Window Cleaning News

One Government Center Window Cleaners: Israel Ibarra, left, and his brother Miguel Ibarra of Clearview Cleaning Contractors LLC of Cleveland, clean windows at One Government Center in Toledo. 

Two Indianapolis window washers say yes, they're nervous while they work, but that's a good thing.

Window Washers Say It's Good to be Nervous on the Job: It's one of the most dangerous jobs out there.  Ever wonder what it's like to be a window washer? Two Indianapolis window washers say yes, they're nervous while they work, but that's a good thing.  We spoke with window washers James Bernard and Mitch Adams on the balcony of the Emmis Building on Monument Circle. The men say they've done about 90-percent of the buildings in downtown Indy including the Chase Tower.

Bernard has been on the job for eight and a half years while Adams has been a window washer for ten years.  Both agree that nerves make them more attentive and careful about what they're doing.  Neither say they're getting rich from the job, but they can pay their bills.  They say about two dozen window washers work for their employer. By the way, pay for window washers varies depending on where they live. Pay ranges from 20-bucks an hour to $50,000 for a single building in a big city ... IF that building is huge and takes many weeks to do.  Bernard and Adams say they make less than $50,000 a year.

Man at UD rec center falls several feet (Dayton) — Medics rushed a window-washer to Miami Valley Hospital Friday morning after he fell more than a dozen feet at the University of Dayton’s campus recreation center. The university confirmed the man, a sub-contractor, fell in the pool area of the rec center. The facility is located on the corner of Evanston Avenue and Kiefaber Street.

Witnesses said the man was alert and conscious, but writhing in pain as he was being loaded into an ambulance. His injuries are not life-threatening. A coworker, Lamar Buress, spoke to News Center 7. He said the man fell as he was climbing up a ladder. “By the time I looked … I saw him in mid-air and then he hit the ground,” Buress said. “Gravity took over.”

Mumbai, India: A 20-year-old labourer fell to his death on Sunday afternoon from the fourth floor of the  Mantralaya building where he was cleaning window panes. The Marine Drive police registered an accidental death report and said initial investigations ruled out any negligence on the part of the labour contractor for whom he was working. The deceased, Raghuveer Vishwakarma, had reportedly kept his safety belt aside and was climbing down a bamboo scaffold when he lost his balance and fell. Renovation work has been going on at the Mantralaya after its upper storeys were gutted last year that killed five people and destroyed several files. Vishwakarma fell near the under construction new grand stairways, which would lead to the first floor of the building. He sustained serious head injuries and other workers at the site informed the policemen posted at the Mantralaya. They took him to a hospital where he died while being treated for his injuries. Vishwakarma lived in a Mahim slum along with his relatives. He was hired for the work by a local contractor , said the police.

The labour contractor said he was not present at the spot at the time of the incident. "Other labourers told me that Vishwakarma had fastened his safety belt when he was working. But I don't know what happened afterwards ," said the contractor.

Nick Lively, a window washer with Vista Scrub, cleans the windows at George Washington High School's cafeteria. Students return to classes today, the earliest start date ever in Kanawha County, and some are going back to facilities where summer maintenance projects still are underway.

Residents in a Surfers Paradise highrise with million-dollar views haven't had windows cleaned for years: It's Queensland's tallest tower boasting million-dollar views of the Gold Coast. The dirt and grime on the windows, that comes for free. Apartment windows of the iconic Q1 at Surfers Paradise have not been cleaned for more than three years in a long-running highrise stand-off which has left both residents and holiday-makers with a major pain in the glass.

The only exception is the top-level SkyPoint observation deck, which is managed independently. The break-down of a $700,000 building maintenance system has been blamed for the problem, but fed-up residents, who pay more than $120-a-week in body corporate fees, have had enough. It is just the latest in a long line of issues to plague the landmark highrise since its opening in 2005. Apartment owner Jim Vimer said the situation was unacceptable. "We used to get them cleaned a few times a year but no one has been near them for more than three years," he said. "If it wasn't for Mother Nature washing away some of the grime with rain every now and then it would be even worse."

Another apartment owner said there was no reason for the problem to have dragged on so long. "It's an expensive piece of machinery to replace, but the body corporate is not exactly short of funds," he said. "We should be able to employ window cleaners full-time. "We pay thousands of dollars a year in body corporate so you would expect they could find a way to get the windows cleaned."

