Quick-Release Handles
Traditional squeegee handles have two screws that need to be loosened and tightened to change out a channel or rubber. The manufacturers all offer Quick-Release handles that do just what their name implies; they save the hassle of finding a screwdriver and making the change. Many of these quick-release handles also incorporate the clipless technology (see below). Ettore’s quick-release is on top of the handle for easy thumb action. Pulex’s Stutzy handle holds everything together (except their Alumax channels), while Unger’s ErgoTec® handle is Quick-Release, clipless and ergonomic. Some professionals now carry only one quick-release handle on their tool belt because they can easily change out a variety of channels.
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Ettore |
Pulex |
Sörbo |
Pivoting Handles
Most manufacturers now offer squeegee handles that pivot or rotate. This feature is generally important if you are using poles; the rotation allows you to pull your squeegee from side to side and not just straight up and down. Some of the pivots, like Unger’s Swivel-Lok actually lock into exact positions which can be an attractive feature. Others, like Ettore's Super System and Sörbo’s Pivoting handle do not lock, but are stiff so they generally stay where you want them (you can adjust the tension on both of these). Mr. LongArm’s Pro-Curve extension pole is bent and features a rotating squeegee handle; this feature allows you to incorporate the fan technique while using a pole. Like most window cleaning tools, the handles are pretty inexpensive, so try a few and find out what you like using the best. |
Sörbo's handle pivots on a tightened screw, the tension holds it in place. |
Unger's Swivel-Loc locks in place when the black slide is pressed into the corresponding hole |
ProCurve's curved pole and rotating handle actually allows the squeegee to pivot from side to side while up on the glass. |
Clipless Handles
As you probably know the squeegee rubber must be held inside the channel or else it will slide out one end (good for us, bad for you). Traditional squeegees are held inside the channels with little clips that usually wrap around the rubber then force-fit inside the channel. The clips can be fidgety and hard to manipulate, and are often lost. New technologies from each of the manufacturers offer some sort of clipless feature. Generally this means the handle grabs the rubber, effectively locking the handle, channel and squeegee rubber together all at once; simply unlatch the handle and slide the rubber out of the channel. This is a big time saver.
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Unger's ErgoTec® handle
1. Press tab on bottom with thumb
2. Slide channel under the tab
3. Release the tab, make sure teeth hold rubber through notch in the channel |
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Ergonomic Handles
Over their careers, professional window cleaners can literally move their hands thousand of miles in very repetitive motions; thus carpel tunnel is a serious problem in the industry. Both Ettore and Unger offer ergonomic squeegee handles that make life easier for you. Ergonomic handles are usually lighter, and offer shaped grips that better fit the human hand. They are certainly worth a try. |
Ettore's ProGrip |
Unger's ErgoTec® |
Size Matters: Channels & Washer Bars
Anyone who tells you size of a squeegee doesn't matter is pulling your leg. Cleaning windows with washers and squeegees is a labor intensive trade; washers (T-bars with water-soaked pads) and squeegees travel thousands of feet every day for professional Window Cleaners. The sizes of your t-bar and squeegee channel are directly related to the number of times your arm must move back and forth to get the job done.
Imagine a large window that is already scrubbed (wet and ready to be squeegeed). If you have a relatively small squeegee (eight to ten inches) in your hand, you might run your arm back and forth twenty or more times. This process could take more than a minute. Now, if you have a longer squeegee in your hand (18 to 24 inches), you could probably use half of the arm swipes, and do the job in half of the time.
Sörbo Samuelson of Sörbo has taken it to the limit, and offers channels up to 48 inches. "Why should I move my arm about like a crazy man for five minutes when I can pull my arm across once or twice and get the job done just as well?" asks Samuelson to illustrate his point.
The same logic carries over to the washer bar and sleeve. It’s even more of a factor with washers because a washer generally passes back and forth over the same spot several times during the scrubbing process.
So why would you need smaller channels and washers? For smaller windows. Professionals that specialize on residential windows generally carry a variety of tools with them. "For downstairs with lots of large windows and sliding glass doors," says a residential window cleaner in Ohio, "I use longer washers and squeegees. But for the upstairs I generally rely on my smaller tools." French doors can demand tools down to a small as five or 6 inches.
However, there are drawbacks to longer tools. They tend to flex and therefore need to be stronger, and thus heavier. And large panes of glass aren't exactly flat, so longer squeegees may not necessarily deliver the desired results. Sörbo's 48" squeegee actually has a reinforcing bracket that attaches to the channel in two places to apply equal pressure to the channel. Longer tools also are more cumbersome and messy to carry around in smaller, sensitive areas.
Take a good look at all the offerings from the squeegee manufacturers, or talk to other window cleaners; you'll come to find that a variety of squeegee and washer lengths are a must. |
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A big labor saver - Small squeegees on a big window (left) take many more times across to clean the window. With a larger squeegee (right) it takes far less effort and time to clean the same window. Result? More money in your pocket. |
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