BUY MORE THAN ONE LENGTH POLE ! - BUY A PULL-APART POLE !
By having the lightest pole possible for each job, you will be able to work endlessly.
If I am cleaning a 4 Storey Building, I will use the 15.9m pole for the 4th Storey... then swap to the 14.0m pole for 3rd Storey, often the 6.4m for the 2nd Storey and finally, either a Squeegee or a 4.1m pole for the Ground Work.
In Summary, Your Kit should look like :
Single Storey / Ground Floor 4.1m fibreglass pole (can reach over ballustrades)
Double Story 6.4m fibreglass pole for close or an 11m pole
Three Storey 11m pole for close or 14m pole for reach
Four Storey pole 15.9m pole or 19.5m carbonfibre pole
With a Pull-Apart Pole, you achieve all the benefits listed above with just one pole - either the Reach-iT PRO or Reach-iT PAP. If you want to go higher than 4 Storeys, you must use the PRO.
TIP # TWO
INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL TUBING ?
We almost always recommend AGAINST the water tube in the middle of each pole !
Having the tube inside the pole means the tube is exiting from the base of the pole, thereby being at the feet of the operator. This is a significant OHS Risk to have hoses under foot of the operator. in contrast, having the tube drop from the brush head means the tube is in front of you along the wall of the building.
Secondly, the tube running up and down inside the pole carries the dirt and dust from the ground into the inner mechanics of the pole, wearing down the pole surface and the clamp integrity as well as interfering with the smooth sliding motion.
Thirdly, from a Time & Motion perspective, we recommend one Tube, one Brush per operator, and interchanging the poles. Having one tube per pole wastes time and space when working on Multi-Storey sites. With the tube going straight to the brush, you can quickly disconnect and connect poles with the same tube / brush set ! ONE BRUSH / ONE TUBE per Operator.
Remember - the 15.9m Carbon fibre Waterfed pole weighs less than 5kg and the 6.4m Fibreglass pole is only 1kg. You can see it is better to operate the right pole at the right height. Have a look at my photo again .. you can see the shorter pole against the building - ready to do the lower windows.
TIP # THREE
USE THE SMALLEST WATERFED POLE POSSIBLE
By smaller, I mean in SMALLER IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE !!!
SMALLER # ONE : Smaller girth of the handle - less fatigue on hands;
SMALLER # TWO : Smaller compact length - reach all joins with arms;
SMALLER # THREE : Smaller extended length - pole more manoeuvrable;
SMALLER # FOUR : Smaller weight - you work longer with less fatigue.
So .. this explains why getting a range of window cleaning poles .. with a compacted length of no more than 2.2m is ideal.
I have poles that are 2.6m - this is the only way to get a 20m telescopic pole without the lower handle being too round ! But it is ONLY FOR PROFESSIONALS !
TIP # FOUR
BUY THE POLE WITH THE EASIEST CLIP SYSTEM
The Carbonfibre and Fibreglass poles that you buy from us have, in my opinion, the BEST CLAMP SYSTEM on the market. This relates to 'ease-of-use'. The clamps are TRANSVERSE - they clamp sideways across the pole for effective clamping.
With the Easy-Clamp Style Clip, you can raise and lower the pole by any amount with ABSOLUTE EASE ! This means you can change the length of your Waterfed Pole precisely as you need it.
Simply raise the clamp / clip lever to lower the grip on the pole section, and either push the pole up to extend, or allow gravity to pull the pole down to shorten.
So, VERY EASY ..... for both Carbonfibre Poles and Fibreglass Poles.
TIP # FIVE
The SECRET to USING a WATERFED POLE is :
The Waterfed Brush must be at the right height, the right angle and all the flocked brush bristles must be square on the glass.
Whilst you could buy the longest water fed pole to clean ALL windows , it would be too heavy and cumbersome for lower windows.
If you are cleaning 2 Storey buildings, a 6m window cleaning pole is perfect, but an 11m Carbonfibre pole is also as good.
