Window Cleaning News

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‘They delivered what they promised’ - With an impressive business portfolio including a restaurant, retail operations and hotels, experienced entrepreneur Ali Khandokar quickly recognised the huge potential that commercial cleaning franchise, Totally Clean Solution, had to offer. Having owned and operated a variety of businesses over the years, Ali Khandokar was eager to find a new challenge that would allow him to utilise his management experience and offer him financial security. It was during his visit to a franchise exhibition in 2010, that Ali first discovered commercial cleaning franchise, Totally Clean Solution (TCS).

"Having researched the franchise industry extensively, I felt that franchising offered a more secure route to success," he explains. "I connected well with the TCS management team and their philosophy on business." Upon joining TCS, franchise owners are provided with a minimum of £7,500 worth of cleaning contracts for their first month of trading and a team of cleaners – so you can have your business up and running from day one. Also, as TCS has a dedicated sales team to secure your contracts, there will be no door knocking for you.

Since launching his Brixton-based franchise, Ali has been very impressed with the training and ongoing support the TCS management team has provided. "TCS have delivered what they promised, the training has been excellent," he enthuses. "The support has been very good, particularly the monthly review, which has been useful for keeping track of my business performance against my business plan."

TCS franchise owners and their staff are fully trained in the skills they need, as well as customer appreciation and service. As a fully trained TCS franchise owner, you will offer the following services: contract cleaning, one-off cleans, window cleaning and hotel and housekeeping services. Ali has thoroughly enjoyed being his own boss and is pleased to say that the only challenge he has faced is trying to keep up with the customer demand.

"Quite honestly there haven't been many challenges, but explaining the TCS franchise format to clients has been difficult as they can't believe we can deliver such great services for the contract price," he enthuses. "Learning new skills and meeting new people from all backgrounds and levels has really boosted my confidence. My plan for the future is to build my business to a point where my family and I are financially secure."

Totally Clean Solution (TCS)

• Summary of Operation: A ready made commercial cleaning business staffed and operating from day one.. A recession proof business. Training in all aspects of running your business is included. We do the selling - no door knocking for you.
• Ideal Franchise Owner Profile: Self-motivated, good sound management background, with the ambition to run own business.
• Cost of Franchise: £33,000 + VAT
• Year Company Established: 2010
• Year of First Franchise Owner: 2010
• Training Provided: Operationally to achieve brand standards delivery as well as cleaning standards delivery. Financially with regards to cash flow and profit and loss. Anyone can be a busy fool. Ethically to treat people legally and with the respect they deserve.
• Support Services Provided: All invoicing, account collection, sales, full call centre and logisitcs back up. You will receive assistance from the senior management team which has over 70 years of franchise experience. Our operational support system is 'Best in Class'. Financial support that means growth is always affordable – earn your way to a successful business.

Karren Brady, 42, became the youngest managing director of a public company when Birmingham City Football Club floated on the London Stock Exchange. She was also the first woman to hold such a post in the top flight of English football when the club was promoted to the Premier League in 2002. Now vice chairman of West Ham United, she is also a columnist, author and Lord Sugar's sidekick on The Apprentice. She lives in Birmingham with her husband, Paul Peschisolido, 42, and their children Sophia, 15, and Paolo, 13. How do you separate responsibility for financial decisions with your husband? Who takes a stronger role? I do it all. Some years ago a window cleaner was touting for business down our road and knocked at our door when I was out. Paul later told me the quote had seemed a bit expensive – £500. I couldn't believe anyone would charge so much so I asked him to tell me more and it turns out the guy said "five" and Paul, assuming no one would clean windows for £5, had thought he meant £500. He hasn't a clue about money.

