Window Cleaning News

James Otero cleans a window at Lacross Glass in downtown Mt. Pleasant. Otero, who works for Lacross, said he washes the windows there about once a week, and that his secret for keeping the glass sparkling is a good glass cleaner.

Penicuik window cleaner tells of horror plunge: A Penicuik window cleaner who survived a 40ft fall from the fourth floor of an Edinburgh building says his ordeal was “like a big dream”. Martin Greig (25) was working at the Semple Street Exchange 1 building when the ropes securing him to the property both gave way. The young father is now recovering at home after breaking both wrists and suffering three compression fractures in his back. Both his ankles are badly sprained. Martin said: “My lines snapped – my working line and then my back-up line. I fell to the ground.”

Hanging Off a Building to Capture an NYC Window Cleaner Ten Stories Up: In early August, the New York Times ran an article on New York City window cleaner Brent Weingard alongside some footage that showed the man scrubbing and squeegee-ing away at massive apartment windows in the West Village. Thanks to the vertigo-inducing footage of Weingard strapped in ten stories up, the piece got a lot of attention, but one of the main questions the Times got after running it was “who was the daredevil behind the camera?” Thankfully, they’ve put together a BTS video in response.

The man behind the camera was Times videojournalist David Frank, and he makes a great case for why photojournalists can’t just be replaced by smartphone-toting reporters. Working at the same height and strapped in to the same safety harness as Weingard, Frank isn’t afraid to tell you he was scared.

“After considerable coaching, I awkwardly got outside,” says Frank, “then came the scariest part of the whole process: leaning out… trusting that the little canvas belt that you’ve got around your waist attached to those two little metal pegs on the edges of the windows are going to hold you.” Fortunately, he’ll also tell you that the images he got were well worth it — even if his wife and daughter both called him crazy when he showed them. 

The council said the lines –installed about 18ft above the tracks – do not pose a threat to pedestrians and motorists or those living and working close to the tramway, but warned traders such as window cleaners were most at risk if working near the route. Each of the lines will carry 750 volts. Direct exposure to voltage levels of 500 to 1000 volts can result in internal burns and potential death.

Edinburgh Trams: Warning as power cables go live: Hundreds of homes and businesses along Edinburgh’s tram route have been sent letters warning overhead power cables on the tram route are about to go live. The missive warns any contact with the current-carrying-cables could lead to potentially fatal consequences. A council insider said: “People aren’t used to the network having electricity flowing through it so we desperately need to get this safety message out to people.” The power switch will be flicked on overhead power lines from the Bankhead tram stop to York Place on November 19, sending power surging through the entire eight-mile route for the first time. The switch-on comes ahead of widespread tram testing across the entire route from next month. Works within ten metres of any part of the line – an area labelled the “tram hazard zone” – will be banned without written approval from the city council.
The council said the lines –installed about 18ft above the tracks – do not pose a threat to pedestrians and motorists or those living and working close to the tramway, but warned traders such as window cleaners were most at risk if working near the route. Each of the lines will carry 750 volts. Direct exposure to voltage levels of 500 to 1000 volts can result in internal burns and potential death. Busy sections of the tram route including Princes Street and Haymarket being electrified represents another milestone in the £776 million project. City transport convener Councillor Lesley Hinds said: “Anyone who lives in or owns a property near the tramway and needs to carry out work within a ten-metre vicinity of it needs to be aware of these important safety measures. “We’ve been in contact with hundreds of residences and businesses along the route and we’re urging them to read the guidance and approach us to agree a safe way of working. “In normal circumstances, the overhead wires are high up, out of the way and safe, but they can pose a danger if appropriate guidelines aren’t followed when working nearby.”

Under the council’s strict guidelines, approval will be needed for: Any work where part of the site such as tools, materials, machines or suspended loads could enter the Edinburgh tram hazard zone. Examples include window cleaning or other work using ladders. Any work that could force pedestrians or road traffic to be diverted into the hazard zone. Excavation within three metres of any pole supporting overhead lines. Piling, using a crane, or erecting and dismantling scaffolding within four metres of the hazard zone. Any work where vehicles fitted with cranes, tippers or skip loaders could come into contact with power cables. 