The building maintenance system is essentially a type of crane which can lift and raise the platform used by crews to clean the windows or perform other exterior maintenance work. Other options have been discussed, including the use of abseilers or automatic machines similar to pool cleaners in use overseas, but they have been dismissed as impractical. Obtaining a new building maintenance system will be discussed at an apartment owners' meeting later this month.

Body corporate committee chairwoman Irene Lowe said the blame lay with the previous building management group which should have had the previous maintenance unit repaired while it was still under warranty. "Everyone is frustrated about it," she said. "It has been quite a complicated process and it's not an easy task. "The body corporate gets handed these things and we're expected to solve them." Towering 322 metres above Surfers Paradise Beach, Q1 was once the tallest residential tower in the world and is still Australia's tallest building. However, its prestige has been tarnished by a number of complaints and defects over the years.

After Losing 66 Pounds, Runner Wins A 135-Mile Ultramarathon Through The Hottest Place On Earth: Seven years ago, at age 32, Sá weighed 211 pounds and admits he smoked two packs of cigarettes a day. He used to worked in the textile industry before the factories of northern Portugal closed, and then spent some time as a window washer. That year he decided to, in his words, turn his life around. The Badwater Ultramarathon follows a 135-mile route through California, from the bottom of Death Valley to the Sierra Nevadas. They run along the bed of the valley for 40 miles before curling west, where they face three mountain ascents and a 95-mile, 18-hour trip to Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States. Today Sá is 39-years old and lives in Barcelos, Portugal with his wife and two young children. He is a professional ultramarathon runner with Berg Outdoor as a sponsor.

A Clarence Park book shop owner is seeking compensation from the State Government, saying work on the Goodwood Junction rail upgrade has hit her business hard. East Avenue Books owner Joan Fenney said her business was headed for a record financial loss after customers had been turned away from her shop by detours and heavy machinery. Since the work began, Ms Fenney had been forced to sweep and mop at least twice a day due to dust from digging works.

The State Government had provided her with window cleaning twice and a cleaning service inside her shop once. "The last thing you want on good books is dirt and dust," she said. "You accept that work has got to be done but nobody told us about the dirt, dust and the noise. "Sometimes the noise was just deafening and vibrated the whole shop." Residents and businesses near the Goodwood Rail Junction have been plagued by noise, dust and disruptions, caused by upgrade works, for nearly eight months.

Paralysed Wolves fan hoping to get back to a game: A Wolves fan is bidding to go to a home game three years after he was paralysed from the neck down. Reg Hazell, aged 53, is currently in specialist care in Southport after his spine was badly damaged when an abcess exploded. Despite being in a wheelchair unable to walk, the former season ticket holder is determined to make it back to the Haliwell Jones after going to games for 45 years. Reg was a window cleaner in the town for more than 40 years, living on Rowland Close. In December 2010 he noticed his shoulders were getting sore so went to Warrington Hospital for a scan. “I woke up and couldn’t move anything - only my thumb. “It was strange because my family was around me and I was just lying there. “They asked me if I was ok, but I couldn’t answer.” Reg, also an Everton fan, later discovered an abcess on his neck had been causing the pain. That had burst, damaging his spinal column and leaving him paralysed.

He was taken to the spinal unit at Southport Hospital where he remained for 12 months. The father-of-three does not know when he will leave the home for spine injury patients, or if he will walk again.

“It’s been hard seeing people do the things I like to do and wonder if I’ll get to do them again. “What happened changed my life and I don’t know what’s in front of me. “I can’t express how it feels to be pushed around in a wheelchair, or going into a shop and knocking things over. “Sometimes it still upsets me a bit but I try to put it to the back of my mind. “I’ve got little bits of movement in my arms and legs, but is it wishful thinking to think I’ll get up and move one day? “But I keep hoping that one day, I will walk again.”

Jayne Parker is secretary of Spinal Unit Action Group, the charity that spends £40,000 a year funding the specialist accomodation where Reg lives. It is also able to provide trips and holidays like Reg’s planned trip to the Halliwell Jones, but is heavily reliant on donations to do so. She said: “We provide a range of support to families and patients - transport, financial help, relief, trips and holidays. “As a small charity we rely on people who are good enough to help us with donations, sponsorship and fundraising. “We help out wherever we can, whenever we can with whatever we can, and it’s fantastic when people can help us.” To help Reg get to a Wolves game by supporting SUAG, or donate here.

