Mister Squeegee University in the cold weather?

In this colder than average winter we've been having Mike Kramer from down around Lake of the Ozarks, MO traveled about 6 hrs one way to attend the school. Mike came prepared with questions and enthusiasm for learning about window cleaning.
One possible drawback to having a window cleaning school with hands on training in Iowa is the winter weather. That can be compounded by the fact that many are looking to get into the business before the spring weather breaks making winter one of the best times to get the training provided by Mr Squeegee U.
Last week we were able to do the school despite those possible drawbacks. How?
One way is by taking advantage of the classroom as an area for hands on training for the traditional methods. We have a variety of windows in the classroom to work on and do some short pole work demos with.
What about the pure water training? Since I have a versatile set up for pure water I was able to use my back pack delivery system, with some isopropyl alcohol in it, instead of hooking into the outside tap. So despite the high temps of about 25F we were able to do a few windows with the water fed pole.
So how did Mike feel about it? In short "very informative, very helpful".
Thanks Mike and we look forward to seeing you progress in the industry.

For more educational topics go to A New View Exterior Cleaning

What do I need to get started in pure water?

Besides traditional methods students of the school get classroom and hands on training with pure water and wfp. In the school we use my Gardiner 30ft SL-X and the Pro Rinse DI  from RHG.
One thing they always want to know is "how expensive is it to get started"?
The answer is always the same - "It depends".
Why that answer? Because the students may come from areas where their TDS (total dissolved solids) might be low or high. There is also the matter of how much they intend to use pure water in their business to begin with. So I thought it would be good to put out a couple suggestions on a couple basic set ups for filtration and poles so you could see the possibilities of using pure water in your business.

Poles
I have used a variety of poles in my business. I have also tried out many others at networking events and window cleaning conventions. Thru all that one line stands out for me - Gardiner. It's the official pole of the school because I believe in it and have found it to be the best for me and my business
Here are my suggestions on which pole to get depending on the level of use
Up to 2 stories residential
For this area of use the 18ft CL-X line is perfect. It has a 22ft reach and is just under 2 1/2 LBS

Occasionally 3 stories residential
At this point you could go with the 27ft CL-X with a reach of 31ft and just under 4 LBS

Keep in mind also that with the Gardiner line you can add sections as needed. This means you can start with the 18 and work up to the 27 as you grow.

Regularly 3 stories residential 
At this point you will really want a lighter and stiffer pole that's where the SL-X line comes in
The SL-X 25 has a reach of 30ft and weighs just over 3 LBS
That is basically the same reach as the 27ft CL-X and a pound lighter. Over time that will save you energy and strain.

Commercial work
If you are going to be doing commercial work of any size I recommend you get the SL-X line to start with. The lighter weights at stiffer material will pay off quickly for the tradtionally larger amounts of windows you will be doing.
As you choose your pole length remember that generally speaking a residential building has 10ft for every floor while a commercial building tends to be 12ft per floor. Factor that into you purchase decision

Pure Water Systems
I have also used in demos or owned a variety of purification systems. If you are using pure water occasionally you can get by with just DI even in high TDS areas. For moderate to heavy use in areas where your TDS is over 100 I recommend multi stage filtration. Whichever you go with a simple prefilter for rust and sediment (at least 5 micron) is what I recommend. You can buy one at any hardware or home center. There are of course running costs with either choice like new DI resin, carbon media, and RO replacement (after a few years of use). Here are my suggestions -

DI only
Pro Rinse is easy to move and or leave in your vehicle. I have found it very useful in the school and it's low price makes it ideal for beginners. Some will argue that a 1/2 Cube DI tank filters more water but the time it takes to change out spent resin compared to removing the cartridge on the Pro Rinse and refilling it on the job can't be underestimated.

RO/DI
Multi stage systems can be as simple as 3 components - Carbon filter (to protect the RO from chlorine), Reverse Osmosis membrane (removes up to 98% of the TDS), and DI filter (for getting the water to 000TDS)
In my opinion the H2Pro provides these in great balance. A pump is necessary to get the optimum pressure for RO efficiency. It's up to you to decide if 115v or 12v is best for your area. The H2Pro can be purchased with optional pumps in those categories or with them already attached.

Odds and ends
Besides these you'll need a TDS meter, garden hose to bring water to the system and hose to run the water from your system to where you be using the pole on the building.

So depending on how high you are going, your TDS, and the frequency you choose to use the equipment you can get started as low as $500-600 for the pole and purification. However the safety and speed of using pure water earns that back quickly.



For more educational topics go to A New View Exterior Cleaning

What do I need to get started?

This is a fairly common question. So I figured it would be good to put together a starter kit that was as comprehensive as I could. I know there are a few starter kits out there but they all leave out what I consider vital tools to get started in the business. Now with the help of J Racenstein I have put together two kits (one for those who want to go with wide body squeegee channels and one for standard channels) for a student to choose from. While they cost more than other kits they will give you everything in one purchase that you need to do the job correctly from job one!

Check them out HERE



For more educational topics go to A New View Exterior Cleaning