When the heat arrives, here's some tips on how to get the best results around it;
-
Start Early: Shift your work day around to avoid the peak temperatures, either working early mornings or late afternoons will help with cleaning but also will stop you from overheating in the midday sun. Working earlier in the day often means you can spend more time in the shade, avoiding direct sunlight
-
Don't hang around: Everything is going to dry quickly so speed is the key to a good clean. Get your washer super wet and squeegee it off as quickly as you can, before there's any chance of it drying. If you're working with showrooms or large glass panes, you may even want to split them into segments to wash/squeegee.
It would be helpful to use a bucket-on-a-belt or holster to keep tools handy rather than going back and forth from your bucket if you don't already. If you use pure water, give each window an extra rinse to ensure the dirty solution you've just scrubbed up doesn't dry on the window before it's had time to rinse away.
-
Less Soap, More Water: Particularly if you're using gel detergents rather than a classic concentrated option (such as RazrGlide) mixed with water, be sure to really soak your applicator before you start. whilst in the winter the extra soap gives your squeegee rubber that satisfying glide, in the summer this is going to dry too quickly and you'll be getting the dreaded squeegee squeak in seconds.
-
Take some shades and SPF with you: The glare from the sun off a freshly cleaned window is pretty intense, so unless you love having an 8 hour headache, take some good sunglasses, ideally aviators so you look the part. Don't forget to regularly apply your sunscreen too!
-
Switch to a Hard Squeegee Rubber: Some squeegee rubbers are listed as 'hard' or 'soft', while some just come in one style which is generally a 'medium'. In summer months soft squeegee rubber can become a little too malleable so we recommend switching to a medium or hard squeegee rubber.
- Double Check: The direct sunlight and temperature of the glass means everything is going to dry in no time, so before leaving give your work a check as the sun will highlight every single streak, line or spec of dust to your customer.
There you have it, you're all set to get cleaning in the hot summer sun! For more Window Cleaning info check out our Product & Pure Water Guides
