Rain or Shine Window Cleaning

Fall is Here! — Are you Ready?

Carl — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:00:55 +0000

The summer is over. It’s time to look forward to the Holidays and the wet weather. Call us now to get on the schedule for gutter cleaning.
Also, you wanted clean windows for the holidays didn’t you?

The First Rush is Over

admin — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:40:02 +0000

We were really busy there for a moment. Lot’s of houses going on the market. And lots of graduation parties. But, the summer has never really materialized. So instead of being booked out 2-4 weeks (like before), we are now sometimes available within days. So call now. Because as soon as the sun comes back, your neighbors are calling us up and booking up our calendar!

Spring is here!

Carl — Mon, 23 May 2011 23:47:40 +0000

Last week was full of beautiful weather.
And we’ve received a lot of phone calls…

As a result, we are now filling our schedule. Some of our technicians can get booked out for 3 weeks solid. That means you might not get your regular window washer if you are in a rush to get the windows cleaned before the relatives arrive or before that weekend BBQ your spouse planned all of a sudden.

But we have good news… A few technicians that used to work for Rain or Shine have come back this spring. We now have more slots open for those of you who have need of a quick window cleaning appointment.

And how are those gutters looking? Did you have them cleaned out after the leaves fell at the end of last year?

Customer Service

Carl — Mon, 09 May 2011 19:01:52 +0000

Do you ever receive great customer service?
I just did today. So, I thought I’d give Ettore a pat on the back for it.

This company is one of the top names in Window Cleaning supplies and innovation. I buy a lot of their stuff. But their customer service is what has me coming back for more.

I have bought a few new squeegee handles in the last few years. You can buy a basic one (handle only, without the channel and rubber) for around $6-7. Or you can buy a really fancy one for $25. There are other options in between.

One of my favorite expensive handles is the Ettore Contour Pro+ (pictured in this post). Recently one of my workers was adjusting the spring tension and over loosened it. The nut and bracket fell off and got lost. The squeegee became unusable right away.

I bought a replacement handle from my supplier. But the broken handle sat on my desk and mocked me. Sure, I could get a locking nut at my local hardware store. But, I couldn’t get the custom bracket that was lost. So after a month, I finally called Ettore customer service.

The representive was on the line right away. I explained the situation, and she quickly exceeded my expectations. I was asking if I could purchase the bracket and nut to fix my squeegee. I guessed they would charge me a couple dollars for the parts, and maybe $5 for shipping.

So what did she do? She offered to send out the bracket and nut for free. But she was unsure if she could even fulfill that order. So, in the event that she couldn’t order me the parts, she said she would send me a new handle. All of this at no charge! And to think, I almost didn’t bother calling in.

Thanks Ettore!

Sprinklers

Carl — Tue, 03 May 2011 04:19:12 +0000

Sprinklers are great for your yard.

But they can be bad for your windows (and your view).

Automatic sprinklers provide your lawn with ample amounts of water. But if they are improperly adjusted, they can permanently damage your windows. Rain water is generally fairly clean in our area. Weather systems usually come through often enough to clear out our atmosphere. But what about your tap, hose and sprinkler water?

Most water delivered by your local utility has some mineral content, also known as “hard water”. If this water is left to dry on your windows, over time it will form deposits on the glass. You may see this on shower glass, or the glass on your car. And it won’t come off, even with soap scum removing chemicals.

If you are unaware that your sprinklers are hitting your windows, hard water deposits will soon follow. If you catch it early enough, we might be able to remove it. There are polishing compounds and acids that might do the trick. These are costly processes. Sometimes, there’s nothing you can do but replace the window (or live with it…)

Turn on your sprinkler system a couple times during the season and make sure that they are not hitting the windows. In windy parts, make sure they are nowhere near hitting the windows.

When it comes to hard water on glass, Sammamish is anecdotally one of the worst places around here. I’m unaware if the water quality is improved these days, but we see a lot of problems on 10+ year old houses around here, when compared to other localities. It’s not bad compared to other parts of the country, but it is a problem.