Window Cleaners

[Cleantechss]

Our company is currently offering self cleaning windows, once applied it will last around 3 years.

I was wondering how much people generally pay for window cleaners and how often you get your windows cleaned?

Do you think £199 is a good price to pay so that you dont require the use of window cleaners for around 3 years?

Thanks in advance

 

[S-Marketing]

Our window cleaner wipes down all the frames and sills when he does the glass, so your product only does half the job. We pay 15 quid, once a month.

 

[kate1]

In theory I think well yes, self cleaning glass. But I would also worry about the business side for Window Cleaners etc, who need to make a living.

 

[S-Marketing]

If we all thought like that none of us would make any money. Do you think when window cleaners hear about the OP's idea they will stop cleaning windows so he has an easier time marketing his product?

In theory I think well yes, self cleaning glass. But I would also worry about the business side for Window Cleaners etc, who need to make a living.

 

[Cleantechss]

We do have an exterior product which could be applied to the sills and frames for an additional £50 if that was something the homeowner wanted to opt for.

Regarding the window cleaners losing work, we would create jobs so therefore it would balance itself out. In the long run potentially creating more jobs that window cleaners can create.

Thanks for your responses, im interested to learn about peoples prices and how often they get there windows cleaned to see if our price is reasonable.

 

[Steve CM]

I run a cleaning company and have a substantial amount of window cleaning work.

If i had a pound for every time someone said to me

"Can you come round and clean my windows, but be careful i have that self cleaning glass, don't remove it"

I would be a millionaire!

Self cleaning glass that needs a window cleaner to clean it. Great Stuff!

It doesn't work. you will still be left with dried on birds mess. Sap. cobwebs etc.

so as for 199 quid i think it would be better priced coming from a pound shop!

 

[Cleantechss]

Why do those comments not suprise me coming from a person who owns a company who cleans windows.

If i had a pound for every window cleaner that says that to me...id be a multi-millionaire

 

[Steve CM]

I can only tell you what i get told and what i see with my own eyes.

I clean quite a lot of conservatories that have pilkington self cleaning glass roofs. We are there cleaning the roofs when the glass doesn't do its job. once you have an army of birds do thier jobs the self cleaning glass doesn't want to know

Shall i tell you about a line that you will probably use once you have applied it to the customer?

What ever you do don't clean them otherwise you will remove the coating and it won't work. That seems to be a favourite.

 

[Cleantechss]

Its the same with us, i am only saying what the general reaction of this technology is from window cleaners.

The self cleaning technology has advanced alot and to be honest is one of the next big things to hit the market around the world.

Pilkington have there self cleaning built into the glass, where as we are more affordable and apply a spray coating to existing glass, the window can still be cleaned once its coated without removing it as long as only water is used to do this.

Bird droppings will either decompose on the surface using the sunlight over time or if it rains then this will clean the windows down.

 

[kate1]

Cleantechs are you saying then the windows still need cleaning but only after 3 years?

 

[Steve CM]

I think this is were the problem is.

When you say it will be broken down overtime. its to much time for customers. they just want clean windows! not wait 3 months for a birds mess to disappear. We are paid to keep customers windows clean. Not clean them when they are dirty hence why i'm sure waiting for composites to disappear would be frustrating to many house proud owners.

If it is the next best thing and i am amazed then maybe i'll sell it to my clients. Until such time i see it working with my own eyes i'm sure i will be able to sleep at night.

 

[Cleantechss]

Yes if you dont have it reapplied after 3 years then yes you would go back to having window cleaners or we would apply another coating.

Exactly seeing is believing Steve CM!

If you take the time to research it like we have done then you would learn more and probably realise more about it.

To say 3 months is over exaggerating, i mean come on how often does it rain in England, when was the last time England went over 2 weeks without rain? Once it rains then there you go...windows have self cleaned.

 

[Steve CM]

not for heavy composites. dried on birds mess is hard enough being removed with 60 degree window cleaning systems. So for one splash of rain after the sunlight has been on it. I can't see it. But like you say. Seeing is believing

So can i see it then? Whats it called this spray? You have got my attention so make me believe your claims

 

[Cleantechss]

This spray actually creates a thin film onto of the glass, so when bird droppings land on this film its not technically on the glass, when it rains, the rain water falls between this coating and the glass to wash it down with ease. This film is impossible to see with the naked eye, infact you would never know it is on your windows but will see the results.

The product is called TouchClean our company is called Cleantech Solution Services Ltd. I cant say to much but we have a very strong case with this based on feedback we have received. Look at our website it isnt just the self cleaning windows theres alot more to it.

 

[Steve CM]

Ok well i'm always open to suggestions. Are you selling this product yet? if so do you have a sample for say one pain of glass to treat and see what happens over time. To see if your claims stand up?

 

[Bernie01]

I have lots of windows in my house and a conservatory - with the Pilkington's self cleaning glass on the roof and it is great! By the time I find a good day with spare time to get up on a ladder to clean it, it's already done.

We used to have window cleaners, cost £35 each time to do the house. My hubby stopped them coming because he didn't like the marks the ladders left on the cream (orchid to be exact!) painted rendering. We tried the ladderless option and frankly, £50 a time was a bit pricey, so the whole window cleaning thing stopped. No windows in my house have been cleaned since (2 years ago)..... please don't judge, I am a humble housewife who has to look after two kids, run my business and hold my husband's hand in running his business - because he can't do anything for himself, I also have to clean a big house he thought would be a good idea to build for a small family (I'm not bitter, or stressed in any way! ).

Joke aside, I do think the price is reasonable for all the reasons I mentioned above:

Ladders leaving marks, not having time to clean your own windows and too many windows make it expensive to keep them clean. On my close only 1 house has its windows cleaned, what are the others doing? If I went for the self cleaning option on my windows, I wouldn't be replacing a window cleaner to do it.

Hope that helps

 

[kingfisherrc]

The problem with the self cleaning glass is that the cleaning proccess is very slow,so it is always dirty but eventually the dirt will go away but more recent dirt will still be decomposing.Think its a bit of a salesmens trick myself.We replace old polycarbonate conservatory roofs and everyone asks for the self cleaning glass, i always tell them that the glass is not as good as the ads say!

 

[Cleantechss]

[FONT=verdana,geneva,lucida,arial]@kingfisherrc[/FONT]

Thanks for the post, firstly I can say when people think of self cleaning glass - they think of Pilkington Activ - as it has been on the market since 2001 a syou would expect. When we researched self cleaning glass products/companies, pilkington was suprising at the bottom of 4 manufacturers in decomposing dirt, self cleaning capability etc. Our product is from Japan where the whole slef cleaning technology was born therefore they are the world leaders unsuprisingly, therefore we know our product is better than pilkington but it has a life span of around 3-5 years unlike pilkington which I think is 10-20 year-our advantage is that we do not need to replace window frames but turn their current window into self cleaning!

 

[eutrans]

Is this available for cars/trucks etc????????

 

[Marketester]

Ask your target market if they would pay this price... enter this competition and you could win free consumer market research report: http://www.marketest.co.uk/business-start-ups-competition

Also, I think that in recessionary times, costs such as window cleaners may be something people are cutting back on, therefore you might be better off contacting office buildings and larger properties to see how interested they would be in this kind of service! maybe letting agencies too!

Best of luck

 

[Cleantechss]

Is this available for cars/trucks etc????????

We are in the process of a 3-4 month trial with a public transport operator in the UK. They are trialing the exterior and glass coatings. We will not know the success of it until the end of may/early june.:|