"Welcome to Crystal Clean Windows! We're a family-run window cleaning business, started by Rob in 2018 after leaving the Armed Forces. We've grown from a one-man operation to a full family affair, with Rob's wife, son, and daughter all joining the team. We're dedicated to providing top-notch window cleaning services and sharing our journey with you.
On our channel, you'll find a mix of 'Day in the Life' videos, where we take you along on our rounds, and practical tips and tricks for window cleaning. We're based in the UK, but we've got viewers from all over the world, including the US, Canada, and Australia.
We welcome everyone who's interested in window cleaning or running a family business. We've got over 900 subscribers and nearly 100,000 views, and we're growing every day.
So why not join us? Hit the subscribe button and the bell icon to get notified when we post a new video. We can't wait to welcome you to the Crystal Clean Windows family! 😊👍🔔"
Rob, in my opinion, gutter work should be charged at a higher rate - it's not regular, not something the customer could do themselves, plus gutter vacs are not cheap to keep running. Maybe look back at your gutter days and look at the times on your invoice so you can see a rough amount of time each job took, then look at the price and try and earn 50% more per hour on gutters than windows (up your per meter prices by £1/m at least). If a customer wants to go every other clean add a bit on (20%ish) as alternative times you have an empty slot! Commercial 20% higher as you have to wait longer for payments etc. Rob you should do a risk assessment on all jobs, even if it's just a mental one - being rural you might have overhead power lines!!!! Don't lower your price on wood soffits as it's just as much work if not more, just explain might not be as clean. Sorry for going on about prices but I feel you do a great job and deserve more money to help reduce your stress level and be more comfortable.
Cheers Ched all good advice and makes sense, my wife would totally agree with you reference hard work and to reduce stress levels! I always do a quick mental assessment for anything that could be a hazard or to be aware of. I think overhead power lines are something everyone should look for regularly during a clean as well. Let’s hope we don’t hear more of these power lines.
Just to comment on some of the chat. I don’t really advertise for any work anymore apart from I’m on checkatrade. Most of my work is repeat business. I keep track of all jobs other than windows and then 11 months later I make contact to see if they would like to book again. With regard to gutter prices. I charge a set price per house but woks out about £4/£5 per meter. For large industrial box gutters I think average price is £10 per meter. Haven’t done many but they do take time.
I think once your pretty full with customers it’s hard to take on more jobs so advertising seems a waste. As you end up turning work away. Word of mouth is the best and enough to tick over once you’re full with customers. I haven’t done many industrial gutters a couple of commercial ones but they are not like the industrial ones. Always good to quote jobs in person to spot the tricky bits.
It definitely helps to have them all close together. I can only imagine what it’s like if you get one of these new build estates. Would make a killing. Great video again. 👍
21 cleans is a lot but I suppose nice and compact with 3 people helps :-) Hopefully that was a good profitable day. Have you tried leafletting or canvassing other houses next to ones you normally do to try and get more compact work. Hope the weather is being kind to you this week.
Had another good day today and in the village i live in. Having work compact and when you can get three cleans each go from parking the van once really helps. I have thought about canvassing the neighbours but im getting pretty full. I hope that the neighbours canvas for me LOL. Weather has been better so far just need the warm kit on now in the mornings. Hope your well.
@@CrystalCleanWindows All good here. Getting a good few enquiries, which is a bit weird at this time of year. If you could compact your work I'm sure your earnings would go up nicely.
I've had a few enquiries this month too which like you i thought unusual. Did wonder if a window cleaner had stopped or something. Your definitely right about getting work more compact.
Great video Rob. You're probably aware mate but it has about 12 minutes of blank footage after you say goodbye. That looks a busy day mate. Nice to see as it helps keep the wolf from the door. Although veluxes can be a bit of a pain I do like the feeling when you look up and it looks so clean. Off topic, how do you find the xline hose mate please? I use gardiner and window cleaning warehouse. They are ok but get a bit twisted up and the gardiner one is quite springy.