Conversations Into Employment: "What's my line? I'm happy cleaning windows, Take my time, I'll see you when my love grows. Baby don't let it slide, I'm a working man in my prime, cleaning windows"... Cleaning Windows by Van Morrison.

Last week I met a window cleaner. He was wiping the smears off a grimy glass door in a busy railway station. As people barged by and rushed for their departing trains, he remained calm and focused on the task at hand, exhibiting a remarkable pride in his job. I watched him for a while before summing up the courage to talk to him. "I have to do all the windows in this station once every 3 -4 weeks", he told me. "To be honest, I enjoy my job. I used to manage window cleaners, now I've gone back to just doing it myself. No stress, just pride and a real sense of achievement every day."

The circumstance of this encounter was that I was travelling with three work placement students from London en route to running a session with other students in a Pupil Referral Unit in Bedford. "Would it be OK if my students asked you some questions about your work?" I had asked. He seemed surprised that anyone would be interested in his work but agreed and before long, Lucas and Omar (two of the students with me) were deep in conversation with him. "How did you get into this work? How much do you get paid an hour? What skills do you need to do your job? What did you want to do when you left school?"

It turned out that Roger had come from a similar environment from which these students had come. He had been thrown out of school, left with no qualifications and had drifted into a range of jobs and environments (not all of them very healthy). As he shared his life story with the students I could see in their faces that something was clicking. They must have talked for 15 minutes and could have kept talking had our train not come into the station. As we settled into our seats I asked the students, "What did you learn from that guy?" It soon became obvious that it had been the most effective part of the whole day's learning. Why? Learning can be like that. Sometimes it comes from unexpected sources, sometimes you realise you've learnt something pretty important from the most informal of settings. Sometimes your best laid work-sheets and lesson plans seem pointless.

UAE Death Wish: A photo sent in by a reader in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, shows a man attempting to gain an extra two metres on a boom lift. Clearly the maximum working height of the boom lift – which looks to be in a sorry state – is not quite high enough to complete the job in hand. The solution? With very little thought for his own safety, the man has climbed up onto the guardrails with his colleague holding him in place. We can only hope there wasn’t too much recoil from the power washer! In the words of our reader: “Another picture for the safety board. One of my colleagues looked out of his apartment window to see these two safety conscious guys cleaning the building eight floors up. No harness or other safety gear. Safety for some companies in Sharjah is still not a priority.”

A HEADLESS Cross businessman has been left 'baffled' by the repeated targeting of his shop by egg throwing yobs. Chris Jackson, who owns Crucial Hair on Evesham Road, said over the past twelve months raw eggs had been thrown at the front door of his salon on every other Thursday. He said: "It's just disgusting. I can't understand why anyone would do this, there's no bad blood and I'm pretty sure I have no enemies, I'm just baffled by it really. "Even though is has been going on for months, it has happened more often this year. "I came in today, and there were three eggs splatted over the door, that's when I thought enough is enough and called the police." He added at first he thought eggs were being thrown at a number of shops on the road but soon realised his salon was being targeted. "I always just laughed it off before, but it's gone past a bit of a joke now. I swear it's like whoever has done this knows the window cleaner comes on that day."

The German view from abroad: Germany may be pre-eminent in Europe, but hundreds of thousands of Germans still prefer life abroad. The thing Peter Boenisch still doesn't understand about Britain is our windows. "Why on earth would you insist on impractical windows one cannot properly open (to the inside, that is), and which you therefore cannot even really get clean other than from the outside by a window cleaner on a ladder?" asks the Kent University lecturer, who has spent almost 10 years on our rainy island. "I no longer come back from visits to Germany with a suitcase full of food (bread, in particular, in the early years). But windows that only open to the outside are truly something I never ever got over here in the UK."

