SanitarySpecialist

I'm at a crossroads...

Obviously I am looking to be as economical as possible with chemical costs, and one of the most expensive supplies thus far in the years I have been operating a commercial cleaning business has been glass cleaner.

Sprayway, Zep, Squeegee Concentrate, or my own Ammonia (and/or) Vinegar solution... is there any consensus here as to what the best route would be moving forward? Indoors I use microfibers, since a squeegee has a slight tendency to drip or scatter water, outdoors I use the blade primarily.

I have taken note of the HUGE savings I can enjoy by using Ammonia and water, whether in a bucket, or in a spray bottle (for in doors). Can someone shed some light on the best solution in what ratios to mix?

- Should I mix only ammonia/water, or would Ammonia/water/Vinegar be best? I am ALL EARS for any window savants here who can help me out! THANKS

hendersonmarc

joy soap or dawn good for windows just a little bite and add water

SanitarySpecialist

WHOA... this is an old but good post! I had forgotten all about it... but of course I am always WIDE OPEN for some good solid advice to help me get the job done for clients and save money along the way!

Thanks so much for the cool advice, using something as simply and super cost effective as dish soap is pretty encouraging and exciting, since due to the foaming action of very small amounts, one bottle of soap could potentially clean hundreds of windows!!

Do you have any more calculated guide lines or tips you can offer up regarding the mixture 'dosing' so I don't go overboard on accident and end up putting too much soap in? I have been mixing pure ammonia from WalMart in with water lately, and I was going to try white vinegar next... but I like your idea

hendersonmarc

i use one sqeeuze to 3gals of water is what i use

SanitarySpecialist

Awesome! Thank you so much.

Something else that's been bothering me big time... about a month ago, I cleaned my car's windows (exterior) with a mixture of Ammonia and water - it was freezing out (literally, about 30 degrees, but I just had to do a quick wipe-down of the car so it didn't look horrible for a trip I was taking) as I wiped and cleaned the glass, it was so cold the spray would actually freeze before I buffed all of it off.

Now... my window has this film on it that won't go away... it is like a foggy sort of layer that persists to this day. Can Ammonia cause this type of damage to a windshield, or is it only due to the fact it was freezing outside MIXED with the Ammonia? Whatever happened, it is pretty major, and it is only noticeable when it rains thankfully, once water hits the window and the wipers go back and forth, the film is VERY evident.

april1979

I personally think ammonia works great for non-tinted windows (if you can handle the smell) BUT you should never use it on tinted windows as it will damage the tint. I'm sorry you may have ruined your windows. My wife did that to her car, the tint is now peeling off. What I found out is they make special wipes for car windows.
As to the other poster who talked about not using a squeegee on interior windows, I think that using a squeegee will give you much better results. If you are concerned about dripping, put a towel on the ledge to catch the drippings. Furthermore, squeeze out all of the excess moisture from the window scrubber before using it. You should use less moisture on the interior windows. If you want them to drip even less make your own solution with a lot of ammonia or rubbing alcohol in it. Most of it will evaporate rather quickly and you won't have nearly as much solution running down the window. I prefer to use 2 gallons of water in a 5 gallon bucket, and then add 1 cup of ammonia and 1 tablespoon of dishsoap. Add the dishsoap after you put the water in, that way it won't get all foamy. Open up some windows when cleaning with ammonia

Bremerton Janitorial Port Orchard Window Cleaning