Thank you 🙏 for letting me know about the blank bit on the end! Just used the YouTUbe Editor to chop that bit off, so should get updated soon. I know what you mean about the velux windows after a clean., same with the solar panels. The Xline hose i used is fine mate 6mm Hi-Viz i use. I haven't really used anything else to compare with. It does now and then caught caught up or somehow get tied up but not often. Definitely does not kink like some hoses can. Hope that helps.
Join us for a day in a life of a window cleaner, 21 cleans in Leverington, Wisbech St Mary and Parson Drove. Weather was better than forecast for once!!!
Used one for well over a year. Still works like new. It's even been driven over by cars. IV stopped worrying about my connector breaking. Really nice and strong
Best upgrade = 35cm brush with 4 x 1.5mm pencil jets. Rootek's tubless system, so much easier to packup as no more cables to coil and get tangled. Just noticed you say you do invoices at night, don't you use Squeegee? Can't you just set it to auto invoice as soon as you mark them as done? I can't see £5K on hot water enabling me to earn much more per day? It would be a nice to have though :-) Solar panels are great and there are cheap ways to do it very well - let me know if you want info.
Hi Ched I use Squeegee too and auto invoice. But I use Xero for the book keeping. My accountant use Xero so they can pop in to get what they need for the tax returns. So I cross the stuff over from squeegee but I also have to reconcile payments in Xero. Doesn’t take long really. Good upgrades on the brush 👍 agree with the hot water being nice to have but not a must have. I’ll get in touch reference the solar panels 🙏
I've been using it for about 20 months and had zero issues with it. That said I don't disconnect my pole hose from reel hose as I have RooteK's tubless system. Good video though.
Thank you Ched 🙏 i have been impressed with Rootex kit so far and i like them. I was thinking of the tubless system but i think it only works with the Gardiner's poles. NO problem though as i can still use the Exceed tubeless system. The Tuff connect looks really good and i think you will still after using it, be able to strip it right down. With the Slick Connector on the female part you can't do that. 20 months and still no issues that is really good.
They look good. Be interesting to see how they perform compared with slick connect. I had so many problems with Rectus21’s leaking and dripping in the van in the past which is why I changed to the slick connect. I would need quite a few too as I like all the same fittings on hoses and backpacks so everything is interchangeable.
Matt i will be the same if i switch over from Slick Connect to the Tuff Connect. I like the look of the Tuff Connect i think they will last longer too. The Tuff connect looks like you can strip it right down but with the slick connect you are limited as you can't strip down the female part on the slick connector. See how the Tuff connector is after six months, must say it has been no problem so far.
I quite like the slick connectors. Plastic so they are lightweight and I've had them held onto the hoses with small cable ties instead of o-clips so they were easier to take apart if necessary. They worked fine.
These look very good Rob. I bought the Rec Protek Slims, which kind of slide over the rectus fittings like a capsule. They protect the rectus ok, but because they let damp in - like rain on the ground, which if they weren't fitted it would dry off naturally (it has little slots at either side so you can disconnect it) it made my o-clips rust really fast. I should have bought the ones like in your video here.
Could be worth getting in touch with them as i know they will love all the feedback they can get. I think water will get anywhere eventually though mate.
@@CrystalCleanWindows I think usually they'd just dry off naturally or I'd give them a quick wipe. Mine has been on two weeks and the o-clips were rotten. The version on your video or the other screw together one are much better.
@pbproclean here is a link to the ladder i brought when i started, it is a 12 rung triple extension ladder by LYTE. www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0011DY9SY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Looks like nowadays they have a bar at the bottom of the ladder for added safety, not sure if they are removable as i can see it being a pain outside to use otherwise.
Wow the size of that conservatory. I hate doing houses with no access. Having to arrange a time is so annoying. Something I’ve started doing, if I text and then I get there and no access, I clean what I can and charge the full amount. Funny enough there is never a problem with access again.
