Because its too good to lose
Hello Mumsnet
I happened across this thread as it was mentioned on a window cleaning forum, and I just thought i'd step in to answer a few points that seem to have been raised.
My name is Neil, i'm the owner at xxxxxx Cleaning - we're window cleaners in Xxxxx , Norfolk, and we serve a range of customers from large stately homes through to regular residential customers and even a few static caravans too.
A lot of the concern on this post seems to be based around two things - how much person A is paying relative to person B, and whether or not window cleaning is an easy/difficult job for the money. Finally, there's been some discussion about the tools we window cleaners use to get the job done, and I get the feeling that the majority don't feel a good job can be done without ladders.
The cost/price
In terms of costs, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, obviously, is the number of windows, the size of your property. More windows equals more cost, and we can all agree that makes sense. However, it is also a well known fact that the further south you go, the more you can expect to pay for your window cleaning. For example, there's a person above who mentions that they're getting their front porch, 2 bay windows, sun room patio doors and 5 other windows cleaned for a fiver, in North East england. Personally, when I read the description of that job, i'm thinking at least £10/11, because that's the going rate down here where I am, in the east. Where and why that discrepancy exists, I don't know - I just know that it does. I would surmise that it has a lot to do with the costs of running the business, but having never run a business up north, I can't be sure.
There are also other factors that may affect the price of your window cleaning, for example access. Do you have a nice driveway that we can pull our van into, get the gear our easily and get straight to work? Or do we have to find parking on a busy street, then negotiate a difficult garden to get to work? As cut-throat as it sounds, when we're out working time is money, and if we can see that access is a nightmare we'll price the job higher because we know it will take us longer. If the route your window cleaner has to take once on your property is an overgrown mess, try cutting it back a bit and making his job a bit easier. Once this is done, point it out to him and ask for a couple of quid off the price - you may be surprised at the effect it has on the cost of your window cleaning.
Another HUGE bugbear for us is dog poop. Most of us use a water fed pole system these days (more on that later) and if we see fresh 'deposits' in the garden when we're giving you an estimate, you can expect an extra fiver dropped on the price straight away, if not more. The problem is that while for you it may be easy not to step in it, we're looking up the whole time, trying to work fast and do a good job, so stepping in dog poop is not something we can easily afford. And then there is the hose - I know from experience that getting dog poop on the hose isn't nice. Its gets on the hose, it gets on your hands, then it gets on the pole, or your steering wheel, before you know it its everywhere and its totally disgusting! I have, in the past, dropped customers because of dog poop in their garden. I just don't need it, and I can replace them with another customer who doesn't have a dog poop issue. I know that was a bit of a whinge, but honestly, getting dog poop all over our hands and kit will make us hate you. Please, clean it up, we're human beings too!
Also a factor worth considering is regularity. As window cleaners, we want monthly work. It means our income will be regular and dependable, and it also means we can do a good job keeping the windows and frames in their cleanest possible state. 2 monthly work is acceptable, but will cost more as there is more dirt, and personally I won't take on any work with a longer frequency than that. If you're asking your window cleaner to only come every 3, 4 or even 6 months, then he'll have a lot more dirt, dust, debris & detritus to clean away, so expect to pay more as a result.
The water fed pole system
Another thing I noticed in the thread above is the use of the brush on a pole. People seem to think that it doesn't do as good a job as getting up there with ladders, but actually if it is used correctly (just like any other tool) then the results will actually be better!
The secret is that the water we use isn't just any old water, it is specifically filtered through an expensive system of one type or another (typically a 4 or 5 stage reverse osmosis filter) to remove all dissolved solids - in laymans terms, the minerals and salts, the things that leave marks on your windows when the water evaporates off and leaves them behind. The key to washing with a Water fed pole (wfp) system is that the brushing action agitates all the dirt off the glass and into the water as the brush does its work, and then the brush is lifted off the glass and the window is rinsed - this leaves only the purified water behind and if the job has been done right, when it evaporates off it dries totally clear as there are no impurities to be left behind; it is pure H20.
This system has several advantages for you, the customer, too - primarily it means that your window cleaner can now scrub and clean the frames and sills of your windows on every visit too, keeping your upvc bright and white throughout its working life. The water used is also totally chemical free, so it's completely safe on and around your plants/pets/children. Windows that would be impossible to reach using ladders can also be cleaned, such as windows over a conservatory roof or sloping roof - In the past a window cleaner would have to risk his neck and your roof by climbing/standing up there - so no broken legs and broken roof's is something everyone can agree is a good thing I think!
