Window Cleaning Van Gets Sandwiched In Suburban Detroit Subway

Window Cleaning Van Dives Into Front Window Of Detroit Subway Shop: A van apparently lost use of its brakes and drove directly through the door of a suburban Detroit Subway earlier today, sending one individual to the hospital. Seems the driver couldn't wait to eat fresh. The accident occurred at roughly 2 o'clock this afternoon. We were told by store employees that the store had about 5 customers waiting in line to purchase food and one man sitting down eating. The man sitting down was in close proximity to the front door of the restaurant eating his $5 foot long, when the van, owned by a local window washing company, crashed through. He was sent to the hospital is apparently in okay condition, but was the only one injured in the event. Jim Canny, the store's owner, told us that he was extremely grateful that the accident occurred just after their usual lunch rush, but was concerned of the injured young man's condition. The driver claimed that the van wouldn't brake due to "mechanical failure." We say he was just hungry and couldn't wait to feed the beast. Take a peak below at the carnage.

The van's driver of "A Window Cleaning" explaining how hungry he was.

Other report: A window-washing firm’s van plowed through the front of Subway sandwich shop in Madison Heights and sent a Troy man who was eating lunch in the restaurant to the hospital, Royal Oak Fire Chief Wil White said today. The 3 p.m. collision at 718 E. 14 Mile left the Troy man, 53, with serious injuries, including back injuries, White said. Royal Oak Fire Department paramedics rushed the man to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, he said. His name was not released. The collision “smashed through the windows of the restaurant,” White added. He did not know why the van driver lost control of the vehicle but said it had been tentatively ruled an accident. The man had been seated alone at a booth in front of the restaurant, “right by the front door,” said Subway employee George Ross, 67. The impact took out “three big windows and the door” of the restaurant on 14 Mile near Rochester Road, Ross said. A total of five customers and employees were in the store at the time, he said. The shop will be closed for days to repair damage that was “pretty extensive,” Ross said.

Squeegee Trade Just Scraping By?

Clean windows are 1st sacrifice in recession, washers report: Yet another axiom of the recession: Economy down, window smudges up. Just ask Erwin Mielke. "Ugly," the owner of Clear-Vu Window Cleaning Inc. said when asked to describe the state of his commercial accounts. "I've probably lost a third of my business already. That's just one of the first things they cut is (they decide) they can look through dirty windows." Some window cleaning firms say their business has been affected only slightly, or not at all. "I'm actually hiring," said Ben Boswell, operations manager for one of the area's larger companies, Al's Window Cleaning & Building Services. But others, like Clear-Vu, have seen at least a downtick.
"Everything's down," said Jason Vance, owner of Window Brothers Inc., New Berlin. "Our accounts are either cutting back or cutting off." In the last few weeks Vance has seen revenue drop 10% to 20%. Clear-Vu, of West Allis, is off more than one-fourth from last year. Tony Dawkins, owner of a one-man Milwaukee operation called Squeegee Wonders, said some regular customers are now waiting until their windows are "super dirty" before they call. "I have to charge them more because I have to work harder," he said.
What seems to have been hit hardest are jobs at first-story shops and offices, and other low-elevation work. Some businesses are picking up buckets and squeegees, or even paper towels and Windex, and tackling the job themselves. "In the summer they're probably going to be able to muddle through, but in winter it's not going to happen," Mielke said. He said restaurants in particular have cut back on professional window cleaning. "They're saying they don't have any business," Mielke said.
Clear-Vu has reduced its staff from 18 to 16, cut benefits and frozen pay. Until last fall the firm had cleaners working seven days a week. "Now we don't even work very many Saturdays," Mielke said. Commercial customers, meanwhile, are pushing for lower rates. And in a business that has, as economists say, low barriers to entry, some cleaners are willing to accommodate them. "I've got competitors who are really hungry out there and just doing the job for nothing," Mielke said. "So that hurts." Vance, who described his own pricing as "kind of more competitive than I'd like to be," has been stung, too.
"I just got off the phone with a customer (who) told me they just had a competitor come by and undercut me with the price," he said. In another pattern characteristic of uncertain economic times, prospective customers seem to be husbanding cash and waiting until the last minute to decide to have work done, Vance said. Still, the constantly replenished supply of grimy glass offers hope. "There are always dirty windows," Vance said.

Pictured: Jerry Kritz, an employee of Clear-Vu Window Cleaning, wipes down a window at a business on W. Boden St. Clear-Vu owner Erwin Mielke says the window-washing business has suffered as the recession has deepened, inducing business operators to put up with grimy glass.

