Window Washer To Soap Maker

Larry Plesent of Vermont Soap, whose unofficial slogan is "Replacing yucky stuff with yummy stuff," specializes in formulating natural, organic and nontoxic home and garden products.

Vermont Soap has a Formula for Cleaning Homes the Nontoxic Way - The curing room in Vermont Soap's manufacturing facility in Middlebury may be one of the most fragrant spots in Vermont. As dozens of soap bars cure on drying racks like ageing craft cheeses, the air is laden with the rich aromas of pine, peppermint, lavender, lemongrass and other essential oils.

But, unlike the scents added to most conventionally produced soaps, shampoos, toiletries and home-cleaning products, none of these odors comes from artificial chemicals or toxic ingredients. In fact, the earthy reddish hue of some of the bars is derived from lobster shells.

Vermont Soap, whose unofficial slogan is "Replacing yucky stuff with yummy stuff," specializes in formulating natural, organic and nontoxic home and garden products. Those include underarm deodorants, oral-care products, antiaging creams, pet and horse shampoos, surface cleaners, fruit and vegetable washes, car cleaners, and even yoga-mat cleaners. Most are U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified organic, and all are safe and nontoxic. That makes them ideal for consumers with severe allergies or chemical sensitivities, or those who simply have concerns about the prevalence of hazardous materials in the home.

Larry Plesent, 57, founded Vermont Soap in 1992, after he'd learned the hard way what toxic chemicals can do to your body. In the 1980s, Plesent earned money for college working as a Burlington window washer. In an effort to economize, he concocted his own window washing solution consisting of dish detergent, floor cleaner, windshield-wiper fluid and antifreeze.

For about eight years, Plesent essentially soaked himself in noxious chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulfate, methanol and ethylene glycol, which left him with severe contact dermatitis and multiple chemical sensitivities. Conventional deodorants gave him rashes across his arms and torso that lasted for weeks. Normal shampoos caused his hair to fall out.

He tried one conventional brand after another, but the problems never went away. By 1991, Plesent's "reactive body" was so sensitive, he couldn't touch or be around artificial scents, artificial colors or petrochemical products, including most plastics.

Then, one day at a Vermont craft fair, Plesent picked up a bar of soap made with goat's milk. Just days after he tried it, his eight-year bout of dermatitis disappeared. Realizing that countless other consumers must suffer from similar sensitivities, Plesent decided to turn his disability into a business venture. Thus Vermont Soap was born.

Of course, Vermont Soap isn't the only producer of eco-friendly home-cleaning and personal-care products in the Clean Mountain State. According to Forbes magazine, Burlington behemoth Seventh Generation does more than $300 million in annual retail sales.

Many of Vermont Soap's customers suffer from asthma or chemical sensitivities or have compromised immune systems due to chemotherapy and other medical conditions.

While Vermont Soap hasn't reached that level, it's growing quickly as more consumers seek products labeled organic. The company now has 25 employees and sales in excess of $3 million annually; it recently expanded into Asia and is exploring new markets in Europe. Two-thirds of Vermont Soap's products are now sold under other labels or are added as ingredients to other products.

A June 2015 fire in Vermont Soap's factory on Middlebury's Exchange Street shut down operations for four months but ultimately proved fortuitous: It forced a move into a manufacturing facility more than twice as large just down the road. The company still maintains a discount retail outlet at its original location. There, consumers can find deals on Vermont Soap products and visit its modest soap museum, which features antique washing machines, shaving kits, classic toiletries and, of course, old soaps.

In accordance with Plesent's goal of "doing as little harm as possible," his new and much larger manufacturing space is all electric and at or near zero emissions. Eschewing landscaping that might expose his employees to pesticides and other allergens, he recently planted vegetable gardens for his staff's use.

Consumers who typically buy organic meats and produce can shop online at Vermont Soap for similarly nontoxic alternatives to familiar cleaning products. For example, Produce Magic is an organic cleaner that removes waxes, pesticides, and other dirt and residues from fruits and vegetables. Green Car is an automotive cleaner similar to Armor All, except it's certified organic and contains no petrochemicals.

Liquid Sunshine is an all-purpose spray-and-wipe surface cleaner and concentrate similar to Citra Solv, but it contains all-natural citrus oils. According to Plesent, it can be used safely on cabinets, woodwork and hardwood floors, just like Murphy's Oil Soap, but it's nontoxic and easy on your hands.

Sandy Lincoln, owner of Sandy's Books & Bakery in Rochester, sells organic baked goods and says she uses only Liquid Sunshine on all her countertops, glass surfaces, prep tables and dishes. "So many chemicals on the market leave a chemical, toxic smell behind," she says. "Liquid Sunshine has a really citrusy aroma that our customers love."

In 2014, Delicious Living magazine gave Liquid Sunshine its Editor's Choice Award, noting that the household cleaner contains no volatile organic compounds, which can irritate eyes and cause headaches. "Is it possible to fall in love with a household cleaner?" wrote managing editor Jenna Blumenfeld. "If it's certified organic, eco-friendly and made with a mere five ingredients, it is."

Many of Vermont Soap's customers suffer from asthma or chemical sensitivities or have compromised immune systems due to chemotherapy and other medical conditions. Over the years, some have reached out to Plesent to seek his advice or thank him for the products he's created.

In response, Plesent published a downloadable 68-page book, The Reactive Body Handbook, which instructs people with chemical sensitivities, asthma and other environmental triggers on how to become a "Sherlock Holmes to unravel the mysteries of your own body."

"One of the first comments I ever got on our website was from a woman who wrote, 'Thank goodness you wrote this, Larry. I thought I was the only one,'" he says. "No, you're not. There are millions of us."

Cleaning Chemicals Today Are More Sustainable & Safer

Ann Laffeaty traces the evolution of chemical cleaning products. An increasing number of today’s raw materials are plant-derived. 

Cleaning solutions - a chemical change - Ann Laffeaty traces the evolution of chemical cleaning products in the light of tightening legislation and a greater emphasis on sustainability and safety. There was at time when the only requirement of a chemical detergent solution was that it should be capable of cleaning the item for which it was intended. But that all changed when the health, safety and sustainability implications of cleaning products began to be monitored more closely. For example, we discovered that Paradichlorobenzen - formerly used in urinal blocks – was a carcinogen. We also found out that Alkylphenol ethoxylates, a synthetic surfactant found in detergents, had an oestrogenic effect and could disrupt hormones in fish.

And as our concern for factors such as health, safety and sustainability began to grow, new legislation was introduced. This has resulted in some dramatic changes to the chemical cleaning industry over the past 20 years. But are today’s safer, more environmentally-friendly products as effective as their predecessors? And do manufacturers and customers ever mourn the passing of yesterday’s more hazardous products?

CEBE Reinigungschemie manager Dr Jan Reimers confirms that today’s cleaning chemicals are generally more sustainable, safer and easier to use than their counterparts of 20 years ago. “Both the manufacturer and the end-user have become more sensitised to this issue,” he said. “It is not only legislation that puts the industry under pressure; end-users are also demanding safer and more sustainable products. This has led to changes in formulations and higher levels of training on product use along with greater transparency on the part of the manufacturers where hazardous ingredients are concerned.”

