A perfect ZERO Detail Tool - the Window Cleaner's Unicorn?

It seems the harder the manufacturers (one in particular) push trad technology toward “zero detail”, the more issues crop up with usability and practicality.

And so I wonder on behalf of those who continue to pursue the advancement of “zero detail” trad technology: Are we chasing a unicorn; that is, are we questing for a prize that may not actually exist? Has the answer been in front of us all along?

Perhaps there are no “zero detail” tools, only zero-detail cleaners…

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PolznBladz doesn’t seem to have any problems with the liquidator or detailing. I wonder why?

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Cause he gets paid for every unit Moerman sells? Lol I dunno

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I’m referring to his skill level. His eye hand coordination must be way above average and he has thousands of hours practicing. He’s a zero detailer kinda guy.

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Everyone can be a zero detail guy. It just depends on

A) the quality of service you want to be known for

Or

B) the pickiness of the customer

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Really it’s not that using the Liquidator is SO difficult, though it is certainly a challenge at the outset.

The issue is one of practicality- even used skillfully, is it actually BETTER? Is it the one tool to rule them all? Or is the fixation on zero-detail a pitfall for the cleaner who thinks any particular tool(s) will solve his/her issues?

Because there are plenty of cleaners who can achieve nearly zero detail with ordinary, conventional tools. And who can do great work at a highly profitable pace. And who deal with none of the infuriating idiosyncrasies incidental to this latest generation of tools.

So that’s where my question comes from. I want to hear it from both sides. Those who think that the perfect squeegee exists in the form of a present or future “zero-detail” tool, and those who think the whole endeavor is unnecessary since the old tools can still do the job well enough.

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I think people feel good when buying new toys. So the manufacturers are just playing to that.

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Great topic, yes no zero detail tool, you will give up quality.

For high rise work we don’t even carry rags, does it mean we found a way to be zero detail? No, same crew, same tools washing a residential will detail each window. Just knowing our custoners and thier expectations is what matters.

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The marketing of “zero detail” tools or any tools in our biz seems to be about
saving time…My question is “How Much Time?” …My wfp saves significant time,
depending on the house it can cut the outsides by half easily. However I do question
the significance of time saved with “zero detail” squeegees. Yes they may very well save time
but “How Much Time?” 10 minutes over the whole house? Enough time saved to go do another house? Anybody using these newer tools that has tracked their time and saved significant time?

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It could even be argued that, given the tendency to burn out rubbers faster, a zero-detail squeegee could have you LOSING time if the savings are not enough to offset the time spent inspecting and changing squeegee rubber every so often.

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Honestly, to me it’s not enough time won or lost to keep track of.

Interesting. This is the second thread to go up in 24 hours regarding ‘ongoing issues’. 1.Rubber burning out too quick 2. Liquidy 3. Excessive turn marks etc etc etc.

I had been using dog-eared Wagtails for about 3 years prior to the Liquidator so for me it was a given that soft rubbers were going to be a potential issue with Liquidator as they had certainly provided a challenge with my modded Wags. Wagtails own rubber was fine and Razer Red was even better. My original Liquidator Channels came with Moerman Soft in them and although excellent the ends burned out in the blink of an eye. Answer? Trash and replace with Razer Red. Problem solved. Black Diamond Hard is also currently giving me OK longevity on Route work. From day one I have had zero issues. Couple of straight pulls, regardless of handle, to set the blade to glass angle. Maintain that angle at all times and the Liquidator is no more difficult to use than any other channel. 10-16" are a dream to use on either fixed, Wagtail pivot or Excelerator pivot. In my opinion 18 and 22 are best on a fixed handle. Turn marks happen when the solution hasn’t enough slip, when the ends have tears in them from rough frames and when the channel is used like a standard channel i.e. dive bombing, climbing the mountain and almost vertical fanning. Finally too liquidy? Nope can’t even comment on that.