Window Cleaning Harder than Brain Surgery

Washing windows makes doing your own income taxes look like a breeze: Brain surgery? Child's play. Building Stonehenge? Lego's harder. Landing on Mars? A walk in the park. Doing your own income taxes? A breeze. All of these piddly tasks are nothing compared to washing windows, more so, in a biblical way, on a sunny day.
Interestingly, this domestic chore from hell/hades is briefly mentioned in the Old Testament and theIliad:"And it is written, whosoever chooses to wash his own windows, and on a sunny day, is either an idiot who deserves divine reward for trying, or is a brute for punishment and has suffered enough."
The domestic window washer, if saddled with a character flaw, masochism or stupidity, will choose to tackle the job only on days when lighting conditions are angularly all wrong. That way, streaks, smudges and dead mosquitoes will be accented in a way that suggests cosmic taunting. Viewed from one angle, the pane of glass will appear to be so flawless as to seem almost nonexistent. You will marvel at your competence as a window washer.
Why is it then that your helpful spouse on the inside of the window continues to tap on the glass, mouthing the words, "You missed a spot?" Hallucination? Domestic humour? ophthalmologist problem?
But, alas, your helpful assistant on the other side turns out to be right. When you, the window washer, come inside to debate the issue, you see, with the aid of direct sunlight, that the pristine window looks like it's been coated with Vasoline and talcum powder.
Gravity is another complicator. Cleaning the inside of upstairs windows is bad enough. Unless you can elevate yourself by ladder to do the outside -- ladders and I have a hate/hate relationship -- you have to figure out the angles and contortions to do the job from the inside.
Having two elbows per arm would be helpful, but to window washing novices out there, be advised that the frustration factor is compounded on the second storey. As you lean out the open window, trying vainly to wipe as much glass as mechanically possible, that old hymn, Nearer my God to Theemay come to mind.
In your pursuit of crystal clearness, the view of the driveway pavement 25 feet below becomes a distraction. Have courage. You'll get your reward in heaven ... and perhaps a little sooner than your life insurance agent would like. There are only so many times a normal person should persist at the job of window washing.
You could find yourself making silly rules, such as, "Do not look out west-facing windows after four in the afternoon." Or, "There's nothing worth looking at to the east of the house in the morning, so draw the curtains." You'll find yourself admonishing the dog for breathing on the patio sliding glass door.
The frustrated domestic window washer, if pushed far enough by the vagaries of sunlight and glass, may even swear that the family's next home will be a tent. He will read with interest that in some parts of the Australian interior, where it's brutally sunny and hot, people have built their homes into hillsides and underground.
Domestic window washing, on the one hand, may seem like a fool's errand. On the other, you might consider putting a Protestant spin on it. Or express it as a Republican family value. If you're willing to go the distance for your family's view of the outside world, then you are a hero. Or you might gain that patina of venerability, as in, "Here is a man who has never said 'never'. "

.

Pictured below: A collection of homeowner skulls (from the National Window Cleaning Museum in Mallorca) who died from the effort of trying to clean windows on a sunny day.

Window Cleaning Video News

Another new video series in the making from Window Cleaning Resource, this one titled "WFP's on WCR." Hosted by Micah Kommers of "We Wash Windows" from Greenville, South Carolina.



The new 6 pound 50' Simpole will make window cleaning much easier. WFP, duster, regular window pole, it does it all and only $1,375.00. Contact Phillip Alexander at Simpole.

WindowPro give their take on cleaning & adjusting sliding glass doors.

A Guy With A Squeegee is a small window washing company located in Durango, CO. An advertising class at Fort Lewis College came up with some ideas for ads that the company could put out, focused on USPs. This one is slice-of-life style, over the top advertising.

Nate Kizerian, a 20 year window cleaning veteran based in Utah gives some sound points to clients on this You-Tube based Ad'.

Crete-Wash is a non acid based safe alternative for removing set concrete from ready mix trucks, pumps trucks, equipment, curb machines, tools, tankers, aluminium window framing, any formwork & much more. Perfect for every day use & eliminates harsh acid based dangerous good's classified cleaners form site. Produced by an Australian company called Con-Form.

Glass Gleam 4 - Earth Friendly

Released from Titan Labs:

After an exhaustive review we have determined that Glass Gleam-4 is a "green product." Several window cleaners have requested this. A new flyer showing this important information is enclosed.

We designate GG-4 as earth friendly technology. Using the services of a consultant formely in a key position at Chlorox's Green Works, we studied the requirements of the leading certification systems. There are no standards for many of the requirements, even for something basic as "biodegradable". Our suppliers key data about their raw material & testing. Using this data we were able to determine that Glass Gleam-4 is a "green product," which is designated as EARTH FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGY. We are working on other products to see if they also would qualify.

If you would like to use this logo for Glass Gleam-4 on your website or catalog - and we think it would help you & your customers - we can send you digital copies. If you have any questions or comments, please let us know. Info@TitanLabs.Net

Click on pictures to enlarge.