He says that many raw materials have recently been replaced with more environmentally-friendly, less hazardous alternatives. “In addition many products have become simpler - not only in their formulation but also in their use.” However, he cites niche products as an exception to this rule. “Though even where specialty products are concerned the trend is to improve efficiency while also minimising hazard.”

According to Reimers, these changes in the industry have largely been determined by legislation. “If one considers, for instance, the changes in concentration thresholds for declaring a product as an irritant to the eyes, 20 years ago that threshold was generally a concentration of 20 per cent,” he said. “Today this has been reduced to one per cent in some instances.”

He adds that in some cases, changes in formulation have led to poorer performance.  “This is the compromise that has to be made for sustainable development,” he said. “In other cases new raw materials have been discovered which have led to improved performance and sometimes also better environmental degradability.”

Change in behaviour

But is there anything about the chemical solutions of the past that either Reimers or his customers miss today?  “I can think of one thing that may be missed: Alkylphenolethxylates which, as non-ionic surfactants go, are still unsurpassed in many fields and are still in use in some industrial applications,” he said.  “However their impact on the environment is substantial which means that phasing them out and prohibiting their use with only a few exceptions was the right thing to do.”

He describes surfactant-free systems for carpet cleaning – such as the company’s own Spray Brite product – to be among the recent ‘game-changers’ in the chemicals industry. “The development of green labels has also led to a change in market behaviour, particularly since the phasing out of solvents in many products has led to them being more user-friendly.” Dr Schnell Chemie’s marketing executive Franz Felbermeir agrees with Reimers that there is a trend towards developing products with a broader application window, such as general-purpose 

cleaning solutions.

Specialist products

“Customers want to use one product to clean a range of different pollutants from a variety of surfaces,” he said. “At the same time, very specific products are being developed for specialist purposes such as the cleaning of marble, for example. This means that users can rely on a narrow range of products that resolve 90 per cent of standard issues while having a second range of highly specialised products that deal with the remaining cleaning challenges.”

He says that today’s focused research on coming up with systems designed to improve efficiency through the use of better technical equipment - such as microfibre cloths, for example - has led to more effective cleaning. “On the other hand, restrictions in the use of certain chemicals such as some dangerous organic solvents has left the industry looking for replacements for what were highly effective cleaning chemicals in the past,” he said.

Like Reimers he feels that today’s cleaning chemicals are generally more sustainable, safer and easier to use. “As soon as there is an understanding of the potential risks involved with certain substances the trend is to substitute these very quickly,” he said. “Anything that helps our customers to become more efficient in what they do is always a welcome idea. And if a product helps our customer to do a better job, that can be translated into a monetary advantage.”

But does he miss anything about yesterday’s chemical solutions? “Superficially one could complain about the fact that some highly effective surfactants such as Nonylphenoles are no longer available,” he said. “However, these substances have a highly detrimental effect on the environment so the fact that they are no longer in use is overall good news. And this has helped us to keep the focus on seeking better and more sustainable ways to formulate new products.” He describes the company’s Milizid sanitary cleaner as one of Dr Schnell Chemie’s most revolutionary products. “It is our best-selling product and it stays on the top of our list through constant evolution.”

New regulations

Global marketing director of Diversey Care Lars Bo Madsen describes the changes in the chemical industry over the past 20 years as both significant and positive. “Changes have occurred due to regulatory introductions such as the Biocidal Products Directive, REACH, and latterly by GHS,” he said. “There has also been a move towards super-concentrated products that directly deliver less chemical and that entail less packaging, less storage, a lower carbon footprint and maximum safety for end-users.

“Meanwhile, closed systems and packaging with dosing control has been introduced to ensure accuracy, simplicity and safety. And end-users are increasingly requesting products with labels such as the Swan or Ecolabel.”

When asked whether today’s products were more effective than earlier versions he responds:  “What is meant by ‘effective’? Does it mean that a product removes more dirt and soil, cleans more quickly, does so at a lower temperature, uses a less concentrated solution or cleans with less scrubbing? I don’t think we tolerated more dirt 20 years ago so the question really boils down to the last four.”

He refers to the Sinner’s circle that sets out the four cleaning parameters of chemistry, mechanics, temperature and time. “Only when all four factors are harmonised can an effective cleaning result be achieved,” he said.

According to Madsen, super-concentrated cleaning products such as his company’s Diversey Smartdose system have changed the market considerably. This is a dosing platform for super-concentrated cleaners and disinfectants that is said to deliver larger amounts of cleaning solution, reducing plastic use and transport costs.

But what do Diversey Care’s customers miss about yesterday’s chemical products? “Maybe it was the easier decision process – does it work and is it the right price?” said Marsden.  “Nowadays the question: ‘Is it sustainable?’ has been added to the decision process. “But to be honest there is little about chemical products of the past that either Diversey Care or our customers miss today since chemical products have generally become much easier and safer to use.”

The company is launching a range of products containing plant-based actives from renewable sources. Most of the SURE range of products are derived from by-products from the agro-food industry and originate from crops such as sugar beet, maize, straw bran, wheat bran and coconut.

Green cleaning

“In the future I envisage that holistic green cleaning will become more prevalent,” said Marsden. “Green cleaning has already become more formalised in North America where it is accredited through schemes from the US Green Building Council’s LEED suite of accreditations and ISSA’s CIMS-GB scheme.”

Legislation has been the main driver for recent chemical industry changes says Dr Jim Taylour, head of research and development at Holchem Laboratories. “The chief focus in terms of legislation has been on personal and environmental safety,” he said. “The chemicals industry is relatively highly regulated and as new knowledge comes to light, regulations change and the industry reacts in order to ensure it remains legal. “In addition the industry often pre-empts legislation and through codes of practice and industry guidelines recommends voluntary restrictions or a change of use for certain chemicals.”

As an example he quotes a voluntary ban in 1995 on the use of Alkylphenol ethoxylates and Nonylphenol ethoxylates in detergents based on evidence that these compounds were endocrine disruptors. The ban was brought in before the legislation had been put into place.

Plant-derived formulas

Taylour echoes Marsden’s view that an increasing number of today’s raw materials are plant-derived. “An example of this can be seen in the use of palm oil-derived surfactants,” he said. “However, this issue has been complicated by considerations about the sustainability of palm oil production.”

Holchem offers a range of chemicals including its Perbac OPD open plant disinfection solution. This is claimed to be a safe and effective disinfectant for use on open surfaces without the strong acrid smell issues associated with peracetic acid disinfectants.

Like Marsden, Taylour feels that an increasing trend towards the use of super-concentrates has further changed the face of the industry. “This is particularly the case in the hospitality and facilities management sectors where the traditional ready-to-use toilet cleaner has been replaced by a thicken-on-dilution system developed using novel surfactant chemistry,” he said. Holchem’s Optimum Toilet Cleaner Concentrate is an example of this.

