Window Cleaning News....Cancelled

Due to Spain winning the World Cup......lo siento! Fiesta!

Psychic Window Cleaning Cat Predicts England Win Over Germany

Meet Felix the cat. Felix, born in Ludwigshafen, Germany but now living in Bognor Regis, England, has quite an incredible ability for a cat. Not only does he clean windows, he leaves predictions in writing on major sporting events & even world affairs. To name a few, Felix has predicted Obama's Presidency, the world recession & even the BP oil spill. He has predicted every major premier league game result this year & all the NFL major football games since he was born. Naturally being a window cleaner, Felix shows his predictions through his work and if it wasn't for Mrs Ivy Robinson of Upper Bognor Road snapping this picture of Felix we would have been none the wiser. When interviewing Ivy & why she thinks that Felix has the correct result, she quoted "of course it's an England win, Felix is never wrong - Felix eats frauds like Paul the Octopus for breakfast." When asked what she'll think of spending the fifty quid on for this story, Ivy said, "Felix definitely needs a break, I was gonna take him to Mallorca, but I think I'll buy him some professional window cleaning equipment instead."

You may have heard of Paul the Octopus (story below), but some people in the know have said he is a fraud & cheat. Why, only the other day "Bad Psychics," a website dedicated to exposing the truth - admitted that Paul was ousted from the UK at quite a young age due to his total lack of credibility or any noticeable career & his real name is Günther!



Oracle Octopus picks Germany to beat England at Cup: An octopus born in England and living in a German aquarium that has correctly picked the winner of Germany's three World Cup results so far Friday tipped Joachim Loew's side to beat England in Sunday's match. Oddly Enough - The eight-legged octopus named Paul, a denizen of Sea Life in Oberhausen, has become a celebrity oracle in Germany after accurately predicting Germany would beat Australia in the opening Group D match, would lose to Serbia and then beat Ghana.

Friday, Paul once again was given the choice of picking food from two different plastic containers lowered into his tank -- one with an England flag on it and one with a German flag. The container Paul opens first is seen as his pick. Paul moved quickly and opened the box with the Germany flag, a selection that soon made it into national news broadcasts across Germany. Paul was born in Weymouth, England.

A Home Owners Guide To Window Cleaning

Having been a window cleaner in Mallorca, Spain for Eleven years now & also "shining" in Australia & UK previously - I always shudder to see the mess of the windows when I get to them. I've also yet to see a window cleaned properly until I've reached it (blows his own horn). Yes, window cleaning sounds easy - but we all know that when the sun shifts down towards the horizon, often the windows look worse than when they did before as a whole load of streaks, cloth marks & fly vomit shows up on the glass as if you hadn't touched them at all. Here is a home-owners window guide to attempting to have a go yourself. Although I can't agree with all the methods as any professional window cleaner will agree (yep, we're all got our own fantastic way of cleaning them), but the following guide will help you along to a point. Having also run a building/reform business I can also tell you that building is a lot easier than window cleaning & trying to train someone is a chore in it's own right. Anyhow, here's the guide - & once you have finished cleaning your own windows - you may just decide to spend your day on the golf course instead & hire a trained, insured pro' to do the work for you!

What people think about window washing..

• 80% of homeowners avoid cleaning outdoor windows.

• While 72% of homeowners think windows should be cleaned at least a few times per year, only 42% say they actually clean their windows that often.

• 48% of homeowners would rather clean the toilet or shower than clean outdoor windows.

• 38% of homeowners admit they avoid outdoor window cleaning due to the time and effort required.


Time to rid your windows of a winter's worth of dirt: The bright days of summer bring welcome relief - and a problem. Too often, the gorgeous sunshine is diminished as it tries to stream through cloudy windows. While there are a variety of products that will get your windows crystal clear, the thought of washing them can seem draining. Done the wrong way, your windows will have streaks or a film, even after you've spent all day cleaning them. So make the task easier by following some basic rules.