A Grappenhall woman is cycling 1000 miles to raise money for the charity that support her ‘inspirational’ friend. Glenis Naylor (pictured), aged 63, of York Drive, had not ridden a bike properly before until she started the challenge earlier this year. She is aiming to cover the distance by September 1, with 680 miles down so far, riding up to 45 miles at a time. Reg Hazell was her window cleaner for more than 30 years, and after hearing of his accident, Glenis wanted to help. She said: “I’m doing this for him because he was so kind to the people in our neighbourhood. “Even now he is smiling and enthusiastic and determined. “He has been inspirational the way he has been determined to recover, so if he can do that, I can get to 1000 miles. “I don’t like asking people for money but hopefully this is a good way to do it.” The money raised by Glenis will go to the Spinal Unit Action Group. To donate go here.

Barrow man feeling disconnected: Some mobile phone customers have been struggling to make themselves heard. EE, which formed when Orange merged with T-Mobile, regularly claims to have the best network in the UK in a series of high profile adverts featuring Hollywood actor Kevin Bacon. But according to one business owner, persistent signal problems are not only causing frustration but also costing him money.

Paul Shaw (pictured), 58, of Cheltenham Street, who runs both a handyman service and a window cleaning business, says a recent change to the network has left him out of touch with his clients. “I’m losing work. Eventually I do get a signal through and people leave voicemails, but it can take hours and hours before they get to me,” he said. “It’s emergency calls as well for people who have got leaks in the roof and by the time I get back in touch with them they say they’ve got someone else out.”

At first, EE told Mr Shaw that his phone was to blame. But after an extensive discussion with the technical team, the company conceded that the problem was at their end. The loss of signal appears to have been caused by a network upgrade to consolidate the Orange and T-Mobile phone masts. The change has left mobile users in the area struggling to make and receive calls. The issue has forced Mr Shaw to join another network.

Peter Goodliffe and Martin Gammon: Founded in 1900 as a window cleaning company, OCS Group now offers 70 services ranging from forestry management to catering. The CEO and a senior director discuss their working relationship
Peter Goodliffe My great-grandfather, Fred Goodliffe, founded New Century Window Cleaning at the turn of the 20th century. My grandfather expanded the business to include office cleaning in 1930 and my father took over from him in 1974. I joined the group in 1976 as a window cleaner and I was the first of the fourth generation to come into the firm. We started diversifying in the Seventies and Eighties and we now have five core sections of the business – aviation, infrastructure and health, asset solutions, facilities management and environmental, which includes forestry and waste consultancy.
Martin Gammon I joined the group in 1996 via an acquisition. OCS had a relatively small but growing aviation services business at the time and I became part of that. When I started there were 19 separate limited companies, all of which had autonomy – it was like a mini-conglomerate. Each company had its own board, head office and systems, and the profits were consolidated at group level. From those 19 companies we now have one entity in the UK and Europe, and we turn over £800m worldwide. I've been in my current role [as UK and Europe chief executive] for three-and-a-half years. Read more..

SEIU Local 615 to merge with larger New York union chapter: The SEIU announced the vote Monday, saying the merger forms a 145,000-member local representing janitors, security officers, maintenance and custodial workers, skilled tradesmen and window cleaners along the east coast - from New Hampshire to Florida.

Billing himself as “Willie’s shadow,” Waupun’s Alan Kohl, looked like, played and sang Willy Nelson songs in a tribute to the beloved singer for two hours recently.

Willie’s shadow Window washer pursues music for fun, profit: Scores of Willie Nelson fans came out to the Dockside Pub and Grill on Highway G on Beaver Dam Lake recently to see and hear a two-hour tribute to the famous country singer. The show went three hours overtime, but nobody left disappointed. “I’d like to have him back,” said owner Kathy Martin. “He’s so good; everybody had a good time.”
Billing himself as “Willie’s shadow,” Waupun’s Alan Kohl, looked like, played and sang Willy Nelson songs in a tribute to the beloved singer and to the delight of Willie’s fans, some of whom were wearing Willie Nelson shirts. “Whiskey River,” “Always on My Mind,” “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” and Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground,” were only a few of the songs Kohl sang.
In the middle of one of his songs, two men on motorcycles came roaring through the parking lot.” “That’s not part of the song,” said Kohl without missing a beat. “He mixes humor in, that’s part of his personality,” said a friend and fan Tim Wendt. “And he looks and sounds like Willie Nelson.” “And he plays a good guitar,” said his wife Stephanie Wendt, who has her own record out which she recorded in Nashville.
“Wow! What a wonderful Sunday afternoon of music! The window washing man (Kohl’s trade) was awesome. I truly enjoyed every Willie Nelson song he sang. I’d close my eyes on some songs and just listen and I could swear it was Willie singing for us,” said Rose Kramer who came with her husband to enjoy the music.
Kohl is locally famous as a window washer, but music has always been important to him as well. “I was in my first band in 1972 but only played the guitar,” said the 1975 graduate of Beaver Dam High. He stayed in bands for the next 15 years until he met and marred his wife Diane. “About six years ago Diane and I went to a bar that had karaoke and I tried singing,” he said. “I couldn’t believe I was singing. Since then I’ve been working on singing.”
Kohl said last Sunday was the first time he ever put together a show, and although he doesn’t know what will happen next, he’s ready to take it on the road. For two hours, Kohl played approximately 20 Willie Nelson songs back to back, then for three hours, with a little accompaniment from other singers, he sang a variety of songs by many singers. “My throat is sore today,” said Kohl. “I’ll have to ask the professionals how they do it.”
One couple liked his performance so much that they asked him to play at a private party in Fox Lake. Summing up his debut, Kohl said, “I feel I just boarded the train at the station, destination unknown.”  Anyone wanting to find out more about Willie’s shadow may call him at 210-0808. 

