How do you go about swilling your applicator when working through the day with just a bottle? I,ve thought about using a bottle myself but I dont think I could cope without swilling my applicator/ wagtail/ in a bucket with plenty of water every 1 or 2 houses.
 I do a lot of work thats done every 2 weeks as well as monthly so I can keep my work fairly clean, but by dinner time my water is starting to get dirty.

 So I was wondering whether those of you who use bottles have dirty applicators by the end of a day, or am I missing something 

You got your video private mate so I cant see it.

 So you Have a bucket and a spray bottle then. I have no problems with the way I work and dont see the need for a bottle myself as I do mainly domestic work,3 bed semi detached houses, town houses and terraced at the rate of around 6 per hour so after 20 years in this game myself i am very efficient. My applicator/wagtails/ easily stay wet from house to house, so, its easy for me to swill my applicator in the bucket as I go.
 I wondered how people got their applicators to stay grime free whilst using a bottle. You use both a bottle and a bucket.

 Thanks for your reply. I will check your vid out when you fix it/ make public. 

jim Your most welcome.. but it  is  good  to at least try other ideas. sometimes they can work for you....  ill try and  get another  video  done where  people can really see the point ime trying to make......if your doing domestic   a terrace house  for example.. i guess you leave  your bucket at the  front and then take  your strip washer on your boab  to do the back along with your ladder   am i right or  do you take your bucket as well  to the back with you ? if so.. the old adage  is  . " if it aint broke  why  fix  it "  applies.....

and i understand that you guys  work really hard and  fast.. Ime  English and  Living in Germany. people pay good  money  for window cleaning here  as  well as they do in The USA. probably  better than they do in The UK  because in the USA and Germany  windows  are cleaned  once twice a  three times a year.  on average.  so  having a quick tried   system is  best for you.... when  things get complicated it  slows  some people  down.... But never the less a  sprayer  a small one in your pouch is a  wise  decision because it delivers  extra  water  when needed. and if your  not using it you can allways  leave it in your bucket ..a  sprayer  is better for  spraying down glass and sills  because it delivers  water evenly.. but if  your  doing once  monthly and twice weekly  i  guess  your  washer and cloths  go much further  because the houses  you clean arent terribly  dirty  or am i wrong ?

Some people like glide when there squeegeeing  the same things goes  for  washing  the glass if  you use  too much soap it cause friction and the washer gets  drier  quicker. but a sprayed  window  makes your washer  glide  over the glass... this all depends  if the glass is dirty  . if its clean then a sprayer is not needed. because it will  possibly slow  you down and complicate things.

Jim This is why  you have your system and others  there  its  because off the amount of time between cleans...  if i was  doing 6  an hour like your self i would end  up  doing the same as  your system because  after trial and error  most people  end up doing the same way.. because its the only and best way.... Bucket of water.. you really  want to get some <Ecover  that stuff was  made   for regular cleans it really is fantastic !

regards  John

  i use a bottle on a belt , with ecover vinegar mix and the applicator is cleaner at the end of the day than it was when i used a bucket , with commercial cleaning detergent.

Hi, I been using a bottle on a belt for years now. I was at first worried about the dirt issue, but in the main it doesn't seem to matter much. If you have a first clean or something it might be a bit of an issue. If all your work is fortnight or 4weekly, then it usually is not an issue. Sometimes I might wash my pad out under a tap or change it over but it doesn't seem to make any difference to the results. I currently use Ecover and dogear the channel in the new way that I developed. The rubbers are Pulex. If you get this right it is brill. As I use a mix of wfp and wagtail on a pole, carring a bucket would be just too much. It's rare I get any complaints either. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
I think that useing white vinegar along with Ecover, does make a difference and things tend to stay cleaner for some reason.

What are you washing them in?

  forgot to say , i put the mop in the washing machine each week with the scrims,well maybe noy me 

Tis a hard water area here, and I do use tap water.....but dirt is dirt.. isnt it 

The question is how often  do you change  your water ?- i have not washed my applicator  sleeves  out in 6 years.. i change my water every 20 minutes or  so...my sleeves  are the same color  as when i bought them

peterpetersnbg
 Your sleeves are getting washed out every day then,with your fresh water.
Thats a lot of water changes but you do cleans a few months apart so I suppose you need to  

 Sometimes I can do the day with one bucket, and sometimes I need to change water during the day.

a dont think adding more vinegar will make any difference hard water needs more soap than soft water does to get the same effect as soft,

Yep rain water will work then you will see the difference!

I use lots of water  because ime always  in peoples  house and in Germany they have taps everywhere and  most houses and  apartments   have at least two or three  toilets for emptying out the water . so with in 10 - 20 feet is always a tap and a toilet....  you  do mainly  outside  ....but i think changing your water more often would definitely  help . or get your self  several washers and change through the day and wash them out at night..  run them through your  tap  each night.... regarding the hot water .. Ecover  is great with hot water....  not  smears or streaks !!!. try using a bottle  with pure water and Ecover  and leave the bottle  in your bucket. at least give it a  go.

I could never climb a ladder  with out some sort of extra water on me  be it a sprayer or a bottle......you get paid  5 - 10 ----- 10 - 15  quid  per house.. i get paid that per window !!

Jimmy how often do you go to your bucket ?  

does it not make sense  to  wash your washer out in the bucket
and then take the bottle of  pure  CLEAN water which has diluted  detergent in  and then  apply  clean pure water over your washer  from your bottle( which is bobbing around in your bucket of water  ). ??

 other wise  your water gets gradually dirtier and dirtier and your just applying dirty water  to your washer AND WINDOWS.......

this  is why people use a bottle  to apply  fresh clean water to there washers !!!!.

 this why your washer looks like it does probably  mate.


People use the bucket  too wash there washer out  and then apply  fresh clean water from the bottle ...

you  was thinking that people  have no bucket...  No   they have the bucket of water  but also  in the bucket or on there pouch is the bottle  which contains  pure clean water  and detergent mixed in .


cut along story  short