Wait for the clouds. Cleaning windows in direct sunlight could cause your cleaning solution to dry too fast and cling to the window, leaving a streaky film. Wait until clouds are overhead, then get busy, says Ken Kopchick, 52, owner of Summit Window Cleaning in Clinton Township.

Start at the top. Clean from top to bottom, not the other way around. "That way you can catch water drips," says Mike Szandzik, 51, owner of Window Genie, a residential and commercial window cleaning company in Warren.

Get the streaks out. Streaks usually are caused by leftover cleaning solution, so don't overspray. Lightly mist the surface and wipe in a circular motion, overlapping your strokes to be sure to cover the entire window. You can use a squeegee, pulling it across the window to overlap swipes, Kopchick says. Dry the blade after every pass and work quickly.

Find a friend. If you have windows that don't tilt in for cleaning, it works best to have a two-person team cleaning them on the outside and inside at the same time. That way you can see if streaks are on the inside or outside and fix them as they happen. "You can help each other out," Kopchick says. "Two people can see streaks from different angles."

Go organic. If you're worried about chemicals, clean the way Grandma did, with a solution of 1/2 cup non-sudsy ammonia, 1 cup white distilled vinegar and 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a gallon of water. Wash the windows with a sponge and dry with an old T-shirt or paper towels. You could put it in a spray bottle. Or you could use a squirt of Dawn dish soap mixed with water. Szandzik says this cuts through dirt while making it easy to slide a squeegee.

Paper towel savvy. So, what makes the best polishing tool? Some swear by crumpled newspapers; others think paper towels are the way to go. But Kopchick swears by lint-free cotton cloths available at hardware stores. Do it cheaper with old cotton T-shirts, as long as they don't have clinging lint or other fibers that will stick to your window.

Wash, dry, repeat. To make sure your windows are absolutely streak free, Kopchick says it's best to do them twice. You're there already with tools in hand, so make the effort worth it. "A final buffing on a window that's clean really makes it shine," he says.

Call a professional. A professional window cleaning might be less expensive than you think, at $8 on average per window for the inside and outside, Kopchick says. Make sure any professional produces proof that they are fully insured and bonded to avoid liability, Szandzik says.

Use new products. SC Johnson, owner of Windex, conducted a survey of American households in 2008 that found cleaning windows outside to be such an arduous task that most homeowners try to avoid it. Windex is trying to solve that problem with two new products designed to make cleaning faster and easier. One is a water-activated cleaning pad attached to a pole that reaches up to 11 feet. It's called the Outdoor All-In-One Glass Cleaning Tool, and sells for $15 at most local stores. It won the Good Housekeeping seal of approval. To use, spray the windows with water, wipe them with the tool, then spray again with water to polish. Another product, the Outdoor Multi-Surface Concentrated Cleaner, sells for about $8, attaches to a garden hose and sprays the same streak-free way. The garden hose spray solution is meant only for quick touch-ups, so it won't cut through dirt the way the tool does.
See here for the "canning" of this product.

Summit Window Co. worker Ryan Gasparotto uses a squeegee.

Window Cleaning: Leave It To Professionals Before You Kill Others

Widow killed as pensioner plunges to death: (Hong Kong) Two women died in a freak accident yesterday when one, a 74-year-old resident of a block of flats in Ma On Shan, fell on the other after she apparently slipped while cleaning a window in her 27th- floor home. In another twist to the tragedy, the woman below, 51-year-old Chan Kam- mui, lost her husband when a crane collapsed on him in 2007. Both Chan and the other woman, surnamed Lam, lived in Yiu Wing Building on Yiu On Estate.
Police canteen worker Chan was returning to her 11th-floor home from a visit to a street market and was only about a meter from the building's entrance and safety when struck. Chan's grieving family, including a son and a daughter in their 20s, had to go to the scene - where both women were certified dead - to identify their mother. They later burned incense and paper offerings there. A neighbor and colleague of Chan, who had talked with her an hour before she was killed, said: "She had just managed to get over the death of her husband. My heart goes out to her family."
Sha Tin district councillor Wong Mo-tai said Chan was the widow of Tam Shing, killed along with a cousin when a crane collapsed in Causeway Bay in July 2007. "We will check to see if her children need psychological counseling," Tam said. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said he had contacted Chan's family and the Social Welfare Department will provide financial assistance to the family. The department will also liaise with Lam's family. A department spokesman said officials had contacted Chan's family to counsel them and offer other assistance.
Psychiatrist Tsang Fan-kwong said counseling may be needed as trauma for relatives can be serious: "In most cases grief lessens after half a year. But if relatives are too young or too old, grief can turn into depression." There have been other incidents of people hit at ground level after falls by others. In 2008, a 42-year-old man jumped from the first floor of his girlfriend's home after being rejected, injuring two policemen. And in 2003, a 23-year-old woman who was seriously in debt jumped to her death from the 34th floor of her building. A pedestrian was injured on the shoulder.