Taylour believes that industry regulations will continue to change and shape the chemicals sector. “As legislation such as BPR, REACH and the Detergent Directive matures, detergent and disinfectant suppliers will continue to drive the development of their products to ensure that they remain legal, cost-effective and safe both for personnel and for the environment,” he said.  ustainability and safety.

Is It Clean? Is It Too Clean?

But decades later we still haven't won our war on germs. In fact, in many ways the germs are winning the battle.

Is It Clean? Is It Too Clean? - (By BeiBei): "Is it clean? Is it too clean?" Those are also questions that I ask myself many times every day. When I was little, the one question concerning sanitary conditions was, "Is it clean?" If the answer was "No", then we used water, soap, laundry powder or teeth cleaning powder. When I was three or four years old, my mother bought this fancy new item called shampoo paste. I even remember it was a brand called the Seagull. It was so new and expensive that I took a picture holding the bottle, smiling while scratching my head.

Then there came liquid shampoo that looked just like beer and even foamed too! Then toothpaste that tasted rather sweet but I still hated to use. And then soap that was so fragrant you would want to take a bite. I don't quite remember how old I was when dish detergent came into our household. Maybe it wasn't necessary since there wasn't much grease in the diet back then anyway.

Was it all of a sudden that the sanitary issue became so serious? There came shampoos of all colours and tastes, yes, as a kid I tasted the shampoo that smelled so delicious. There was dish detergent that could make your dishes squeak and shine. And then came shower gels and facial cleansers.

When I went to the States things got really complicated. There was soap, yes, I knew that. But liquid soap? Hmm…There was Windex. What's that for? For cleaning the window, making the glass so clean that poor birds would fly right into it and slide down from a concussion. There was bleach, oh, so pungent! My mother dissolved a pair of her jeans while trying to make it cleaner.

Someday, someone decided that all of these and a whole lot more were not making our world clean enough. There were little bugs you couldn't see. There were germs everywhere. There were viruses and other dangerous things that we must fight, fight, fight!

Then one day, the word "anti-bacterial" came flashing onto the stage. Bling~ Bling~ Flash~ Flash! We can now be saved, from all the bad germs! Anti-bacterial soap. Anti-bacterial wipes. Anti-bacterial detergent. Anti-bacterial mouthwash. The list goes on.

But decades later we still haven't won our war on germs. In fact, in many ways the germs are winning the battle.

In an article by microbiologist and science writer Jason Tetro, he said most germs are not interested in us humans and the majority of them are beneficial. Only a very small portion of germs is harmful and we only come in contact with a dozen of those. Yet, we've declared a full war on germs, a war that we can't seem to win.

But germs are tiny, why can't we win the war?

Tetro explained that germs can evolve about once every 20 minutes while human beings evolve about every 20 years. They have the power to change and change and they change fast! Every measure we take, every new cleaning product that we create, will eventually make them stronger. Besides, germs can live anywhere! You can clean your hands, steam your bottles and boil your food. But can you sanitize your whole house, your whole office, every nook and cranny? The worse thing is, while we are trying to kill off the bad germs, more of the good ones die along the way. Sigh!

This is not the only indication that our war on germs is coming back to bite us instead. Have you noticed the increase in cases of allergies, asthma and eczema in today's world?

Allergies were rare when I was a kid, but nowadays, it seems like everybody is allergic to something. When I went to the States, I learned that some people would swell up and die from eating a peanut! I've even heard of cases where some kids are allergic to things like eggs, rice and even water! I have to admit that I start my days with a stuffy nose and about a dozen sneezes, not knowing exactly what I'm allergic to. What is wrong with us?

One explanation is the hygiene hypothesis. It says that we've learned to clean our environment and ourselves so thoroughly that our immune system is left idle. But our immune systems were born fighters. They don't want to sit there doing nothing and grow fat, so they start attacking harmless substances, such as pollen and dust.

Many studies have shown that children who grew up with older siblings, who are always bringing home free germs to smear over their younger siblings, and children who have early exposure to pets or live in the rural area, have lower cases of developing allergies and asthma.

In my own family, the person who is the clean freak can get severe stomach pains from drinking a bottle of spring water that's been left open for just one day. But the person who would come home and sit on her bed without changing into indoor clothing (which freaks me out) can eat a rotten apple and not have any issues.

I myself am somewhere stuck in the middle. Yes, I want to live in a perfectly clean world. I can't stand the thought of bringing germs back home from the subway or putting money directly in my pockets. But the question "Is it too clean?" rings in my head more and more often now. I've learned to pull my hand back from the bottles with the word "anti-bacterial" on it. But yes, I still wash my hands and change my cloth the moment I get home.

I tell myself that in the relatively safe environment that I live in, soap and water would be sanitary enough. I've also realized that the action of cleaning is more important than the product. It's the "running" in running water and the "rubbing" in washing our hands that carry away most of the germs. So don't idolize the fancy products. Most of them were created to make money, not to make our world a better place. If you really want to kill off germs, here is a tip from the experts: Instead of using harsh chemicals, use the most natural disinfectant, steam. Simple, clean and almost for free.

But really, my point is, let's not get overly anxious about germs. Most of them have been our neighbors and friends for as long as we've existed. Instead of turning all of them into enemies, let them play with our immune systems so they stay weak and we grow strong.

It can all be summed up by that old Chinese saying: Some germs a day will keep the doctors away!

Cleaning without making use of any detergents or soaps may be time consuming for most of the time.

Washing and cleaning products market - global industry size, growth, share analysis and outlook to 2020 outlined in new market research report: Washing and cleaning products are the substances generally liquid, powder, sprays or granules which are used to remove dirt, including dust, stains, bad smells and clutter on surfaces. Cleaning agents are normally in the form of acidic, alkaline or neutral depending on the use.

The acidic washing agents are mostly used for cleaning deposits such as scaling. The active ingredients are usually strong mineral acids and chelates. 

Alkaline washing and cleaning products consist of strong bases like sodium hydroxide as it dissolves oil, grease, fats and proteins based deposits. Whereas, neutral washing products are those whose pH value is neutral and are made from different ionic compound which are used to clean different types of dirt.

Washing and cleaning products are used in wide range of applications such as Sanitation & Janitorial Cleaning Products, Industrial Cleaners, Kitchen & Catering Cleaning Agents, Food & Dairy Processing Cleaners, Laundry Agents, pulp & paper, chemical processing, agrochemicals and others. Soaps and detergents have become a necessary product in our daily lives. 

End-users include various industries such as manufacturing units, food & lodging, building service contractors, food & drinks processing units, retail, healthcare and others commercial facilities. However, the needs and requirement for cleaning products used by these industries differ vastly. 

Products, which are used by building contractors, include those products which are used for cleaning soiled floors, carpets, restrooms, window glasses and furniture. The global demand for washing and cleaning products in the market is driven by rise in population and increasing usage norms impacted as it is by greater concern for hygiene. Cleaning without making use of any detergents or soaps may be time consuming for most of the time. 

Therefore, products, which make the task easy, quickly and to a high standard, are favorable. However, consumers are more likely to pay for such products. 

