Keep your money makers close by carrying your scrubbers and squeegees in a bucket on a belt.

Keep your money makers close! If time is money, you need to keep time saving tools closest to you in order to move quickly on the job.

In the Professional window cleaning trade, this means picking out a holster that you carry on your belt that is capable of holding your most commonly used tools. Most professionals use a BOAB.

A BOAB or bucket on a belt holsters can contain hip holsters, bucket hoslters, and buckets that are carried on a tool belt. These holsters tend to be made of hard plastic, allowing you to have your wet window cleaning tools at your side for quick use and storage.

This tool has become so popular with window cleaners that there are more options than ever for you to choose from. Let’s start by discussing the basic features that you will see on all of the units: scrubber chamber, squeegee slots, extra tool slots, and belt connection.

SCRUBBER CHAMBER

One of the biggest challenges solved by the bucket on a belt holster is providing a way for you to carry your wet window scrubber while minimizing the chance of drips and drops on the job. Not having tools to prevent messes, in residential or commercial cleaning, can be a huge liability. This feature has been so sought after that now every one of the units on the market has a chamber designed to hold a scrubber complete with the handle, ready for use. Each model, depending on the maker, carries a different amount of scrubbing solution. Some are larger than others, larger buckets are for those who want to have enough water to replenish the scrubber. Holsters like the Unger bucket on a belt and Moerman tool holder or Drywalker, are popular and seem to have larger scrubber compartments.

• Common usage would be to dunk your scrubber into your chosen solution. While wet, place the scrubber into the holster. The key idea is to have extra solution in the holster. Experiment and find out how much extra is the right amount for you.
• When using the scrubber, you can squeeze out excess solution as you pull the window scrubber out of the holster.
• Extra point – you will notice a difference in the amount of solution you want to hold in your holster depending on which window cleaning scrubber sleeve you use. Check out our blogs about scrubber materials as there are many options that will perform differently.

SQUEEGEE SLOTS

Along with the scrubber, the squeegee is used to clean every piece of glass serviced. The hip holsters are designed to carry one or more squeegees. Models like the Unger Bucket on a belt and Moerman Tool holder carry the squeegee right in a slot that is open to the area that holds the wet scrubber, allowing drainage of the water from the squeegee into the other solution. While other styles like the Ettore Sidekick, Pulex Tubex and Moerman DryWalker feature completely separate areas from the scrubber solution for holstering the squeegee.

Most all of the hip holsters on the market accommodate both thin style squeegee channels (brass, stainless steel and lightweight aluminum) as well as thicker styles (Unger Ninja, Sorbo, Ettore Super Channel). The Unger Bucket on a belt ships with a rubber insert included to help adjust the size of the opening to the thicker or thinner style channel.

EXTRA TOOL SLOTS

While all have slots for holding squeegees, there is a variety in the number of slots on each model. Varying from the single slot on the Ettore Sidekick and classic bucket on a belt, to the multiple slots on the newest Moerman Tool holder and the Unger Bucket on a belt, you will be sure to find the option that works best for you and your tool belt. This can save you time by having a variety of tools perfect for specific tasks on the job.

BELT CONNECTION

Every model can be connected to standard web work belts. There are models that have loops which can be slid onto the belt for a more permanent installation or units that have buckles, allowing for the bucket holster to be removed and put back on the belt as desired.

TIP: Consider the length, each model hangs down to a slightly different length. This becomes interesting as, depending on your body proportions, the holster can hang just right or might hand too long and create a contact point with your knee. The thought of working all day with a holster bouncing on your knee is less than ideal for sure and could slow you down! Check out the specs of the holsters to help you pick the one that suits you best.

The bucket holster or hip buckets represent one of the best time saving tools in your pro window cleaning equipment tool box. Less bending to reach into the bucket and less steps back to the bucket lead to a longer career!

Understanding the differences between the options of scrubber chamber styles, squeegee slots, extra tool slots and belt connection style should help you to make the right choice for your holster and ultimately help you save time and make more money!

If you are ever in the area of our warehouse in Wixom, Michigan, come by and see all of the models for yourself! Not in the area? Check out our website and feel free to call us with any questions. As with all purchases, there is a 30 day no questions asked satisfaction guaranty on the window cleaning tools we carry. Let us help you get set up to be efficient on the job by keeping your money makers close!

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