Turn Window Routes Into Softwash Profits

Mark Cave

You're already sitting on a goldmine and you probably, uh, you probably don't even realize it yet. If you're a window cleaner in the UK right now, running a water-fed pole setup, you have already paid for the most expensive parts of a professional softwashing business. You've got the van, right? You've got the water tanks, the water-fed poles, the hose reels... and, and most importantly, you've got a list of regular, paying customers who already trust you to be on their property. That- that is the hardest part of any business, and you've already cracked it.

Mark Cave

But here is the thing you are trundling round, month after month, cleaning glass for ten, fifteen quid a pop, when you could be turning those exact same semi-detached houses into three, four, maybe five hundred pound days. How? By upselling exterior cleaning--UPVC cladding, fascias, soffits, and silicon-based colored render. These modern colored renders, like K Rend, they are everywhere in the UK now. And guess what? They get filthy. Red algae, green algae, black mold... they take over. And homeowners have absolutely no idea how to clean them without wrecking them with a high-pressure jet wash.

Mark Cave

Now, you might be thinking, "Mark, I can't afford to go out and buy a thousand-pound softwash skid system." But you don't need to. Not to start. To upgrade your existing water-fed pole system to handle chemicals, it is incredibly simple. If you're using a standard backpack sprayer, like a Gardena or a trolley setup, the standard pumps will fail because biocides and sodium hypochlorite will eat the seals. But all you need to do is swap the standard pump out for a Viton-sealed pump. That's it. A simple, Viton-sealed pump upgrade, which is dirt cheap, and suddenly your system can withstand the corrosive nature of these chemicals. Or, you can use a portable trolley system. You don't need to overcomplicate it. You can start small, test the waters, and get the job done efficiently without dragging heavy, expensive gear around your clients' lawns.

Mark Cave

But--and this is a massive "but"--when you move from pure water to chemical application, you have to cross a serious bridge. You, you, you have to shift your mindset. You're not just a window cleaner anymore; you are a chemical applicator. And that means you have responsibilities. Under COSHH regulations here in the UK, you've got to understand what you are spraying. You can't just be a, a "bleach bandit" throwing strong sodium hypochlorite around, hoping for the best, and ruining the customer's prize-winning roses or, God forbid, poisoning their cat.

Mark Cave

If you're using sodium hypochlorite, which is the absolute business for killing black spots and algae, you have to respect it. For starting out on UPVC cladding or gutters, you don't need a crazy strong mix. A mild one-in-six or one-in-eight dilution of a standard fifteen percent sodium hypochlorite base is perfect. Add a proper, high-quality surfactant--like our Clever Wash--to break the surface tension. What that does is it makes the solution stick to the vertical cladding instead of just running off into the soil, so the chemical actually has time to work. And always, always wet down the surrounding plants and grass before, during, and after the job. Dilution is the solution to pollution, guys. If you keep the plants drinking clean water, they won't drink the chemical runoff.

Mark Cave

And don't forget the glass you just cleaned! If you get sodium hypochlorite overspray on double-glazed window units, and you let it dry in the sun, it's going to leave nasty white salt spots. So, keep a hose handy and rinse the glass down. It takes two minutes, but it saves your reputation. Once you get confident with these mild mixes on UPVC, you can look at DDAC-based biocides, like Soft Wash Pro 50, which are fantastic for roofs and render because they offer residual protection. They get inside the porous surfaces and stop the algae from coming back for years.

Mark Cave

Once you start offering this, you can transition your customers onto softwash maintenance plans. Instead of a one-off clean every five years, you sell them a yearly treatment. "Look, Mrs. Smith, we've got the render looking brand new today. To keep it this way and stop the algae returning, we'll apply a biocide treatment every twelve to eighteen months for a fraction of the cost." Now you've locked out the competition, and you've built a recurring, high-margin revenue stream on top of your window route. It's a no-brainer, really. Get the right knowledge, upgrade your pump, respect the chemicals, and go get those extra profits. Alright, that's it from me today. Go have a go, stay safe, and I'll catch you on the next one. Bye-bye for now.