A choice of service, clients are soon to be provided with a choice between pure water technology or traditional window cleaning methods

Choice of Service

At Shining Windows, we think your choice is our mission. We will soon be adding the choice of service at your request. Some clients prefer a traditional method being used, others prefer new pure water technology. The choice will soon be the customers, this optional choice is going to be added to our online products.... 

The differences are;

Water Fed Pole Window Cleaning
Water fed pole window cleaning, otherwise known as pure water window cleaning is where the minerals and impure elements of normal water have been removed to enable purified water to be used to clean windows.

Operated from ground level, deionised water is pumped from a tank in the back of a vehicle, up a long pole to a series of nozzles with a brush. A constant stream of water and the movement of the brush will agitate the dirt off the glass. The constant water is then used to rinse the glass enabling the window to dry smear free.

The Benefits of Water Fed Poles
 

1. Environmentally friendly because windows are cleaned using purified water and there are no detergents or chemicals used. Also, the water that falls from windows has no toxicity and therefore there is no damage to surrounding plants or animals.
    
2. Safer method because the water-fed poles are operated from ground level. When using a ladder there are risks associated with falls from height to both the window cleaner and other people in the area.
    
3. Compliant with Health and Safety Legislation. Ladders were a major cause of workplace injuries and deaths so in 2005 the HSE updated The Work at Height Directive placing greater responsibility on both the service provider and the person overseeing window cleaning to ensure a safer service is carried out. For those concerned about the health and safety risks associated with window cleaning, opting for the safer method of window cleaning using water fed poles reduces that risk and the potential for litigation.
    
4.  More efficient. There is no need for the window cleaner to climb up and down a ladder so it therefore takes less time. Using water fed poles is also quicker on large panes of glass because the window cleaner only uses one piece of equipment that produces a smear free finish, as opposed to a squeegee and an applicator in traditional methods.
    
5. More cost effective method. Water-fed poles operatives are more productive than traditional window cleaners and therefore cleaning takes less time leading to lower costs. There is also no need to hire access equipment such as scaffolding or mobile elevated platforms.
    
6. Less Intrusive. Because water fed poles are operated by standing on the ground it means there is more privacy and less disturbance for building occupants when compared to a traditional window cleaner climbing a ladder.

Traditional Window Cleaning
The traditional approach to cleaning windows requires a detergent, an applicator, a squeegee to take off the excess water and for buildings above ground level a set of ladders. This naturally requires a greater level of skill to achieve the desired effect and is usually practiced by individuals who have apprenticed and then worked to develop their craft. Whilst you may think that traditional methods have been largely unsurpassed by water fed poles, there are plenty of instances where it is more appropriate to use and most window cleaning businesses now offer a mix of both methods.

Benefits of Traditional Window Cleaning

1. Ability to clean the inside of windows. It is not just the outside of windows that need cleaning and obviously water fed poles would produce far too much water for indoors.  If a building needs the inside of the windows cleaned it would be better to use a company that provide a service using both traditional and water-fed pole methods
    
2. Better Results on Builders Cleans. For windows that have never or rarely been cleaned, by having your windows cleaned by someone on a ladder, you can probably get a better result because the operative can identify stains or difficult bits of dirt that require more work. For example, hard to reach areas like the corners of window frames can be cleaned better from a ladder. Water-fed Pole operators often can’t see the window clearly resulting in windows that need a more rigorous clean being missed.
    
3. Better Results on Buildings with Older Frames. Particularly on older buildings where you may have issues such as ageing window frames or a little cracked glass here and there, traditional cleaning allows a more considered and careful approach. With water fed poles it is often difficult to take great care when dealing with a ‘fragile’ area.
    
4. Lower Carbon Footprint. Traditional window cleaning produces a lower carbon footprint because there is no need for; 

• Power to operate the filtration process required for water fed poles
• Power to pump water to the poles
• Large vehicle to transport 400 litre or 600 litre water tanks to carry the water required for water fed poles window cleaning.