External house cleaning requires a gentle touch, and this old cottage that takes a beating from the surrounding farms got just that. Tractors stirring up dust, overspray and the slow build up of mould over time needed to be soft washed to bring back the original look of the Colorbond cladding. Washing Colorbond cladding can be tricky and involves a lot of rinsing because the corrugations provide a lip for soap residue or dirt to rest on.
After washing the house and windows, we threw in the solar as we noticed the build up from crop dust. All in all the results were spectacular and that’s another happy customer for Spark!
Well, solar panel cleaning. What will solar panel cleaners do for me? Do we need to do it? Is it worth it? Will I generate more power?
The answer is yes… and no. There are a whole lot of factors you need to consider when thinking about cleaning your solar panels. How large is the solar array, what sort of feed in tariff you are receiving from your power company, how old is the system, how is the system oriented… What impacts your solar in the environment? Yes, we clean solar, but no we don’t want to if you really don’t need to.
You can spend anywhere from $50, for Joe Bloggs to jump on your roof with a hose and broom, that much per panel from some electrical companies to check your system for faults, and give them a quick clean while they’re up there. How are you to know what to do? Get data.
Find a reputable company (actually, try and find one on recommendation) that cleans solar, but before they clean do a bit of research and check what your solar is generating. Pick a nice sunny day to check, then again after the panels have been cleaned. We used to be under the impression that warranties would be at risk if panels were not cleaned, however we need to stress that ‘would‘ should be ‘could‘. In fact we’ve not heard of any warranty be denied due to lack of cleaning.
It’s impossible for us to tell you whether or not your panels need cleaning without seeing them. We can tell you that we’ve seen improvements in performance from as little as 5% up to and over 50%. Yes, over 50%. The picture below is an example of that.
Our last word will be, don’t get pushed in to doing something you don’t want or need. Any company that peddles fear, like losing a warranty isn’t worth dealing with. And remember that a cleaning company (including us) cannot do anymore than clean and take a look. We cannot touch or fix anything, nor is it ethical for us to give advise other than to contact your solar installer or electrician.
When a modern white rendered home comes up for cleaning, a lot of people think to just high pressure clean it. Water blasting is the last thing you should be thinking though. Even cheap machines from eBay or the local hardware giant can be devastatingly destructive. So what to do?
Soft Washing. Using our special Spark Shampoo we’ll lather up your home and allow the formula to dwell and do its work. The grime and grit will break down and the mould will be destroyed, allowing us to use low pressure and high volume to rinse away the filth.
What is left behind is the house you we sure existed, the one you remember from year ago. Our system is so gentle we can even clean cracking and peeling paint without further damage.
If you think you can handle the cleaning yourself, that’s great… just promise me you won’t go and get a cheap pressure cleaner and start stripping the paint. Give us a call and we’ll point you in the right direction as to how you can get decent results without the heartache. Call us 07 4847 6767
Have you ever struggled to clean your louvres or louvred windows properly? Getting to that last blade and the track at the bottom that seems to be a catch all for the dirt grime and dead bugs the world has decided to throw your way? When I first started window cleaning… er, many year ago, I found this to be a particularly annoying part of the job. I’d end up with a smeared track, a pile of dirt on each side that I couldn’t get to and a bunch of filthy cloths.
We offer track cleaning in our Deluxe and Premium packages, and the following is straight out of The Spark Way, our operations manual.
- Cleaning tracks prior to any water or solutions being applied is critical. Otherwise any dirt in the track will turn into a muddy consistency which is very hard to then remove from the track.
- Remove the bottom louvre from the plastic fixings and place in a safe place out of the work area.
- Use the track cleaning brush to dislodge dust and dirt build up from corners of the track/sill.
- Vacuum dislodged dust and dirt with crevice tool.
- Use a microfibre frame towel to clean remaining dirt from the track/sill.
- Refit the bottom louvre into it’s plastic fixings.
