Wagtail Winner & Other Window Cleaning News

This weeks winner of the Wagtail Whirlwind 14" & 18" channels goes to Ian Wilson of "Ian Wilson Window Cleaning" from Portsmouth who says "I am really looking forward to adding to my squeegee collection." Ian adds "I started window cleaning part time in 2007 using traditional methods, then went full time in 2008." "I also added water fed pole cleaning at this time." "I work on my own so safety is important." "I like doing traditional pole work, so wagtails will be great to use." Ian was lucky enough to win through the "Window-Tools Forum" on spotting the offer & was the first one to answer posting a picture of himself in his gear (pictured). Wagtail Squeegees are regarded as the fastest window tools in the world - using either extension pole or arm. Sign up now to the newsletter to be included in the coming months giveaway.

A guide to volcanic car care: With meteorologists predicting that the volcanic ash that has disrupted travel for the past week will now fall to earth, it could now present a further problem - for our cars. The ash spewed into the atmosphere by Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano is composed of microscopic particles of rock, which is an irregular shape and particularly hard. If rubbed against the surface of paintwork or glass, it is known to be abrasive, and the acidity could cause corrosion to exposed metals. Motorists who encounter ash on their cars are likely to use the wipers, which could scratch the windshield and require costly repairs. First reported here, specifically for window cleaners.

Make sure you have your scratch waivers or this could happen...

Window washer caused $85k in damages, insurer says: An insurance company has filed suit against a window washer that it claims caused more than $80,000 worth of damages to one of its insured's buildings. Selective Insurance Company of America claims Shell Community Federal Credit Union located at 101 Lakin Boulevard in Wood River hired defendant Bruce Hill doing business as Clearview Window Cleaning to clean its windows on June 14, 2007. According to the complaint filed April 14 in Madison County Circuit Court, Hill somehow damaged Shell Community Federal Credit Union, although the suit does not specify how he damaged the building. Because of Hill's damage, Selective Insurance was forced to pay $85,262, the suit states. In addition to the money it says it paid to Shell Community Federal Credit Union, Selective Insurance Company seeks costs. Elaine LeChien of The Law Offices of LeChien and LeChien in Belleville will be representing it. Madison County Circuit Court case number: 10-L-419.

Tips for handling broken window glass: As part of National Window Safety Week, which ends today, experts offer these tips for handling broken window glass:
Do not pick up broken pieces of glass with bare hands. Put on heavy leather or safety gloves before handling glass pieces, and try to sweep or vacuum up as much of the broken glass as possible without touching it.
To clean up small particles of glass, use several thicknesses of wet paper towels and then discard them safely. Cloth napkins, cloth towels, sponges or ordinary mops should not be used for cleanup because they can harbor tiny glass particles.
If the glass in a window gets broken, check several factors before trying to replace the glass yourself. Some windows have insulating glass units that contain harmless argon gas that helps in the window's energy efficiency. A replacement unit that perfectly matches the original window should be ordered and possibly installed by a professional.

It is one of the best-known views in Lancashire. But one parking warden got mixed up between a busy Preston retail park overlooked by Deepdale's iconic floodlights and a quiet terraced street in Wigan. Window cleaner Gary McPartland, 34, of Ashton, admits he was in the wrong when he parked his van in a disabled bay at the Deepdale Shopping Park, but is disputing the ticket which claims he was parked 21 miles away on Manor Street, Wigan. Now, he is being threatened with a court date and a fine of nearly £400 by debt collectors appointed by Central Ticketing Ltd, which handed him the ticket on Christmas Eve last year, if he does not pay up.
The father-of-two said: "I even got them to send me a picture they had taken of my van outside the Argos on the retail park and you can see the floodlights at Deepdale and all the shops in the background. "When I rang up about it, I told them that and said that football stadiums do not move about at all, so how could it be a street in Wigan? "They just said that I was parked where I should not have been, which I have never disputed - but I am not parked where they say I am." He is appealing for "a bit of common sense" arguing that he was only parked in the bay for a matter of minutes while he nipped into a store to pick up a last-minute present for his mother.
Gary said: "The car park was thick with ice and there were plenty of other bays available, so it was not like I was taking up the only disabled bay there or anything. "You do not have to be a genius to realise that I am not parked in Wigan, I think it just needs a bit of common sense." A spokesman for Central Ticketing said that it had an appeals process which any motorist which wishes to dispute a ticket is able to use. It has since passed the debt on to debt collection agency Roxburghe, in Surrey, which has increased the fine to £183 and threatened to double it if Mr McPartland fails to pay up. A spokesman for the agency told the Evening Post they were unable to discuss details of his claim with anyone other than Mr McPartland.