Raising awareness of personal hygiene, increased focus on communal hygiene and growing concern over the spread of infectious disease are some of the other factors which are driving the market for washing and cleaning products. Increasing concern about ensuring the safety, social and self-actualization needs by enabling safe food storage, sterilizing household surfaces and controlling garbage in a hygienic manner are also driving the washing and cleaning market at some extent.

In less developed countries, price becomes the major factor as consumers have less money to spend. Therefore, manufacturers of cleaning products must work on this aspect in order to succeed in the washing and cleaning product market. 

Strict government regulations about use of cleaning agents as many of them consist of certain chemicals which affect the environment in one form or the other. These are some of the factors which are hampering the growth of washing and cleaning products market to some extent.

Introduction of new, innovative and technologically advanced products, efficient research and development activities and development of product to meet the needs of the consumer are some of the growth opportunities which is likely to drive this market in the year to come. Improved lifestyle and tip from cleaning experts are some of the trends contributing the growth of this market.

Asia Pacific is the largest market for washing and cleaning products attributed to a large population of the emerging countries such as China and India. It is then followed by North America and Europe. 

Asia Pacific is also the fastest growing region for washing and cleaning products market owing to the rising population of this region. Moreover, rising leaving standard, growing disposable income of the consumer of this region has contributed to the overall growth of the washing and cleaning products market.

Some of the major companies operating in washing and cleaning products market include Henkel KGaA, Colgate-Palmolive Company, Procter & Gamble Co., Reckitt Benckiser Plc, The Clorox Company, Church & Dwight, The Dial Corporation and Unilever N.V. 

Toxic Home Syndrome

A new report has suggested that by shutting those doors and windows, you're actually increasing the risk that your home itself could be poisoning you. Window cleaners work inside homes on a daily basis - the indoor air may contain over 900 chemicals, particles and biological materials with potential health effects.

Could your house be poisoning you? One expert suggests that millions of us are risking our health in an effort to stay warm: You might think of your home as a safe haven, where you shut the doors and windows against the worst the world can throw at you, and finally feel secure. However, a new report has suggested that by shutting those doors and windows, you're actually increasing the risk that your home itself could be poisoning you.

Experts have been alive to this risk for a number of years, but the Daily Mail is warning that we could be at particular risk at this time of year, as we keep doors and windows closed against the cold air, trapping pollutants in the property. This has been made even worse by our enthusiasm for insulating our properties more effectively, which reduces ventilation still further.

The report drew heavily on the work of Peter Howarth, Professor of Allergy and Respiratory medicine at Southampton University, who has coined the term 'Toxic Home Syndrome". His website myhealthmyhome.com, claims that 15.3 million homes in the UK suffer from this, which is putting the occupants at risk from the pollutants in the air.

Potential impact: The website makes for pretty alarming reading, because these pollutants can be caused by any number of things most of us do at home. These include taking showers, which condense around the bathroom, and cause mould to develop. Likewise, drying washing around the home releases organic compounds, cooking on a gas hob releases gases, using a wood-burning stove can release pollutants when smoke is able to drift back into the property. Even walking around in shoes brings pollutants and germs in from outside, which can be harboured by carpets and allowed to breed.

Each of these pollutants has a potential impact. Mould, for example, can exacerbate allergies and breathing problems, while the organic compounds can increase the risk of cancer, the gases from the hob can cause respiratory problems, smoke can cause lung damage, and carpet-related pollution can increase breathing problems and allergies. It all sounds terribly frightening. However, there's really no need to panic.

Are you at risk? If you have mould in your home, then there's every chance that it is not suitably ventilated, and either you should install better ventilation systems or keep windows open more - regardless of the weather.

Ventilate - Use Eco friendly products

Even if there are no physical signs that you could have a problem, it's worth considering whether you or anyone else in your family is suffering from the symptoms associated with pollutants. Most commonly these include skin irritation, dry eyes, a congested nose, allergic reactions such as eczema or asthma, headaches, poor concentration and lethargy. If so, it's worth addressing ventilation at home.

But before we all start to panic, it's worth bearing in mind that every home has some pollutants in it. A study by Waverton Analytics at the end of last year found that 91% of homes exceeded the recommended maximum levels of indoor pollutants.

It's hardly surprising, given that at some point someone has walked on your carpets in shoes, there have been clothes drying, and someone presumably decorated it and cleaned it too - both of which pump plenty of chemicals into the air. Given that 91% of the population of the UK isn't keeling over from the effects of Toxic Home Syndrome, it means we should keep the risks in perspective.

This research should encourage us to think more carefully about how well ventilated our home is - especially if you have been suffering from any of these symptoms - it shouldn't, however, give us any reason to worry. There's every chance that opening the window when you have a shower, and making sure each room is aired regularly, should keep the healthy air circulating nicely.

Meth' Clean Up

Despite this accreditation, the process of cleaning up a meth site is not all that complicated, chemically speaking. The solution Jennifer and her crew use is a mix of carpet cleaner, degreaser, and dish soap.

The Hard, Grim Work of Cleaning Up Meth Labs in West Virginia: Usually, when Jennifer McQuerrey Rhyne's truck pulls up to a property, it's the first time neighbors have seen any activity there in weeks. Even though the decals on her hulking Tacoma read "www.wvmethcleanup.com"—literally spelling out why she is there—she becomes a magnet for anyone looking for information about the former proprietors of the meth cook sites she cleans for a living. Along with a bevy of shady characters, the business offers a window into the changing drug habits of rural, white America.

A guy in a sweatpants and a hoodie tattered by cigarette burns approaches, mentioning the apartment's former tenant, a woman I'll call Rachel. "She was into some bad stuff," he says. "She was advertising as an escort on a site called BackPages.com and was going all across the county."

Jennifer, 43 years old and about five feet tall with crimson-colored hair and a stud poking out of the upper right side of her lip, quietly absorbs the story. She's used to this. They come to her hoping to gather gossip, ease their worries, or collect debts. "Over her time here, I loaned her over $1,000," the man says. "I heard she was at a rooming house in Bridgeport, but I was wondering if you knew anything."

"No, I don't know anything," Jennifer replies with a polite smile as she checks her phone. "Well, I'd like to at least like to get my air mattress back," he says. "I'm sorry but all this stuff has to go to the dump," Jennifer explains. "There's been a meth contamination here." "Well, that figures," the guy says, wandering off. It's because of encounters like this that Jennifer keeps a Ruger 380 in her truck. The gun usually stays there. Only once, in a run-down "apartment building full of tweakers" in Elkins, did she conceal it beneath her Hazmat-style suit as she cleaned.

It's not an uncommon scene in the Mountain State. Like rural populations all over the US, West Virginians are smoking a shit-ton of meth. Two years ago, 533 meth cook sites were uncovered in the state, though as of the end of November, 2014's numbers were down 40 percent, with just 290 reported busts compared to 500 at the same time a year earlier. Still, the drug is entrenched in this land of arch bridges and rolling hills, where the population density rarely reaches 500 people per square mile. Increasingly, West Virginia meth comes not from the makeshift labs of yore but a crude "shake and bake" process of packing cold medicine, anhydrous ammonia, water, and a reactive metal into a bottle to make a sludgy but effective product. It doesn't take Walter White to do this, and it makes it possible for a meth operation to be cloistered into a closet, a car trunk, or even a backpack.