Massive sheets of glass mounted high over an impressive pool proved somewhat impossible to the owners of this home. When you have the right equipment and have been cleaning these sorts of windows as long as we have, the task is reduced to a simple scrub and rinse. Well, almost. It was actually quite a physical… a work out of sorts. Thanks to the Future of Cleaning and their never ending quest to develop the best in carbon fibre telescoping poles, we were able to clean these windows in Brisbane with ease.
One of my favourite photos from the years, we used a 22ft Reach-iT Mini with an XT (extension) to reach across the 5m wide pool and up the two levels of the amazing home here in Brisbane. Got a tricky job? Get a window cleaning quote today.
Here’s another excerpt from The Spark Way, our own operations manual that ensures we do the best job every time. Most likely you won’t have a louvre tricket, so instead use a sponge or damp microfibre cloth.
- Cleaning louvres can be time consuming and results can vary depending on level of dirt and weather conditions. If possible, avoid cleaning louvres in full sun.
- If louvres have no external screen or a removable screen, it is advisable to close the louvres and wash them externally using pure water and water fed brush prior to the following steps.
- Internally, close the louvres and using carry bottle spray the frame and glass with solution using mist setting.
- Using your microfibre frame towel, wipe the window frames and the plastic fixings on the left and right sides.
- Open the louvres and using the louvre tricket, scrub 3 louvres.
- Using a microfibre frame towel, dry the louvres.
- Using a blue detailing towel polish top and bottom sides of each louvre. Do not apply so much pressure that the glass flexes.
- Repeat steps 5-7 down to the second last louvre.
- Remove the bottom louvre from its fixings and place carefully to one side.
- Spray solution on the sill and clean with a microfibre frame towel.
- Refit the bottom louvre and clean as per steps 5-7
If cleaning louvres seems like a chore, don’t hesitate to call… if you need a window cleaning service 0420213145
It seems like a simple task, and it is. But it’s often forgotten. Those dirty fan blades are something to consider having cleaned next time you schedule a Brisbane window cleaning service. As we approach the cooler months, you’d think that it’s time to leave the fan off. Not so.
Most modern fans have a switch that can reverse the direction of the unit. The result is a drawing up toward the ceiling instead of down (which would be cool and drafty), and mixes the air gently along the ceiling and pushes it toward the walls where it creates a slight cycle. We can make the switch for you if we’re cleaning your fan blades this Autumn in preparation for Winter.
We cleaned the solar panels here last year and advised the customer that their roof may enjoy a bath too. We were pretty sure we’d get great results, but how great? No one would know until we got back up there and tried. I was unsure, as the lichen build up looked quite severe on first inspection. We provided them with a roof cleaning quote and…
It proved tough in places, however the results speak for themselves.
When a plan comes together. We are constantly reminding our customers of the wonder that is soft washing as opposed to pressure cleaning. High pressure cleaning has its place, but that’s not on weatherboards or delicate render. When a building has been overcome with mould, a pressure washer will remove the surface layer of that mould, however doesn’t kill the underlying problem.
Introducing Soft Washing. We mix our formula specific to each job, depending on the degree of dirt and organic growth the building may be suffering at the hands of. We pay close attention to the surrounding areas of the property and wet down any plants and allow grasses to soak up a bit of water prior to our treatment. The solution is applied at low pressure and allowed to dwell for a set amount of time, before being rinsed thoroughly using slightly higher pressure to remove the the detergent as well as the organic matter we’ve now destroyed.
The result is a better clean that will last longer and keep mould from returning for longer. If you’re worried about your plants, please rest assured we’ve done this countless times and for some pretty particular clients. Last year we had the honour of cleaning the heritage listed homestead, Braeside in Dalveen on the Granite Belt. The beautiful property is surrounded by the most amazing gardens (which you can visit during the Apple & Grape Festival every 2 years), which we were entrusted with a week before a wedding. Check out our post about cleaning Braeside Homestead.
If you’d like to see what soft washing Brisbane can do for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
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