The Water Fed Pole Training Academy came across a nice little combo lately. This Pole Sprayer can be fitted to any standard aerosol spray can. Apply sealants or paints 20 feet high or more without your feet leaving the ground. You could even fill a refillable aerosol spray can with your own window cleaner or "traffic film remover for those difficult windows at high altitude, found here. You may remember a blog about a similar pole sprayer a while back here.

The likely effects on London if all window cleaners went on strike is a matter worth your consideration. Window cleaning is a service that is necessary to the livelihood and the health of the city of London. It is true that not many people would think of window cleaning in the same way that they may think about rubbish collection or street cleaners; however, they should. One may think that it would be easy to replace a window cleaning crew with those that hold general maintenance positions. Modern Commercial window cleaning is far more involved than most people consider it to be.
The people that professionally clean windows understand that they will most likely be required to deal with heights. They also understand that streaking and spots are unacceptable. It’s more than just clean windows you’re worrying about. Without their service, imagine sitting in a restaurant with filth, slime, or crud crusted onto the window. Imagine how the consumers would feel about their experience. Bird droppings on mass are a health hazard and a violation of city ordinance.
Or if you were trying to rent office space in a building, it is doubtful that anyone would be impressed by the dirtiness of the windows. Many people rent office space or apartments for the view that can be seen from the windows. If the windows are dirty there is a high likeliness that people may reject the property due to the dirtiness of the windows alone. It gives the impression there is more than just window cleaning issues. Clean windows and clean properties just look more professional and attractive. Window cleaning is a service that many industries and commercial properties rely on. Although it is something that is easily taken for granted, it is a profession that no city can do without.

Bogus window cleaners target elderly in Norwich: Bogus window cleaners targeted elderly people in two linked incidents in nearby streets just south of Norwich city centre, police said. A purse containing cash was stolen from an 87-year-old woman at the Norwich City Council-run sheltered housing scheme in Rowland Court, off Queens Road. The woman had found a man in her lounge asking for a glass of water, and later discovered her handbag had been moved and her purse was missing. She said the same man had asked to clean her windows a few days before. The second incident happened at Corton Road, off Bracondale, where a woman was woken by an unknown man who came out of her bedroom. When challenged, he said he was a window cleaner touting for business, but the 78-year-old later found her purse was also missing from her handbag which had been in the kitchen. Both incidents happened between 3pm and 4pm on Sunday, April 18.
Detective Constable Steve Matthews said: “We are investigating these incidents and believe they are linked. I would like to take this opportunity to urge householders, especially the elderly, to remain vigilant. “This is a despicable type of crime that preys on the elderly and vulnerable and I would appeal to people to look out for vulnerable householders living nearby and to be vigilant about anyone acting suspiciously in their area and contact police with any concerns. “We are urging householders to be especially wary of anyone turning up on their doorstep unannounced, who cannot provide credible identity documents.”
The news comes after an elderly man was duped out of more than £2,000 at his home in St Mary's Road by two men pretending to be letting agents, who said they wanted to fix drains. They asked the victim to hand over £150 in cash, which he did, and when they left £2,000 had also gone from his wallet. The first man was in his 30s, 6' tall and of stocky build wearing a dark coloured baseball cap and dark fleece top. The second was in his 20s, 5'7'' tall of medium build with short blond hair. Anyone with information about either incident should contact DC Steve Matthews at Norfolk Constabulary's Operation Radar on 0845 456 4567 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Marisol Nichols, 36, who currently stars on ABC's The Gates (and previously appeared on 24), swears by the book Clean House Clean Planet, which she refers to to keep her home safe for 18-month-old daughter Rain India Lexton (dad is director Taron Lexton). "[It's] this brilliant book on how to make your own household cleaning detergents from all-natural ingredients," she says. Tips include: use club soda as a window cleaner and olive oil to shine your furniture. "Considering my daughter puts absolutely everything she finds in her mouth, it helps me sleep easier knowing she has fewer chemicals around," she says.

Man identified in fatal Westmont Midas explosion: Police said William R. Zuponeck, 28, of Glendale Heights, an employee at Midas Auto Service, 401 W. Ogden Ave., was killed in the explosion. The accident happened in the back of the property when the man was working, police said. Mulhearn said Zuponeck was welding two barrels together, when the welding torch ignited chemical residue that was in one of the barrels. The chemical may have been methanol, which is commonly used in automotive window washer fluid to prevent it from freezing in cold weather, Mulhearn said.

Former Homeowners' Assoc. Treasurer Accused Of Fraud; LYNNWOOD, Wash. -- Members of a homeowner's association in Lynwood said they discovered thousands of dollars were missing from the group's account and they want to know why a former treasurer was writing checks to himself, reported KIRO 7 Eyewitness News. Debra Davenport is one of 20 homeowners in the neighborhood who have been paying $200 a month to the association for maintenance. "It's for everything from window washing to landscaping to any kind of safety issues, roads and insurance," said Davenport.