UK Window Cleaning Show Videos

The Window Cleaning Show in Dorset 2015 organised by Mark Munro.

The Dorset Window Cleaning Show videos, mostly by Chris Dawber. I'm having trouble uploading mine for now... enjoy!

 

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Window Cleaning In The UK (Video)

Chris Dawber, aka Wagga chin-wagging.

Lee Burbidge of Window Cleaning Magazine UK fame  has made another video of life window cleaning in the UK. Chatting about window cleaning with 'Wagga' aka Chris Dawber as he works. Lee Burbidge goes on to say "Newbies will find this interesting and seasoned window cleaners, hopefully will find this entertaining." "Personally, am totally going to try the WFP/Wagtail switch that Wagga demonstrates and we get another look at a harris pole mounted with a modified wagtail flipper and see it in use." "Something for everyone here with traditional and water fed pole window cleaning work." Please click the youtube link (bottom right hand side) to see this video in hd quality.

Also see:

The Latest Window Cleaning Magazine Videos

Water Fed Pole? No Thanks - I Have a Wagtail!

Chris Dawber - Write A Book - "Job Done"

Chris Dawber - Write A Book - "Job Done"

Click to see the book.

This is a book from a window cleaner we all know well from his YouTube videos. Chris Dawber (aka Wagga) says he began to write this book out of bitterness. Bitterness at all the hard work and failure he has endured in his life, but as he progressed through his book, he began to realize how many experiences he could share with others. This is largely an account of an ordinary man searching for a place in life and trying to find out just who he is. Much of what Chris did was borne mainly out of fear, fear and failure. This was to lead Chris into all sorts of adventures and situations that he could not cope with, let alone have the ability to carry out with any competence. From cleaning toilets to Royal Naval Aircrew, Merchant Seaman to Psychiatric Nurse and even a window cleaner, a life lived to the full, he regrets none of it. This led to many humorous and some dangerous situations, many of which he sought to escape by Running For Home. A book, written with honesty and sincerity - this book may help anyone to come to terms with their lot in life! Just to remind you... Chris in action..

A few snippets from Chris...

I was cleaning windows for over 20 years until I changed my system over to what is called WFP (water fed pole) where ladders are not required. In all this time I never once fell off. There were some very close shaves though. Several times the ladders slipped a bit then stopped. Once a rung snapped but it was the last but one, closest to the ground, so I just fell backwards onto the grass without injury. Once when my wife was working with me, I climbed onto a roof to do a window above a porch. I had muddy boots and as I got to the window I slipped, began to slide back down the roof on my bum, my progress only halted by the plastic gutter into which both feet went. This flexed alarmingly and I was terrified and called out to my wife to catch me if I fell, which sounds hilarious now. Somehow I managed to get back to the ladders"

Some customers have been the same ones since I first started window cleaning in 1986 up to 2011 as I write this. Many became friends and many now know my name. Sadly several have died and I can remember most of them and hear their voices. One of my customers was actually murdered. My wife and I would talk to her every time we cleaned the windows. Then one day the whole of Aycliffe Village was crawling with police but I did not know at the time what was going on. It was only several weeks later whilst we were watching Crime Watch on TV that we realised what had happened. We had no information so we did not ring up Crime Watch but in hindsight, we should have done. Its just that I had felt that the police had been incompetent in not talking to me when they saw me in the village cleaning windows. It was as though I was invisible or something. Some years later, I asked a detective who’s house I cleaned, how the case had gone since I had an interest. I mentioned that no one had thought to interview me and my wife and surely the forensic team had found the ticket that I had put through her letter box. It was the very same stamp I used to make the ticket that he got in his letter box. I said “Surely you found my ticket?” The next time he saw me, he knew my name and appeared to know quite a lot about me.

One morning a few years back, I had just started work when an elderly woman came out of the house next to the one I was cleaning. She was obviously in distress and shouted that her husband had collapsed. She was on the phone and the emergency services were talking to her when I entered her house. I found her husband Francis, aged 78 collapsed on the floor of the kitchen. He’d obviously fallen against the wall and was sat up. His eyes were slightly open and I could not see any movement whatsoever. My worst fears began to set in as my training in the forces kicked in once again. The first thing I did was check for a pulse, first on his neck and finding none, on his wrist. At first I could not believe that there was no pulse so I checked over and over again. I said to his wife, “there’s no pulse”. The emergency services asked her to tell me to start CPR. I knew what I had to do and dragged Francis into the hall where I began to try and breath some life back into him.