AustClean founder Lucas Sambrooks (right) holding son Finn, 2, with wife Erin and AustClean franchisees (left) Chris English, Norman Macritchie and (front) Scott Hilton.

Franchise makes clean sweep around country: If it's good news you want, Lucas Sambrooks has good news to tell. The AustClean franchise he started in October 2009 has exploded to now boast 33 franchises in Mackay, Hervey Bay, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Tweed and northern Victoria - and Melbourne is due to open any day now. There are also about 13 franchises on the Sunshine Coast and head office is at Caloundra. That's not bad for a company that started in a bedroom a year after the GFC struck. "It's been steady growth," Mr Sambrooks said. "In the last 12 months we could have grown quicker but it's tough to get people into small business in the current environment and we are not the cheapest cleaning business out there. "We place a lot of emphasis on the quality of the people we get.

"They are not cleaners. They have backgrounds in accounting, school teaching and administration. "We take on people from different walks of life who want a small business for lifestyle. "We put them though a training program and have online systems to take care of the financials." Mr Sambrooks said the secret to his success was simple. "A bit of care," he said. "I've worked in franchising for years and a lot of them sell a franchise and it's sink or swim. "We've created a model where everyone helps each other. "We have a forum system on our database where they can connect with each other and ask each other questions. "And there is a big emphasis on putting money into marketing before a franchisee starts to make sure they can get to work and hit the ground running."

Mr Sambrooks said $2500 of the franchise purchase price of $36,000 went directly to marketing in the early start-up days. AustClean does residential, commercial and construction cleaning. There are two types of franchises: interior and carpet cleaning, and exterior and window cleaning. "I plan to have 70-80 franchises within the first five to seven years of operation...we are well and truly on track for that," he said. "Going into other states has been brought forward because people want to join." Mr Sambrooks said he spent five months preparing the business for franchise. He personally cleans the Jetts gym at Kawana to remain in touch with his franchisees.

It takes more than regular washing to keep windows functional. Houses can settle over the years, causing windows to shift. Fortunately, many can be adjusted rather than replaced.

Windows need more than just cleaning: Like everything else in your house, a little preventative maintenance on your windows can go a long way toward making them work better and last longer. And while cleaning them is an important part of keeping your windows looking good, your windows need regular maintenance and may need some repairs to make sure they stay in good working order.
Tom Rushton, general manager for H & R Window Repair, said one common problem he sees is that newer homes settle over a seven- to 10-year period, and that can cause the window frames to become slightly out of alignment. He also sees a lot of older double-hung windows that need sash repairs, casement windows where the crank handle snaps or the window locks don’t work properly. The good news is that all of these can be repaired or replaced. “Often the sales person for a window company will tell your windows need to be replaced, but in many cases they can be realigned or repaired,” Rushton said. “We also have a catalog of parts for lots of window brands, so people can generally find the parts they need.”
Many of the problems windows develop may be alleviated if maintained properly, such as lubricating all the moving parts with a dry lubricant. Matt Cipriano of Independent Window Repair, agrees that preventative maintenance is important. “Window tracks get dirty over time, gears don’t function properly and (that) makes it harder to open and close them” he said. “We like to spray S.C. Johnson’s Pledge furniture polish on the tracks and hinges and wipe them down. It leaves a slippery residue that lubricates the parts so the windows open and close smoothly.” Cipriano said that you should never use an oily lubricant like WD 40 because it will collect dirt and actually break down the window parts over time.
He said he often sees windows where the weather stripping is bad or they aren’t caulked and sealed properly, which can lead to another common problem; wood rot. “Usually rotting can occur on wood windows after only seven years, so it isn’t just older homes that can develop this problem,” he said. In many cases, Independent Window Repair can repair windows with wood rot without having to replace the window, but it is important to get it done promptly so the moisture problems don’t lead to further damage.
Along with the mechanical aspects of a window and the potential for wood rot, one of the big things that can happen over time is glass fogging, which is especially a problem with double pane glass windows that lose their seal. That is another common repair that companies like Independent Window Repair and H&R Window can handle. Obviously, maintaining your windows is the best way to ensure they work properly and last a long time. Some repairs you may be able to do yourself, but others you may need the assistance of a professional. Either way, it may be a more cost effective solution than replacing them. But there are times when repairing them can be almost as expensive as replacing. If you do decide to buy replacement windows, research the quality of the windows by going to an independent rating source such as the National Fenestration Research Council. This is a nonprofit organization that rates the energy performance of windows, doors and skylights.

