Squeegee: You Won’t Believe What It Can Do

Well, truth be told, the squeegee can only do one thing: squeegee. But it does it so darned well that it earns its weight on my caddy. Absolutely one of my favorite tools (it’s kinda fun) and one of my favorite house cleaning ‘tricks’. (I thought of it myself… along with 10,000 other house cleaners, no doubt!)

You see, in each customer’s home, my goal is to leave a clean, polished sheen throughout. That means going beyond just removing the dirt; it means removing every last trace of cleaner and water haze, too.

And the squeegee wins the blue ribbon in that event.  It removes all the water, dirt and cleaner in a single swipe (after scrubbing clean, of course), leaving the surface perfectly clean and bone dry. It is a help in the kitchen, the bath, and beyond. Check out the list of surprising uses below!

But we’re not talking about just any squeegee; certainly not the plastic shower-version found in every bath department throughout the land.

We’re talking about a professional-grade 12” window-washer’s squeegee, found in the janitorial aisle of the hardware store. (And you don’t even need a professional window-washer’s license to purchase!)

In the Bathroom:

Here’s how to use it:

• Glass Shower Doors and Panels : Crystal clear shower glass will not only please your customers, it will protect their home value (which increases your value). The squeegee works best with plenty of water and cleaner, and that’s exactly how I like to clean shower glass that really needs cleaning, anyhow. I spray the door with diluted dish soap from the bottom to top (that prevents ‘streaking’), let it penetrate a moment, scrub with a wet Scotch Brite Non-Scratch Scrub Sponge (I usually add a bit of concentrated dish soap and a bit of white vinegar~ that removes soap scum and mineral deposits pretty easily, on safe surfaces, for regular maintenance cleaning). Then, a few strokes of my squeegee and I’m done.
  • Two details: 1) Be sure to give the rubber blade a quick wipe if it gets soapy, and 2) cloth dry the door frames as a finishing touch.
• Tub and Shower Surrounds: It’s helpful in those smooth acrylic shower and tub inserts, too. After scrubbing, I use the squeegee in lateral stripes from edge to middle to remove cleaner above the built-in soap and shampoo shelves where it’s hard to rinse (unless you’re in the mood to ride Splash Mountain).
• Vanities: Works for large, cleared vanity tops with inset sinks; just squeegee the soapy wetness right in after scrubbing.

Mirrors, probably not:Though it would be just perfect to deep-clean a large vanity mirror suffering from hair spray film, the dripping water can damage a mirror with unsealed edges; so heads-up on that.

In the Kitchen:

But the truly undiscovered talent of the squeegee lies beyond the bathroom: it makes quick(er) work of countertops (or any broad, flat, waterproof surface) with a better result for less effort.

Countertops:

1. Remove all crumbs from the countertop; spray a workable area generously with the appropriate cleaner; scrub with a wet Scotch Brite Non- Scratch Scrub Sponge.
2. Squeegee the area from back to front into a pool and mop up the puddle with your cloth
3. Dry any trace moisture with cloth or paper towel.

Customers spend big bucks on granite, but many live with a murky haze between your visits. You always return it to gleaming. One day, they catch you in the act of squeegeeing. They say: “So that’s how you do it!” (Seriously, they really do.)

Around the House:

Once you come to rely on it, you’ll be thinking of more uses too~ any large, flat, sealed surface is game!

Tables: For any well-sealed table  (whether glass, polyurethaned, or one with a protective laminate) scrub with a non-scratch pad, then squeegee. It leaves a table top perfect; so smoooth. Especially great for large dining tables and durable coffee tables.

Entry Doors: A squeegee makes quick(er) work of the glass patio doors that serve as a force field to dogs and kids. It’s a task that is relatively quick and easy with a squeegee, but still a big accomplishment in your customer’s mind. You can include it in the list of tasks you’ll accomplish when you bid a job, or save it for a ‘that’s-more-than-I-expected!’ surprise. (And if you’ve got time, the front storm door makes an impression before they walk in the house!)

 

As far as storing it on your caddy, you might install a hook and hang it securely from the side, or just tuck it in a corner.  You can see mine (bottom right corner of pic) in its place on my caddy (the cup with the dusters is secured to the caddy, so the squeegee really tucks in).

And it’s a cute name, right? Squeegee.