Remember, in order for there to be agitation, the bristles must be square against the glass WITH PRESSURE ... No Pressure, you see straight bristle marks in the dirt (still) on the window ! If there are circle marks, you have not rinsed properly. If the circles are at the top of the window, you either missed, or you overwet the frame. If the cicrcles are at the bottom of the window, the rinse has been applied from the top, but the window has not been properly rinsed all the way down ... leaving dirty water at the base.
The way to get pressure from a shorter pole (less than 10m) is to use a Fibreglass Pole ... it has plenty of flex in it and you can bend the pole slightly to increase the pressure of the brush against the glass.
The way to get pressure from a longer waterfed pole (over 1om) is to use a more rigid pole like carbon fibre, move back from the glass, and let the gravity pull on your (heavier) pole ... PUSH the brush against the glass .. Now .. the window cleaning pole is not heavier because it is Carbonfibre ... it is heavier because it is longer.
TIP # SIX
THE FACTS ABOUT PURE WATER
FACT ONE :
All water is PURE ! it is the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) that is not. All water evaporates without streak or spot .. it is the TDS (what is dissolved in the water) that forms the Streak or Spot ! TDS is measured in ‘parts per million molecules’.
So .. the lower the TDS, the less the Streak or Spot ! But ‘Spot-Free’ does not require TDS‘000’ ! The human eye cannot see a spot left from a TDS of lower than 60 parts per million - that is TDS60.
FACT TWO :
Water dries in circles ... all water evaporates and dries from the extremity to the centre. As it dries, some of the TDS stays where it was, but most of it gravitates to the centre.
Then, as the water dries, the dissolved mineral has no option but to remain on the glass - no different to leaving coffee in the bottom of your coffee cup, and coming back 2 days later - all the water is gone, and the coffee solids remain !
FACT THREE :
If, when water dries, the level of TDS on the window is COMMERCIALLY ACCEPTABLE to your customer, you can operate up to TWICE AS FAST with TAP WATER than you can with PURE WATER !!! That is potentially FOUR TIMES FASTER than traditional window cleaning and all you need is the right Waterfed Pole !!! What’s more - the water is free !
If you do not know the TDS of your water locally, the best home test is to wash your sliding door with a brush (no detergent) and tap water. Agitate thoroughly all the dirt on the glass, then carefully rinse from the top to the bottom with a small flow of water, being careful not to wash dirt off the top frame. Rinse from side to side, chasing the dirty water off the glass with the tap water.
Do this all the way to the bottom of the glass. Then have a beer, wait for the window to dry .. and check the spots. This will tell you the customers’ experience from Tap Water used properly. For Commercial Business Parks cleaned annually, this may be OK !
As the water is NOT PURE, the water will dry leaving marks equal to the amount of TDS in the rinse water !
TIP # SEVEN
TIP # SEVEN
The 'DO NOT's' !
DO NOT # ONE
Do not use twist tight mechanisms that need a tool at each join (eg the Tucker Pole) .. you lose ALL the flexibility of getting the pole the right length, and accordingly, you lose the ability to easily keep the Brush Bristles Square against the glass ! Also you lose your most valuable asset - TIME - each adjustment takes time with a Tucker Pole.
DO NOT # TWO
Do not use a Fibreglass Poles over 8m extended - they are too flexible and bow towards the glass too early. AND THEY ARE TOO HEAVY !!!
DO NOT # THREE
Do not use Aluminium Poles - they conduct electricity, and they are too heavy.
DO NOT # FOUR
Do not use Modular Section Poles - the sales pitch is great - you only need one pole, but you lose all efficiency ... Get 3 poles, one of each length and use the right pole at the right height - you will power through the work and not even be tired ! If someone developed a ‘Modularscopic’ pole - that could work ! 3 storey telescopic and then modular extensions to any height you want - hmmm ..... let me work on that !!
Phew .. that is enough ... don't forget - a little frank advice could save you money, or give you better value for your budget.