Dry-cleaning windows for a super shine - Mary Hunt (founder of DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website): I have this thing for clean windows. I love them, which means I have an equal but opposite disdain for dirty windows. And when I say clean, I mean the kind of clean that makes windows sparkle like diamonds in the morning sun. If I could, I'd have a professional window-washing service come to my home every week to clean every single window — inside and out. But I have a two-story house, so right there you can understand why I can't and I don't.

On a lark, and only because I wanted my flower garden to look better through my kitchen window, I grabbed a very cute microfiber mitt that I purchased at Home Depot in an attempt to control all the dust being generated by yet another home remodeling project now underway. This mitt, manufactured by Unger Industries, is kind of nubby on the blue side and floppy fun on the green side. It feels just slightly "prickly," and that made me wonder if it really would act like a dust magnet, as advertised.

I went over the outside of the entire 8-by-4-foot window (it's big) with the low-pile blue side first, to see if I could remove any of the dirt, dust and water marks obscuring my view. Amazingly, that loosened all of the dust and scrubbed away most of the water marks, too. Then I went over a second time with the fluffy green side, like I was polishing the window. I actually heard a "squeak"! If "sparkling like a diamond" is 100 percent fabulous, then my dry-cleaning technique got that window to 90 percent. And it took less than 5 minutes — no water, wet wads of paper towel or newspaper, no buckets or squeegees. And I cannot see even a hint of scratching, which one might assume could happen. Of course, we are warned to never dry-rub fine auto paint because that can act as a light sanding and all. But back to my windows ...

Another five minutes, and I'd given my multi-paned French doors a good dry-cleaning, as well. Now, if this is old news and something you do routinely and thought everyone else did, too, don't tell me. I want to believe I made it up. By the way, I did experiment with other "dusting" devices, like a cotton towels, feather dusters, dry paper towels and even my Dyson handheld vac (which I use every day of my life and cannot image life without) on yet another dirty window — all with pathetic results. All that did was push the dust and dirt around. And none of these options even fazed the water marks.

There's something about this Unger Industries Microfiber Dust and Wash Mitt that really does dry-clean windows. And at about $6, this mitt was so affordable, I've decided that I need one in the car, at the office and a spare at home, too.

The Leicester accent and dialect is so part of the fabric of everyday life here that we almost take it for granted. Maybe, though, it’s about time we stopped. When Dr Diane Davies first arrived in Leicester 12 years ago, she was fascinated by the accent and dialect. “I’d spent all my life studying language and linguistics. I’d never heard an accent like this one. “Two things stood out and I remember them to this day: I heard a window cleaner say to me: ‘We’ll just take us brushes round the back.’ I’d never heard that before.

Jail for burglar who posed as a window cleaner: A burglar who posed as a window cleaner to trick his way into a woman's home has been jailed for five years. Melvyn Boylan denied burgling a house in the Rose Hill area of Derby in March but was found guilty following a trial. The 47-year-old knocked on the window of the house of a 32-year-old woman, who has Down's syndrome. She told him he could not come in but he went to the back of the house and asked her for water to clean the windows.
He later went inside and asked for a cup of tea, which he drank before leaving. It was then discovered that he had stolen a laptop. He was arrested after he was identified from DNA evidence left on the mug. Boylan, of Chestnut Avenue, Derby, was sentenced at Derby Crown Court.