The "Stutzy" Pulex Squeegee Handle

When Giulio Guizzi (founder and CEO of Pulex - pictured left) gave me my first Stutzy handle he managed to snap the channel right in to the handle from the top - I've never been able to repeat that action, but not for want of trying. However I have made it work hard over the last few years & is still one of my favourites even though it's on the heavy side! Alex Lambrinides of Window Cleaning Resources gives us a run through of the squeegee handle below. Another installment (last video) from Mark Strange of "Beautiful View" from Toronto, Canada gives us a few more unbiased reviews of products in the window cleaners workplace. This time his opinion on the Stutzy squeegee, in this weeks edition of "Tool Talk." Ssshhh - they make them in swivels!!



Stutzy: the window washer that combines unrivalled mechanical quality with total safety in use. The result of an in-depth study of professional window cleaners’ safety, practicality and quality requirements, Stutzy is the top of the IPC Pulex range. Stutzy is designed to satisfy the most demanding European and American standards for safety and performance in high-rise work. Mechanically simple but precise, Stutzy incorporates all the traditional qualities of IPC Pulex window washers plus a patented safety mechanism that makes it the only washer able to guarantee the active and passive safety of high-rise operators. Stutzy’s clever design can be summarised in three main points. Stutzy is universal: because it is able to use all common squeegee holders, irrespective of type and length. This allows cleaning professionals using Stutzy to choose the squeegee holders that best suit their needs or the operating situations they have to work in. Stutzy is guaranteed safe: A safety spring prevents the channel from detaching from the handle even if the mechanism is accidentally opened during the course of high-rise operations. This simple but safe mechanism, patented by IPC Pulex, lets you work in total safety and change channels quickly and easily even during precarious operations, in the knowledge that they cannot accidentally fall, causing major inconvenience and possibly even injuring passers by. Stutzy is fast to use: Squeegees can be slid in even with the channel in place, making assembly easier than ever. With other tools, squeegee changes waste a great deal of valuable working time; with Stutzy changing the squeegee is amazingly quick and easy. Technical characteristics: The Stutzy handle is made from co-moulded steel and plastic in two sections, one of which incorporates a non-slip rubber section. A slot in the base allows Stutzy to be attached to a safety cord. Stutzy can be used on telescopic poles. The clamp locks in place without screws, using a nylon locking and release lever. The internal fixing system incorporates a spring to lock the channel in place. Stutzy can use all common professional window cleaning squeegee channels.

Animoto YouTube Videos for Window Cleaners

Just a couple of videos I made with a few pictures & the website "Animoto." Go ahead - make your own, it's totally free & it even uploads to your YouTube account once you're done. Just make sure your tag-lines are in order so that when anyone sticks in their home town, it should show up in the google listings. As it says - "no two videos are ever the same & unlimited shorts for free." Try it today! If you can't see them try here & here.

Window Cleaning in Commercials

I can never understand why companies don't use professional window cleaners in commercials or at least teach them some basics to begin with? Here are a few adverts to keep you amused on these winter nights.