Top 50 local business industries revealed (Australia): A list of the 50 top performing local businesses for the third quarter of 2013 was released today by local service website Oneflare, which pulled data from over 35,000 Australian service providers to provide analysis of all job requests made during the period July-September this year. “This report reflects the changing trends in Australian business - even businesses operating on a smaller scale,” said Marcus Lim. “Small businesses are the cornerstone of the economy and this report indicates an increasing propensity for local businesses in your suburb to recognise the power of the Internet and the increased opportunities it affords to generate leads and improve business growth.” Cleaners are some of the most-searched-for businesses in Australia . Although job requests for the cleaning industry have slowed down by almost 28%, they still comprise almost 10% of job requests, indicating that the cleaning industry is a booming business. Window Cleaning saw a 148.84% growth.

Biblical-scale task tackled by elite window cleaners: A project in Wells which cost half a million pounds and took almost four years is nearing its final stages. And it will be more than worth the effort, as reporter Jack Clare learns from those behind the cathedral's Jesse Window conservation. The painstaking £500,000 conservation of Wells Cathedral's great Jesse tree window has been in progress since October 2010. The conservation work is being carried out by a local workforce of eight experts from highly specialised stained glass company Holy Well Glass. Around three-quarters of the work has now reached completion. This project, however, is very different from other large-scale preservation strategies undertaken on major cathedrals.

Holy Well Glass director Dan Humphries: "Unusually, there is next to no restoration to the original windows, only conservation methods to preserve what is already there." These processes include removing each metre square panel to a workshop environment, before taking detailed rubbings for reassembly purposes. Any excess glass cement can then be removed, and the perimeter leads taken off. This allows the panel to relax and lie flat, correcting any bowing which has taken place while the glass has been vertical for hundreds of years. Following this, the panel is partially dismantled and each individual piece of glass is meticulously cleaned with a 50:50 solution of acetone and deionised water. Any broken pieces are edge-bonded with resin, and 1mm thick float glass is used as a backplate to restore painted areas that have faded over time to their former glory. Finally the panels can be pieced back together ready for reinstallation. The entire window measures around nine metres high and seven metres wide.

Modern technology has also played a major role in the project in the form of isothermal glazing. This involves the installation of a secondary layer of protective glazing around four inches outside the ancient window, in the least obtrusive manner possible. The medieval glass is then ventilated at the top and bottom, allowing the warmer internal air to circulate between the two surfaces of glass. This protects the medieval window from the highly damaging long-term effects of condensation cycles, and simultaneously shields it from the ravages of the weather. The safety of the window has been ensured over generations by its height and inaccessibility. During the civil war, the first soldier who tried to climb up to destroy the window anecdotally fell to his death, putting off any further attempts.

Builders paint fake windows on Chinese high-rise block for ‘decoration’ - Anyone hoping to move into this high-rise block of flats in eastern China probably shouldn’t expect a room with view. While the apartments may look like they have plenty of windows, many of them are fake. Officials in Qingdao, in Shandong province, have claimed that a series of ‘windows’ have been painted onto the side of the low cost accommodation for aesthetic reasons rather than to fool potential buyers. According to reports, the appearance of the block sparked Internet rumours that the government was cutting corners in a bid to save money. Others asked whether the construction company hired to build the government-subsided accommodation had cheated officials in order to increase its profits.
But local officials said that the windows are just there for decoration and that the block conforms to building regulations. They added that the windows are only painted on to a part of the building, which houses elevator shafts. It is not immediately clear, but fortunately for residents there are proper windows on the other side of the building. According to reports, the Qingdao municipal government claimed on its official Weibo account on Wednesday night that they had ordered the construction company to rectify the ornamental windows, which have been ‘misunderstood’ and caused an ‘adverse social effect’. Until then, perhaps residents of the building can take solace in the fact that they will save money on their window-cleaning bill.