Thanks to Chris Lambrinides of window cleaning resource for the heads up.
.

Window Cleaning Video Time

Peanut Butter Jelly Time Window Cleaning Video Time from the latest on You Tube that's relevant to the window cleaning world...

First up "project 10" - a pure water factory for inside your van, workshop or home, explained by Alex Lambrinides from Window Cleaning Resource.




Wayne Shockey the master awning cleaner of Dallas, Fort Worth, Texas shows us how to fit a faucet/tap in a 55 liter drum.



Don Marsh of Marsh Window Cleaning from Gainesville Florida, talks about he is introducing wife Cindy into the blog side of his window cleaning business, thus becoming the new President of Marsh Family Industries. Learn more here.

This one is so cheesy...

Cradle high jinks...

Tony Evans aka Mr. Squeegee of New View Window Cleaning in Iowa has fun trying out his new gutter cleaner & finding stuff while he's at it. All details can be found at Window Cleaning Resource.

Michael from Pacific Coast Window Cleaning shows us his preference & technique for using scrapers on windows. You can find Michael at the Window Cleaning Corner.

Would you fly with this airline?

The Window Gang in action..

A team of 5 window cleaners tackle a 40-storey building in Manila, Philippines.

Great showmanship from Matt in Roanoke, Virginia.

Oh dear....

Legislature Pays Thousands For Window Cleaning

Despite budget woes, legislature pays thousands for window cleaning: Apparently, maintenance crews working for the legislature don't do windows. Taxpayers just spent $10,750 for a company to clean the windows of the House of Representatives at the Capitol complex - an expense officials deemed necessary despite a gaping state-budget hole. "This is not what we had in mind when we asked for a housecleaning," said Eric Epstein, a Harrisburg activist and founder of RockTheCapital.org. "Cleaning bird crap off of windows is not openness and transparency."
However, there's more to the issue than a clear view, said Bob Caton, press secretary to House Speaker Keith McCall (D., Carbon).
Besides cleaning the windows inside and out, the Harrisburg company that does the work, Performance Services Inc., also inspects them - 1,800 in all, many stories high - and treats them against spiders. It will all be done again in the fall for another $10,750, a contract with the House shows. The Senate pays another company $8,500 for similar tasks, but only once a year - bringing the legislature's yearly window-cleaning tab to $30,000. Caton said the House, in an austerity move several years ago, cut down on the window work. It had been done four times annually.
He said that in these tough economic times it might be wise to cut back even more, but not at the expense of the windows. David Spencer, manager of Performance Services, said letting windows go unattended too long can lead to bigger structural expenses. "It's a matter of being penny-wise and pound-foolish," he said. Epstein saw it differently, asking, "Why do legislators need to clean the windows when they work behind closed doors?"

Fridays Window Cleaning News

Bogus window cleaners take jewels in raid: A PAIR of crooks disguised themselves as window cleaners to steal more than £2,000 of jewellery from under the nose of an unsuspecting nanny. The duo knocked on the door of a house in Poets Road, Highbury, at about 3pm on Friday and told the au pair they had an appointment. They were in workman's overalls and carrying ladders so let one of them go upstairs to "check whether the windows needed cleaning inside or out". The au pair became suspicious and telephoned the owner of the house, a mother-of-three who was on a trip to the Islington Vue cinema in Upper Street. The mum told her nanny there was no such appointment and came rushing home - but the bogus workmen had already gone. And with them they had taken a selection of the mother's most expensive jewellery, including, gold, diamonds and pearls.
.

Wiltshire householders scammed by "window cleaners": HOUSEHOLDERS in Wiltshire are falling victim to a window cleaning scam. Tricksters have called at homes in Swindon and Chippenham offering to clean windows but demanding payment up front. Although they provide receipts they fail to carry out the job and contact details on the receipts are false. Police spokeswoman Claire Usher said: "We are appealing for anyone who believes they have been a victim of this situation and has not yet contacted police to do so." Anybody with information should call 0845 4087000.
.

California siblings charged with killing B.C. businessman: A brother and sister from California, charged this week with the 2007 murder of Tsawwassen businessman William George Dobbs, may face the death penalty. Robert Lee Dunson, 27, and Jackie Lynn Dunson, 32, were charged Tuesday in the U.S. "We've charged both with murder and we've alleged that the murder was committed during the commission of a robbery. In California that is a charge that makes the defendant eligible for the death penalty," said Michael Jeandron, spokesman for the Riverside County district attorney's office. Dobbs, 48, was found beaten to death by the side of a desert road near the town of Indio, in southern California near Palm Springs on Nov. 27, 2007. Dobbs (pictured) ran a window cleaning and janitorial service called Excelsior Buildings Maintenance, which had been in the family since 1910. The wealthy businessman was remembered as a generous, funny man. "He was always happy, the life of the party," stepdaughter Morgan Dawson told The Province in 2007.
.

