Window Cleaning News & Video

Mark Strange of "Beautiful View" from Toronto, Canada gives us another installment with a few more unbiased reviews of products from Window Cleaning Resource in the window cleaners workplace, this week - "Unger angle arms."

Cleaning up at Young Business Awards: Twenty seven year old Eunan McKernan of Ballymoney based Proclean has been recognised by Advantage NI and Invest Northern Ireland for being amongst the most successful and inspirational young entrepreneurs in the Ballymoney area. Funded by Invest NI, Advantage NI celebrates the spirit of enterprise that is alive and kicking in young people aged 16-30. Eunan was inspired to start up in business by his brother, who is also a cleaning contractor. Proclean commenced trading in February 2007. The company is based on domestic and commercial maintenance cleaning that includes window cleaning, power washing, pvc cleaning and carpet cleaning. Customer satisfaction and competitive pricing is high on Proclean’s list of motivators. Using only the latest in technology to ensure the highest levels of efficiency Proclean delivers to the demands of its market. As Proclean goes from strength to strength Eunan is still not content with stopping here, as he sets his sights high for the future of the business - just as any entrepreneur would! In the future Eunan wants Proclean to have more cleaning machines and more vehicles on the road, creating employment in the local area.
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Vail Valley company to offer free window cleaning: In an effort to stimulate the small business economy in the Vail Valley and Summit County, C&K Window Cleaning recently announced it will provide free window cleaning for small businesses. The offer is good only for those who call on April 17 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. “If small businesses are going survive these turbulent times, we are going to have to help each other when we can, because Washington DC doesn’t give a damn about us,” C&K Window Cleaning owner Tracy Matthews said. “That’s why I have committed to help the small businesses of Summit and Eagle Counties by offering free window cleaning so they can better present their products and services to the consumer and hopefully increase sales. This is not the cure all to fixing the local economy, it is a very small step”. The offer applies to ground-level storefronts, lobbies and showrooms.
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Sing Up, we've got the wrinkly blues: A Leighton film-maker has come out of retirement to post a music video on the interactive internet site YouTube highlighting the plight of Britain's pensioners. Bruce Barlow, 67, of Steppingstone Place penned the words and music to A Pensioner's Blues. The action illustrates the anger and frustration of older people trying to live a comfortable life on a fixed income and the apparent apathy of the government and forces of law and order to their plight. Featured characters include a shifty-looking window cleaner, a burglar, hooded thugs, a definitely dodgy David Cameron lookalike and a jobsworth policeman. Click on the picture for the video featuring a ladder climbing window cleaner.
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Shawn Gavin shows us the backpack & Mike Draper his water fed pole skills at their last demo with products from Reach Higer Ground.

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HOLLAND, NJ. Although Norbert Hirst Jr.'s Kleen and Fresh Co. has been cleaning carpets for 22 years, he is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. That's because in 1989 he met a man who revolutionized his technique. The paths of Mr. Hirst and Jim Wulf crossed because they patronized the same supplier. Mr. Wulf is now retired, but in those days he operated Magic Carpet Care in Bucks County. "He saw that I used a portable and asked if I was interested in learning how to clean carpets the right way." Without revealing any trade secrets, Mr. Hirst recalls, "The next three years I did my apprenticeship with him and he taught me every aspect of the industry, including building my own truck-powered carpet- and furniture-cleaning equipment. This same unit is still in use today."
Another highlight of the Holland Township company's history came in 1997 when Mr. Hirst met his wife Deborah, who would also become his business partner. In 1998, she increased their business by 30%. He said, "She runs the office and is the pleasant voice you talk to when setting up your appointment."Over the years, the Hirsts added Oriental rug cleaning and window washing to their services and may soon add tile and grout cleaning.Although the company's carpet cleaning is not yet 100% "green," says Mr. Hirst, jobs can be done that way by request. He can also use hypoallergenic products, if that's what a client requires.
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HIS creditors have lost millions and some could go to the wall but high-flying Gold Coast developer Jim Raptis (pictured) is back in business. The man who has transformed the Glitter Strip's skyline has also shown a Midas touch for survival after pulling off a $1 billion rescue of his embattled Raptis Group. But angry subcontractors and suppliers branded him "Teflon Jim" after, for the second time in his career, he cut a deal with creditors which will see them paid a fraction of what is owed. While a majority of creditors agreed to throw him a lifeline, others said Mr Raptis did not deserve another chance. They said his companies should be liquidated and pursued for possible insolvent trading. "Why would we want that person (Mr Raptis) to run the company again?" businesswoman Katrina Pollard said.
Highrise window cleaning company boss Paul Scott said businesses owed about $10 million by Raptis would be "lucky to see 4c in the dollar" and some would not survive. "Teflon Jim's a good name for him," Mr Scott said. "He's used the legal system to get what he wants and he'll be back in business next week. We'll struggle to survive it." The Raptis Group and associated companies collapsed late last year with debts of around $1 billion, leaving subcontractors out of work and a $700 million Hilton Hotel project in Surfers Paradise in limbo.