Kate Adie is “intrigued, intellectually” by what women achieved 100 years ago in the First World War. The former BBC war correspondent and best-selling author will be discussing her latest book, Fighting on the Home Front: The Legacy of Women in World War One. When a generation of men went off to fight in 1914, women took up roles previously denied to them – from establishing military hospitals staffed entirely by women to working as window cleaners. “The need for women to work was the important significance of the First World War. Women became citizens and got taken seriously. Prior to that women had been dependents and were never regarded as individuals. Women became part of the war machine and did jobs they were always thought of being incapable of. “I have been intrigued intellectually by what the women achieved,” she explains.

Business undergrads launch big-time company: Kennie Christiansen, a senior majoring in finance, has paid his way through college with self-started businesses. Window washing was the beginning of his entrepreneurship; as he proceeded through school, ideas lead him to another business opportunity he now sees as his career. Your Pro SEO is a business that focuses on ranking businesses high up on internet search engines. If someone searches online for a good restaurant in town or a nearby gym, various results will appear. Dan Campbell, a senior majoring in business administration, is Christiansen’s business partner, and together they place businesses at the top of those internet search results.

“We study the logarithms and the key components that google is looking for, then we build a website to match that criteria and the business will subsequently be ranked higher,” Christiansen said. “Companies are willing to pay thousands of dollars a month to make sure they are the top one.”

Christiansen and Campbell had previously worked together and had ambitions of owning their own company in the future. They had no idea Your Pro SEO would launch and become successful so quickly.

“My first business was a window-washing business. Dan actually worked with me on that as well. We went our separate ways not knowing we would be reuniting with Your Pro SEO,” Christiansen said. “I also started a business called Revolvent, we do small document management. I still have that business on the side.”

Although Christiansen didn't expect to be running a full-time business before he graduated college, his professors are not surprised by his early success. “It doesn’t surprise me at all that he’s already running a successful business,” Professor Benjamin Blau said. “His curiosity, interest and desire to learn new things is only going to add to the success he has already seen as an undergraduate student and entrepreneur.”

Your Pro SEO is currently serving businesses nationwide. Christiansen and Campbell are working on getting into the franchised businesses. “So far Dan and I have helped around 85 clients nationwide and it is still growing quickly. We get calls everyday asking about SEO and building websites,” Christiansen said. “We are trying hard to get into franchised businesses. That way it streamlines our efforts and it makes our job a little easier.” From two business partners who started as window washers to SEO web developers, Christiansen and Campbell have opened the door to what may be their lifelong careers.

Stress over working mother's lack of privacy to pump milk: Working in a glass-fronted office building with a million-dollar view of the harbour is a dream for many. But for breastfeeding mother Phyllis Tong, the prospect of a window cleaner suddenly appearing as she produces milk for her three-month-old daughter makes it a nightmare. "I was so stressed that I produced less milk than I used to. I feel insecure whenever I do it in the office," said Tong, who works for a finance company at IFC. "They designed a washroom with shower facilities … but there isn't a single nursing room in this building, which is among the best in the city," she said.

Woman sent £10 for Morrisons accident: A grandmother was floored by a supermarket display stand and was sent a £10 shopping voucher to spend in the store. Mrs Jackie Cox, 66, needed hospital care and spent days in pain from a swollen big toe on her right foot. That made it impossible to wear shoes and limited her work as a local councillor. She returned the shopping voucher to Morrison’s, describing it as an insult after the accident outside its Belper store. The incident took place while shopping with husband Alan, who is also a local councillor. A gust of wind caught the stand, which is 8ft tall and 3ft wide. Her husband shouted a warning and Mrs Cox was struck on the left shoulder as she tried to dodge it. “I was unable to get off the floor as I was in a lot of pain and also in shock. It was a while before any staff came out to see what happened.A senior member arranged for some chairs and helped me up. He said the sign should not have been out there as it was for internal use only and suggested the window cleaner had moved it out,” she said.