From Corporal to Captain: While Johnson is no stranger to aggressive policing tactics, his initial attraction to law enforcement was the potential it offered for helping others. "That's my main goal," he said, "I like to help people." A graduate of the Franklin Learning Center, Johnson signed on to the PPD in 1988 after serving three years of active duty in the Marine Corps as a bulk fuel specialist. In 1992, Johnson was involved in a highly publicized police shooting known as the "Window Washing Charlie shooting," in which a West Philadelphia resident was shot 22 times by police after he pointed what turned out to be an empty gun at them, according to archived reports. He considered leaving the police department, and took classes in nursing at the Community College of Philadelphia.

People Are Strange - Betting Tips for Normal People. He reminded me of my sister's window cleaner who realised he was scared of heights one afternoon. Unfortunately, this epiphany occurred when he was up a ladder throwing a cloth over some dirty panes two storeys up. The fire brigade suggested a change of career.

Patch sits down with the state senator for Southwest Minneapolis and Richfield. What bills will you be introducing this session? Kelash: I’ll be introducing a bill related to window-washer safety and another one supporting the extension of the Mall of America’s Tax Increment Financing district (for infrastructure improvements). There’s great economic development potential there. Also, the jobs bill that the governor is promoting will wind up in my committee.

More Kentucky schools may go green to clean: More Kentucky schools could start using environmentally friendly cleaning products if a bill making its way through the state legislature succeeds. House Bill 146, sponsored by Democratic Rep. Carl Rollins, would direct the Kentucky Department of Education to promote “green cleaning” programs. It sailed through Rollins’ House Education Committee Tuesday morning. Cleaning products are considered “green” when a third-party has determined they are nontoxic and meet standards for health and the environment. Local school officials say they are already using cleaning supplies that are safe for the environment, students and employees. Assistant Superintendent Charley Preston says Franklin County Public Schools buys green cleaning products whenever possible. Supplies are bought at the district level and distributed to each school.

Preston says the products cost about the same amount as conventional cleaners, or a little more. The cost has come down over the last several years, as they have gained in popularity, he said. HB 146 stipulates that the Kentucky’s education officials publish an annual list of preferred green cleaning supplies, including all-purpose cleaners, bathroom cleaners, window and glass cleaners, carpet cleaners, floor care products and hand soaps. The bill directs state education officials to consult with the Department for Environmental Protection and the Kentucky chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council to promote the program and recommend cleaning procedures, local policies and ideas for staff training. Schools that participate would see their names on a statewide list.

Bridport: At last! Peter gets his pineapple: Peter Pinker, a semi-retired window cleaner, persevered in spite of suffering many a horticultural setback over the quarter-century. “All the other ones I’ve grown I’ve over-watered and they rotted, or I’ve left them outside and a cold spell killed them off. But I’m pleased to say that after 25 years of trying I’ve finally got one to bear fruit,” he said. He decided to give it a go back in the Eighties when he read about pineapples in a gardening magazine. In spite of the 15 or so failed attempts, his ‘never say die’ spirit has finally been rewarded with a fruit currently the size of a small aubergine. He grew the plant by cutting the top off a supermarket pineapple and simply planting it in a pot in his conservatory. Tending the plant required just a little water and some tomato fertilizer once a month. But getting it to fruit proved trickier until his wife, Jan, intervened. “She kept getting stabbed by the sharp leaves and told me that either it went or she did,” he joked. “So I cut back the leaves and shortly afterwards the fruit came.” Mr Pinker, who has also grown sweet peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes in his conservatory, has no intention of eating his prize specimen just yet. “I’ll wait and see how big it grows and then I’ll eat it” he said. But he acknowledged that Mrs Pinker might be looking forward to the day it’s gone. “She says I think more of my pineapple than I do her,” he laughed.

Meet the new guy: Ald. Will Burns isn’t a complete stranger to South Loop. Between 2008 and 2010, he represented the 26th District in the Illinois General Assembly, a district that stretched from Gold Coast to South Shore neighborhoods, moving through South Loop along the thin sliver of land east of Michigan Avenue. As an alderman, Burns joined the Reform Caucus his predecessor helped to establish and sponsored a number of reform initiatives. Those include: The Responsible Bidder in Service Contracts ordinance, which would increase scrutiny over bidders for city janitorial, security and window washing contracts. As of this writing, those ordinances are either being held in committee or await City Council vote.

