Working in Winter.

Staying active this Winter.

Winter has always been a hard time for window cleaners. The reliance on water as the primary source of cleaning is adversely affected by the cold weather, which can lead to freezing systems and freezing water in hose reels as well. Other issues such as ice, dark nights and mornings bring their own risks as well.

We want to run through some things that you can do in the colder months to stay safe and to keep working efficiently.

Almost every window cleaner has experienced a frozen system in their van, this can cost time and money and in the most extreme cases damage equipment and take your van off the road.

We often suggest putting a heater in the back of the van, there are a few options:

An electric fan heater can work in these situations, and many have a built-in thermostat allowing you to set the desired temperature.

Other options include a specifically fitted heater that is plumbed into the van’s fuel tank, these specific diesel heaters eliminate any need to take equipment out to the van, and you can easily run it throughout the day if needed.

Frozen water in the hose reels is likely the second problem you will face in cold conditions. This is harder to combat than keeping your van warm prior to use. A simple solution to this problem is to boost the temperature of the fan heater running in your van. However, if you are working in parts of the country that regularly see temperatures below 0° a hot water system is likely a worthy investment in the long run.

Weather conditions are not the only thing that you are up against in the winter.

Dark nights and mornings as well as ice will affect how you work within these months. First and foremost, you should make yourself as visible as possible when working in low light, hi vis is most important. Keeping stock of bags of salt in the van is a good idea as you can salt pavements and walkways where you have been working. This can help stop runoff water from your poles from freezing over and creating patches of ice. The most obvious thing to do in the cold is to wrap up warm to keep the cold away.