Andy Hinson said
Feb 25, 2014
Nice, I know nothing about window cleaning so any info is a learning experience
lkendall said
Feb 25, 2014
whats with all of these window cleaning posts
mistersqueegee said
Feb 25, 2014
Not sure. Art seems to like Perry's stuff recently. lol
Art O said
Feb 25, 2014
Perry's the Best! He is going to be stopping in.
Eric Schnaible said
Feb 26, 2014
Art, why are you so geeked up on Perry (I don't know who he is) tony is the man and he's in house.
Dan said
Nov 9, 2014
Nobody has a monopoly on wfp know-how.
mistersqueegee said
Nov 12, 2014
But you have to be careful when getting advice from a salesman who has never had a wcing company. They're advice should be viewed as sales propaganda.
Dan said
Nov 12, 2014
Tony, that's certainly a possibility, but a flat-out judgment of that nature is not very fair or objective.
Let's say that a window cleaner is given free products to test from certain vendors and manufacturers. Would it be right for me to say that any positive endorsements of those products need to be ignored because there is an ulterior motive behind it?
mistersqueegee said
Nov 12, 2014
Dan wrote:
Let's say that a window cleaner is given free products to test from certain vendors and manufacturers. Would it be right for me to say that any positive endorsements of those products need to be ignored because there is an ulterior motive behind it?
If you have a cleaner who paid for a product and one who had it given to them to trial, which one would you trust for an objective opinion?
Of course in my post I said the salesman who isn't a window cleaner is a bad place to get advice from. They do have ulterior motives.
Dan said
Nov 12, 2014
As I said, that may be true. But to make a blanket statement is not really too convincing.
Some manufacturer's products are far from the best, some are the best.
" If you have a cleaner who paid for a product and one who had it given to them to trial, which one would you trust for an objective opinion?"
Obviously I'd sooner trust the one who paid.
But an honest person would give an honest opinion.
For instance, I was given a free wfp brush for which I didn't even ask. That was very nice of the vendor. However, I can't say it was a very good brush. If there was a need for me to give my opinion on it, I would say what I really think.
mistersqueegee said
Nov 12, 2014
Of course we could go back and forth on this ad nauseum. We don't agree on much anyway.
There aren't many manufacturers or salesmen who aren't window cleaners (or were at one point). The few who have never been should never try to give advice on window cleaning but they seem to be the most vocal at times. I recommend making sure you don't take advice from the latter.
Dan said
Nov 12, 2014
mistersqueegee wrote:
Of course we could go back and forth on this ad nauseum. We don't agree on much anyway. There aren't many manufacturers or salesmen who aren't window cleaners (or were at one point). The few who have never been should never try to give advice on window cleaning but they seem to be the most vocal at times. I recommend making sure you don't take advice from the latter.
So anyone who sells a water fed pole, but wasn't or isn't window cleaner can't tell if a window is clean when he tests his own product? He can't trust his beta testers and learn from them?
mistersqueegee said
Nov 12, 2014
He has no practical real world experience. Testing a product on a few windows he runs across can compare to having to earn a living with his products. And getting some feedback from beta testers is only as good as the integrity of the beta testers so that can be highly subjective.
Dan said
Nov 14, 2014
So, do you know if the Tuckers ever ran a window cleaning business?
Fred W said
Nov 15, 2014
Dan, I find Tony's point to be spot on.....and I don't know Tony. He is simply stating that a salesman has a motive. Even if the salesman is as honest as the day is long he still has a motive.
AND.....a salesman who has been in the business will "generally" be more knowledgeable than a salesman who never has.
IMHO.........banter back and forth just sucks.
mistersqueegee said
Nov 15, 2014
Well said Doug.
Dan said
Nov 15, 2014
Doug, I'm not disagreeing that the tendency would be to tout your own product above others. And maybe without being able to back it up.
The maker of Simpole poles has been continuously cleaning windows for over 40 years. He says Simpole is the best water fed pole line available.