Isopropanol & the Window Cleaner in Winter

Those guys at the Cleaning Pro's forum have come up with some scientific testing so that you can add Isopropanol to your water tank for when you are water fed pole-ing. Testing took place in a household freezer using glass containers & different amounts of isopropanol added to find the correct amount to use to stop freezing.

The findings were as follows: the dilution rate would be approx 1 litre of Isopropanol to 600 litres of water when adding to your tank or in other words 166ml for every 100 litres for your water tank. The tds in the mix would not be enough to impair cleaning at these ratio's. Isopropanol can be taken down to -89C (-128F). This is also an alternative to using methanol for the traditional window cleaners that use buckets. It hardly has any effect on marine life & plants using the ratio's given. Although being an alcohol, the chemical will dry your hands out, so water-proof gloves are advised if you are having direct contact. Please see the MSDS at the foot of this blog for full details.

Freezing Point of Isopropanol (2-Propanol) based Water Solutions: Isopropyl alcohol is also commonly used as a cleaner and solvent in industry. It is also used as a gasoline additive for dissolving water or ice in fuel lines. The concentration of Isopropanol in water is shown below & the lower tempreratures that can be realised by concentration.

If you noticed that the world ''isopropyl" looks like it might have something to do with propane, which you know from gas barbecues and propane torches, then well-spotted. Propane is made of three carbon atoms strung in a row with 8 hydrogen atoms attached. Poke an oxygen between a hydrogen and the carbon in the middle of the row and you get isopropanol. Any of the alcohols we've been talking about will evaporate quickly carrying away heat with it, so they are useful to cool and soothe the skin. They are also all good at dissolving oils and greases and therefore good for cleaning all sorts of things. Isopropyl alcohol is also readily turned into acetone, which you probably know as nail polish remover. Sometimes rubbing alcohol contains ethanol as well as isopropyl alcohol. When rubbing alcohol does contain significant amounts of ethanol, more poisonous and evil-tasting substances are added so that people won't drink it -- a process called ''denaturation." Often the poisonous additive is methanol, which, in addition to being toxic, can blind you if it doesn't kill you. In other words, under no circumstances should you ever consider drinking any sort of rubbing alcohol!

Some safety info for you: Keep away from heat, sparks and flame. Keep container closed. Use only with adequate ventilation. Wash thoroughly after handling. Avoid breathing vapor or mist. Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothing.

I would also like to point out that Isopropyl acohol is used in swimming pools as "heatsaver" as it rises to the top & keeps the heat in the pool. Material data safety data sheet here.

Hispanic Window Cleaning Videos

A few more videos for you, this time with a Spanish flavour. "Mr. Sanchez" shows us how to detail with a huck/surgical towel. That moustache gets bigger on every outing!

Mmm, an old window cleaning video "remastered," oh dear.

Limpiezas Dalt Vila work in Ibiza, the next island down from me but still in the Balearics. Shown here cleaning hotel partition windows.

This is a very quick video of myself using a 30" Wagtail squeegee before the video gave up. You can see how efficient this tool is on cleaning plate glass & floor to ceiling residential.

Creating Pictures By Cleaning: Reverse Graffiti

San Francisco's Broadway tunnel is a busy thoroughfare in the midst of the city. Its walls are thick with grime and patched with remnants of spray-painted graffiti tags. The talented English reverse graffiti artist Paul "Moose" Curtis, a pioneer of the art form, recently chose this tunnel as a tableau for a mural depicting plants indigenous to California which was sponsored by Green Works, a plant-based line of cleaning products. Moose, who has been cleaning the streets of the UK and beyond for the past ten years, uses detergent and a wire brush, the tools of many a cleaner, to work his magic.