Screenshot showing the number of floors a Chinese man in Hubei Province fell, after losing his balance while trying to clean an air-conditioning unit.

200-Pound Chinese Man Survives Fall From 17th Floor:  A man in Hubei Province did not die, despite falling 100 feet from an apartment building, reportedly because he was so overweight. Mr. Yang, 33, lost his balance while cleaning dust off a faulty air conditioner at a friend’s place in Wuhan City, and fell out of the window, according to Wuhan Evening News. He hit three external air conditioners on the way down, the first on the 15th floor and the second on the 10th floor. His fall stopped when he landed on the third air conditioner frame on the 6th floor. “I don’t remember how I fell off the balcony,” Mr. Yang told the Evening News. “I only remember I was helping my friend clean the outside of the AC unit. I woke up in the intensive care unit and I felt pain everywhere.”
He was hospitalized with many broken bones and mild concussion, but no internal injuries. According Dr. Ai Fen, head of the emergency department at Wuhan Central Hospital, Mr. Yang’s obesity saved his life, because his 200-pound body weight protected his organs, and his size prevented from him falling between the railings of the sixth-floor air-conditioning rack. Mr. Yang only stayed in intensive care for three days, and was discharged on Oct. 25. People made comments about his good fortune via Anhui News. One said: “My AC unit was broken a while ago and the technician said he would charge 150 yuan ($25) for just going outside to check it, whether it needed fixing or not. I thought that was too expensive at the time. Not anymore.”
Another remarked: “He helped a friend to clean the AC unit. He seems like a warm person who likes to help others. Good people are rewarded and this saved his life.” A third said: “He received divine help! It has nothing to do with his fat acting as a cushion. Ask a sumo wrestler from Japan to jump off from the fifth floor and see if he survives. It’s 17 floors we’re talking about here.”

Abseilon USA: Last week Team Abseilon USA surpassed anything ever done in Rope Access. We like to say The Future of Innovation in Rope Access makes the impossible possible. You be the judge in this WOW shot of the year. The Team had the task of cleaning the glass on the underside of The Skywalk Grand Canyon while being filmed by Discovery Channel. Pictured left: Congratulations to our first SPRAT Certified Level III Technician Rick Dillman. This is a proud moment and huge achievement for a young man that is the foundation of Abseilon USA.

Architects Are the New Comedians - What makes today’s signature skyscrapers such a laugh riot? By Simon Doonan: Bizarre high-rise buildings are shooting up all over the world. If you weren’t paying attention, you could easily find yourself impaled by one. It happened recently to a friend of mine. James Biddlecombe, aka Biddie, and I grew up together in a lackluster satellite town with no mod architecture in sight. In the early ’70s we moved to London to “hit the big-time.” I became a window dresser, and he became a transvestite cabaret performer. Just two guys living the dream. While waiting for global adoration and untold wealth to arrive, we shared a flat on a little street in Battersea where we often consumed vast quantities of alcohol. In the late ’70s, I impulsively moved to the United States. Shortly thereafter Biddie left Battersea and scored a council flat (subsidized housing) in a gritty dwelling (tenement) in Southwark, a rough but historic wedge of London. Three decades later, the Shard arrived. Uninvited, Renzo Piano’s 87-story glass-clad dildo—the tallest building in the European Union—shot up into Biddie’s back passage. It’s an adjacency straight out of a Jacques Tati movie.

Call me perverse, but I find this brave new world to be extremely entertaining. I particularly enjoy watching people—they appear bleak, terrified, and thoroughly upstaged—schlepping in and out of these kooky edifices. I also enjoy the inevitable nicknames. In the U.K. the populace takes revenge on these grandiose creations by giving them ruthlessly quotidian monikers: the Gherkin, the Razor. The Walkie-Talkie. It’s a Madonna-becomes-Madge moment. Though the buildings themselves are very entertaining, the same cannot be said of the architects. Grumpy and inflexible, they seem like a really annoying bunch of Fountainhead-reading egomaniacal lunatics. Many are wildly budget-oblivious and refuse to design anything unless it has a wobbly facade or a diminishing floor plate. Rectangular buildings—such as the modernist masterpieces of the Chicago skyline that I happen to be looking at right now because I am visiting the Windy City—are a thing of the past. Regarding those diminishing floor plates: This is clearly a fuck you to the real-estate developer who, thanks to the pointiness of the building, is saddled with unrentable high-altitude microunits that are whipped by high-velocity winds.