I opened his mouth and breathed into his. His chest rose. He had been sick and I could feel bits of vomit in my own mouth. I didn’t feel sick though, that would come later when the adrenalin wore off. I pumped at his chest, counting as I went, then back to giving him air. It seemed to go on for ages. When would the ambulance arrive. On and on it went, some colour returning to his face but I was getting no response. Still no pulse. On and on without success.

Then the paramedics burst in and took over. Their professionalism really showed since they did not just brush me aside but instead asked me to help carry him into the living room where there was much more space. Then said its okay, "we’ll take over now."

I stood in the doorway watching as they did all they could to bring him back but the monitor stayed resolutely blank. They began shaking their heads. I knew it was over but still could not accept he was dead. I sat in the kitchen where his wife made me a cup of tea. When the doctor arrived he pronounced Francis dead. The tears rolled down my face, but one of the paramedics consoled me by asking if I had done this sort of thing before. I said I had been in the Navy. He nodded knowingly.

If you feel that this book would interest you or you have enjoyed or learned from Wagga's videos, please shake your pocket & give something back. As Chris would say... "Job Done!"

Window Cleaning Videos

Tony Evans of "A New View window cleaning" braves the snow & gives us another episode in the new "weather or not" winter edition concentrating on ladder safety. Tony now produces his own hard water powder - it can be seen at his blog here.

Chris Dawber adjustments to his mini pole for his water fed pole set-up. The second video is a mini-pole update. Here's another way of connecting it to a flow tap if you already have one on your supply hose.

The ladder limpet in action, although just using one is not advised.

Willie Erkin shows his skills on a horizontal surface. The Wagtail Whirlwind as a floor cleaner, showing all types of versitality.

Some good views from central Manhattan as the guys clean some glass on Trump tower.

Matt Perry of Perry Window Cleaning with some winter tips.

And finally - "Simply Clean" ask "how clean are your windows?"

Window Cleaning Tips, Videos & News

Chris Dawber aka "Wagga" & his fridge-freezer starts a series of how to make a cheap introduction backpack for water fed pole use. Chris says "Follow me in my learning curve while I construct a trolley system out of a backpack from what Iv'e learnt from others and forums." The second video deals with the Unger clamp & the 3rd & 4th video talks about adapting the Wagtails.

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Maurice Clemmons, the 37-year-old man wanted for questioning in the killing of four Lakewood police officers Sunday morning, has a long criminal record punctuated by violence, erratic behavior and concerns about his mental health. His criminal history includes at least five felony convictions in Arkansas and at least eight felony charges in Washington. That record also stands out for the number of times Clemmons has been released from custody despite questions about the danger he posed.
Mike Huckabee, while governor of Arkansas, granted clemency to Clemmons nine years ago, commuting his lengthy prison sentence over the protests of prosecutors. "This is the day I've been dreading for a long time," Larry Jegley, prosecuting attorney for Arkansas' Pulaski County, said Sunday night when informed that Clemmons was being sought in connection after four Lakewood police officers were shot dead in what authorities call an ambush. In Pierce County, Clemmons had been in jail for the past several months on a child-rape charge that carries a possible life sentence. He was released from custody one week ago, even though he was staring at eight felony charges in all.
Clemmons posted $15,000 with a Chehalis company called Jail Sucks Bail Bonds. The bondsman, in turn, put up $150,000, securing Clemmons' release on the child-rape charge. Clemmons moved to Washington from Arkansas in 2004. He was placed under the supervision of the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) for an Arkansas conviction, according to a department spokesman. The DOC classified him as "high risk to reoffend." His supervision was to continue until October 2015, the spokesman said.
He lives in Tacoma, where he has run a landscaping and power-washing business out of his house. He is married, but the relationship has been tumultuous, with accounts of his unpredictable behavior leading to at least two run-ins with police this year. Read more..

Display creative director Chris Parker puts the finishing touches on the annual Ballantynes Christmas window in Christchurch, NZ. In spite of the recession, Ballantynes would be putting on a great show, Parker said. "The frontage is worth $70,000 to $80,000, but in terms of world standards that is chicken feed. "Bloomingdale's [in New York] spends US$300,000 (NZ$413,000) on a frontage. What we can produce here in Christchurch is every bit as good for the money spent," he said.
The Christmas window has been popular since it began in 2002 and about 2000 people were expected to attend today's unveiling. "I just love seeing all the fingerprints on the glass at the end of the day – the number of kids who've pressed their little noses up," Parker said. In past years the window has needed cleaning up to four times a day – "a sure sign of success".