No matter how large or small, once a cook site is busted, state law dictates it be " remediated."

No matter how large or small, once a cook site is busted, state law dictates it be " remediated" by a licensed company after police determine there is no immediate threat of an explosion. This has meant steady income for Jennifer's company, Affordable Clean Up, LLC, the only one in West Virginia dedicated solely to cleaning meth cook sites. (There are also general industrial cleaning companies that can be contracted for the job.) Since starting in 2012, they've cleaned about 20 sites a year. The average job rakes in $10,000, usually paid by a landlord or mortgage-holding bank.

This apartment in Clarksburg is netting Jennifer only a shade under four grand. She tested surfaces in each room with a kit and only three of them had enough meth residue to meet West Virginia's standard for contamination, 0.1 micrograms per 100 square centimeters. Then she filed paperwork with the state Department of Health and Human Resources and awaited an OK to clean, a process that can take weeks, much to the annoyance of landlords. These owners "did the right thing," Jennifer says. "Most landlords would have just tossed everything and never said a word."

Jennifer is a landlord herself who's been flipping houses for nearly 20 years and has dozens of rental units across the state. It was in that capacity that she got the idea for this side business. She attended a seminar lead by an official from the state Department of Health and Human Service's Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Program. He explained how to spot the signs of a lab and what the landlord is obligated to do when one emerges. It was one offhand comment in particular that stuck with her. "He said, 'When I retire from the state, I'm going into [the decontamination] business,'" Jennifer recalls. "'I'll make a killing!'"

Jennifer had a business administration degree and was always looking for flexible forms of work as her daughter moved through adolescence. So why not clean up old meth labs? She began researching the qualifications needed to tidy up after tweakers and recruited her father, a retired elementary school principal, and Heath, a maintenance man for her rentals. They moved through the trainings and certifications: a $350 class on handling hazardous materials, an $800 multi-day program on the risks of meth sites specifically, an annual $300 methamphetamine remediation license for the company and $50 yearly meth remediation technician certificates for each person on her crew. In West Virginia, you need all this to even walk through the door of a site after a meth bust.

Despite this accreditation, the process of cleaning up a meth site is not all that complicated, chemically speaking. The solution Jennifer and her crew use is a mix of carpet cleaner, degreaser, and dish soap. Like the ingredients for meth itself, all that can be bought at Lowe's. They spray it onto every surface. "Then, we scrub the shit out of it," Jennifer says. It usually takes three sprays and scrubs before the residue is below the state standard.

That standard might be overly cautious. In 2009, the federal Environmental Protection Agency concluded that 1.5 µg/100 cm²—15 times the amount of meth residue allowed by West Virginia—was the threshold for health hazard and set that as its own recommended standard. But that's only a suggestion, and the laws of meth contamination are a patchwork from state to state. Minnesota, Kansas, Virginia, California, and other states use the EPA's recommendation. Some—like Nebraska, Washington, Alaska, and West Virginia—go by the harsh 0.1 µg/100 cm² standard, and several set it somewhere between.

Just like the cleaning, the disposal of meth-contaminated stuff is surprisingly simple, albeit hampered by bureaucracy. Jennifer deposits everything she takes from a site at a municipal landfill, where it is buried, but first she has to photograph each item and file an accompanying form, all of which goes to the state.

All of these measurements are lighter than the weight of a single grain of rice, but between them is a difference of tens of thousands of dollars if a cook site is found on any given property. Take for instance, an elderly woman whose home Jennifer cleaned. She lived with an adult grandson who cooked and smoked meth. By West Virginia's 0.1 µg/100 cm² standard, the whole house was contaminated. In addition to the hefty cost of the cleaning, everything she owned had to go to the dump. "She lost everything, all her belongings she collected her entire life," Jennifer remembers. "I would petition the state to raise the level. I don't even care if I lose business. I've seen too many people pointlessly lose everything."

Anthony Turner is director of the West Virginia Department of Health's Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Program. He's sympathetic to property owners, but tells me, "I'd rather err on the side of caution when it comes to public health. These are residential units where children might live."

Just like the cleaning, the disposal of meth-contaminated stuff is surprisingly simple, albeit hampered by bureaucracy. Jennifer deposits everything she takes from a site at a municipal landfill, where it is buried, but first she has to photograph each item and file an accompanying form, all of which goes to the state. After conferring with a few sanitation workers sitting in a trailer, she drives the truck to a set of metal dumpsters full of tires, stoves, bedframes, and five-gallon buckets. The place smells like gasoline and burned plastic. Jennifer puts on gloves, photographs each item, and tosses it into a dumpster.

The Future For Water Cleaning

Many companies are coming up with cleaning systems that use water only, claiming these to be sustainable since they remove the need for chemicals. But as water supplies dwindle, are such claims justified?

The future for water cleaning: Many companies are coming up with cleaning systems that use water only, claiming these to be sustainable since they remove the need for chemicals. But as water supplies dwindle, are such claims justified? Ann Laffeaty looks at arguments for and against water-based and chemical-based cleaning systems.

Products and systems were once considered to be environmentally-friendly if they minimised the use of potentially harmful chemicals. Manufacturers then began coming up with new, eco-friendly chemicals said to be less aggressive and kinder to the environment. Soon chemicals were dispensed with altogether in certain applications, and systems that used water alone - such as water-fed poles, microfibre cloths and high pressure cleaning machines – began to gain ground.

But the world is now facing a water crisis. A UN report issued this summer claimed that water supplies are falling while demand is growing at an unsustainable rate. In fact the average supply of water per person worldwide is expected to drop by a third over the next 20 years.
So does this mean that water-based cleaning systems are no longer sustainable?

Water-fed pole window cleaning is one of the services offered by facilities management services company OCS. Regional operations manager Michael Chambers admits that such systems require more water than traditional window cleaning methods using a ladder and squeegee.

Many advantages

“However I think the advantages of water-fed pole window cleaning outweigh the disadvantages, both from a financial and sustainability point of view,” he said. “For one thing this method allows you to clean windows 60 ft up, which is much better for the safety of staff than using ladders. Access equipment often runs on diesel, too, which can cause pollution. And traditional cleaning methods use chemicals whereas water-fed systems of course use only water.”

He adds that the extra water used for window cleaning is not wasted in any case. “All the run-off goes into the drains and ends up back in the system,” he said. “The fact that the water is pure means it is more or less equivalent to rainwater.”

High pressure cleaning also uses large quantities of water to remove dirt from indoor and outdoor surfaces. However this is still an eco-friendly cleaning method according to Karcher environmental PR David Wickel.

“The narrow diameter of a high pressure nozzle reduces water consumption considerably in comparison with an ordinary hose,” he said. “Furthermore, mechanical cleaning is an environmentally-friendly alternative to using chemicals, and in many cases leads to better cleaning results in a much shorter time.”

