Can I Get a Partial Cleaning?

The short answer is, yes. The better answer is, that depends. While it's always possible to clean select windows or one wall of a property in reality a partial cleaning isn't in your best interest in most cases. Why?

The Cost
In every cleaning there are expenses incurred by the contractor that are factored into the price. Among those are equipment wear and tear, vehicle maintenance, insurance, labor, etc. Most of these are the same no matter how many sides of your home are washed, windows cleaned, or sidewalks cleaned. This means there is already a minimum you are going to pay up front. Because of this many companies have a minimum charge on their services. So you may end up paying more on the smaller jobs when you figure the cost per square foot. That's why it's almost always more economical for you to have the whole property cleaned.

It Looks Clean
Many times you may think that it's only a few windows that are dirty or only one side of the building needs cleaned because it's green. This is where the old axiom "looks are deceiving" comes into play. While we often gauge how dirty something is by it's appearance it can leave unseen soils behind. In the case of algaes or molds this can lead to rapid resoiling of the cleaned surface rendering the cleaning short lived or often useless.

Hidden Damage
While we often clean our property because of what's seen the best reasons to have it cleaned are not immediately visible. For instance a window that is left uncleaned for years will be damaged by hard water staining so that cleaning will no longer be effective and require restoration, a far more costly alternative. Some sidings left uncleaned will eventually oxidize badly and again require a restoration at a much higher cost. Others will stain badly requiring multiples cleanings at a more regular rate to get them out.

The Solution?
Realizing that our building surfaces are among the largest investments we will make in our lifetime helps us to see the real value in full, regular cleaning of those surfaces. But how regularly should this be done? In the case of sidings it can depend greatly on our location. At the very least every 2 years up to as often as every 6 months. In the case of flat concrete areas it can be as often as every 2 weeks to every 3 months depending on traffic and type of business or the area we live in. What about windows? While it can be more ascetic because we see our world through them having them cleaned at least once a year should be on our schedule. More frequently is recommended though.

That's A Lot of Work!
Certainly the amount of work on a property can be overwhelming. However, the alternative to ignoring the consequences of partial cleanings can be just as overwhelming. To make this easier search out a competent company to handle this task. They can get you scheduled and take the worry on their shoulders for you. To find a top level company in your area I recommend hiring a certified contractor from the United Association of Mobile Contract Cleaners. Find one here!

For an idea of the many services we can perform on your property our website

 

Tony Evans Biography

    Along with my wife of nearly 30 years I own and operate A New View Exterior Cleaning. We started the company in 2004 making this our 12th year in business. I have been in the cleaning industry in one form or another for over 15 years and was a general contractor for 10 years before that.

    The first thing I realized when we started this business was that education was paramount to success. To that end I got involved with several online forums to glean as much information as possible in an effort to shorten my learning curve and decrease the potential pitfalls of the business. I so appreciated the help I was given that I have made a concerted effort to give back as much as possible by helping educate any who have asked, even those in my own area, thru forums, phone calls, and networking events.

    About 3 years ago I joined the United Association of Mobile Contract Cleaners as  felt it was a group that felt the same way I did about educating other contractors for the betterment of the industry as a whole. I've enjoyed learning a great deal about being a businessman, teacher, and servant to the industry from it's leadership over the last few years. Because of that and my desire to continue to give back, I'm running for a At Large position on the Board of Directors in the upcoming election. 

   I've enjoyed the privilege of forming and chairing the Window Cleaning Certification Committee, writing several articles for the newsletter, and doing presentations and training at several UAMCC events. I've also hosted the Midwest Cleaning Event in Iowa for 7 years before joining forces with the Power Wash Store event this last year. 

   I hope to be able to give back even more to the industry as a member of the UAMCC Board of Directors should I be elected so I can continue the path so clearly set by the previous Board.

Avoiding the Do It Yourself Trap!

Now before you get upset because you love a good DIY project let me explain - I'm not talking about modifying your tools or fixing your own equipment. I'm discussing a trap that comes from our own minds. One that originates with our strengths to become our weakness. The belief that we have to do the work ourselves in order to have a successful business.
Yes, the old, I can do it better myself, myth!
I myself have tried for many years to do the bulk of our work myself and I know many others who also operate their business that way. However, after a recent car accident I realize just how dangerous that is for my business. As I slowly recover I find that my productivity isn't what I want it to be and it's slow to return. That begs the question - what if I were hurt worse? How could my business survive if the one person doing a large amount of the work or at the very least the more difficult tasks. In our case that could cost us a large amount of our current customer base. So why would someone keep working that way?

I Love What I Do
Some of the biggest reasons that keep us working solo or with a mate only, are our love of what we do and a strong work ethic. We don't want to be stuck behind a desk when we enjoying working outside. We may even feel that if we aren't working hard in the field we aren't doing our all to build our business. Then there's the feeling that we don't want to train an employee to become our competition. Are those concerns valid?
As we discussed above sometimes our strengths can become our weaknesses. For instance a strong work ethic can make us oblivious to how much time we are spending (often unnecessarily) on our business. After a 10 or 12 hour day do you then go home to do invoices, scheduling, returning calls, or a myriad of other tasks before getting to spend any time with your family or even sleep? Do you realize that by and large most people don't want to be a business owner? Do we really have to be stuck behind a desk all the time if we are the boss?
Only you have the answers for your company in those areas. But maybe you can start small. Delegate some tasks to a trusted friend or family member or even use a company that specializes in things like scheduling appointments or taking phone calls. You may find that extra time is addictive and you'd like to step it up to the next level. How then do we protect ourselves from the trap?

What is the Answer?
For our company the answer is twofold. First, as I posted in a past blog, we are moving the company into more commercial maintenance work. Secondly, I am training others to do this work removing me from the equation if necessary.
I know some will say they simply can't entrust their company's future to others but if you can't, will your company have a future if something happens to you? I'm not saying that you have to restructure your company out of fear but allowing our belief that we are the only person who can do the work is a trap that can be hard to escape.
Why not take some time to think about it. Don't let your great work ethic and love of what you do end up becoming the Do It Yourself Trap!

For more information visit A New View Exterior Cleaning