Tampa Bay Contest Seeking Young Inventors: Elementary and middle school students in the Tampa Bay area are vying for a chance to be named top inventor and take home a $1,000 cash prize. Last year’s finalist inventors created interchangeable shoe covers, a new insulin pump, edible taco tape and an automatic window washer. The contest was the brainchild of Anna Hopen, 10 whose father, Anton Hopen, is a patent attorney. “If a toy broke or an appliance didn’t work right, Anna would have a sketch of an improved product waiting for me when I got home from work,” Hopen noted. “At some point we both realized what a great opportunity this would be to motivate kids towards science and technology.”

Mark Strange of "Beautiful View" from Toronto, Canada gives us another installment with a few more unbiased reviews of products from Window Cleaning Resource in the window cleaners workplace, this week he is examining the opti-loc extension pole from Unger.

Mark's a glass act on the oche: Window cleaner Mark Petchey is preparing to step up to the oche at darts’ most prestigious venue after reaching the quarter-finals of a national competition. The 45-year-old, who lives in June Drive, Winklebury, Basingstoke, got through seven matches to win the south-east section of the John Smiths People’s Darts competition. He will now play on the main stage at Lakeside, Frimley Green, hours before the final of the World Professional Darts Championship. “Playing at Lakeside is a dream come true for me and I am really looking forward to it,” said Petchey. “I have only ever played in pub leagues and never done anything like this before. “I am practising every day now, putting in a couple of hours every night to prepare for the big day.”

If you have looked around for life insurance and have applied for term insurance quotes, you may have noticed that they may differ among the providers. So how do the providers reach their figures? Do they just make a haphazard guess and choose the first figure that comes into heads? Actually, they make the decision based on several different factors concerning you. Factors that may contribute towards your quotes. Usually when applying for term life insurance you are given a general quote based on your age, sex and general health. However if you are interested in the quote, the insurance provider typically then goes into further detail and wants to know a great deal more about you, so they can charge your premiums based on how much of a 'risk' there is of you dying! What you do for a living may be a consideration that determines how much you pay for your term insurance quotes. If you are a window cleaner and clean high-rise tower blocks from platforms, then you may be considered as being a bigger risk than if you have an office job.

And finally...

Window Cleaning Videos + Worse Video Adverts

Chris & Alex Lambrinides of Window Cleaning Resources are the first to stock Facelift poles from the UK in the USA. See the Facelift Fusion below. They also stock a product that's not available in the UK - it's called the "Drip Guard," see the second video.

Chris Dawber of Wagtail fame gives some advice on how to stop your Ettore Bucket-on-a-belt from swinging. Three more videos show his new belt system utilising tool holders & other modifications.

In this video Gary from Box Cleaning takes us through what happens at the start of a busy day of window cleaning for a typical Window Cleaner.

"One dog windows" shows his straight-pull technique.

The video section wouldn't be complete without showing a little chair-work, this time a short from inside the Mandalay Bay resort & casino, Las Vegas.

Finally the worse window cleaning adverts I've seen on YouTube..

Speed Window Cleaning

Chris Dawber from Newton Aycliffe in Durham aka "Wagga" on the UK window cleaning forums shows us that it's possible to speed window clean not only just using a Wagtail squeegee. Here he is with an assortment of window cleaning applicators & squeegees using different methods. If you missed it, here's a previous look at his videos. Chris has the cleanest windows in Durham..