The future is now: An artist's rendering released by Japan Sport Council shows the new National Stadium, designed by architect Zaha Hadid. The stadium, which will seat 80,000 spectators, will serve as the main venue for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Zaha Hadid: queen of the curve: The truth is that she is all these things, and more. She tests everyone — her staff, her clients, the users of her buildings, and herself — and offers an unspoken deal. If you survive all this, I will make something fantastic, and you could be part of it, is roughly how it goes, and people’s view of her depends on which part of the deal they experience most. Over the past decade or so she has gone from being the Architect Who Never Got Anything Built to someone who can’t stop building.

We experienced the same impatience with practical constraints that she had shown on the Frankfurt flight — the cafe would not be easily heatable in the winter, the window-cleaning bill equaled the salary of a member of staff of this small organization, the project architect turned up at a meeting called to cut costs with a redesigned staircase that would increase them. At the same time she and her office showed dedication, working long hours to address problems, producing an entirely new design when necessary, and dealing with frustrations not of their making. As clients, it should be said, we at the Architecture Foundation had our own imperfections.

Patrick Schumacher has even addressed this question of practicality as part of the practice’s philosophy. “Functional optimality,” he wrote, “is … renounced in favor of the experimental advancement of social practices of potentially higher functionality.” This seems to say that, if you have to choose between firing someone and having dirty windows, it is worth it, because at some point in the future her architecture will lead to a better world. It is almost religious: sacrifices now for reward later.

Respects are paid to former Wolves star Barry Stobart: Former footballers and fans gathered to pay their respects at the funeral of Wolves FA Cup winner Barry Stobart today. Ex team-mates and supporters lined up at St Peter’s Collegiate Church in Wolverhampton city centre as the former inside forward was remembered in a service of celebration and thanksgiving.

Grandson Jacob Stobart walked behind the coffin wearing a Wolves shirt bearing his grandad’s number eight on the back. Colleagues from the football world gathered to pay their tributes including Wolves legends Ron Flowers and John Richards, along with Phil Parkes, Mel Eves, Gerry O’Hara, Phil Nicholls, Jim Barron, Ken Knighton and Fred Kemp. Father-of-two Mr Stobart died aged 75 on August 28 after a long battle with vascular dementia. Stobart scored 22 goals in 54 games for Wolves from 1960-64 and later had spells with Manchester City, Aston Villa and Shrewsbury Town. He also managed non-league Willenhall Town to their finest hour, the 1981 FA Vase final, when the Lockmen lost 3-2 after extra-time. After retiring from football and settling in Sedgley he worked as a greengrocer and window cleaner.

Wolves fan Reg can go to the game: A life long Wolves fan is going to a game for the first time since being paralysed by a spinal tumour after an appeal in the Warrington Guardian. Reg Hazell, aged 53, will be a guest at Saturday’s Super League play-off clash against Leeds Rhinos at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. Friend Glenis Naylor has raised more than £400 to fund the trip after Warrington Guardian readers responded to donate money following our appeal last month. Reg, who lives in Weld Road, a residential home for spinal patients in Southport, said: “I just can’t thank Glenis enough for what she has done. “I never expected this and I’m over the moon.

“I was really excited when I heard I was going to a game again and now I’m just looking forward to Saturday, being back in the stadium, and the atmosphere.” Reg will make the 60 mile round trip with support from the Spinal Unit Action Group, which is providing transport. Reg, a father-of-three, has been paralysed since December 2010 when an abscess exploded, severing his spine. He was formerly a window cleaner in the town for 40 years and lived on Rowland Close in Fearnhead.