I just charge what I can clean but Sophie keeps saying we should do that same as you have done. There were electric gates so we didn’t even clean a window. Good customer though so I hope nothing bad has happened.
Ha ha no not on that one! I used to clean the roof as a regular clean too before a new roof was installed. Tap water and the 45 litre trolly saved the day and my pure water 💦
Missed the live so watching the catchup - cheers. Rootek designs stuff is great, looking forward to seeing how you get on. I would be happy to have a look at your eb site and maybe give you some tips. I have only ever built by hand so might not help, but I can try - don't touch wix as they have so much rubbish their sites perform badly. Your site looks good, it does need a bit of text tweaking. It might be worth asking good reliable customers to give you google reviews, as you only have 1. Don't forget, price new work higher 🙂
Great video as always Rob. Can I ask you a question please? I am thinking of getting an xline brush because they look like they last a long time with good cleaning power. Do you need a higher flow rate to use the rinse bar properly, rather than the pencil jet version please? I use a backpack so sometimes have to be a bit careful with water use. Thanks buddy 👍👍
I used to use the Xline brushes with pencil jets. When I changed to the Xline brush with a rinse bar I used the same flow rate setting no problems. I have changed the flow rate setting for window cleaning now and I would have done the same if I still had pencil jets. You could get a rinse bar and two elbow joints, so you could put water through it as if it was in a brush. Then see what the flow rate is like with the backpack. That way if it’s all good when you get the brush, you’ll have a spare rinse bar. Also will be cheaper to test it out rather than buying a brush. Just an idea.
I have some background in computer programming, a very long time ago. So I have always done my own website. My first website was made with dreamweaver, now I just use wordpress. I bought a template from template monster. I dont pay anything else, other than the hosting, which is with 123 reg.
Most of my enquiries come through my website. However I suspect its my google business listing which generates most oc rhe trafffic. With that said I do beleive having a website improves your ranking and the impression your business makes. Both online, and on flyers and other print, van wrap etc.
First thing I did after logo flyers etc was a website. I do think a website helps make you look like you have been going a while to if you are starting out. Good to have an online presence along side the Google business page.
It’s up to the individuals if they work or not, as post people still delivery the mail in all weathers and so do I keep cleaning in all weathers unless it’s a hurricane and I tell the customer before I take them on I be working in rain and that how I structure the business. This sort of weather sort people out from the rest and I am hardy than soft 😁
I try to work what ever the weather (mainly because of the bank balance) but like you when it’s bad no point. I always try to think from the customers view as well as mine. Good to point out about working in the rain from the start.
I’ve been doing loads of research into a window cleaning start up, I was initially a bit sniffy about trolleys I was sure I should get at van based system but do you think you could start up on just Xline trolleys?
I think a tank in a van is the best way to go, especially when you get busy. It can be hard work lifting trolleys and barrels of water. Then moving the trolly al day it will take its toll. But that said, when I had my van off the road my son and me used 20 barrels, the Xline trolly and a Gardiners backpack on a sac barrow to get all our work done. We managed it but boy were we glad to get the van back.
I think it’s great to get some days for time off with the family or admin days. Would also make getting time in the bag for a family break once a year too.
I only do four day weeks to have overflow days but often im working 5 days the next week to recover its hard but hang in there it will get better but its been a rubbish year with rain .
That’s not a bad idea 4 day week leaving a day free for overflow work. I can understand that you have worked many of those overflow days. As like you say this year has not been the best weather wise. Farmers have had a bad time too
If you wish to 'Rinse on the glass' and achieve great results, you need a high flow rate, the greater volume of water, the less rinsing required, the volume of water does it for you, you eluded that your worry is that you would not have enough water, in fact you probably will, as you are spending less time on the glass, we use the Gardiner Ultimate, 35 cm brush, we change them every 6 months, with 100 deg fan jets, because of the length of the brush, you need a wider spray pattern, so all bristles are in contact with water on the glass and we have our pumps on 99
Good to know that your getting 6 months out of the brushes and that you are using the 100 deg fan jets. I think a bigger brush and rinsing on the glass will save lots of time cleaning the windows for sure on maintenance cleans. I suppose i will have to try it out on day on my windows 👍
We installed a Xline rinse bar into a Gardiner 35cm brush, but have just moved over to 100 deg fan jets, again into the Gardiner brush, really enjoy them
I've seen someone put a rinse bar into a Gardiner brush before and liked that idea. Geat t hear your loving the fan jets, I think if i had to go fan jets i woukd try the 100 deg ones too.
