Getting A Job As A Commercial Window Cleaner? What To Expect
Posted on: 12 April 2016
As you go about looking for employment, there are several service jobs available, some of which you have probably never tried before. If you happen upon a job ad that is hiring people for a commercial window washer, and then you apply for and get that job, you should probably know a little about what the job entails. (In fact, it is helpful to your employer to know something about the job so that he or she does not have to explain the duties to you fully.) This job does not require a whole lot of training, but the training it does require is as follows. Here is what you can expect from the job and what you will learn on the job.
Washing Street-Level Windows vs. Washing Windows from the Second Story Up
Many commercial windows are at street level, that is to say, you can wash and squeegee the windows while standing on the sidewalk. Other commercial properties will have multiple stories of windows and multiple windows per floor that all need to be washed and squeegeed. In these instances, you will have to go all the way up to the roof, lower a work platform that hangs from a boom arm, and slowly lower yourself down each level and then move across each level to wash all of the windows. The platform may be hydraulically- or mechanically-powered in order to control the lift and lower features, or you may have to rely on your own muscles and a rope and pulley system to move.
Some commercial window cleaning companies may have you complete your job duties entirely by hand, spraying each window, wiping it down and then drying it afterward. Other companies may utilize a power washer mounted to the platform to clean the windows, with pressurized air to blast away excess cleaner and water in place of rags to dry the windows. You may find that you could be working with all kinds of methods, depending on what each commercial client wants with regards to their service orders.
Work Hours
Many commercial window cleaners (Streakfree Inc does window cleaning) start work very early in the morning, usually just after sunrise so that they can see what they are doing and can tell if they missed any spots on the windows. They may work all day, only stopping to take breaks for meals and restroom breaks. You could be looking at eight-, ten- or twelve-hour days depending on the season, the weather, and how much daylight is available. If it is raining, snowing, sleeting, etc. you probably will not be working on those days at all. Ergo, expect your work schedule to follow the patterns of the weather and the seasons and be prepared to work even if the meteorologist says it might be a good idea to stay home.
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