Window Cleaning News

A window cleaner could be taking a swipe at stardom after making it through to The X Factor bootcamp. Luke Stevenson, aged 30, from Horwich, had not officially entered The X Factor auditions, but went to the MEN Arena where they were being held with the hope of turning his singing hobby into a professional career. Unfazed by the lack of a sound system or backing music, Luke made his own by bolting a CD player to a wheelie bin and regaled the waiting auditionees with a rendition of Tony Christie’s Amarillo. The show’s staff were so impressed by his inventiveness that they took him to the front of the queue, and he found himself auditioning in front of a 6,000-strong audience. His quirky performance, complete with the bin, was featured on The X Factor spin-off show, The Xtra Factor, on Saturday. And he revealed that Louis confessed his performance made him want to cry.
Luke sang Boyzone’s Gave It All Away, the last single by the band to feature Stephen Gately, who died last year. He said: “After the show Louis told me that he didn’t say it in the auditions, but my performance really moved him and nearly made him cry.” The judges put Luke through to bootcamp. “I’m really chuffed with myself for getting through to bootcamp — the whole experience so far has been great,” he said. During the auditions Simon Cowell told Luke he did not see him as a million-selling artist.

What is it and who is it suited to? Window cleaning is not all buckets and suds and step ladders. It’s a lot more dangerous than that. If you believe research conducted by Churchill Insurance way back in 2004, window cleaning might even be the most dangerous job in Britain. Thankfully, it’s not quite as risky as such surveys suggest: things have become a little safer with the passing of time. “Window cleaners now have equipment that allows them to completely eliminate the need to work at height,” Damian Whittaker of the British Window Cleaning Academy (BWCA) explains, “Modern window cleaning is no longer the dangerous job it once was.”
Perhaps because of this dangerous reputation, window cleaning has suffered from something of a poor public image in the past, but don’t let that deter you. Window cleaners come from all all walks of life. While a City background may not be what you expect from the MD of a successful window cleaning company, there are many who have just that.
Christopher Turner, who set up The London Window Cleaner in 2006, for instance, is a former hedge fund manager. “I was actually in a hedge fund for the charitable sector; and I spent eight years in charity work before I left,” he says. “There are lots of people in the business from the City. I got out because I wanted to go back to something that was fundamental, something practical and useful and that would always have a market.”
A City background is not a prerequisite of course – although it might help with your start-up costs. Window cleaning is often a family business and, according to Damien of the BWCA, there are a few husband-and-wife teams around. Like most start-up businesses, entry is limited only by commitment and interest. In times of downturn especially, many people who have lost their job use their redundancy payment to start a business in something like window cleaning. So if you want to take up your squeegee and ladder, don’t let the scare stories put you off. Read on for our tips on how best to start up.

SURPRISING TREND: In addition, a newly released ServiceMagic survey found that in the last quarter, 59% of homeowners considered green alternatives for their home improvement projects. Energy-efficient windows topped the list of projects, with an increase in window service requests up 81% from last year in the same quarter. Of those who invested in windows, 83% did so for energy reasons with cost savings from increased energy efficiency being the top motivation. However, only 19% of homeowners surveyed were motivated to conduct home improvement projects because of tax credits. For homeowners who did not consider green alternatives for their remodeling projects, 50% of them were not aware of the eco-friendly options, while 27% did not like the green product choices and 16% found the cost of green products outweighed the benefits.
Moreover, less than 10% of homeowners requested green or energy-efficient alternatives for their home improvement projects. “A surprising trend this quarter is what we are learning about consumer purchasing behavior around green and energy efficiency,” says Craig Smith, ServiceMagic CEO. “While we show a fairly decent level of awareness for green and energy efficient alternatives, it isn’t translating to action beyond window projects.”

