vKs
von Kanel Services
Commercial / Residential Window Cleaning
West Bend, Wisconsin 53090
262-689-8035
von Kanel Services
Commercial / Residential Window Cleaning
West Bend, Wisconsin 53090
262-689-8035
It takes time to build a business
Many times I am asked "whats in your water?"
Many times when I have been out cleaning windows people have come up to me and commented on how clean and streakless my windows are. They would than ask if I was using some kind of special cleaner. I would tell them, yes because I buy a soap formulated for professional window cleaners and there are certain elements in the soap that help with getting the windows clean. I would go on to say that they don't need to buy the same soap I use, that they can get very good results from using dish soap. I never recommend the use of windex as it really does not have the cleaning power to get windows clean.
I tell everyone who ask's that they will get the best results for cleaning windows at home, when using warm water rather than cold, warm water works better in that it breaks down the dirt molecules much quicker. Adding about 1 to 2 teaspoons of dish soap per gallon of water will help with the cleaning process as the soap acts as a lubricant making it easier to sqeegee off the water. The key to getting windows clean is in getting the window wet enough to carry the dirt away with a squeegee. The task of cleaning your windows will go much faster and easier if you use a squeegee, I recommend a 6 or 9 inch sqeegee that should be wide enough for most of your home window cleaning needs, and it is a size that will give you the best contorl.
The streaks left behind on the window can be the result of a few things, the water being to dirty, soap that has dried on the window, the rubber on the squeegee needing to be replaced, to much pressure being applied to the squeegee.
I tell everyone who ask's that they will get the best results for cleaning windows at home, when using warm water rather than cold, warm water works better in that it breaks down the dirt molecules much quicker. Adding about 1 to 2 teaspoons of dish soap per gallon of water will help with the cleaning process as the soap acts as a lubricant making it easier to sqeegee off the water. The key to getting windows clean is in getting the window wet enough to carry the dirt away with a squeegee. The task of cleaning your windows will go much faster and easier if you use a squeegee, I recommend a 6 or 9 inch sqeegee that should be wide enough for most of your home window cleaning needs, and it is a size that will give you the best contorl.
The streaks left behind on the window can be the result of a few things, the water being to dirty, soap that has dried on the window, the rubber on the squeegee needing to be replaced, to much pressure being applied to the squeegee.
One question I am often asked by the home owner after I have finish a job is "how often should I have my windows cleaned?"
The answer to that is of course a personal one, but I normally recommend that windows be cleaned professionally at least twice a year, once in the spring, and once again in the fall. The exterior of windows are constantly exposed to many enviromental elements, and a good cleaning will help prolong the life of a window. As to the interior, on average, and again depending on conditions within the interior of the house it takes about three to four months before a visable cloudy film begins to build up on the interior side of a window, this film buildup is very gradual that we are not aware that it is even taking place. This is the same kind of film that you can began to see build up on the interior of your cars windshield, the longer you go without cleaning it the less visability you will begin to have. Of course each house, business is under different conditions so it is going to very depending on location and living conditions. Clean windows also play an important role in heating and cooling your home.
The answer to that is of course a personal one, but I normally recommend that windows be cleaned professionally at least twice a year, once in the spring, and once again in the fall. The exterior of windows are constantly exposed to many enviromental elements, and a good cleaning will help prolong the life of a window. As to the interior, on average, and again depending on conditions within the interior of the house it takes about three to four months before a visable cloudy film begins to build up on the interior side of a window, this film buildup is very gradual that we are not aware that it is even taking place. This is the same kind of film that you can began to see build up on the interior of your cars windshield, the longer you go without cleaning it the less visability you will begin to have. Of course each house, business is under different conditions so it is going to very depending on location and living conditions. Clean windows also play an important role in heating and cooling your home.
"How many time's do I need to clean my windows?"
vKs Newsletter
Keeping you informed
Keeping you informed
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In the days before air conditioning, screens were an absolute necessity—they played an important role as being the only practical way to let ventilation in during the searing summer months and keep pesky mosquitoes and other bugs from ruining a good night’s sleep But with the ubiquity of air conditioning and the increases in troublesome allergies, the disadvantages of window screens start to outweigh the advantages, especially for the few nights each year in both spring and fall when we open windows.
Lets take a look at some of these disadvantages
• Screens are dust, paint and dirt traps. As someone who cleans screens regularly I’m amazed at the amount of dust and pollen that can be trapped in a single window screen. This dirt and dust settles out on window sills, coating them with an unsightly covering that literally turns to mud in damp weather. Modern vinyl-clad sills often become stained under such an onslaught.