Like any other tool tho, if not used right, problems can occur. But that's most often down to the technique of the window cleaner, not the tools themselves. Certainley there's no reason to think you are not getting as much of a 'proper job' - rather it means that your window cleaner is a professional who has invested in his business to bring the best possible service to his customers. The wfp system in the back of our vans costs over £4,000 a pop - and thats before you start factoring in the cost of the poles we use, which can easily run to £500 each as they are made from carbon fibre to be both rigid and strong.
The window cleaner / being a window cleaner
Some people above have suggested that being a window cleaner is an easy job. There might be the odd day where things are great, but let me assure you that overall, it is not.
Firstly, if you're a professional window cleaner, that means you have invested in professional equipment, undertaken training (I have a city & guilds qualification in window cleaning, believe it or not..) and got proper insurance, plus gotten a proper van with valid insurance for commercial work. In addition, a professional will have professional window cleaning insurance, meaning that any damages or injuries that occur while on your property are covered and you are protected. I'll come back to insurance in a minute, so bear with me. Now, consider all the time and money a professional has invested to run a proper business, versus the guy that comes round with a dodgy old ladder and a bucket and some rags and offers to do the windows at less than half the price. Is he trained? Is he well kitted out? Likely no. Is he probably on benefits, looking to make some extra quick cash? Quite possibly. Is he going to bother to do a good job..? Unlikely.. But he still quotes £4 for a £15 job, so he makes the professionals look expensive and like they're "ripping people off". We aren't, its just that sometimes its made to look that way by people charging way less than the going rate to nick work off us. The chances are, that come winter, they won't be showing up.
Working in winter
It's horrible. Truly. Hoses freeze, the squeegees ice over, the mops and applicators freeze to the glass as soon as they touch them. Add in that we're working with water, so we invariably get wet at some point in the day or other, and you've got a recipe for being very, very cold, through a lot of your working days. £7 to clean your windows in the lovely sun might seem like a right lark, and to be fair it can be, but believe me, we pay for it in the winter, when it's dark and cold and we have to get out into the howling wind/rain/sleet to get the work done.. A professional will stick it out, get the job done and your windows cleaned as agreed, but Mr bucket & rags will be long gone, with his feet up and his dole money in his pocket watching jeremy kyle.. Who would you rather hire?
Insurance
Before I begin, here's a fact for you. Being a window cleaner is officially the most dangerous job in the UK.
That might not seem that relevant to you, but here's another little known fact. Let's say your window cleaner is cleaning your windows, when he falls off his ladder, or goes through your conservatory roof, breaks a leg, and can't work for 4 months. Who do you think is liable, legally speaking, for that? Believe it or not, it's you, the home owner/customer!! And this is why hiring a professional with proper insurance is so important.
Mr bucket and rags is only there for your money, not to build a business or career, so when the no win no fee lawyer asks him if he's had an accident recently, the pound signs will light up in his head you can expect to be getting a very expensive phone call - Probably up around the £10,000 mark.
A professional, on the other hand, might cost a few more quid, but will be fully insured, meaning that not only will you not end up in the dock, his primary concern (once the leg is taken care of!) will most likely be to sort out another window cleaner he knows to cover his round so that you, the customer, doesn't lose out. His injuries and income will be protected and compensated for by his insurance, and so will any damage that occurred to your property!!
Despite what you've heard, window cleaners do tend to stick together and watch eachothers backs, and covering work for a friend who has had an accident is just something you do because you know that one day, it could be you that needs the help. Again, window cleaning is officially the most dangerous job in the UK. And believe me, physically it is very demanding work too! I usually crash out totally knackered around 9pm or so, and that's fairly common amongst other window cleaners I know.
And just as a final nod back to the brush on a pole.. no ladders = no falling off them!!
conclusion
I hope this has been an interesting look behind the scenes at what it's like to be a window cleaner. If anyone has any questions or comment, reply in the thread here and i'll do my best to respond.
Thank you Neil
I was gobsmacked. Outside only was £25 but my windows are very tall, about 12 feet and am on top floor of a two storey building. Even so, the last guy was £15 or £25 for inside and out. Glasgow. 
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