Recently the theme “Cleaning by myself or with a specialists” was discussed at one forum. It’s interesting, that women prefer asking for professional help when it deals with windows. The opinions divided: 60% of women preferred the help of a cleaning company. Why? The services of housekeeper cost less, and you trust her already. A housekeeper will clean the windows for some extra-money.

But the housekeeper won’t help in the following cases:

• If the house has big areas of solid glass; windows which can’t be opened; hard-to-reach places

• If it’s necessary to remove the protective membrane, damaged by weather, from the outside part of the window

When people order a cleaning service, they also have some subjective reasons: the cleaning companies have male specialists, which are more suitable for these jobs, especially for high-rise buildings and for non-opening windows. In these cases the strong fellows goes down from the roof and clean everything until it shines.

How much does it cost, to get this pleasure? It’s a pretty difficult question. The web-sites of cleaning companies have detailed price-lists. But on practice these prices considerably differ from the real ones. For example, lots of companies define the cost of job for one square meter. However you can’t count the area of the window: how is it – from the all sides, or just from the inside? Do I need to count the area of Venetian blinders and window-sills? One of the Kiev cleaning companies explained us the situation. They are ready to clean a window for about 75-100 grivnas, but if you give some extra 50-70 grivnas, they’ll clean also a window-sill and Venetian blinders. This is an interesting price policy, isn’t it? The service of industrial climbers is a different question: one order costs $40. That’s why you should discuss the price of the cleaning services in advance, so you won’t be surprised. The classy companies usually have a specialist, which comes to your place and estimates the cost of the jobs for free.

Andrej Rabtsevich, the industrial climber, 36:

“The job of industrial climber is very essential and high-paid. I need to feed my whole family, including two children, that’s why I don’t pay attention at risk that I’m taking any more. It’s physically hard, of course, because the job is “hanging”. What’s people’s reaction on our job? The customers are calm, but the reaction of their neighbors depends. Some of them offer me a cup of coffee, the others take pictures. My co-worker was even offered a lady of easy virtue: he’s a sailor and has just gone back from the long voyage. The man behind the window just wanted to help. In fact, my job is interesting, hard and very man-like.

Comments

Iryna Kladko, the marketing specialists of Shaden Group:

“24”: Does the general cleaning include windows washing?

I.K.: Of course, it does. Equally with kitchen cleaning, cleaning and disinfecting of bathrooms.

“24”: Is there a seasonal demand for this service?

I.K.: The increasing of demand for windows and fa?ade washing is in spring. People want to clean everything from the rests of snow and dirt.

“24”: How much does it cost to wash the windows? On what factors does the price depend?

I.K.: The price of washing the standard double-glazed window from the sides plus window-sills and frames cost from 75 grivnas for a window. This is within the general cleaning.

The cost of washing the standard double-glazed window from both sides, and also the window-sills and frames within the construction works is from a hundred grivnas per window.

Factors, Which Make the Price

The cost of windows washing is formed by the influence of three factors:

• Accessibility of windows: if the service employee may reach the whole window from inside and outside or it’s necessary to use the industrial climbing

• The level of window pollution: there’s a difference between the regular washing of the window after the winter to refresh it and the washing the window after repair with removing of dirt, concrete and scotch tape

• The windows size: the windows, showcases and stained-glass windows may be of different sizes, that’s why the cost of their washing is formed after the estimation by the specialist

The approximate prices of Kiev cleaning companies for windows washing:

Without using of industrial climbing: 7 grivnas/1 sq.m
With using of industrial climbing: 10 grivnas/ 1 sq.m
The Venetian blinders: from 5 grivnas/ 1 sq.m
The window-sill: from 7 grivnas/ 1 sq.m
The minimal cost of the order without alpinists: 170 grivnas
The minimal cost of order with alpinists: 1200 grivnas

Source: “24″