• Screens cut the amount of light entering through the window by as much as 25%. Think about how a screen is made. If you took all the fibers that make up a screen and jammed them together tightly, they would make a light-blocking fabric that would easily cover a fourth of the window’s surface area. Folks who have had window screens installed for years often comment about how much more open their rooms appear when screens are removed. More light makes for brighter, bigger-feeling rooms.
• Screens provide a wonderful hiding place for insects and spiders. We’ve all seen the cobwebs that flourish in the space between sash and screen. Additionally some screens ride in a special track created in the sash and for some reason “june bugs” find this space to be an ideal place to build their nests and raise a family.
• Screening as a source of security is a myth. Aside from special “security” screens that are hardwired into an electronic security system, regular window screens provide only the flimsiest of barriers between the inside and outside of your home. Screen fabric is easily cut with a small pen knife in about the same time as it takes to slice warm butter. In fact, most modern screens carry prominent warnings that they should never be relied upon to prevent objects and small children from falling from the window.
• Finally, rainwater or sprinkler system overspray can pickup minute amounts of oxidization from metal screens and deposit it on your windows, causing something window cleaners refer to as “screen burn.” This oxidization can only be removed (if at all) with some pretty nasty acids that are not at all friendly to your sash frames or landscaping. (Most modern manufacturers now use nylon as their choice of screening materials for this reason, but the synthetic “thread” used to make these plastic screens has to be of a bigger diameter to match the strength of aluminum screening, which only makes the light blocking problem worse) Obviously if you depend upon outside ventilation for a good part of the year (e.g., attic or window fans), then window screens still provide good function and the benefits offset the costs just as they did for our grandparents. But if you are like many homeowners, only a few of your home’s many windows are ever used for ventilation and even those only two or three times in the spring or fall. Why not give some thought to storing those screens that aren’t used? If and when you should ever decide to sell your home it’s only necessary to demonstrate to potential buyers that you have screens for every window—it isn’t required that they be installed. (In fact, stored screens will be in much better shape than if they remain exposed to the weather). In the meantime your home will definitely be brighter and more spacious-feeling. And who doesn’t like that?
Lets take a look at some of these disadvantages
• Screens are dust, paint and dirt traps. As someone who cleans screens regularly I’m amazed at the amount of dust and pollen that can be trapped in a single window screen. This dirt and dust settles out on window sills, coating them with an unsightly covering that literally turns to mud in damp weather. Modern vinyl-clad sills often become stained under such an onslaught.
• Screens cut the amount of light entering through the window by as much as 25%. Think about how a screen is made. If you took all the fibers that make up a screen and jammed them together tightly, they would make a light-blocking fabric that would easily cover a fourth of the window’s surface area. Folks who have had window screens installed for years often comment about how much more open their rooms appear when screens are removed. More light makes for brighter, bigger-feeling rooms.
• Screens provide a wonderful hiding place for insects and spiders. We’ve all seen the cobwebs that flourish in the space between sash and screen. Additionally some screens ride in a special track created in the sash and for some reason “june bugs” find this space to be an ideal place to build their nests and raise a family.
• Screening as a source of security is a myth. Aside from special “security” screens that are hardwired into an electronic security system, regular window screens provide only the flimsiest of barriers between the inside and outside of your home. Screen fabric is easily cut with a small pen knife in about the same time as it takes to slice warm butter. In fact, most modern screens carry prominent warnings that they should never be relied upon to prevent objects and small children from falling from the window.
• Finally, rainwater or sprinkler system overspray can pickup minute amounts of oxidization from metal screens and deposit it on your windows, causing something window cleaners refer to as “screen burn.” This oxidization can only be removed (if at all) with some pretty nasty acids that are not at all friendly to your sash frames or landscaping. (Most modern manufacturers now use nylon as their choice of screening materials for this reason, but the synthetic “thread” used to make these plastic screens has to be of a bigger diameter to match the strength of aluminum screening, which only makes the light blocking problem worse) Obviously if you depend upon outside ventilation for a good part of the year (e.g., attic or window fans), then window screens still provide good function and the benefits offset the costs just as they did for our grandparents. But if you are like many homeowners, only a few of your home’s many windows are ever used for ventilation and even those only two or three times in the spring or fall. Why not give some thought to storing those screens that aren’t used? If and when you should ever decide to sell your home it’s only necessary to demonstrate to potential buyers that you have screens for every window—it isn’t required that they be installed. (In fact, stored screens will be in much better shape than if they remain exposed to the weather). In the meantime your home will definitely be brighter and more spacious-feeling. And who doesn’t like that?
Thinking about Screens
In this issue
Many times I am asked "whats in your water"
Thinking about screens
How well is your "net" working
article on social networking
article on social networking
How many times do I need to clean my windows?
How well is your "net Working
part 2 "nuts and bolts"
part 2 "nuts and bolts"