He argues that high pressure cleaning keeps chemical use to a minimum since detergent consumption can be reduced under higher pressure. “Pressure cleaners also have dosing devices that enable detergent to be added precisely and in minimal quantities.”

He claims Kärcher’s high pressure cleaners save up to 50 per cent more water, electricity and time than most other high pressure systems. In some cases, too – particularly in car-washing applications - the water can be recycled.

“With our WRH 1200 eco it is possible to recycle the oily waste water arising from washing engines and vehicle under-bodies with a high pressure cleaner,” he said. “Using this method, fresh water consumption can be reduced by as much as 85 per cent.”

Wickel adds that the company’s scrubber dryers can also be adapted to save water. “When using scrubber dryers with disk brushes, aquamisers –or aprons fitted behind the disks on the brush head - confine the cleaning solution to the area being cleaned,” he said. “This makes it possible to reduce water and detergent consumption by up to 30 per cent.”

PHS Washrooms offers a number of products designed to save water including flush control systems for toilets and urinals, and a water saver system for taps. When attached to a siphon in the toilet cistern, the Flush-wiser WC Flush Control can reduce the amount of water flushed by up to three litres according to marketing manager Keri Reynolds. “This can be adjusted to suit each cistern, taking into account cistern size and performance in order to make optimum
savings without compromising on hygiene,” she says.

Reduction in wastage

The PHS SaverTap is designed to make existing taps work more efficiently by preventing them from being allowed to be left to run. “This reduces water wastage by up to 80 per cent,” says Reynolds. “Using water more efficiently is a smart way for businesses to save energy and money, while also delivering on commitments to cut energy and resource wastage.

“The washroom is somewhere that energy-saving schemes can easily be put into action by installing products that are economical with water, yet still deliver the best performance and hygiene standards. As well as the financial benefits, by demonstrating your company’s water efficiency you may attract new, more environmentally-aware customers and employees.”

Nilfisk-Advance has developed a cleaning system said to cut water consumption by 50 per cent and reduce the need for detergents by between 35 and 100 per cent. The company’s Ecoflex System allows the operator to vary the quantity of detergent used and also to switch between chemical-free cleaning and water-only cleaning.

“The Ecoflex System enables the operator to select the right blend of pad pressure, water and detergent for any given task,” says group corporate responsibility manager Ulla Riber. “This means the decision on how to balance the use of detergent and water is managed at the point of cleaning which allows the operator to achieve the best possible results.”

The company also offers the Nilfisk-Advance Cyclone 4500 system which collects and filters waste water. All contaminants are removed and contained and the clean water is recycled and reused.

Needs protecting

“Water is a main component for delivering the highest standards of effective cleaning - but it is a natural resource and we all need to protect it,” says Ruber.

“There is no doubt that water will be high on the agenda in our industry in years to come. Both we and our customers see potential in developing products that provide equal or enhanced cleaning efficiency while using less energy, less water and less detergent. We want to take a key position in this development.”

Ecolab also aims to reduce the use of water during cleaning. However senior marketing communications manager Nick Burchell feels that water alone is rarely a substitute for chemicals in any case.

“If you want to remove limescale you will need an acid-based product, and if you want to disinfect a surface you will require a QAT-based or chlorine bleach product,” he said.

Chemicals are also sometimes required even when cleaning with microfibre, according to Burchell. In a 2005 laboratory study carried out by Ecolab, two surfaces were charged with pathogens and cleaned using different methods - one with microfibre plus chemicals and one with microfibre and
water alone.

“There was a significant log reduction when chemicals were used,” said Burchell. “Also the fresh smell associated with a chemical clean is often important. Patient studies in the UK have shown that if a hospital smells clean, patients feel that it must be clean. Cleaning methods that use water alone do not generate this clean smell.”

Ecolab offers a mop impregnation system for hospitals designed to be ergonomic for the cleaner while minimising the use of water and chemicals. The Vario Maxx Healthguard system is said to reduce water and chemical consumption by up to 80 per cent while also facilitating the task of hospital cleaning.

“We design our trolleys around the workforce and take into account how people use them,” said Burchell. “A calculation is made as to how many microfibre mops are required to clean each bay and ward, and these mops are then lined up in a box on the trolley ready for use.

“The mops are then moistened in a bucket that contains a powerful concentration of detergent plus two litres of water at most. This solution is absorbed by the mops so that they become only damp, with no wringing required.”

Ecolab also offers a rinse-free product for manual and machine cleaning that is said to save water. Magic Maxx contains a blend of active cleaning agents to create what Ecolab calls 'super-wetting technology'.

Diversey corporate communications director Rafael Echevarria agrees that besides any sustainability issues, water alone is not always an effective cleaning medium. “With a chemical-free system it is not necessarily the amount of water that is the issue,” he said. “The water will need to be hotter which gives rise to safety and environmental issues. Also more abrasion may be required which could lead to damage to the cleaning surface or the user. And when using water alone it may take significantly longer to clean which will lead to productivity and cost issues.”

He argues that chemicals play an important role in hygiene-critical environments such as kitchens and washrooms. “Although water alone could be used in these areas, the germs would have to be physically removed by microfibre or through thermal disinfection,” he said.

Scientific assessment

“Very few microfibre systems have been scientifically assessed for their ability to remove harmful bacteria. As regards thermal disinfection, you would have to use either very high temperatures for relatively long contact times, or steam. This may be fine in a closed system such as a laundry machine, but elsewhere there will be some environmental impact regarding how the water is heated, damage to materials and personal safety.”

He says it is misleading to categorically claim that water-only systems are more sustainable than those that use chemicals. However he adds that a sustainable cleaning regime should successfully balance both water and chemical use.

“Around 1.5 billion people live in river basins where water is physically scarce, while another billion live in river basins where water is economically scarce,” he said. “Water management and conservation is critical to any regime - cleaning or not. The water-only/chemical balance can be extremely complex and the only certain answer is: whatever the answer, it doesn’t apply to everyone.”

Window Cleaning News

Pakistani window cleaner survives fall: A Pakistani man cleaning the windows of a high-rise hotel in Jeddah miraculously survived a fall from the ninth floor when one of the cables securing the cage in which he and a colleague were suspended broke, toppling him out and sending him plunging to the ground below. Astonished witnesses who saw the man fall 37 metres to the ground and stand up again immediately called rescue teams and watched as the second window cleaner was rescued from the cage in which he remained dangling precariously by a single cable.

Window cleaner tries to smash record at Ricoh Arena: The world’s fastest window cleaner is in Coventry for two days to try and smash a world record. Terry “Turbo” Burrows will be at the Ricoh Arena today and tomorrow as part of the Carpex and Windex exhibition. He will be taking on other window cleaners to try and break his own record of 9.24secs.