Noticed on RU-vid a few do that, I have tried it but prefer to change the angle of the gooseneck if I can. Standing side on does come in handy in tight spaces with a longer pole 👍
Compact is good but it's all relative. All my work is within 3 miles of home, which is great. I don't have it optimised that well as with so little driving it doesn't make too much difference plus my van gets seen in the same areas more often. I will optimise a few jobs up over Christmas when I will have a week or 2 off. Only able to work half day here today, but have a 2 day gsf empty and clean to do, starting tomorrow! It's going to be an arm acher 🙂
Nice one Ched just like @jamesm7953 with not having far to travel. This makes me jealous lol 😂 Sounds perfect for like you say finding some much needed time off. Good luck with the FSG arm acher 💪, nice to do something different though.
Nice to see some dry weather , it’s been raining on and off for weeks here !!!! My rounds are only small and all pretty local , the furthest I go is 4miles from my house so I just organise them into areas of the town I live in and try and keep them grouped together , have a good one guys 💧
Wow that sounds the best ever at being compact and love having the work in a town compact to a specific area. Mind you with how bad traffic can be you have to really. It has been nice to have some dry weather for sure. Managed to finish today just before it rained 👍
Another day in a life of a window cleaner, it helps to have a compact round for efficiency. Squeegee App helps me to keep my rounds compact, what do you use to help organise your rounds?
Hi mate, I have the outside tap connected to a booster pump, which then convects to the water softener. Then from there it connects to the RO membrane. Hope that helps
@@JeremyRafferty I think it would take up some room too mate I a van. You could get in contact for some help from your suppliers to see if there’s anything else that can be done to help. I also think the life of your membrane will be shorter the high the tap TDS.
Fantastic job Rob 👏. Those chicken wire gutter fence things look very odd - on the plus side, at least you can repair the local football pitch with all the lumps of turf you fished out of them 😂😂
Hi MAte that has made me laugh 😆 No idea why those were really installed, it was a pain in some ares as the grass was wrapped in places around those fence things.
Hi Rob yes mate i always have my ols setup for gutter clears. Which is my ladder, ladder mate, bucket a pole and Pro Gutter tools. Sometimes your gutter vac will not clear a tough bit, so the old way still comes in handy. It's quicker than persevering with the vac.
@@CrystalCleanWindows we always take a karcher, reel, and a lance, which we bought from quip2clean, it as a part, like a loop, you can insert into the downspout / neck and just blast away any blockage, saves climbing , we also use the lance to wash gutters and fascias, much quicker and less stress on the body
Hi Mate thank you 🙏. Mine did too lol, my wife Theresa explained them to me as she did the quote and explained that i may not be able to clear it. But that i will do my best, It's good to get tested but once in a while only lol 😂
Thank you, we all rely on the window cleaning all year round. Winter ❄️ will be fine mate, some skips but on busy days it helps you out on the shorter daylight. I always try to have slightly more work than I need so skips or lost days don’t hurt so much.
That was a tricky gutter clear. GVS do a nozzle with spikes which might have been perfect for that job but I have no idea if they fit your poles though.
I did think of those Ched but I guess the spikes may have got tangled up with that gutter guard fence type whatever that thing is called. A few swear words did come into play!
I thought of that at the time lol. Those tuffs were hard to break up especially at long distances. Truly an arm and shoulder burner yet satisfying at the end. We did mention not sure if we would clear it but rust we would give it a good try.
