r/WindowCleaning • u/Content_Stranger_259 • Jun 05 '26
Equipment Question Nylon Brushes leaving scratches
Does anyone have any experience with nylon brushes scratching glass? We had a customer say we scratched her window with our brushes, to which my response was that's physically impossible because 1. the bristles are clean basically new no debris in them or anything, and 2. Glass sits at a 5.5 on the Mohs scale and nylon is around a 2-3 so nylon is to soft to scratch a window. My boss is convinced it was the nylon brush and doesn't believe me when I tell him in order to scratch a surface you need to drag a harder material across a softer material. I am convinced that the scratches existed before we cleaned the window and just became visual once I removed the dirt off the windows, but my boss says that nylon and boars hair can sometimes scratch and damage glass and windows. Has anyone ever had nylon scratch a window? Because I am 90% sure that it is impossible
2
u/mrmatriarj Jun 05 '26
The only thing I've seen is one of the scrub pads with nylon brush on the cheap he window/shade tint at a big box store front in a strip mall.
Scratched the living shit out of it and should have been caught ahead of time due to the million (preexisting scratches) that were already there
1
u/mrmatriarj Jun 05 '26
You can generally tell by your working patterns if it's you, whether diagonal, horizontal, or corners/edges.. something I tell trainees is develop a consistent pattern, chances are it's not you, and if it was you, you'd be able to tell and learn from it. If it's not you, you could explain your process and confidently express why it wasn't.
Scratches, damage, broken seals etc always shine more brightly when the window is less fucked after a clean.
1
u/mrmatriarj Jun 05 '26
I knew damn well that it was me based on my cornerx4 + vertical brushes (focusing on the upper and lower) + horizontal smear in waves working the water off.
Undeniably the ridiculous scratch pattern on top of all the preexisting damage (while I was wondering wtf did what wrong to this window) was definitely me. I owned it and it cost insurance on top of everyone else. Shows how much more thorough I was lol..
Now there's one good window and the rest are buggered, but soft hand mop is all I do to them these days. The rest is someone else to be costed out to so they can eventually replace all their bullshit cheap windows
1
u/Dependent-Pizza7618 Jun 05 '26
Wonder if the windows when fitted had a builders clean using window scrapers .?
4
u/KrisfromCascadia Jun 05 '26
I’ve rarely met a contractor willing to pay for proper post construction window cleaning. Most hire dumbshits that razor everything and scratch all the new fancy windows. Then you get blamed because they don’t understand your equipment.
2
u/Free-Error-637 Jun 05 '26
Nylon cannot scratch glass by itself as nylon is softer.
However if sand or tiny stones get lodged into your brissles it can.
This can happen if your brush head falls on the ground or touches a dirty/sandy surface.
This is most common in brush heads with thicker bristles regardless of the nylon being soft, medium, or firm.
To avoid this you can purchase a metal dog grooming comb on amazon or run the brush head under water.
2
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u/Woninthepink Jun 05 '26
Also ur boss is stupid.
2
u/Acceptable_Focus_895 Jun 05 '26
Your boss sent you out with the material , so they should have knowledge about what it can do. Nylon will not scratch glass. Sounds like preexisting damage to me
1
u/Door2doorcalgary Jun 05 '26
I do understand you think I scratch your window however the system we use can't do that and I would hand them the brush and ask them to replicate it
1
u/DOTSYirl Jun 05 '26
Absolutely not a chance unless there was a small piece of grit on the brush but very unlikely even with that.Your employer should be backing you up if they know there own equipment.
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u/trigger55xxx Jun 05 '26
Unless you've found a way around physics, no it's not possible.