Window cleaner caught drink driving after darts match row: A 42 year old man who incurred the wrath of his wife when he was late home from a darts match got in his van and drove away to avoid confrontation. Unfortunately he had been drinking and Blackburn magistrates heard Gary Kendall was stopped by police because of the erratic nature of his driving. A breathalyser test showed him to be more than double to legal drink-drive limit. Miss Clare Knight (defending) said Taylor, who has a window cleaning round in Clitheroe, did not want to argue with his wife in front of their children. "He left the house with the intention of driving to Clitheroe, sleeping in his van and going to work the following day," said Miss Knight. Kendall, of Poets Road, Burnley, admitted driving with excess alcohol. He was banned from driving for 17 months and fined £115 with £90 costs.

Police issue security alert following robbery: Police enquiries are ongoing into an incident which saw an elderly pensioner attacked and robbed in her own home. The 77-year-old woman suffered a broken thigh after a terrifying ordeal at Smithyends in Cumbernauld Village, on Friday, September 3. The distressing episode began when a bogus caller turned up at her door pretending to be a window cleaner. This was simply a means of gaining access - and his next move was to push the lady to the ground, run into her house and steal her purse. Police have issued a set of guidelines on how best to deal with bogus callers, who often claim to be working for utility companies. Some may even wear the 'hi-vis' fluorescent jackets, but that does not make them genuine.
•Ask to see identification. No-one genuine will take exception to this. Check identification carefully - does the photo on the card look like the person at the door? Contact the company concerned if you are in doubt.
•Bogus callers are not above pretending to be friends or relatives of neighbours who are out - asking to come into your home to wait for them, leave them a note, or to make a telephone call.
•Consider installing a spy hole in your front door and a door chain.
•Only when you are 100 per cent happy that they are genuine give them access to your home. If not then ask them to leave and close your door.
•If you think a bogus caller has called at your door contact the police immediately. Try to give a description of the person.
The earlier the police know that bogus callers are in an area the quicker they can investigate.
To contact Cumbernauld Police Office call 01236 503900. You can also call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

To mark Roald Dahl Day, the winner of the Funny prize set up in his memory selects his favourite tales from 'the master' - 7. The Giraffe, the Pelly and Me: A giraffe with an extending neck, a pelican with a bucket-sized beak, a dancing monkey and a boy with big ideas join forces to create the Ladderless Window-Cleaning Company. Their biggest job? To clean all 677 – yes, six hundred and seventy-seven – of the Duke of Hampshire's windows. Expect chaos in this lavishly illustrated silliness.

Give your arms a good workout by washing all the windows in your house. The up and down and around movement will challenge your biceps and triceps and give you more toned arms than ever before. The more muscle in your body the more calories you burn during sedentary moments. Don’t shy away from window washing and keep your windows pristine all the time. Another household chore that is useful for weight reduction is to redecorate and move your furniture around....

DIY Dangerous: I still am not persuaded of the best way to clean out gutters and de-clog them. I would prefer to be on the ground, of course, but that doesn't seem to be the best option when you can't SEE into the gutters themselves to clean them and test for proper drainage. I have been on the roof several times now and have cleaned out the most accessible/lowest gutters as well as half of the roof surface debris, but there are some gutters that are even higher up that make me uncomfortable. I have not run water into any of them to test for drainage, and I have not attempted to unclog the one that I know is clogged (can see it from an upstairs bedroom window). I just haven't figured out yet what the best method is and I don't want to remove gutter pieces if there is a way to declog without disassembling. Unecessary and ignorant disassembling is the root of all DIY hell. Just ask anyone who didn't really have to take apart plumbing pipes but did anyway...I guess of course there's always the option to just hire someone. But I'm kind of cheap. If I CAN do something myself by learning the right methods, I'm willing to try it. I do have a short list of things I won't touch though - most electrical, orange peel texturing, and most plumbing work. Most everything else, I'm game to try, but I'll be the first to admit I'm no expert. I am just another hopeful sucker who's become DIY Dangerous.