The maker of Gardiner poles at least tests his own products. Don't know if he cleaned windows for a living at one time. He says Gardiner is the world leader.
Either one is right or neither.
Supply companies that sell many brands will probably steer you toward the ones that are most profitable for them to sell.
My point is that there is an agenda behind the specific criticism of the owner of the ReachIt line. I'm guessing that if a certain person was given one for free to use and found that it was a superior product, he would never admit it.
mistersqueegee said
Nov 15, 2014
Dan, Alex Gardiner has a window cleaning company and thoroughly test his products before bringing them to market. That is a huge weakness in the Reach It line. The so called beta testing for Reach It is done on guys that purchased the product. As for your innuendo I have tried a Reach It and found it to heavy to be a viable option. That along with the countless clamp problems it continues to have even in the new designs don't inspire confidence. I would also never accept any product from Reach It as I find the way the company conducts itself to be unprofessional. Top that off with the fact that the Gardiner line is simply superior and time tested and and you have my final word to you on this tired discussion.
Dan said
Nov 15, 2014
I accept that final word. It's your informed opinion.
I've used and still use Gardiner. I've used Tucker, Unger modular, Exel. I like Gardiner the best.
Across the many forums and groups there has been a lot of input on ReachIt and most has been very good. There has been moderate input on Simpole and it has been mixed. The Same with Ionics.
As I said, no one has a monopoly on knowledge. And a non-window cleaner is capable of making a great tool, just as much as a window cleaner is capable of making a not-so-great tool.
That's my final word.
TELESCOPIC WATER FED POLES FOR WINDOW CLEANING
TIP # ONE
BUY MORE THAN ONE LENGTH POLE ! - BUY A PULL-APART POLE !
By having the lightest pole possible for each job, you will be able to work endlessly.
If I am cleaning a 4 Storey Building, I will use the 15.9m pole for the 4th Storey... then swap to the 14.0m pole for 3rd Storey, often the 6.4m for the 2nd Storey and finally, either a Squeegee or a 4.1m pole for the Ground Work.
In Summary, Your Kit should look like :
Single Storey / Ground Floor 4.1m fibreglass pole (can reach over ballustrades)
Double Story 6.4m fibreglass pole for close or an 11m pole
Three Storey 11m pole for close or 14m pole for reach
Four Storey pole 15.9m pole or 19.5m carbonfibre pole
With a Pull-Apart Pole, you achieve all the benefits listed above with just one pole - either the Reach-iT PRO or Reach-iT PAP. If you want to go higher than 4 Storeys, you must use the PRO.
TIP # TWO
INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL TUBING ?
We almost always recommend AGAINST the water tube in the middle of each pole !
Having the tube inside the pole means the tube is exiting from the base of the pole, thereby being at the feet of the operator. This is a significant OHS Risk to have hoses under foot of the operator. in contrast, having the tube drop from the brush head means the tube is in front of you along the wall of the building.
Secondly, the tube running up and down inside the pole carries the dirt and dust from the ground into the inner mechanics of the pole, wearing down the pole surface and the clamp integrity as well as interfering with the smooth sliding motion.
Thirdly, from a Time & Motion perspective, we recommend one Tube, one Brush per operator, and interchanging the poles. Having one tube per pole wastes time and space when working on Multi-Storey sites. With the tube going straight to the brush, you can quickly disconnect and connect poles with the same tube / brush set ! ONE BRUSH / ONE TUBE per Operator.
Remember - the 15.9m Carbon fibre Waterfed pole weighs less than 5kg and the 6.4m Fibreglass pole is only 1kg. You can see it is better to operate the right pole at the right height. Have a look at my photo again .. you can see the shorter pole against the building - ready to do the lower windows.
TIP # THREE
USE THE SMALLEST WATERFED POLE POSSIBLE
By smaller, I mean in SMALLER IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE !!!