Padiham man 'sent home from hospital with broken back: Mr Johnson said: “I was riding my motorbike near my home when I hit the kerb and came off. “My back was really hurting, I could hardly breathe and I was screaming in pain.” Mr Johnson, who lives with girlfriend Sonia Grant, 26, and five-year-old daughter Olivia, was given an x-ray by doctors in Blackburn and told he had a broken bone in his spine. “They looked me over, sent me home, told me to do plenty of walking and told me get some rest,” he added. “But then when I went for my appointment at the fracture clinic in Burnley, they told me there were two breaks – one of which they had missed at Blackburn.” Mr Johnson was sent back to hospital for a week before being discharged. But in the meantime, Mr Johnson has been left in crippling pain, wearing a back brace, and not knowing if he will be able to return to work as a window cleaner. He said: “I really don’t know if I will make a full recovery and it is awful not knowing if I will work again.
.
Not long after the new Jubilee Line underground station was built at Stratford in east London, construction workers noticed a mysterious film of white grease smearing the building's glass.
Resistant to the usual window cleaners, it baffled Bechtel project managers preparing for the underground station's opening. Eventually, after much head scratching, the substance was traced to a mayonnaise factory nearly two miles away - and a new heavy-duty wash was introduced. That salad dressing could disturb a multibillion-pound infrastructure project is a reminder of the range of unexpected difficulties that can confront project managers on complex civil engineering works.
.

Collaboration for a better city: Students from Franklin High School helped clean up downtown Franklin on Thursday by washing windows and vacuuming empty storefronts. The community service effort by about 20 high school volunteers was part of the Collaboration project, started by volunteers from Choose Franklin who wanted to spruce up downtown in advance of Community Day on May 9. Three projects arose from the effort. The first project was to equip each downtown business with a flag to display in front of its store on Central Street. The second project will engage volunteers in a general cleanup of Central Street. The third project involves decorating and improving empty storefronts with artwork and visually pleasing materials to improve the aesthetic quality of the downtown area and have the downtown storefronts look full and beautiful. Pictured: Franklin High Schooler Courtney Hubbard helps out the Collaboration project on Thursday by washing windows in vacant downtown storefronts.
.

Twin sisters Chrissy and Kim Conti and Andy Shaw will be cycling from Toronto to Niagara Falls in the Ride to Conquer Cancer, a fundraiser to support the Campbell Family Research Institute at Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation. Each cyclist has to raise $2,500 to ride in the event that will take place from June 13-14. The Conti sisters are double trouble – literally. That is what the duo has dubbed itself for the 200-kilometer trek. The 25-year-old Burlington natives have a lifetime of volunteerism under their belt. Their stepfather had two kidney transplants, prompting the girls, at a young age, to canvass their neighbourhood for donations for the Kidney Foundation. When a friend’s mother overcame breast cancer, the girls were motivated to participate in a fundraising walk for the disease. The twins lost two grandparents to cancer, and now a close friend of theirs is battling skin cancer. They say cancer research is an issue close to their hearts. “We’re lucky to be from a family that is able to do these kinds of things,” said Kim. Each participant will be given a T-shirt, and a tent so they can camp out in Hamilton during the two-day ride. The sisters have appealed to family and friends for donations, and so far have raised about $500 each. Kim, who runs a window washing company, says the girls are starting to get creative about their fundraising tactics. “We were thinking of volunteering to clean the windows at a nursing home and maybe ask for donations there.”

New Squeegee :The Slayer Channel finally Appears

The new Window Cleaning Resource "Slayer" Squeegee Channel is fresh hot off the production line & ready for sale! The channel is already looking like it will take the market share of the huge squeegee market out there. At the moment it's a first come, first served basis. The next round of production will introduce about 8 additional channel sizes.

Presently available in sizes: 18" / 24" / 30" / 36"
Comes with: 18" LFI Rubber 24" Soren Rubber 30" Soren Rubber 36" Soren Rubber and fitting the Super System Super Channel Handle & the Contour Pro+ Super Channel handle.

And if you're wondering why this post is a day late for production .... I had to get my order in before they all went!

This is what they've been saying;

Can't wait for the reviews I'm looking forward to trying a new squeegee...

I'm dying here, give me a Slayer now!

From my understanding the Slayer is a new squeegee from WCR that will slowly but surely take over the world...

So is it coming out today????? im anxious....

The color is cool!

So now one of the best squeegee channels ever made can be gotten at WCR..