Jail for cruel conman who preyed on elderly: A serial predator was jailed with these words ringing in his ears: “You deserve the loathing of the good folk of Tyneside.” Time and time again Shaun Bell (pictured) has ripped off pensioners by posing as a window cleaner. In June he was given one last chance to keep his freedom after targeting an 84-year-old disabled woman in her own home. But within a few weeks he stooped to a new low by fleecing then robbing an 89-year-old man who has been left terrified by his ordeal. Bell spun the same old lies about cleaning windows and intimidated the pensioner into handing over cash for work which had never been done. When the pensioner eventually got wise to Bell’s evil ways and hid his wallet in his pocket, the low life resorted to violence, pushing him and yanking the wallet free, injuring the victim’s hand and wrist and tearing his trousers.
Now the 27-year-old heroin addict has been jailed for five years and nine months after he admitted robbery and fraud. Jailing him at Newcastle Crown Court, Recorder Duncan Smith told Bell: “You deserve the loathing of the good folk of Tyneside. “You are a predator who preys on the elderly and I should make an example of you. “The elderly cannot protect themselves against intrusion so the courts will intervene to protect them.” In passing sentence the judge made Bell look at pictures of the bruising he had inflicted on the 89-year-old telling him “you did that”.
Bell, of Eslington Court, Teams, Gateshead, had been up in court for the earlier offence in June this year after carrying out a fraud against an 84-year-old disabled woman, in which he used the same facade that he was a window cleaner. On that occasion he was allowed to keep his freedom after pleading for help with his drug habit. The court heard he had also targeted an 82-year-old woman who suffers from dementia in a burglary in 2008 and had only been out of prison for that offence for five days when he targeted the 84-year-old. Then in July this year he turned up at the 89-year-old man’s house in Gateshead to demand payment for, he said, cleaning his windows. The pensioner disputed that any work had been carried out and invited Bell in to prove his point. But the low life persisted in asking for £5 and made his victim feel so uncomfortable he eventually gave him the money as he feared otherwise he would not leave. The next day Bell turned up again, this time spinning a yarn about having cleaned the windows he had missed previously and made the pensioner hand over £8.
Three days later he was at it again, knocking on the back door and asking to be let in because it was raining. The kind old man allowed him in, only for Bell to start claiming a note the pensioner had handed over on a previous occasion was a forgery and telling him he wanted paying again. Michael Bunch, prosecuting, said: “The pensioner felt uncomfortable and put his wallet in his pocket. “Bell then pushed him back and made a grab for the wallet, forcing his hand in his pocket.
“He said ‘don’t try fighting you will only get hurt’ and pulled the wallet with such force the pocket ripped.” Bell then took £30 out of the wallet and scattered other documents on the floor before fleeing. The victim said in a statement: “I feel disturbed by the actions of this man. “It has prevented me from sleeping and has badly affected me.” Geoff Knowles, defending, said Bell had been a heroin user since he was 13 as his dad was also a drug addict. Mr Knowles said: “I don’t attempt to excuse what he did but he had found someone who was prepared to give him money at a time when he continued to suffer problems which required ready access to cash.”

“I was hoping to show an awareness of other people in our communities. Many of them are immigrants. Everybody has a story but one never knows the trials and tribulations they have gone through to be here,” she reflects. “With the showing coming out it is sorta a good time with all these immigration issues coming up. The ‘right-wingers’ are complaining about immigrants taking jobs. Immigrants are not taking jobs. They often work for below minimum wage at jobs some Americans don’t want. When my grandparents came here, my grandfather was a window washer. My grandmother worked in a hat factory. This is now just another round of immigrants that this country was built upon.” More on Nina Talbot.

Three St. Louis area franchises of Fish Window Cleaning Services Inc. won top sales awards from the company: Fish Window Cleaning of St. Charles County; Fish Window Cleaning of South County, Jefferson County, St. Louis city and Metro East; and Fish Window Cleaning of St. Louis County. Education Technology Partners, Fish Window Cleaning Services Inc. and Schaeffer Manufacturing Co. all placed on the 2010 Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies.

