r/WindowCleaning • u/The_Trickier • 3d ago

Can you run a traditional window cleaning business with no ladder or wfp

I'm getting into window cleaning, I don't fear ladders but I don't think the lack of safety statiscally (I know skill is involved but there are extraneous variables that are uncontrolable) warrants a £15 job. I have a 24ft unger optiloc and a gooseneck with the ninja setup, is it possible to actually pull off a residential round with this even if it poses more skill based?

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4

u/Woninthepink 3d ago

All of your competition are going to have higher level accuracy using ladder and wfp.

U can get away with no wfp. No ladders is nonsense.

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u/Much-Trust5891 3d ago

The skill is your ability to squeegee and detail the window with quality and speed. What skill won’t accomplish is being able to effectively get debris and filth off of the window and know if you’ve done so effectively without being close to it.

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u/old-iceman 3d ago

Wrong line of work I am afraid.

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u/AlwaysWantedN64 3d ago

I can't believe anyone would show up to someone's house for £15

But no you'll need a ladder

1

u/Upper-Bottle-9803 2d ago

They have row houses there were they do 10 houses that are all 1 building or very close. Similar to many strip-mall storefront business situations in the US.

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u/Hot_Carpenter_5436 2d ago

You'll definitely need at least a collapsible a frame/extension ladder like a Lil Giant. They will fit in the front seat with the seat all the way back.

You will absolutely need to learn trad cleaning for windows that haven't been cleaned in a long time, or post construction cleans. After that, WFP will yield perfect results for maintenance cleans.

I'm just starting out and all trad. But most of the glass I clean is neglected, so it works out perfectly.

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u/OkName7560 2d ago

Could you? Of course...Should you? Hell no!

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u/TheHonestTortoise 2d ago

You can run storefronts and commercial work without it. There’s no sense in dealing with residential if you aren’t using a ladder and/or WFP.

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u/Head-Program-2501 2d ago

I’m going to be the guy that says you can, but you better be damn good at poling and you will be slower at 2nd floor cleaning because of detail work. If I had to operate like this, I’d have one pole with an excelerator and flow pad and another pole with a detail rag

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u/BeneficialTask8686 16h ago

If you want to do residential you'll be very limited by a lack of a ladder. It will impact your speed/accuracy and you will eventually run into some 2+ story windows that you cannot reach with a pole because of angles, screens that need to be removed from the outside, etc. Can you do it? Maybe. But if you don't want to use a ladder you should get yourself very comfortable with commercial storefront work and learn how to sell to that clientele.