Previously a Wolves season ticket holder for 45 years, Reg is now hoping for Grand Final glory. “I think we will win by a 10 point margin but I’d have rather played Wigan,” he said. “I don’t see any reason why Warrington can’t go all the way this year.”

Tributes to Bobby Atkins: As chairman of the Crawley Sunday league, I knew Bobby Atkins very well (Fairways FC manager Bobby loses health battle). He was also my window cleaner. His love of football, and QPR was legendary.  I can imagine that Pauline, like the rest of our wives dreaded the start of the football season, because that was the weekend gone, but again, she knew what made him happy, and he was at his happiest at these times. I knew that Bobby was a real family man, he was always talking about his children, when they were younger, and as they got older and married, it was the pride that he showed in his grandchildren. Bobby was a good friend of all who knew him. I never met anyone who did not like him. We used to spend a lot of time talking while his colleague cleaned our windows. He will be greatly missed.

First-Job Lessons From Some Amazing Senior Leaders: Bill Manning, President, Real Salt Lake (MLS Soccer Club) - My first real job was as a window cleaner in Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. An old soccer coach of mine was the supervisor. This was the mid ‘80s and we were getting paid $12.50 an hour, so for a summer job the pay was great.
Lessons: You’ve got to show up. Woody Allen said 80 percent of life is showing up. If you don’t, you don’t get paid. For a college kid to be in Manhattan at 5 a.m. every morning was not easy, so finding the commitment to sleep properly so I could function at work became a learning lesson. I’ve found during my career that you need to “put” yourself in positions to succeed.
Be humble. Window cleaning is not exactly glamorous, especially in the heart of a white collar business area. For nearly everyone else at National Cleaning, this was their livelihood, and I was always impressed with the level of pride most took in their jobs. But I found we were not usually treated with respect from the people in the offices. I vowed I would never act “that way.” Nothing irks me more than when I see executives in powerful positions belittling others just because of their job function.
Fit in. Here I was a young kid, hired directly by the supervisor. I remember my first month or so on the job most of the window cleaners were leery of me as if I was a spy. Having been a teammate in sports I understood this type of mentality and after time when they found out I wasn’t snitching or going back to the boss, I eventually earned their trust and acceptance. This made my experience there so much better. Just like those summers, the ability to work well across a company has served me well during my career.

Authors to sign new book putting Rotherham in the spotlight: Two authors have joined forces to write a new book about the life and times of Rotherham over the past century. In and Around Rotherham Through Time has been written by Michael Bentley and Melvyn Jones, who are both from the area. Speaking to the Advertiser, Michael, who has lived in Broom for over 40 years with wife Pauline, said: “It’s my first publication and something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. “I’m good friends with Mel and we had this idea to write a book about something that we both find interesting. “He’s a more experienced writer than I am but I wanted to get involved. I provided all of the pictures while he did the research and put it all into words.”

Michael (right), who has lived in Rotherham all of his life, runs a family-owned window-cleaning business in the town that caters for commercial and industrial businesses. After spells playing cricket for Derbyshire and then semi-professionally around the Yorkshire leagues, he wanted to try his hand at something different. He and Pauline have amassed a large collection of old postcards of Rotherham over the years, and this provided the perfect opportunity to use and share them. The book is also on sale priced £14.99 via Amazon and high street bookshops.

BUSINESS SCRAPBOOK: Fish Window Cleaning - Name: Fish Window Cleaning

Street address: 1471 Pomona Road, Unit D, Corona

News: A new franchise location of the window cleaning company now serves Eastvale, Chino Hills, Diamond Bar, Corona, Norco, Chino and Ontario.

Does: Fish provides service to more than 200,000 commercial and residential customers nationwide. Free estimates and customized service plans tailored to each customer’s needs and budget are just a few offered benefits.