Click on the pictures to enlarge:

Earth Day Window Cleaning News

Market Earth Day With a Free Guide: If you’re wondering how to tap into the public awareness of Earth Day in a way that will help your customers and clients, then check out this link to a free downloadable Earth Day Guide. Your clients might appreciate it, and anything done in a balanced way to reduce pollution and preserve the planet’s resources is commendable, and worth considering, anyway. Oh - and the guide is free. (It’s well-designed, too, so you’ll look professional, smart, and responsible by slapping your window cleaning logo and contact details on the front)


The biggest ‘green’ marketing scams/These products don’t help the enviroment and may not work at all. In greenwashing, as in life, there are seven sins. There's the sin of the hidden trade-off, for example, the sin of vagueness, and the sin of no proof. So says sins of greenwashing, which takes on companies that offer seemingly green benefits — often at a hefty price tag — with little results. As the green trend continues, companies in almost every industry vie for a piece of the green market, even the embattled General Motors has taken a chance on its own green product initiative. But as the field of green products grows, so does the number of impostors. The following is a list of some of the most perplexing green products out there-and an assessment of just how scammy they might be:
Clorox "Green Works" products Green Works launched a little more than a year ago, under the pretense of bringing eco-friendly home-cleaning goods, such as all-surface and window cleaners, to the mass market. Several of these products, however, contain corn-based ethanol, which the environmental community has targeted for being neither cost effective nor eco-friendly. Many items in the Green Works line also include sodium lauryl sulfate-which the company describes as a "coconut-based cleaning agent." That may be true, but, coconut or not, SLS has long been criticized by the scientific community for its not-so-natural effects; the American College of Toxicology described SLS as a known skin irritant in a report published more than 20 years ago.

See comment below.

Avoiding Greenwashing: Being branded a ‘greenwasher’ not only affects credibility, but it could lead to legal action. Green has become a major issue for all industries — and a potentially problematic and confusing one. TerraChoice recently reviewed 1,018 products and found that all but one made claims that were false or that risked being misleading. All but one! Green claims have become so commonplace that the term “greenwash” has become part of the discussion. This is especially true as our customers become more knowledgeable about green, and being branded a “greenwasher” not only affects credibility in their eyes, but could potentially lead to legal action. According to Wikipedia, “greenwash” is a blend of green and whitewash, and is used to describe the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.
Marketing claims are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has issued voluntary guidance on environmental advertising and marketing practices. While the FTC is the rule-maker on this subject, TerraChoice’s “Six Sins of Greenwashing” can be helpful for contractors developing marketing materials. ISSA can also provide helpful support.
Some examples that contractors may want to consider include:
Claim of improved occupant health and productivity. It is not enough to use anecdotal evidence (stories) or general evidence from the cleaning industry that supports your hypothesis. You must have specific scientific evidence to support your claim or it may be considered false or misleading.
Claims that products meet or exceed the requirements of Green Seal or similar third-party certifier. Unless products are officially “certified” or you have specific test data to prove that products “meet and exceed” an organization’s requirements, you may be heading for trouble. And be aware that it is not enough to simply take your supplier’s word for it. If you are making the claim, you have to be able to substantiate it, so ask your suppliers for the documentation.
A claim of using “only green products” can be made as long as you can document that you are in fact using only green products including chemicals, paper, equipment, liners, mops, carts, dusters, etc. If you use words such as “only,” “always,” “all,” “never,” etc., you have to mean it with no exceptions or the claim may be false or misleading, otherwise consider modifying your claim.
Be careful when using logos and mentioning organizations such as U.S. Green Building Council, Green Seal, Environmental Choice, etc. Make sure it is clear if just a single employee is a member, if the company is a corporate member, or if the company holds some specific certification from the organization, or if some or all of the products are certified, otherwise your claim could be misleading.
Make it clear when making green claims whether the claim refers to products being used; applies to the service being performed including products, training, procedures, communications and stewardship programs; or is for the company itself including buildings, internal operations, vehicles, etc.
Remember, it doesn’t matter if the problem was intentional or inadvertent. It’s preferable to get it right from the beginning. For more information or questions, don’t hesitate to visit or to contact us at Janitor’s World.

What Not To Do on Earth Day: Bullet point 2. Don’t use cleansers and personal care products that contain triclosan or other antibacterial agents. Public health officials worry that antibacterials in cleansers, window cleaners, and soaps are causing us to become resistant to antibiotics. Use simple soap and hot water for cleaning, and body soaps and lotions that do not say “antibacterial” or “fights germs” on the label.