SMALLER # ONE : Smaller girth of the handle - less fatigue on hands;
SMALLER # TWO : Smaller compact length - reach all joins with arms;
SMALLER # THREE : Smaller extended length - pole more manoeuvrable;
SMALLER # FOUR : Smaller weight - you work longer with less fatigue.
So .. this explains why getting a range of window cleaning poles .. with a compacted length of no more than 2.2m is ideal.
I have poles that are 2.6m - this is the only way to get a 20m telescopic pole without the lower handle being too round ! But it is ONLY FOR PROFESSIONALS !
TIP # FOUR
BUY THE POLE WITH THE EASIEST CLIP SYSTEM
The Carbonfibre and Fibreglass poles that you buy from us have, in my opinion, the BEST CLAMP SYSTEM on the market. This relates to 'ease-of-use'. The clamps are TRANSVERSE - they clamp sideways across the pole for effective clamping.
With the Easy-Clamp Style Clip, you can raise and lower the pole by any amount with ABSOLUTE EASE ! This means you can change the length of your Waterfed Pole precisely as you need it.
Simply raise the clamp / clip lever to lower the grip on the pole section, and either push the pole up to extend, or allow gravity to pull the pole down to shorten.
So, VERY EASY ..... for both Carbonfibre Poles and Fibreglass Poles.
TIP # FIVE
The SECRET to USING a WATERFED POLE is :
The Waterfed Brush must be at the right height, the right angle and all the flocked brush bristles must be square on the glass.
Whilst you could buy the longest water fed pole to clean ALL windows , it would be too heavy and cumbersome for lower windows.
If you are cleaning 2 Storey buildings, a 6m window cleaning pole is perfect, but an 11m Carbonfibre pole is also as good.
Remember, in order for there to be agitation, the bristles must be square against the glass WITH PRESSURE ... No Pressure, you see straight bristle marks in the dirt (still) on the window ! If there are circle marks, you have not rinsed properly. If the circles are at the top of the window, you either missed, or you overwet the frame. If the cicrcles are at the bottom of the window, the rinse has been applied from the top, but the window has not been properly rinsed all the way down ... leaving dirty water at the base.
The way to get pressure from a shorter pole (less than 10m) is to use a Fibreglass Pole ... it has plenty of flex in it and you can bend the pole slightly to increase the pressure of the brush against the glass.
The way to get pressure from a longer waterfed pole (over 1om) is to use a more rigid pole like carbon fibre, move back from the glass, and let the gravity pull on your (heavier) pole ... PUSH the brush against the glass .. Now .. the window cleaning pole is not heavier because it is Carbonfibre ... it is heavier because it is longer.
TIP # SIX
THE FACTS ABOUT PURE WATER
FACT ONE :
All water is PURE ! it is the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) that is not. All water evaporates without streak or spot .. it is the TDS (what is dissolved in the water) that forms the Streak or Spot ! TDS is measured in ‘parts per million molecules’.
So .. the lower the TDS, the less the Streak or Spot ! But ‘Spot-Free’ does not require TDS‘000’ ! The human eye cannot see a spot left from a TDS of lower than 60 parts per million - that is TDS60.
FACT TWO :
Water dries in circles ... all water evaporates and dries from the extremity to the centre. As it dries, some of the TDS stays where it was, but most of it gravitates to the centre.
Then, as the water dries, the dissolved mineral has no option but to remain on the glass - no different to leaving coffee in the bottom of your coffee cup, and coming back 2 days later - all the water is gone, and the coffee solids remain !
FACT THREE :
If, when water dries, the level of TDS on the window is COMMERCIALLY ACCEPTABLE to your customer, you can operate up to TWICE AS FAST with TAP WATER than you can with PURE WATER !!! That is potentially FOUR TIMES FASTER than traditional window cleaning and all you need is the right Waterfed Pole !!! What’s more - the water is free !
If you do not know the TDS of your water locally, the best home test is to wash your sliding door with a brush (no detergent) and tap water. Agitate thoroughly all the dirt on the glass, then carefully rinse from the top to the bottom with a small flow of water, being careful not to wash dirt off the top frame. Rinse from side to side, chasing the dirty water off the glass with the tap water.