Reverse graffiti is form of street art that involves carving into the dirt and dust that surrounds us. Artists subtract from a surface in order to create a negative image within the positive, often quite dark layer of grime. They use methods as simple as dragging their finger across a dirty car window or as elaborate as carving elaborate stencils, which they then mount on a surface and spray with a high pressure water hose, to impress a finely wrought illustration or message. Reverse graffiti is a form of activist art, in that the work often draws attention not only to a particular image etched into a surface, but also the extent to which these surfaces - and our cities - are caked with pollution. Moose told Richard Morgan of the New York Times Magazine that he preferred the "less sinister" terms "clean tagging" or "grime writing" to "reverse graffiti". He explains: "It's refacing," he says, "not defacing. Just restoring a surface to its original state. It's very temporary. It glows and it twinkles, and then it fades away." To pay for industrial scrubbers, he has sold some of his reverse graffiti as advertising. But mostly he sticks to his own art. Critics, like the City Council in Leeds, have accused him of breaking the law, but for what? Cleaning without a permit? "Once you do this," he says, "you make people confront whether or not they like people cleaning walls or if they really have a problem with personal expression."

Alexandre Orion is another prominent reverse graffiti artist-environmental activist.
According to Environmental Graffiti's Linda McCormick,
A few years ago he adorned a transport tunnel in Sao Paolo with a mural consisting of a series of skulls to remind drivers of the detrimental impact their emissions have on the planet. The Brazilian authorities were incensed but couldn't actually charge him with anything so they instead cleaned the tunnel. At first they cleaned only the parts Alexandre had cleared but after the artist switched to the opposite wall they had to clean that too. In the end, the authorities decided to wash every tunnel in the city.

Vermeer’s Girl With a Pearl Earring, by Scott Wade

Detailed drawing on the back of a truck, Trafalgar Square, London

Big brother eye, etched on to a roadsign, Leeds by Paul "Moose" Curtis

Reverse Graffiti Project, San Francisco, by Paul "Moose" Curtis

Einstein, by Scott Wade

George Formby Was No Good at Cleaning Windows

Historical texts have proven that Ukulele player George Formby was not a good window cleaner. Contemporary reports from the time revealed that the comedy maverick was often tardy, left his ladders all over the place, used the same water for days, and did not clean around the edges of the window. PC Plod said: 'We had many complaints about Formby back in the day. His employer often said he was a wrong'un, but these details speak for themselves. A Mrs Smith from 57 complained that Formby left his ladder in her backyard for four days, whilst a Mr Benn from 52 Festive Road often complained about the state of George's bucket. PC Plod continued: 'We also had many reports that he was loitering with intent, but he just sang us a song about Leaning on a Lampost, until a certain little lady comes by. He was a charmer, but we could tell he was not meant to be a Window cleaner, or a stalker.' OY - Formby, you missed a spot.

He was born George Hoy Booth on 26 May 1904 in Wigan, Lancashire. The show business career of George Formby spanned exactly FORTY YEARS, beginning in 1921 until his death in 1961. During that period he appeared in 21 hit films, cut over 230 records, made hundreds of stage performances, appeared in two Royal Command Performances and entertained an estimated THREE MILLION Allied Servicemen and women during World War II throughout Europe (see video in Normandy below) and the Middle East. Although he never performed in the U.S.A. he did make personal appearances and was quite popular in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
By 1939, George Formby was the most popular and highest paid entertainer in the British Isles and was estimated to be earning over £100,000 a year. The secret of his success was a unique combination of personality, natural ability and talent coupled with the driving force of his wife, Beryl as his Manager. With his natural human warmth and friendliness, George could hold a live audience in the palm of his hand as he sang and played the ukulele in his own inimitable style. He seemed to have the ability to make people enjoy what he did, and his audiences always called for more. George Formby helped write and perform over 300 original songs, largely flavoured with his own brand of English North Country humour. He was well known for playing the Banjo Ukulele, a hybrid instrument combining the Hawaiian ukulele and the big American Banjo, which had been invented by Alvin D. Keech and christened by him as the 'Banjulele.' He was buried in Warrington Cemetery in the family grave, and an estimated 100,000 mourners lined the streets on the day of the funeral to show their respect for one of the greatest entertainers this country has ever known.

