I’m going to address this only because it is a direct reply to me.
Roga, this is not the first time I have read one of your posts where you come across as hostile and condescending, nor am I the first person on this forum to point this out to you as @AdamPWC did in another post. I don’t have issue with the congenial exchange of ideas and advice. This forum is here for all of us to share experiences and advise others on what can be done better or give other options to questions/inquiries, but they way in which you phrase your responses reads overly aggressive. So;
100% your opinion and that is 100% fine.
Contra-indicated to this opinion, is if you already have pressure washing equipment and don’t have tons of extra money to purchase specialized gutter vacuum equipment. You use what you have to get the job done as professionally and efficiently as possible. In my personal case, I didn’t spend $1,400 on equipment to clean gutters. I already have a $10,000 pressure washing machine that I buy specialized tools for in order to adapt to various tasks. (I only mention the price for reference to quality and scale of my machine). In this case, the telescoping pole was $200 and the hook was $15. As I stated in my original post, this option is usually used only in situations where it is too high to reach by ladder, too great of a pitch to the roof to safely walk along, or if there is an object like solar panels in the way making it unsafe.
This is my typical method and if I were to gauge the acceptedness of using the blower by other’s in the industry by the fact that the forum creator both uses and recommends it, I would say I am in the safe majority.
Again, paying closer attention to what I wrote in my original post:
I don’t deal with white, or really any other type of siding. Here in Central Florida the majority of the houses are concrete block covered with a cement stucco skim coat. Rarely do I come across a house with anything else, but the few that I do are painted vinyl siding which rinse off just fine without any staining.
The way I read “Do you enjoy…(making a mess and damaging clients property[paraphase])” is where your post really becomes condescending.
Part of being a professional is recognizing what is going to get in the way or potentially damaged, before any work is started. You then take corrective action to prevent anything from happening. Have the client move their vehicle into the garage or far enough away from the house so that it won’t get dirty. If you are pressure washing, you want to do this anyway to keep detergents, dirt, and excess water from getting on the vehicles already. Move furniture under a covered porch or out into the lawn away from the house, etc.
To me this statement is just inflammatory and equally asinine. Had you added this in your other post rather than put it in a direct reply to me, I would have accepted as a satirical generalization. But instead I am going to make it clear that I have never had a client refuse to pay me, I don’t have any bad reviews or complaints to the BBB. However, it leads me to ask has your way of conducting business lead to any of these?
Considering that I am a one man operation with 200+ semi-annually recurring clients including multiple commercial clients including car dealerships, hotels, investment firms, realtors, and contractors. I have not paid for any advertisement in the 20 months that I have been in business for myself and yet I am usually fully booked 4-6 weeks out consistently through the year all by client referrals and recommendations alone. Lastly, add to all of that, again as a single man operation, I grossed over $100k in 2019. I’d say that the way I do things, including using a pressure washer to clean gutters when it is unsafe to do so otherwise, tells me that this industry is perfect for me and I for it.
The irony to all of this is that I share similar opinions when it comes to gutter guards and how clients become too reliant upon gimmicks rather than paying for professional work.
Offering my differing opinion on your other post:
Preventive measures like walking the perimeter of the house with the client and pointing out any areas of concern like rotting wood or loose hangers will allow you to still get the job and do the cleaning as long as it is discussed with the client that you are not responsible for any potential damages. Beyond that all professionals should be carrying liability insurance so that in the event of damage resulting from clear neglect only, is then covered by the insurance.