Businessman hopes to help others see more clearly: A challenge from his sister to seriously pray about his lack of a job is what Steve Coleman (pictured) credits with bringing him to the Greensboro area where he now owns and operates the franchise Fish Window Cleaning. “The Bible says, ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you (Matt. 7:7)' and that is what I did,” he said. “After that things seem to fall into place for me. I believe God has led me in the right direction.” Coleman grew up in the small town of Maxton, N.C. He graduated from the University of North Carolina Pembroke with a degree in mathematics and computer science. Prior to opening Fish Window Cleaning, Coleman was a plant engineer and production manager for Vanity Fair Corporation, where he worked for 12 years in both Texas and Alabama. He and his wife, Edna, moved to Tennessee where he worked for a while, but later returned to Maxton to stay with his mother, who continues to play piano at her church at age 90. “I get a lot of my drive from her,” Coleman noted with a smile.
While job searching on the computer, Coleman inadvertently pushed a button to investigate franchises. Patty Norman of FranChoice, a company representing 250 franchises, contacted him the next day. “I told her I didn't mean to contact her, but she convinced me to look at some of the businesses and came up with several that I could afford and met my interest level,” Coleman said. “Fish was one of them, but when I first heard about it I did not think it was for me.” The more he learned about the company, however, the more he was drawn to it, and his wife was for it from the start. Fish Window Cleaning has been in business for 35 years. It is headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., and has 220 locations across the United States.
Other franchise companies also contacted Coleman, but Fish Window Cleaning Discovery Day, where franchise prospects meet corporate leaders in person, was the only one he attended. “I started looking at Fish in October, attended Discovery Day in December and was trained to clean windows in January,” Coleman said. “I opted to buy a Fish franchise that was for resale in Greensboro rather than start from scratch, and opened my business Feb. 1.” Coleman had visited Greensboro in the past, but knew little about it so researched the area on the Web. Although his office is located at 4915 High Point Road, Suite E in Greensboro, he and his wife decided to live in Jamestown.
Eighty percent of Coleman's business is commercial and the other 20 percent is residential. After six weeks in business, his Fish franchise company had the most number of new accounts sold in one week. He currently has three workers who, along with Coleman, handle the High Point, Jamestown and Greensboro areas. He can also work other zip codes as long as there is no Fish franchise there. Workers are licensed and bonded and customer satisfaction is guaranteed. “I love to work,” Coleman admitted. “I take pride in what I do and my goal is to be No. 1.” With a chuckle he added, “I really notice dirty windows now. Windows are the first thing you see when you approach a building.”

Bank of Mum and Dad bankrupt? Research has revealed that 31% of parents borrowed money from their kids at least once during 2009. On average, piggy-bank raiding parents borrowed £15 at a time, according to the research from money.co.uk, which equates to just under £54 million loaned to the Bank of Mum and Dad over the course of the year. Chris Morling, managing director of money.co.uk, said: "I'm sure we've all been caught short of cash from time to time, for instance when a window cleaner or milk man needs paying. In those situations there's no shame in borrowing a few pounds from the children, providing it's only temporarily. All the same, it's amazing how all those relatively small loans add up when you look at the country as a whole."

A callous conman has struck at the home of a Lowestoft pensioner, stealing the 81-year-old woman's handbag. Police investigations were this week continuing into the distraction burglary at the woman's home in Caddies Walk about 3.30pm on Saturday. Officers are linking this incident to another walk-in burglary in Caddies Walk, between between 11am and 1pm on Saturday, when a purse was stolen. Police need to trace a white man, in his mid 20s to mid 30s, around 5ft 10in to 6ft, of slim build, with short fair hair and wearing a light coloured jacket with a white stripe down the arm. A man offering window cleaning services called at a number of properties in the area on Saturday. The 81-year-old's black handbag, containing a small amount of cash and her pension book, was taken. In the other walk-in burglary a 44-year-old woman lost a black purse containing a small amount of cash. It was revealed this week that more than 140 elderly people had been burgled by doorstep conmen in Suffolk over the past two years, and a national campaign has been launched to raise awareness of the crime. Information about the Lowestoft incidents should be directed to Lowestoft CID on 01986 835300. Anyone concerned about suspicious callers in their area should report them to Suffolk Police on 01473 613500 or dial 999 if a crime is in progress.

The Barfield Players, based in Tonbridge, Kent, also took home the Best Actress and Best Actor awards when they presented The Window Cleaner on Saturday night (February 27), which was also the awards night. Jill the window cleaner discovered the presence of Daryl, a burglar, in the flat for which she had the keys. We got to know a great deal about them as the situation gradually unwound and tension built up.

Landlords bend the law to breaking point in order to elude responsibility and claim costs for damages or even simple maintenance. But, as long as this is within the law, it is difficult—impossible, even—to curb. It is, consequently, essential for students themselves to insist that leases include terms and conditions that ensure landlords meet basic standards of liability. This is no easy feat and requires students to be highly discerning of abstruse legal jargon. A service that students should taken full advantage of is the EUSA advice place, which provides a professional service of reading leases for students to ensure they are fair. But this is not enough. The presupposition that bold and hapless 18 year-olds will clamber precariously out onto balconies to clean windows is absurd. Equally absurd is the expectation that students can afford to foot the bill for regular professional window cleaning. For a landlord to abdicate responsibility, to such an extent, is just wrong.

Lakeland Hospitality Show a great success: Top chefs in the north west rustled up an array of culinary treats for visitors to the Best of Lakeland Hospitality Show this week at the Hyrdro hotel, Bowness. Now in its 35th year the show is invite only and aims to connect people in the hospitality business in the Lake District and help small businesses meet suppliers. Gary Carr, owner of Smart Cleaning Services of Kendal, demonstrated his 65ft extendable window cleaning pole which promises to reach the top floor of any hotel in the Lakes.

Karate kid is master rather than apprentice: Karate kid Mitchell Wallis has turned the tables on his dad, kicking him off the top spot at the family home. The ten-year-old has beaten dad Martin, 44, in the race for a black belt, proving he’s more master then apprentice. Mitchell of Pin Mill, Basildon, first took to the sport when he was just six and now four years later he has just been awarded with his black belt after passing a thorough test. Dad Martin, and mum Karen, 41, said they were immensely proud of their son’s achievement. Martin, a window cleaner who remains one level behind his son as a brown belt, said he was inspired to start his own training after regularly taking Mitchell to the martial arts school. He now helps train the youngsters at the Pitsea sessions. He said: “We’re unbelievably proud of him.

City election leads to runoffs: In a cramped, stuffy room at the Supervisor of Elections office downtown, Craig Lowe and Don Marsh watched Tuesday night as the tallies came in. From the first few precincts that reported, a runoff looked possible, and that's how it ended - for both the mayoral race and for the contest for the District 4 seat on the City Commission. Lowe got 40.13 percent of the vote, and Marsh had 29.17 percent.
In the April 13 runoff, for the mayor's office, it will be the case of polar opposites - Marsh a married, right-leaning window cleaner and Lowe an openly gay, left-leaning city commissioner - who now have another four weeks of campaigning before Round 2. While Lowe, with 4,073 votes, had nearly 11 percent more votes than Marsh, who got 2,960, he failed to get the 50 percent majority required to avert a runoff. Marsh said he was hoping to win outright Tuesday but was glad to still be in the mix. "It's better than being out of it," Marsh said. "I'm glad there is still a ray of hope that we'll be able to do something about our GRU bills," he told reporters, referring to one of his major points of the campaign. Outside the supervisor's office, Cooper congratulated Marsh.