World's Fastest Window Cleaner - Video here for UK users: Terry "Turbo" Burrows is officially the World's Fastest Window Cleaner! Terry, who can clean three windows in just 9.14 seconds, shows us how it's done, and offers his squeegee tips so This Morning’s guests can have a go! Terry joined his uncle Alfred's commercial window cleaning business in his twenties: "My uncle taught me everything I know, sadly we lost him about 2 years ago to cancer." A few years later Terry set up his own commercial window cleaning business: "I used to love window cleaning. The best part was meeting different people and having a laugh with them."
In 1993 Terry took part in the game show You Bet, hosted by Matthew Kelly. The show built a You Bet street and Terry and his mate John cleaned all the windows of the fake houses in 90 seconds: "We were a great team, John wet the windows and I had the squeegee." Terry appeared on Record Breakers in 1995 and broke his first window cleaning record, taking 9.95 seconds to clean three windows.
Following a controversial challenge to his world record, Terry worked with The National Federation of Window Cleaners and Guinness World Records to change the rules and regulations. He used to take part in competitions all over the world, but now concentrates on breaking records: "I'm not allowed to enter as when the other contestants find out I'm entering they give up!" On the 9th October 2009 Terry set a new record at the National Federation of Window Cleaners show. His time of 8.14 seconds was penalised by a second, due to two water marks on the windows: "I was over the moon with 9.14 but know I can do better."
Terry starts training a few months before competitions, practising half an hour a day: "I take it slow and concentrate on my technique." He is a black belt in karate and says that this helps in competitions: "Martial arts is about moving your mind and body as one and it's the same for window cleaning. He says competitions are very competitive but doesn't listen to anyone who tries to put him off: "It just makes me go faster!"

Terry’s tips:

It's important that your left and right hand move together.
Move your whole body in a sequence.
It's all in the wrist action.
Be loose and fluid and go with the flow.

Video for outside UK here & here.

The Wagtail Whirlwind Tutorial

The Wagtail Whirlwind is a faster, combination wash & wipe that works simultaneously with a new aggressive micro-fibre pad. You can mop and squeegee in one, or alternate between modes in less than a second. Great for most cleaning applications especially windows, pole work and floors. The Wagtail Whirlwind includes rubber and clip-on pad & is very robust. Willie Wagtail demonstrates the "Wagtail Whirlwind" in the next video, showing you how to make the most of your Wagtail proving you can work up to 25% - 30% faster.

Chris Dawber from Newton Aycliffe in Durham aka "Wagga" on the UK window cleaning forums has made an art of adapting the Wagtail tools in a big way. Chris does about 80-90% of his round using a pole only. With these latest developments he says "anyone could learn the techniques fairly quickly." "It took me about 7yrs to perfect my technique but then along came the Flipper version and suddenly it made all the difference." See more of Chris's videos here, here & here. Below see Chris explaining his method, the different kind of Wagtails, using "dog-ears" to eliminate detailing & the DIY work needed.

This video by Willie shows off a demonstration of cleaning floors with the Wagtail. I've used this method a few times eliminating water left behind by using water fed poles on polished surfaces.

Available in the USA here.
Available in the UK here.

Water Fed Pole? No Thanks - I Have a Wagtail!

Chris Dawber from Newton Aycliffe in Durham aka "Wagga" on the UK window cleaning forums has made an art of adapting the Wagtail tools in a big way. Previously serving in the Navy for 11 years before turning to window cleaning for the last 23 years mostly domestic. In this time Chris has been using a Wagtail for about 10 years. Chris says "I prefer window cleaning, especially since I like going home for my dinner!"

Chris also adds, that although water fed pole is a great tool and of course it works, but he couldn't get on with his trolly system. "A van system is the way to go." "However, it is hard to beat the freedom you get from a traditional system using a pole." "It's taken a lot of practice I admit, but contrary to popular belief, it is possible to achieve good results with a traditional pole & squeegee." Adding "even I could not believe it a first." Chris's round/route is very local to him and he doesn't need to travel much. He says "there was a lot of building going on around here in the 80s and 90s so its mostly modern style windows he gets to clean."
Chris also has another secret - he swears by Lidl dish washing liquid & has many converts that have taken his advise. He adds, "Good slip and few streaks."

Chris does about 80-90% of his round using a pole only. With these latest developments he says "anyone could learn the techniques fairly quickly." "It took me about 7yrs to perfect my technique but then along came the Flipper version and suddenly it made all the difference."

Above are the pictures of Wagga's current modified version for pole use only. Note, the pad is on top instead of below the squeegee. "The reason being, "you can see what your doing better and it never interferes with closing out." The pictures also show the new way he attaches the pad. Chris says "it works better once you're used to it, & use un-modded wagtail for hand use. The cable ties act like springs. They allow the wagtail to swivel as normal but it centralises the blade making it much easier and more accurate to use instead of it flopping from side to side. "Works a treat on most windows." "Takes a while to learn to use it but worth the learning curve." "You will need an angle for the pole." Click the pictures to enlarge as always. Note the dog-earing!

"JOB DONE!"