A peer's daughter who smashed her Land Rover through church gates in Worcestershire in a "blind fury" has been convicted of dangerous driving. The Honourable Linda Granville, 61, daughter of the late Lord Granville, was also convicted of causing criminal damage to Great Malvern Priory's gates. She jumped a red light, narrowly missed pedestrians and hit two other cars in Malvern, Worcester Crown Court heard. Granville, of Malvern, claimed her vehicle's brakes failed. It prompted a concerned window cleaner to close the church gates and another witness to contact the police. But she then smashed through the gates - causing £1,500 of damage - before hitting a stationary Peugeot which was pushed into a hedge.

A burglar claiming to be a window cleaner stole a 94-year-old woman's pension money. The man got inside the house in School Road, Penn, High Wycombe,only to be disturbed by the resident. He asked if she wanted her windows cleaned, but was told no. After leaving he walked around the side of her home and looked through the side window. The The victim later discovered her handbag and purse, which contained her pension money, had been stolen. It happened on Wednesday between 8am and 9am. Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed a man acting suspiciously in the area around the time of the offence to contact them. This message to residents was issued by officers: “Distraction burglars prey on the elderly and vulnerable. "If you see people calling at houses and are suspicious of their intentions, you are urged to contact police immediately.” Householders should never open their door to a stranger and IDs should be checked if possible, police advise. Anyone with information about the burglary should contact Det Sgt Nicola Pocock at High Wycombe police station on 0845 8 505 505 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Company cleans up dispute over windows: Dear Greg: I had 11 windows on my small house replaced by Accurate Window and Door. They are Anderson double-hung windows that tilt in for cleaning purposes. Six of the windows will not tilt in because the plantation shutters inhibit them from tilting. The installers never tried them before leaving. The windows were all smeary after installation, and I said, "Are you going to leave them like this?" And they said, "Window cleaning's not our job!" I know it was hot that day, but really. I don't know what to do. I can't afford to redo the shutters so the windows tilt. RIA MERK.
Dear Ria: Accurate Window and Door has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. This doesn't mean it never makes a mistake; it means that when stuff happens – as it will – the company steps up. "My sales rep, Tim, and Mrs. Merk have different opinions as to whether we covered the issue of the tilt cleaning feature not working for her because of the plantation shutters," said owner Jim Heidish. But he chose to tilt in your favor. "I offered to send my service man once a year to clean the windows outside," Heidish said. "She suggested a refund for what that cost would be to the company. We hashed it over and reached what I believe to be a fair settlement." Update: Ria reports that two days later she received a $1,000 check from Heidish. "He said I'm now his personal customer — if there's anything he can ever help me with, to call him." He meant windows, Ria, not pizza delivery.

Chapelfield helps the planet: Behind its bright open spaces and glittering shop fronts, Chapelfield has been quietly taking huge steps forward in its drive to reduce its environmental impact. The centre was also the first of its type to offer free electric and hybrid charging points in its car park. Non-bleach based, citrus and enzyme products are used for cleaning inside the centre - and all external cleaning is completed with biodegradable products. Water used in window cleaning does not use chemicals or detergents so that no contaminants end up in Chapelfield's water system.

I bought a Cumberland News on the way to Brunton Park, home of the famous Carlisle United. I always say that, in my head, thinking of the overexcited north London bloke on the PA system at Tottenham who exclaims: "Welcome to White Hart Lane, home of the world-famous Spurs!" All football clubs are world-famous - in their own little worlds. There was an obituary of someone called Fred Armstrong, who had died aged 90. I cut it out to file with my CUFC memorabilia, once I had spotted the subheading: "A war hero and Bill Shankly's window cleaner". Shankly was Carlisle's manager from 1949-51. Surely being his window cleaner should have had top billing. Sub-editors these days, eh?