Yes We Do Windows

Have you ever watched a professional window washer dangling over the side of a building and wonder how they do such a perfect job so quickly under these harsh working conditions?

Upon closer scrutiny, the answer is clear as glass. The window artist can polish their technique because they use the correct tools for the job. The professional uses proper tools for the following reasons: ergonomics, time, health and safety, and environmental considerations.

If you still think cleaning windows using a spray bottle, paper towels or a rag is acceptable for smaller tasks you would be mistaken. Even the smallest of workplaces can benefit from a proper window cleaning strategy.

Improper ergonomics is not an option. Cleaning staff who spend 15 minutes or longer at a window clutching a rag and using a circular polishing movement will find their muscles begin to tire and become numb. If the spray bottle and wipe method continues on a regular basis, their bodies can start to suffer from repetitive strain injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. The carpal tunnel is a narrow, rigid passageway of ligament and bones at the base of the hand, housing the median nerve and tendons. Sometimes, thickening occurs from irritated tendons or other swelling narrows the tunnel and causes the median nerve to be compressed. This results in pain, weakness, or numbness in the hand and wrist, radiating up the arm. In the worst cases, surgery may be required to decompress the traumatized median nerve. Providing cleaning staff with the proper tools for the job—like those the professionals use—keeps the wrist in the neutral position and helps prevent soft tissue repetitive strain injuries.

Ergonomic benefits aside, the biggest reason a pro uses a proper squeegee and scrubber is time. Time has a direct effect on a window cleaner’s earning potential. Using the correct tool saves time. Savings really add up when window cleaning is reduced from three minutes to 40 seconds. It is surprising how quickly the square footage adds up when you consider all the interior and exterior windows on a facility. 

It may not be immediately apparent but there are health considerations with using a spray bottle to dispense window cleaning solution. If a spray is used to dispense a cleaning solution, the cleaning chemicals become airborne because of atomization. Therefore staff and building occupants are inhaling it. The basic rule is: if you can smell the cleaning solution, you are ingesting and breathing in that chemical. If there are many windows it is possible an employee might be subjected to more than the daily allowable threshold limit value (TLV) of common cleaning chemicals such as ammonia. This TLV established by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and enforced by provincial governments defines the reasonable level to which a worker can be exposed without adverse health effects. Using a bucket with solution and using a scrubber to apply the solution to the window reduces exposure.

When it comes to cleaning windows it is important to use a good T-bar scrubber and the appropriate sleeve. The type of sleeve chosen depends on the amount of nap required to do the job. The more nap, the more water is absorbed. Microfibre sleeves are fast becoming the fabric of choice because it offers powerful cleaning with reduced water consumption. Microfibre is also an excellent choice for spot cleaning a window or polished surface using a hand cloth such as Atlas Graham’s blue microfibre. 

In an effort to become green, using the proper tools eliminates extra inputs such as paper towels, old rags, and harsh chemicals going into our landfills and water treatment plants. Using a reusable sleeve and a small amount of water with the scrubber saves buckets of water, and provides the necessary force with surfactants to dislodge the dirt and dust while the squeegee mops up the excess dirty water as it glides across the window.

Providing the necessary tools is not costly. For a few hundred dollars: a squeegee, T-bar, selection of scrubbers, and an extension pole (if cleaning 2^nd storey windows) is all that is required to clean glass and highly polished vertical surfaces. Recommending the correct tools is good for business.