Earth Day in Brampton: With the help of RONA Home and Garden and their new ECO line, the Brampton Downtown Development Corporation (BDDC) is inviting the merchants and business owners in Downtown Brampton to clean their windows, making the downtown sparkle. On EARTH DAY, Wednesday, April 22, 2009 the BDDC and RONA are inviting the Downtown Street Front Business to come out and clean their windows in an environmentally friendlier way! As Earth Day quickly approaches members of the RONA team from both Brampton locations & the BDDC want to remind us all about cleaning green! RONA is supplying the downtown merchants and businesses with a bottle of ECO Glass & Surface Cleaner and a squeegee, for free! RONA has succeeded in creating a product that lessens our ecological footprint and works! This brand new line of eco friendly cleaners is gentle on consumers and the earth alike. So go green on Earth Day, while still keeping clean.

The ladder bows and almost seems to bounce a bit, but it's been carefully placed. It's leaning against glass. Jose Galnban steps up and down with his window washing squeegee, rags and cleaning fluids. He has an elevated view of Lewisburg's public square, but pays attention t his job. Jason Moorish steadies the ladder for his co-worker who's facing the third floor lobby of the Marshall County Courthouse Annex. It's a warm Thursday afternoon. The windows are clear when they leave. Then it rained over the weekend.

Teens Turn to Summer Start-Ups: Faced with the darkest summer-job market since the government began collecting data after World War II, a growing number of teens are turning to entrepreneurship. The government's $1.2 billion youth jobs program is expected to make barely a dent in overall teen joblessness this summer. Employment among 16- to 19-year-olds is still likely to sink to a new low of 31% or 32% this summer, down from a previous nadir of 32.7% in 2008, says Andrew Sum, director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston. Thus "for many kids, starting a business may be the only option if they want to make some money. For teens considering start-ups, and for their parents, adolescent entrepreneurs offer some tips: Look for a low-cost niche. After a vendor knocked at Loree Greta's door last summer in Austin, Texas, offering to clean her windows for $150, she suggested her 14-year-old son, Max (the brother of jewelry maker Marlo Adelle), make the rounds offering to do the same for one-third as much. Brandishing a long-handled squeegee, vinegar, buckets and newspaper, Max earned about $300 washing windows.

Never Cleaned A Window in His Life

Window washing business shines: Dickinson’s (North Dakota) James Bedard has taken an often dreaded chore and turned it into a passion. Bedard opened JB’s Window Cleaning service in March. The whole concept of the business began while JB was working at the West River Community Center, where he is still employed. Prior to his job there, he had never cleaned a window in his life. Once he started, though, there was no stopping him. People soon took notice of his thorough job. He said people using the WRCC started asking when they could hire him to do their windows. “At first it started out kind of jokingly,” Bedard said. “After about the 10th time I just kind of felt in my heart that something else was going on.” He said he let it go at first, but when people kept joking with him about cleaning windows, he decided he couldn’t ignore his calling.
“After a while, it kind of seeded inside me,” Bedard said. “I felt like God was asking ‘Is this something you want to do?’” When he began looking into starting up a window cleaning business, he said everyone he talked to was very encouraging. “Most people really hate cleaning windows,” Bedard said, adding many people were happy to learn someone would do it for them.
He got a business plan down, purchased some equipment and did his first window-washing service in March. He said he enjoys his new profession.
“When you actually get a window clean and you’re looking out it, the result is like night and day,” Bedard said. “You don’t actually notice the dirty spots, but then when you actually truly clean a window, it’s like something flows through and it’s a lot easier to view. I think it actually relaxes the eye.”
Mitch Kick, owner of Big Sky Athlete of Dickinson, had Bedard clean the windows of the business about two weeks ago. “He was very professional and gave me an estimate and did a really, really nice job,” Kick said. He added it freed up time for him and his employees, since they usually did the windows themselves. Kick added he plans to have Bedard clean the windows the next time they need it. “He does a great job and his price is realistic,” Kick said “It makes my life a lot easier.” Bedard can clean windows up to three stories. He hopes to purchase more equipment so he can reach windows further up.
“I don’t want to go too big right away,” Bedard said. “I want a solid foundation.” His hours of operation are negotiable, and depend on what his clients want. “I’m going to be here when they need me,” Bedard said. Bedard plans to offer his services year round. He cleans windows for residential and commercial clients in Dickinson and will travel to outlying communities as well. To contact JB’s Window Cleaning Service, call 701-590-3504.

"Won't You Be My Neighbor?"

OK, bear with me on this one & follow closely if you live outside North America.....Mister Rogers' Neighborhood or Mister Rogers is an American children's television series that was created and hosted by Fred Rogers. The series began in 1962 as Mister Rogers, a 15-minute program on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was characterized by its quiet simplicity and gentleness. Episodes did not have a plot, and consisted of Rogers speaking directly to the child viewer about various issues. At the beginning of each episode, Fred Rogers enters his television studio house, singing "Won't You Be My Neighbor?". He hangs his coat in a closet, puts on a cardigan zipper sweater (he needs to practise that one), and removes his dress shoes to put on sneakers.