Michael William Sarback: Michael William Sarback, 95, of Stratford, husband of Isabelle Irene Barrett Sarback, died Jan. 20. He was born in Bridgeport to the late William and Mary Sherbatiuk Sarback. Mr. Sarback was the proprietor of Central Window Cleaning, retiring at 88. He was a member of the PAL Cadet Drum Corp, vice commander of the Corp and director of PAL Thunderbird Color Guard. He was an avid UConn, NY Mets, Giants and Rangers fan. One of his favorite pastimes was woodworking where he spent countless hours in his workshop creating items nothing less than beautiful, his family said.

Is this the best husband ever? The man who combines his workout with housekeeping: Housekeeping and exercise are both chores that, though essential, can be tedious to carry out on a regular basis. But one man believes he has found a solution that is both time-effective and fun: combining the two to create a cleaning regime that doubles as a workout. Steve Markovich, 57, from Crescent Springs, Kentucky, has perfected his hybrid routine over the past 16 years. Marrying popular resistance-training methods with day-to-day housework, it comprises vacuum lunges, window-cleaning squats, sofa-lifting and even kitchen karate kicks.

Modified bath salts now appearing under new labels: Drugs similar to recently banned bath salts are back in some convenience stores in the Upstate, now packaged as glass cleaner. Bath salts were banned in South Carolina in October, but the bans failed to include modified drugs in the same chemical family. State Rep. Anne Thayer of Belton has filed a bill that would extend the ban to similar stimulants. Thayer says the bill will likely make it to the House floor on Tuesday. Bath salts, the term for powdery, paranoia-inducing drugs, were sold in gas stations and some head shops before bans at the federal, state, county and municipal levels last year. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration deemed mephedrone, methylone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone or MDPV, three common stimulants found in bath salts, as controlled substances in October. The same ban included synthetic marijuana. According to a forensic chemist, there are 45 modified versions of stimulants found in bath salts. This week the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office discovered a package marketed as glass cleaner. A December seizure by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office of $39,000 worth of bath salts at Randy’s Smoke ‘n Holes in Anderson included several packages labeled glass cleaner, spokesman Chad McBride said. Manufacturers of the stimulants are skirting the law, marketing stimulants as harmful as the original three banned for the DEA. The stimulants are being sold not only as glass cleaner but also as window cleaner, plant food and axle grease.

Lawmakers also discussed legislative plans to ban synthetic drugs. Lundberg said he “went into a head shop” to find out what it’s like to buy the synthetic drug known as “bath salts.” “I said ‘I would like to buy some bath salts,’ and they said ‘We don’t sell bath salts,’” Lundberg said of the experience. “(They said) ‘We sell window cleaner.’ I said ‘OK where do I get the window cleaner?’ He opened up a strongbox and brought up a little vial. ... I said ‘OK, I’m not going to get through many windows with that.’” State Rep. Tony Shipley, who is advancing legislation to create new felonies for manufacturing, distributing and selling synthetic drugs, described a meeting he had with school students to discuss the issue.