World Federation HQ leaves USA: The World Federation of Building Service Contractors (WFBSC) has moved its headquarters from the USA to the UK, where it will be managed by the Cleaning & Support Services Association. The CSSA's Andrew Large is now also executive vice president of the WFBSC. President Bob King commented on the announcement: "I am delighted that the CSSA, and Andrew Large its chief executive, has assumed the position of executive vice president of the WFBSC. I look forward to working with him to promote professional cleaning across the globe in 2010 and beyond.
“I would also like to pay tribute to the retiring executive vice president Carol Dean. She has been a tower of strength for the WFBSC for over 30 years and her efforts on behalf of building service contractors cannot be understated. We all owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to her for her hard work in support of our industry. On behalf of the WFBSC Board and all its members I would like to wish her very well for the future.” The WFBSC is an umbrella organisation made up of national and international professional cleaning associations across the globe.

A family was left ‘humiliated’ when a priest refused to christen their son minutes before the service was due to start. As 50 family and friends sat waiting in St Joseph’s Church, Audley Range, Blackburn, Father David Chinnery discovered neither parent was a Roman Catholic. He told Janine Wood and partner Andrew Craig this meant he could not baptise their five-year-old son Jamie, a pupil at St. Antony's RC School. Andrew, a window cleaner, added: “I felt so embarrassed and ashamed. It was an absolute shambles.” Father Chinnery, who has been at the church since October, said he had presumed they were Catholics.

A remarkable human being, David Howler Fletcher chose to commit suicide last summer at the Diversity Festival on Texada Island by walking out to the depths of the ocean. He was a person who saw depths in others and touched them there. With his charismatic nature, he made a huge impact on a diverse group of people from many communities in Vancouver. When a memorial event was held last July 2009 to help the huge grieving that went through his community with his passing, over 200 people showed up. His Facebook memorial fan page acquired 445 friends with astonishing speed. To this day, people continue to send messages to him on this page. A couple of months prior to his passing, Howler put up a blog advertising his services as a window washer. Like many of us struggling to live in this old world as the new world is being birthed, Howler had difficulty supporting himself financially. Howler’s great gifts as a human being have no monetary value in the current surface reality of our dominant white North American society. There is no paying job for love.

The LEGO® Modular Buildings series continues with this spectacularly detailed 3-story department store, designed in a realistic scale with lots of special building techniques and rare pieces. On the street outside, citizens carry shopping bags, send letters at the mailbox, admire the window mannequins, and cool off at the ice cream stand while a busy window washer works above. Includes 7 minifigures: 1 window cleaner, 1 female shop assistant, 1 genetleman and 1 lady with shopping bags, 1 boy plus 1 male and 1 female mannequin! Grand Emporium - Ages 16+. 2,182 pieces. US $149.99 CA $199.99 UK £ 139.99 DE € 149.99

Are the chemicals you keep in your home safe? Have you ever stopped to think about the chemicals that fill your home? All those cleaning fluids, like washing detergent and window cleaners, may have something in them you should be aware of. Director of the Craighead County Emergency Management, David Moore, says people rarely realize the every day liquids in their home that are potentially dangerous, "Most people use chemicals without realizing what ingredients are in them. To avoid a catastrophe you can't take back, Moore offers these safety tips:

• Always be aware of the ingredients contained in the chemicals you keep in your home.
• Be sure to keep them in a secure location children and animals can't reach.
• Last but not least, be sure not to mix them.
• Often times chemicals are safe when separate, but when combined can release toxic fumes.
  

The pilot of 'Ugly Americans' is a the start of very weird animated series, premiering on Comedy Central right after South Park, set in an alternate New York City inhabited by aliens, mutants, monsters, zombies, and every other creature imaginable. And there is the occasional human, including a nebbish, bleeding heart social worker named Mark Lilly. Mark has some very unique problems living in a city where the concept of diversity is taken to a whole new level. Still, Mark is nothing if not zealous about his job, even when he finds out that he made the mistake of arranging a zombie to get a job as a window washer at a building that stores disembodied brains. Anyone who has seen 'Night of the Living Dead' would know better than that.

'Flashforward' returns to television: "Flashforward," a series built on the psychological trauma of knowing what may happen in the future, returns from winter vacation Thursday night with the tension building nicely. A show that requires regular viewing takes a gamble by going away for several months, and there are moments in Thursday's two-hour return when "FlashForward" struggles to find its rhythm. But it's doing a solid job focusing viewers on its central irony: that contrary to what most of us think, it's far more unsettling to know the future than to have it waiting out there in the dark. "FlashForward" started last Oct. 6, with almost everyone in the world blacking out for two minutes and 17 seconds. This caused massive carnage, with auto accidents, plane crashes, hospital deaths and so on. More intriguing for the survivors, most people had visions of where they would be on April 29, 2010. That includes a window washer whose miraculous survival during the blackout propelled him into a career as an inspirational evangelist running an operation called Sanctuary. This character could go to the light or the dark side. Mainly, he's a handy device for ruminating on the whole flash-forward issue, with his insistence that the visions were God's way of reminding us we should enjoy today because tomorrow is never promised.

Windows: Clean the windows at least once a year. Hansen said most homeowners choose to do that in the spring. With the South Dakota winds, or for anybody living on a gravel road or in a new development, Hansen recommends washing them twice a year to keep the dirt from accumulating in the window tracks.
Hire a professional: Hansen said people can do their own spring cleaning, but with the usual interruptions of the doorbell and telephone ringing or having to taxi the children, spring cleaning may take a homeowner several days or longer to get the job done. Or they may decide to give up entirely. She said professional cleaning services are able to accomplish the job a single day.
“We have two staff members come in. They start early in the morning and are typically finished by 5. They are very well-trained and thorough, and the homeowner can be gone for the day, come home and their spring cleaning is done,” she said.

Church's stained-glass window restored: Four years is a long time to spend in a bath. But that's how much soaking was needed to wash 80 years worth of grime and impurities from a mammoth memorial stained-glass window at the historic Alexandra Presbyterian Church on Colborne Street. In return, the restored and reinstalled window now bathes parishioners with a breathtaking, blazing symphony of colour. The south-facing window was commissioned in the 1920s by the Jex family of Brantford in memory of their only son who died in 1918. The 12-foot by 18-foot window had since partially buckled and bulged from decades of exposure to intense summer heat, and was also coated with about 80 years of car exhaust and other pollutants, said church elder Orland Harrison on Wednesday.
The $40,000 restoration job was completed by Edwards Glass Company in London, Ontario. The long process involved bathing the dismantled sections of the window in vats of solvent for more than four years to soften the lead and loosen impurities, Harrison said. Now truly clean for the first time that anyone can remember, the window's rich depth of colour appears as new.