Now watch what Caleb of Everclear Window Cleaning & Pressure Washing from Merritt Island, Florida does with this You tube Advert "on this magical journey of cleanliness".....

Sunday Window Cleaning News

This year, Millards Cleaning are celebrating 90 Years of serving Central London. John Booth, Director at Millards said: "We are very happy to have reached this milestone in the history of our company, and we hope to be serving London for a further 90 years and beyond." Servicing the West End, Central London and the City, Millards Cleaning Services Ltd operations centre and offices are based just off Trafalgar Square. Millards Cleaning Services provide Office Cleaning and Window Cleaning in London, Central London, the West End, and the City. Major Millard founded the company in 1919, to provide employment for ex-servicemen from the First World War. Millard’s has always been based in the West End, originally in Bond Street, moving to Neal Street in 1947, to St Martins Lane in 1986 and to their current address 28 Charing Cross Road in 2003. 1994 was the year in which Millard’s was awarded the BS EN ISO 9001:2000 quality assurance.

.

Doug Kirhofer and Gary Hunley are celebrating 25 years in the sporting goods business in the Fox Valley. Kirhofer is owner and Hunley is manager of Kirhofer's Sports in Aurora and Tri-City Sports in Batavia. The men are celebrating 25 years in business and 40 years of friendship. Jerry Gandt of Baker's Window Cleaning cleans the glass at Kirhofer's Sports on Aurora's West Side. The store sells a full line of sporting goods and apparel and supplies area team uniforms.

.

When Chris Worden was lying on a hospital trolley waiting to go into surgery to save his foot, he made a promise to his surgeon. Window cleaner Chris told the medic that if he managed to save his foot - which was almost severed after a bike accident - he would give him £1,000. It has taken the father-of-three from Greyfriars Crescent, Fulwood, 11 years to keep to his promise - but he plans to cycle from Blackpool Tower to the Eiffel Tower in Paris next Thursday to do it. The 57-year-old has already raised £2,000 and will give half the cash to the orthopaedic unit at Royal Lancaster Infirmary, which saved his foot, and half to the children's ward at Royal Preston Hospital which saved his daughter Katherine's life. Chris said: "My daughter had leukaemia when she was little and was looked after at RPH, so it has always had a special place in my heart.
"In fact, when I set off on Thursday it will be the 20th anniversary of a John O'Groats to Land's End ride I did for them. "Now, Katherine actually works as a nurse on the children's ward, working with some of the nurses that actually looked after her. So I wanted to give something to them, but I also feel I owe it to the surgeon who saved my foot to keep the promise I made to him all those years ago."
He suffered the injury after his motorbike was involved in a car accident. Medical experts said he would have lost his foot if he had not been wearing protective boots. He said: "After the operation the surgeon came to see me and jokingly said, 'Where's my money, then?' and I said I would do it for him, even if it took me years. "It has taken me until now to get my confidence back and now I am ready to go, I reckon I can do 125 miles a day for four days which will get me to Paris – I think I might need a pedalo to get over the Channel though." If anyone wants to sponsor Chris, they can send cheques made payable to the 'Cycle Fund' to 46 Greyfriars Crescent, Fulwood, Preston, or telephone 01772 715523.
.

Report of child taking is mistake: In what turned out to be a false alarm, Charlotte County sheriff's deputies mobilized five police agencies on land, air and water Friday to search for a man thought to have abducted a child. The large manhunt came after a woman reported what she thought was a child abduction in the Gulf Cove area at about 10:30 a.m. She described a man in a red pickup with pool supplies in the back struggling with a girl between 6 and 12 years old. "We had no reason to doubt her," Charlotte County sheriff's spokesman Bob Carpenter said. The woman did not have a cell phone and drove 20 minutes to work to call police. Sheriff's deputies set a staging area in a grocery store parking lot at State Road 776 and County Road 771. Detectives and dog, marine and aviation units began searching the area and running down leads. No one had reported a missing child, so deputies checked schools and sent a reverse 911 call to homes in the area. Police from Lee and Sarasota counties assisted along with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Three hours later, North Port police showed up at the Price Boulevard home of Leonard Haslage, who operates a window and pool cleaning business with his 17-year-old daughter and who drives a red Nissan pickup. Haslage's daughter answered the door and was surprised to see police. "We felt pretty comfortable we were on the right track," said North Port Police Sgt. Charles Ayres, who drove to the Haslage house with another officer. He said the daughter "looks young for her age" and Leonard Haslage "matched the description to a T." Charlotte County deputies arrived with the witness a few minutes later, and she identified Haslage as the man she had seen. Haslage and his daughter said they had been in the Englewood area but they had not done anything that could be interpreted as a struggle, Carpenter said. The caller "did absolutely the right thing" by contacting police, he said. Carpenter said he did not think police overreacted.
"We have to assume she was right," Carpenter said.

