy job, in crappy heat, feeling crappy.
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Everyone that sticks with it finds their “sweet spot”. A lot of resi-guys would rather pound sand than do a commercial job, and vice versa. And for some, the small to mid-size storefront game is what works. If you stick with it, you will figure out what works for you. And if you decide this is not for you, it’s your gig and you are the one calling the shots. Whatever you decide, good luck.
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this
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NO you don’t.
I used a 18" brass ettorre for 18months when I 1st started, thats all I was given by the company I worked for who were a commercial window cleaning company who have been in business since 1985.
You need to master the basic tools before going fancy, master standard squeegee before you get a wide body.
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I never said i wanted fancy. I never said i wanted wide body. I need better tools. Currently i have a 20" Ettore backflip. I can do straight pulls with it. But its time i get an 18" swivel that i can continue to use as a reg squeegee AND practice with the swivel. So once again…i need better tool. Not fancy. Not expensive. Not top of the line. Just better.
So if your going to quote me, please quote the whole thing so your not taking the quote outta context. Ty.
P.S. what is wrong with mastering the basics with better equipment?
I want…not need. So yes you are correct in the sense that i dont need new stuff. I want. And will be buying.
not to bust your chops, but you did say this
Touche. Forgot the cobra channel is a wide body. My question still stands…
Ty. @leavingnc for keeping me honest
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Just crack on and learn from the mistakes you make. Not one good window cleaner got there by being perfect. To hot? To cold? To wet? Excuses. Somebody, somewhere is out there doing it because you won’t.
Motivational and keynote speaker here, I joke. But
Seriously If you want it bad enough you’ll get there.
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Im looking at this job you did.
First thing that comes to mind is, would you feel better had you priced it at $75 or $125 for the initial clean?
Second thing is all the little things add up:
- were you working in direct sunlight or shade?
- how many trips back and forth?
- sopping wet scrubber for heavy dirt or pump spray?
- did you “slop” clean, then finish clean?
- small pump sprayer first for sill dirt and buildup to save your back
- screens are a beast no matter how you slice it
Remember that the basics extend beyond squeegee to glass. 
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Shade 90%. Scrapped dirt (should of swept). Many trips. Many extra moves…
Yes when you break it down there are alot of small things that made it what it was. Glad it was $125. Tho wishing i charged 150+. Then again sometimes im sure everyone wishes they charged more
So it was 125? I thought it was 35 bucks.
nope, and it was not out of context it was the actual context.
You want a better tool, you could just adapt with your current tool, as a swivel is not required to clean windows, the swivel is a confusing term some people see swivel as a freely moving pivot like a wagtail others call a swivel any squeegee that has an articulated handle meaning you can adjust the angle of the handle, they are used in different ways. If you think a swivel squeegee will make it so you can fan, then you are quite mistaken. Swivel(articulated) squeegees are better on poles when you have to stand in a certain place and adjust the angle, while pulling the squeegee at the correct angle or when using like a exelerator on a pole.
The correct fanning technique does not come from the wrist with a fixed handle.
If you learn with wide body channels you will not be able to switch to normal channels and have the same quality however if you learn with the basics then you will be able to freely switch to any other squeegee and results will be the same.
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If you dont like my wording or what im saying dont post in the thread. Simple. You took it out of context as i said if i want to advance i need better tools. In which i then clarified i want not need. So yes it was out of context. Just because your are more experienced in the field does not make me stupid. So please stop treating me as such. I know there are deifferent degrees of swivel. And most understand what i mean…
Not to mention many (including steve o and luke) suggested i get a swivel squeegee and t bar. So if they think i should get them…thats good enough for me
Too much discussion of tools… Lots of stuff in this business that matter more than tools. Don’t let it bother you too much.
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Don’t get spun up over this stuff too much. Everyone is going to have strong opinions about everything. That becomes opinions about your opinions. Gloss over it and stay focused on what you’re trying to accomplish. Just like life - we must learn to ignore the static.
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Im trying too. And was moving past it. But i tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve and it shows ha. I come for help and open to criticism but sometimes it goes a bit far and i bite. My appologies if i offended anyone. Just trying to get a better grasp on the business and how to survive “hell week” lol
@BaBz where do you live again? I live in Florida and every year summer rolls around i have to re acclimate to the heat. It takes me about a week and 1/2. I only clean windows part time but my main job I work outside in the heat 8 to 12 hours a day. As Everyone takes the heat differently but dont give up my friend.
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The fun thing about window cleaners is sometimes we tend to be a little ruff around the edges…