Brighter, bigger, wider: interior design using glass: Lang believes glass is the simplest method to attain an open living area. He uses glass not only as a window to the outside world but also as a form of furnishing, as a stair, as a floor-window or as a sliding door. Glass was first used to divide up space in offices and businesses. Only later did it find a wider use in homes. 'It's mostly used to allow light to enter the interior from the building's facade. Sometimes it's used to allow light to pass from room to room,' says Johannes Berschneider, an interior designer. Glass can also play a role in energy-saving such as by using a skylight to allow natural light into a walk-in wardrobe. Glass partitions are gaining in popularity. 'What people often want today is more flexible use of space,' says Berschneider. If you want a clear view from the dining table, through the kitchen and into your living room, then glass is the best why to get it. On the other hand a glass partition can instantly give an open plan area a more private atmosphere. But how can transparent glass generate an intimate and private feeling? 'You can make the surface of glass translucent or matt by sand-blasting it or using acid,' says Jochen Groenegraes from Germany's Bundesverband Flachglas, an umbrella organisation that represents the glass manufacturing and retail sector in the country. Translucent glass has given architects more scope for design. 'Glass gets really interesting when it's used in an artistic way,' says Lang. That arty look can be achieved by using especially clear Optiwhite glass or reflective glass, which is often used in spa areas to mirror water. Translucent glass for home use does not need to be exclusively matt or enamelled but can also be printed with photographs and patterns. Varnished glass can be used as a floor covering or as an alternative to tiling on walls. When using glass on floors and walls safety aspects begin to play a major role. 'You must use safety glass in the home,' advises Groenegraes. Only use laminated safety glass in flooring or as an overhead window. Laminated glass consists of two layers of glass bonded together by a middle layer of plastic resin to prevent it from shattering. For other uses in the home, tempered glass will usually provide an adequate standard of safety. If safety is your top consideration then you can rest assured that glass can find a place in the home. But even the experts think glass is not suitable for every application. 'Glass is not a material that a person will feel most comfortable in,' says Berschneider. 'Glass steps always feel smooth and I hate it when a ceramic coffee cup clatters on a glass table surface.' 

Window size: The size of the house windows determine whether it will be cool or not. The bigger the windows, the cooler the house will be. Large windows allow in a lot of cool air and allow hot air out easily. However, for this purpose to be fully served, Pagril says the size of the fraction of the window that opens has a part to play.  “In the case of sliding windows, they might be big but because its only one fraction of the window that opens, it limits the air coming in and out whereas in the case of shutters, because both windows open, they will allow in more cool air,” he says. Pagril adds that with the new way of construction, most people have the tendency of having the ventilators fixed with the windows. In this case, when you place the curtains, they will end up covering the ventilators thus limiting the aeration in the house. So it is important that when constructing, people consider the old style of constructing by having the ventilators above the window because these contribute towards the air circulation in the house. 

Firm's weather products create storm of interest: It's handiwork can be found all over the globe, from the depths of the Amazon jungle to top of soaring Asian skyscrapers. And now a small North East firm, whose success shows that Britain is not the only weather-obsessed nation, is preparing to break into the vast US market. North Shields-based Environmental Measurements Limited (EML), and its team of six, supplies rain and wind gauges to markets across the world, including China, Russia, Turkey and Korea. Closer to home, on top of the towering Milburn Stand at St James’ Park, EML’s wind gauges are used to determine whether or not conditions are safe for window cleaners to go to work on the glass exterior of the stadium. The company produces wind,speed and direction sensors, aerodynamic rain gauges, data-loggers and automatic weather stations.

Man jailed for burglary and drug-related offences: A young man who targeted maisonettes and flats in Bukit Batok and Jurong West to break in was packed off to jail for 42 months on Friday for burglary and drug-related offences. Adam Jamaluddin's crime spree lasted about five months before he was caught by the police at his home on Nov 18 last year. The total amount of property he stole was worth approximately $37,500 of which $8,110 worth of goods had been recovered. The 21-year-old former window cleaner, who faced 23 charges, pleaded guilty to six charges of housebreaking and theft and one each of heroin possession and consumption.

Vinyl windows: Vinyl windows should get a yearly inspection. Clean window tracks of debris, says Burt Harold, a rep for Pella Windows. Make sure weatherstripping is sound and making proper contact. Replace as needed. When cleaning, never use abrasives, which can damage the window's vinyl skin. If you need to lubricate a track, use pure silicone spray, not WD-40. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for caulking. When washing windows, be aware that bleach can discolor dark vinyl colors. And, remember, window films can void your warranty.