Do this all the way to the bottom of the glass. Then have a beer, wait for the window to dry .. and check the spots. This will tell you the customers’ experience from Tap Water used properly. For Commercial Business Parks cleaned annually, this may be OK !
As the water is NOT PURE, the water will dry leaving marks equal to the amount of TDS in the rinse water !
TIP # SEVEN
TIP # SEVEN
The 'DO NOT's' !
DO NOT # ONE
Do not use twist tight mechanisms that need a tool at each join (eg the Tucker Pole) .. you lose ALL the flexibility of getting the pole the right length, and accordingly, you lose the ability to easily keep the Brush Bristles Square against the glass ! Also you lose your most valuable asset - TIME - each adjustment takes time with a Tucker Pole.
DO NOT # TWO
Do not use a Fibreglass Poles over 8m extended - they are too flexible and bow towards the glass too early. AND THEY ARE TOO HEAVY !!!
DO NOT # THREE
Do not use Aluminium Poles - they conduct electricity, and they are too heavy.
DO NOT # FOUR
Do not use Modular Section Poles - the sales pitch is great - you only need one pole, but you lose all efficiency ... Get 3 poles, one of each length and use the right pole at the right height - you will power through the work and not even be tired ! If someone developed a ‘Modularscopic’ pole - that could work ! 3 storey telescopic and then modular extensions to any height you want - hmmm ..... let me work on that !!
Phew .. that is enough ... don't forget - a little frank advice could save you money, or give you better value for your budget.
Let's say that a window cleaner is given free products to test from certain vendors and manufacturers. Would it be right for me to say that any positive endorsements of those products need to be ignored because there is an ulterior motive behind it?
If you have a cleaner who paid for a product and one who had it given to them to trial, which one would you trust for an objective opinion?
Of course in my post I said the salesman who isn't a window cleaner is a bad place to get advice from. They do have ulterior motives.
As I said, that may be true. But to make a blanket statement is not really too convincing.
Some manufacturer's products are far from the best, some are the best.
" If you have a cleaner who paid for a product and one who had it given to them to trial, which one would you trust for an objective opinion?"
Obviously I'd sooner trust the one who paid.
But an honest person would give an honest opinion.
For instance, I was given a free wfp brush for which I didn't even ask. That was very nice of the vendor. However, I can't say it was a very good brush. If there was a need for me to give my opinion on it, I would say what I really think.
There aren't many manufacturers or salesmen who aren't window cleaners (or were at one point). The few who have never been should never try to give advice on window cleaning but they seem to be the most vocal at times. I recommend making sure you don't take advice from the latter.
So anyone who sells a water fed pole, but wasn't or isn't window cleaner can't tell if a window is clean when he tests his own product? He can't trust his beta testers and learn from them?
AND.....a salesman who has been in the business will "generally" be more knowledgeable than a salesman who never has.
IMHO.........banter back and forth just sucks.
The maker of Simpole poles has been continuously cleaning windows for over 40 years. He says Simpole is the best water fed pole line available.
The maker of Gardiner poles at least tests his own products. Don't know if he cleaned windows for a living at one time. He says Gardiner is the world leader.
Either one is right or neither.
Supply companies that sell many brands will probably steer you toward the ones that are most profitable for them to sell.
My point is that there is an agenda behind the specific criticism of the owner of the ReachIt line. I'm guessing that if a certain person was given one for free to use and found that it was a superior product, he would never admit it.
I've used and still use Gardiner. I've used Tucker, Unger modular, Exel. I like Gardiner the best.
Across the many forums and groups there has been a lot of input on ReachIt and most has been very good. There has been moderate input on Simpole and it has been mixed. The Same with Ionics.
As I said, no one has a monopoly on knowledge. And a non-window cleaner is capable of making a great tool, just as much as a window cleaner is capable of making a not-so-great tool.
That's my final word.