Two Saved From Scaffold - Manhattan 71st Floor

Breaking News: NEW YORK: Two workers have been rescued from a skyscraper scaffold dangling 71 stories above a midtown Manhattan street. The harrowing rescue occurred on the 56th Street side of the Metropolitan Tower condominiums, near Carnegie Hall. Police and fire department officials had to use glass cutters to remove a window and pull the workers through to safety. A crowd gathered below as the workers were pulled into the building through a window. Metropolitan Tower is located between 56th and 57th streets, and Fifth and Sixth avenues. The Buildings Department has been called to the scene. The 78-story tower was built in 1986. Click picture for slideshow.

A Lipstick Funny

According to a news report, a certain private school in London was recently faced with a unique problem. A number of 12-year-old girls had begun to use lipstick and would put it on in the bathroom. That was fine, but after they put on their lipstick they would press their lips to the mirror leaving dozens of little lip prints.
Every night the maintenance man would remove them and the next day the girls would put them back. Finally the principal decided that something had to be done. She called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man. She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the maintenance man who had to clean the mirrors every night (you can just imagine the yawns from the little princesses).
To demonstrate how difficult it was to clean the mirrors, she asked the maintenance man to show the girls how much effort was required. He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror with it. Since then, there have been no lip prints on the mirror. There are teachers.... and then there are educators.


Although this story has been changed with location - it's still a good one, hence the following video's...

Australian Window Cleaning News

Bent and Curved Glass (BCG) is a manufacturer of curved glass. Bent and Curved Glass produces toughened, laminated, double glazed and annealed curved glass for a wide range of commercial and residential architectural applications throughout Australia. The image shown here is a complex curved feature window overlooking the iconic Bondi Beach. The BCG custom laminated curved glass incorporates an external layer of Viridian Renew self cleaning glass, which combined with a water sprinkler system overcomes the difficulty of access for cleaning. The ideal curved glass installation enhances the robust yet sleek design conceived by Virginia Kerridge Architects and built by Bellevarde Constructions. The experienced BCG staff work closely with architects and building contractors to achieve both custom and standardised solutions to suite individual project requirements. Footnote: I've also experienced cleaning curved glass in Mallorca, is this the new trend?

FRED Wiedeman takes pride in his job. He says it is important to him and that he works hard to make the cars in the yard at Tarra Motors appear as well-presented as possible. Observers of such things may have noticed the cars at Tarra Motors have that extra shine about them lately, that the yard is meticulously clean and the showroom sparkling. Originally from Holland, Fred came to Bega in 1998 from the Shellharbour-Wollongong area. There was too much crime up there,” he says. “It was no good; this is a much nicer place.” Fred is a familiar face around Bega. He has made a career in cleaning and has buffed, polished and shone many a business window over the last few years. What many people may not know is that Fred was born with Cerebral Palsy. This limits his strength, so he has to work that little bit harder to achieve his career goals. “It makes me a bit slower I guess,” says Fred. “But I am still quite capable of doing things.”
It was Fred’s experience and dedication that first drew the attention of John and Gudrun Stylianou, owners of Tarra Motors. They were looking for a special person to take ownership of the yard-person role.“One of the hardest things with unskilled workers is finding one with the right attitude,” says John Stylianou. “We have had a few people with the wrong attitude but with Fred, his attitude is just fantastic and he is a very good worker for us.” John says Fred works three-days-a-week now and hopefully he will soon be doing four-days-a-week. “We really enjoy giving Fred the opportunity and the challenge of working on a consistent basis,” he says. “It gives him something to focus on and gives us a very good worker.” Fred, a client of WorkAbilty Personnel Bega, is really enjoying the challenge of his new role and feels very fortunate to be a member of such a supportive and welcoming team. Fred says that anyone with Cerebral Palsy should “give it a go”. He also says that others should not look at Cerebral Palsy sufferers as much different; that they still basically think the same as anyone else.

