My Last Window Cleaner Used The Traditional Method...Traditional VS Water-Fed Pole.

"My last home had candle lights..."

"My last transportation was a horse..."

Innovation is a part of life. And that's a good thing. We now have light bulbs and electricity, and we get to work in a car. My point is some people don't like change. So in this post, we take a look at traditional window cleaning vs the water-fed pole method. First let's look at the two methods.

The traditional method:

This method uses ladders, soap/detergent, squeegee, bucket, and a cloth (micro-fiber or scrim). In short, it's the old fashioned bucket and sponge way of window cleaning.

The Water-fed Pole Method:

Introduced in the UK in the 1990s, the water-fed pole method, often referred to in the industry as the WFP method, is done by having a van, carrying a water tank (filled with purified water), a pump system, a reel of mini/micro-bore hose, telescopic water fed pole, and a special cleaning brush, which the pure water comes out of. This is the modern way to clean glass, frames, sills and doors.

Both methods get the job done. And when it comes to internal window cleaning, we still use the traditional way, as pumping pure-water around someones home, would indeed raise a few eyebrows.

Good and Bad Operators with both methods:

As with all professions and trades, you have good and bad trades people and professionals. So, with window cleaning, some are very good at getting clean windows, frames, sills, and doors, and some are not so good. It's not the method; it's the operator. So lets now look at the pros and cons to each.

Traditional Window Cleaning

Pros

• Clean Glass and instantly dry

• Cheaper for the operator to set up

• No trailing hoses

• Best for internal window cleaning

Cons

• Ladders can be dangerous

• Soap can reactivate if its not cleaned off well

• Soap film on glass can attract dirt and dust after the clean

• Not as private for customers 1st, 2nd floor rooms

• Ladders can cause damage to property

• Not optimal for frames, sills, and doors

Water-Fed Pole Window Cleaning

Pros

• Safe for the operator

• Frames, sills and doors get a deeper clean

• Can work in the rain, as it will not effect the finish

• Reach high and awkward to get windows

• Less Risk of damage to property

• Glass drys to a clean smear-free finish

• Additional services: solar panel, soffit/fascia cleaning

• Eco friendly

Cons

• Trailing hose can be a trip hazard (We use safety signs)

• Windows are not dry instantly (but they will dry to a clean smear-free finish)

• Equipment is more expensive to buy and replace

Conclusion

As you can see, there are pros and cons to each. Having done both, I have listed the pros and cons from my experience. This is my own personal opinion. Many traditional window cleaners may disagree with my list above, which is fine. My finding are also from feedback from the many customers we have. Some of our customers did prefer the traditional way, until we cleaned their windows using our water-fed pole method.

Some others have had previous window cleaners using the water-fed pole method, and said that the operator splashed the windows with water, and took off in his van, which had put them off the method. But with this example, it was a poor operator, as the windows and frames need a decent scrub, and then a good rinse off with the pure water, which leaves the frames and glass very clean.

We've also had customers say that the previous window cleaner used the traditional method, but he never cleaned the frames. So with that said, no matter what the method, there are good and bad window cleaners with both traditional and water-fed pole window cleaning.

We did offer traditional window cleaning for internal window cleaning, which is why in our marketing, you will see one of us holding a water fed pole and the other with a squeegee. Even then, we have found having a small spray bottle of pure water, and a good quality micro-fiber cloth does an excellent job. See our post on internal window cleaning hack. We are no longer offering internal cleans due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

I hope this post has been helpful if you've been on the fence with what type of window cleaning you want.

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We cover all of Colchester, Stanway and surrounding areas in Essex.

Written by Dean