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Court for window cleaner who glued up Wirral alleygates: A disgruntled window cleaner’s one-man anti-alleygate campaign cost a Merseyside council thousands of pounds. During a crusade lasting almost two years James Norman, 47, glued up alleygates on his Rock Ferry and Tranmere patch. Liverpool Crown Court heard the council installed the security gates to crackdown on vandalism, anti-social behaviour and drug dealing. But furious Norman believed Wirral Borough Council was ruining his business. After falling while trying to climb over a gate he began to sabotage the system by sticking putty in the locks. Giving Norman a two-year conditional discharge Judge Bruce MacMillan said: “These difficulties were not insurmountable, you could have just asked a resident to borrow a key. “Instead of that you glued up the locks on various gates that the local authoritywent to considerable trouble and expense to install atthe request of local residents. “When these locks were glued by you the gates were inoperative and all sorts of anti-social, disruptive behaviour, so unpleasant to the residents, recommenced.” Norman, of Palmwood Close, Prenton, admitted 14 counts of criminal damage. He was arrested after he was caught on camera when officials installed CCTV. Anya Horwood, prosecuting, told the court more than 150 locks were broken. But Norman only admitted 30, causing £6,240 worth of damage which he was ordered to repay. Miss Horwood told the court following his crime spree the council decided it was “economically unviable” to keep replacing the gates.

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Jacob John Jennings, 20, of Coon Rapids, had been working as a window washer Saturday morning, March 21 outside an office tower near Interstate Hwy. 494 and Normandale Blvd. in Bloomington, Minn. He died the next day at Hennepin County Medical Center. While the Star Tribune reported he had been working with his brother, Randy Jennings, Bloomington Deputy Chief Perry Heles noted a co-worker witnessed Jacob sliding down an angled window trying to grab onto something. Slipping out of view, Jennings was later found on the ground with significant head injuries, Heles told the Isanti County News on Monday. “It’s a tragic accident. He probably wasn’t wearing the safety equipment he was supposed to be wearing, though that hasn’t been established. It’s a logical conclusion when someone falls,” said the deputy chief, adding ropes, ladders and harnesses were found at the scene. Along with police, the Star Tribune reported, state safety officials are also investigating the incident at the 21-year-old tower, which is 381 feet tall and comprised of 24 stories. It is one of four buildings that make up the 1.43 million-square-foot Normandale Lake Office Park. Jennings worked for City Heights, Inc. of Anoka. More details here.

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Window washers clean the panes on the 69th floor of the John Hancock building in Chicago.

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Another window cleaners cradle video, that obviously wouldn't pass an inspection - with two young guns in high winds at the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphia.

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Jake at the Blue Cross in Philadelphia - impressive building.

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And Finally: The best Asian disc jockey (DJ Aon) ever tells us his story through the power of video....