Measures to protect Mt Isa kids from lead debunked. CLEANING, home repairs and parental awareness campaigns do not protect children from lead-contaminated dust, according to an international review that debunks such claims by the Queensland Government and Xstrata Mount Isa Mines. Australian and US medical experts reviewed 12 US studies that included 2239 children aged six years and younger and their parents or caregivers. They evaluated steps such as cleaning and house repairs aimed at reducing the children's lead dust exposure and found there was no evidence they worked. Community pediatrician and co-author Garth Alperstein, from the Notre Dame School of Medicine in Sydney, said: "Just relying on parents to keep the home clean as the sole strategy, from the research we've done, is disappointing. "It's better to address the lead at the point where it's being put into the atmosphere." He said strategies such as those proposed to residents of the Queensland mining town were ineffective when homes and communities were frequently recontaminated by toxic dust, as they were in Mount Isa. The Queensland Health survey found 11 per cent of youngsters had blood lead levels higher than the international limit of 10 micrograms per decilitre. Australian and US studies have linked blood lead levels as low as 2-10mcg/dl to intellectual and behavioural difficulties in children. The Australian last week reported research revealing that dust collected from window sills, airconditioning units and floors in Mount Isa homes contained lead at levels up to 40 times international guidelines.

Justin Orloff, an Australian window cleaner working and living in Austria, featured on Austrian Television. Video below:

The Australian Window Cleaners Federation (AWCF) was established by a group of Australian window cleaners as a way of furthering information and professionalism within Australia. The logo is trademarked & has been registered as a non-profit association. This website is the main avenue for members information, with links to everything a window cleaner requires. It will always be evolving and updated. Your annual, continual membership fee (just $2 a week) will enable the present committee the funds to run the website. Membership continues to grow and is now approaching 150 after its first year.

Code of Ethics
To always promote the professional image and reputation of the Australian window cleaning industry.
To always encourage the highest professional standards between members, customers, employees, suppliers and competitors
To always maintain the highest professional standards of workmanship, management and service.
To encourage friendly exchanges of information and cooperation among Australian and overseas window cleaners
To continually strive for improvements, using the latest training for those already connected with or wishing to enter the window cleaning industry. To actively promote safety in the workplace and its compliance with all applicable laws.

Gary.E.Hollinshead of window cleaning firm H2o'n'Go & also Aqwa Magic tells his story:
I first started cleaning windows in 1986 in England at the age of 18; I first came in contact with the WFP system in 2000 from my friend a window cleaner who taught me how to clean windows some 14 years earlier. He said that this was the new way of cleaning windows and would take over the window cleaning industry. He sold me a starter pack that was manufactured by OTT “over the top” now called Ionic systems. This starter pack consisted of an 18ft pole 12”brush, resin bead cartridge on a stand with half a metre of hose pipe. My friend had given me the best sales pitch I had ever heard “he was very convincing and still is to this day” As I recall I rushed to the hardware store to get the extra garden hose and fittings I needed to try out my new system that I totally believed would change the way I did my work and make it easier and quicker straight away. I was so excited I told Sue my partner that we were going be able to make more money quicker and I would also be less tired when I get home as I wasn’t climbing ladders all day, I used to clean my own house now and again as all window cleaners do(ah ah) and it would take me about 20 minutes to clean my double story property. I connected the entire fittings together and invited my next door neighbor to watch me use the system. I didn’t fully understand how to use the system and spent nearly two hours cleaning my home and also trying to understand this new concept of window cleaning that was totally alien to me. At first I thought it was no good for cleaning glass as it was taking ages to dry and was leaving milky white spots on the glass. The only benefit I could see about the system after the first clean was that I could clean the top windows of my house without using a ladder. With Sue myself and my next door neighbor not convinced at all about this new technology I went to bed very un happy thinking what a foolish comment I had made to Sue and my neighbor about it making it easier and the worst thing was I had also spent this hard earned money on a system that took longer to clean and also left the glass with loads of little white spots and run marks, but I did have the cleanest windows frames in the street “Not Happy at all”. (The main reason I had bought the starter pack was it was taking me seven weeks to clean four weeks work, so I was always behind and could never catch up with the work load.)