.

Window cleaner’s death was a ‘shock’: THE DEATH of a window-cleaner from Borehamwood, who was found hanging at home, was described at an inquest as “totally unexpected”. Stephen Lue, 37, from Micklefield Way, was found dead by his father at his home on January 24. Paramedics were called to the house at around 1pm.
At the inquest, held on Wednesday at Hatfield Coroner’s Court, Coroner Edward Thomas said a post-mortem report showed there was 167mg of alcohol, more than twice the legal driving limit, in his system but no evidence of any medication. He said Mr Lue died of cardiac-respiratory failure due to suspension. Sergeant Mark Smith, from Hatfield police station, told the coroner he arrived to find Mr Lue on the floor with a noose around his neck and a bottle of Jack Daniels whisky and a glass beside his bed. Mr Lue had been suffering from depression since November 2008. Dr Rehan Siddiqi, a psychiatrist from Watford General Hospital’s crisis assessment and treatment team, first assessed Mr Lue on November 25 last year.
Mr Siddiqi said: “I first assessed him and saw he was suffering from a delusional disorder.
“We didn’t want to take him into hospital as it would have been disasterous if we made him leave his job. “He was quite proud he had set up his own business and wanted to continue doing that.”
He added: “I would say it was totally unexpected. I felt that he was quite a proud individual planning for the future. “I would not have thought Stephen would have taken this route.
“The team were shocked and called me to let me know. Stephen was an extremely nice chap.

.

SULTAN: Two candidates have stepped forward to fill a vacant position on the Sultan City Council. The candidates are Jeffrey Beeler, owner of a Sultan-based window washing company, and Bob Knuckey, a retired print shop owner. Former Councilman Dale Doornek resigned from his position in March to pursue a master's degree. He started a four-year term in January 2008.
By state law the City Council is responsible for appointing a replacement, who will serve until the November election. The City Council plans to interview the candidates and choose one at 6 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, 319 Main St.
Both candidates are described as community-minded citizens already active in public service.
Beeler, a Sultan resident for nine years, served as the chairman of a city budget advisory panel and as a member of a storm-water stakeholders group that worked to reduce the city's proposed storm-water fees. He serves as treasurer of the advocacy group, U.S. 2 Safety Coalition.
His top priorities are more police services, helping the city create an identity and planning for new growth.

.

Skyway reaches for the stars safely: Entrepreneurs are fond of saying that the sky is the limit for their companies but, in Kieran Meegan’s case, it’s true. Meegan’s company, Skyway, specialises in safety equipment for people working at heights, such as window cleaners and roofers. Since it was founded in January 2000, the company has worked on some of Ireland’s best-known buildings. Its current projects include work on the redevelopment of the Lansdowne Road stadium in Dublin, the building of the new Criminal Courts building, the National Conference Centre and Dublin Airport. It has also worked on Ireland’s tallest building, the Elysian in Cork, as well as the O2 Arena in Dublin and the Bank of Ireland on College Green. ‘‘We provide systems and equipment on all types of roofs to allow people to work safely at heights and prevent them falling,” said Meegan. The company employs 16 people with skills ranging from mechanical engineering and quality assurance to marketing, education and design. It also has a facilities services division that provides annual maintenance on all safety at height systems, as well as the training and supply of harnesses, lanyards and specialised safety equipment.
Meegan was born in Monaghan, the middle son in a family of farmers and shop owners who encouraged innovation and entrepreneurship from an early age. When the family moved to Kells, Co Meath, in the late 1970s,Meegan completed his second-level education at the local CBS. He went on to study at Dundalk Institute of Technology and Queen’s University in Belfast, gaining a first-class honours degree in civil engineering. After graduating from Queen’s, Meegan worked as a civil engineer in London from 1988 to 1992 before moving to Canada. In Toronto, he completed a masters in applied science, specialising in structural engineering, and took up a consultancy role.
One of his main clients was Pro-Bel, the biggest firm in the safety-at-height sector in the US. In 1998, he returned to Ireland to establish the Irish arm of Pro-Bel. A year later, he went his own way, leading to the setting up of Skyway with his wife Martina. Nine years later, despite the economic downturn, Meegan believes there are new opportunities for the company. ‘‘Prior to 2008, most of our work was on new buildings but, late in 2008, we started to focus on the retro fit market, offering solutions for existing buildings,” he said. ‘‘We see this slowdown as a good opportunity to innovate, educate and prepare our company for the years ahead. We plan to use this time to further expand our research and development division and to develop and manufacture more products in Kells.”