On most work I attain zero detailing. I use no other channels and haven’t since the Liquidator was released. Does it save me time? Can’t quantify it but yes it does and of course it cuts a movement or two out of each piece of glass by not having to reach for and use a detailing cloth so energy saved.

There’s two ways of looking at ‘saving time’. You have a set amount of work to get through. With a certain group of tools you are able to achieve this quicker while expending less energy. Home earlier to do the things that are important to you. Projects. Family etc etc. or you want to work faster so you can fit more work in, say 4 houses a day instead of 3 or whatever arbitrary number you want to put on it. I believe the first way with efficient use of the Excelerator/Liquidator is easily achievable. The second? Expecting this sort of result from a new tool is unrealistic, maybe not in the UK where cleans are bi-weekly and monthly, but certainly in the US, Oz and NZ where the domestic cleans are at the most 3-4 times per year and that frequency is probably being generous. On regular route work however, if detailing is normally done (i’ve observed that many cleaner don’t bother) then a few more frontages a day shouldn’t provide too much of a problem.

What currently are the minimised detailing options? Unger S (Wilhelm go out and buy a vice, these silly window cleaners seem to like their channel ends bent). R&D at Unger must have skyrocketed on that one. The “Legend”…recipe…take one wide-body channel, place it in your Mitre Box at 45 degrees, and cut… both options have been on the forums and YouTube for years… I’ll stick with Liquidator thanks. Works for me, and always has.

Someone mentioned a Love/Hate relationship with it. Well, when the hate side of the scale is continuing to overbalance the Love side…surely it would be time to say “Nope, not for me. Time to move on”.

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@anon35812390 It sounds like you’re firmly in the camp of zero-detail. Now I’m not trying to push a bias either way, but I’m curious to know: Having apparently overcome the issues that continue to plague some cleaners with the Liquidator, would you say this latest generation is your “unicorn”? Or can the recipe still be improved?

No such thing as the perfect too Samuel…so yep anything can be improved. I believe Moerman are working on a new rubber formula also. …so they are listening.

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To be honest I think it’s a matter of different widows. The windows in the US differ from those over seas. In my experimenting with the liquidator is that it’s not always a zero degree tool. It depends on what windows tour cleaning. There are lots of variations and I have found that on many variations I get closer to not detailing with my Sorbo or brass Ettore. Because of this I would dream the liquidator too finicky to be my go to squeegee. I find that I spend more time fidgeting with it to get the not detail effect that often doesn’t materialize on various windows.

I get no detail results with my it her Squeegees and if not no detail it’s generally close enough to not matter. As jhans put it your have to know your customer and what satisfies and what doesn’t. I rarely detail if ever on commercial. If I’m doing store front I’m going to detail more and on residential depending in the style of windows I’m going to detail none on some, a little on some and more on others.

For me the number of jobs where no detailing results saves enough to time to warrant fidgeting with the liquidator are too few to warrant a permanent switch. If the liquidator doesn’t like the windows then I have to switch to brass or Sorbo with costs me time. Plus I like limiting the number of tools I use. If I could I would only use one squeegee for everything. Right job though my choice is to use Ettore brass for residential and Sorbo for commercial and I don’t want to add another to the mix. I would actually like to eliminate one if it was just as effective.

For me the liquidator tends to slow me down more than my other Squeegees so even if I do have to detail its not any slower than using the liquidator. The point is, for me, the benefits don’t out weight the cons.

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I’m using a Liquidator channel with Ettore Master soft rubber and I’m getting zero detailing.

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Is yours the first generation or the 2.0?

I’ve used other rubber with the 2.0, and am able to get zero detail, but the new clip design makes it cumbersome to use anything besides the genuine Moerman brand.

I’m using the first generation and not the 2.0

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The 2.0 has been optimized for Moerman’s own rubber brand, which is a slightly different size than other rubbers of similar manufacture.

Yes, V2 optimised for Moerman’s own rubber…

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