While there are many different ways to clean windows, we use two primary systems here in Aberdeen. We either use a water-fed pole, or we use a squeegee. They are vastly different systems, but one is far more efficient than the other.

You will be informed on each system, allowing you to see exactly what you should expect when we clean your home. We want you to be an informed decision maker, giving you complete clarity on what we do.

Water-Fed Pole

The water filters through three filters before it shoots out the end of the pole. The first filter, the carbon sediment filter removes any chlorine and harmful water disinfectants (chlorine is the common chemical in tap water).

The second filter, the deionization filter removes ionized minerals and salts. It gives the water ions a slightly positive charge that attracts oxygen ions, creating a pure water (H2 + O = H2OHHhHhh). This process makes the water very similar to distilled water, except for distilled water is done in a completely different, time consuming process. DI filters are much more efficient. The DI filter creates a totally dissolved solids (TDS) reading of zero.

The final RO membrane is the core of the system. It is inside the long, black cylinder on the cart. The RO membrane is made of a semi-permeable membrane that is woven extremely tight, not allowing any minerals the carbon sediment and DI filters missed.

Basically, imagine a cooking strainer. Except the strainer looks like a roll of paper towels. The paper towels become soaked and water begins to leak from the paper towels. That is what happens with all three filters. Then the water is pressurized leaving the system, creating a stream of pure water shooting from the water jets at the end of the pole.

The poles are made of carbon fiber, making the set of poles I use to weigh no more than ten pounds. But the carbon fiber also makes them extremely flexible. They bend like a curve on a line graph. At the end of the pole is a half nylon, half boar hair brush. This is the part of the brush we use to scrub your windows. The boar hair gives the head a gentle, abrasive agitation on the window; the nylon brush is extremely gentle when it brushes the filth off of your windows. It makes for a nice combination of scrubbing power.

On top of the brush, there is a rinse bar. It sits above the brush, allowing the pure water to shoot over nylon bristles. This gives the window a fantastic rinse leaving the window without any mineral deposits or dirt.

The best part about this system is the insane reach of the pole. It cleans up to 60 feet in the air! I don’t need to anchor and swing down from ropes, climb any ladders, or do any dangerous task. It is completely safe and is an absolute life saver. People walking by love to stop and watch me clean with it. This machine is a head turner.

With the frames, it is so easy. You clean the frames of the windows first, then you go clean the glass. This machine is an absolute beast.

T-Bar and Squeegee

You start with an abrasive sleeve. My preference is a Pulex MicroTiger Sleeve. I vary between a few different sleeves, depending on the type of window I am cleaning. But the MicroTiger has a nice balance between being abrasive and having incredible microfiber ends that hold large amounts of water in it. Having abrasiveness in each sleeve is up to the cleaner, but I prefer having some. It allows me to use my steel wool less and decreases my cleaning time.

For example, I also use the Ettore Porcupine Washer sleeve if a window is heavily covered in debris, but it doesn’t hold much water. It has hundreds of soft, prickly ends that can get in and remove stuck on debris from your window. The other one I use is an Unger MicroStrip Washer sleeve. Covered in microfiber hairs, it is perfect for regularly scheduled windows. It holds loads of water while removing the basic dirt and debris.

There are different sizes of T-Bars, but I use the 14 inch. It is small enough for smaller windows on residential homes, but not too small for large windows.

For squeegees, I use the Ettore Brass and Silver channels. Any size from six inches to 16 inches is used by me. I can switch out the sizes based upon the window size. The channel you use doesn’t matter too much. It is the rubber we need to be concerned about.

The rubber squeegee you use is extremely important. It can make or break how well a window turns out. There is hard and soft rubber. Soft rubber is the primary type used up North. It is what I use up here in Aberdeen. It can withstand the cold temperatures, mold to uneven glass easier, and doesn’t require as much pressure being put on it. The biggest downside is heat. It is more pliable, thus leaving the heat to ruin it. If it is above 90 degrees, the rubber becomes very soft and begins to leave streaks. This has caused me many, many problems. But overall, this is by and far the most common rubber used by window cleaners.

Hard rubber is extremely durable in the heat. It is made to withstand the heat as it is more dense than the thin rubber. There are very few days in Aberdeen I actually need hard rubber. I didn’t have any hard rubber last year, and I was going through squeegees faster than toupees in a hurricane. We have to press harder on the squeegee, but that is quite alright if it lasts longer.

What is super inconvenient about using a squeegee is that many people prefer to use ladders over an extension pole. If it is my first time cleaning a window, there is no way I can do a more thorough job from an extension pole compared to a ladder. So typically, I will use a ladder to reach second or third story windows if I have to use a squeegee. But, now I have a water-fed pole to do that dirty work!

Cleaning the frames of your window is much harder with a sleeve and squeegee compared to a water-fed pole. We have to wipe down the frames with a rag before we clean the windows, then we must dry them, and then clean the windows. It adds quite a lot of time to the job.

Which System We Prefer

I prefer using the water-fed pole over a squeegee. You can obviously tell why. I no longer have to use a lift to get up super high, no more ladders, and the jobs get done with a more quality clean. If we clean your home, more than likely it will be a water-fed pole doing the work. Except in the winter. More than likely the water would freeze to your window if we did that. Although, it would still dry crystal clear when the ice melted. Pure water is incredible on windows. It is always our first go-to cleaning system here at TripleC. We believe it is the best possible way for us to serve you when we clean.