Services include: Interior/Exterior, Construction Cleanup, Reliable Year-Round Scheduling, Storm Windows, Skylights, Emergency Cleaning, Mirrors, Screens, Customized Cleaning, Gutters, Chandeliers, Ceiling Fans, Sill Cleaning

Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Owner’s name: Tom Sandler

Owners information: Tom has a degree in business management from Carroll College. He went on to hold various sales and management positions with various paper companies.

Resident Launches Business Aimed at Squeaky Clean Windows - Longtime resident Kevin May launches Fish Window Cleaning to serve the Newport Beach community and surrounding areas. A Newport Beach man recently joined the country's "largest window cleaning company" in hopes of making the windows in the city shine a little brighter. Kevin May, an alumni of UC Irvine, has opened a Fish Window Cleaning franchise location in Newport Beach to serve the city, as well as Newport Coast, Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa, Irvine and Tustin. "I wanted to get into something that would allow me to help local businesses and residents in a tangible way," May said. "If you have a retail store, your windows are the first thing your customers see when they arrive and the last thing they see when they leave."

Nathan Merrick, the company's vice-president of franchise development, said he believes May has what it takes to succeed in the business. “Rather than start from scratch, Kevin has the benefit of owning a business that offers proven methods, training, a nationally recognizable business name, and uniformity,” Merrick explained. “Kevin’s wealth of business experience partnered with his passion and enthusiasm is sure to make his business successful.” May is currently accepting applications for the Newport Beach Fish Window Cleaning location, and said he is excited to get started. “Windows are everywhere, and someone has to clean them,” May said. "I know this city has some of the nicest high quality shopping centers, restaurants and homes in the country. We saw an obvious need for the number high-quality window cleaning company in the country to have a local presence to serve them."

Earl and Debra Dillard, owners of the local Fish Window Cleaning, were named Rising Stars at the annual Fish Window Cleaning Convention in St. Louis, Mo. on July 20. “The award was quite a surprise,” said Debbie. “Several of our neighboring franchisees really helped us as we got started. The communities that we serve have helped as well. Without them and our great staff, we would not have experienced the success that we have. Our goal from the start has been to provide the best service in window cleaning, pressure washing and gutter cleaning. This will always be our goal as we grow and serve more homes and businesses.” The Dillards received the award in recognition of their franchise’s outstanding sales, production, management and good neighbor relations with other franchisees during 2012. This award is given to one franchisee from each district by their district manager. The Dillards are also part of the Pinnacle Club, recognizing owners who reach $100,000 or more in production over and above the previous year, and they received the Top Sales Award for adding over 500 new accounts in 2012. 

Cleaners rescue duo from flat fire: When a fire broke out in a second-floor Housing Board flat in Ang Mo Kio, its four residents were left with only one way out – through the kitchen window. Thick flames had engulfed most of the one-room rental flat in Block 115, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 by then, and two residents leapt to the ground on Friday morning. The other two, Gan Hwee Sun, 72, and Teo Siew Choo, 50, stood precariously on the window ledge until they were helped to the ground by Bangladeshi cleaners, using a ladder.

Firefighters tackle window display blaze at Parkway Shopping:  Firefighters had to make a forced entry at a women’s beauty product shop at Parkway Shopping in Newbury this morning (Thurs) , to gain access to a fire in a window display. Crew manager of Green Watch at Newbury Fire Station, Neil Polding, said two pumps were called from the station at 6.34am, to the shop, L’Occitane, after two men cleaning windows noticed the shop’s window display was on fire. The cause was thought to be faulty electrics in flashing LED lights used in the display.

Pet coke dusting leads to lawsuit: Four families living on Chicago’s far Southeast Side filed a lawsuit Thursday against several companies for failing to contain mountains of black ash dust. The families say the dust has coated their homes—inside and out—and is making life unbearable in a area of the city already saturated by heavy industry. “It’s horrible,” said Jane Gould, 54, of who lives near the huge piles of dust with her elderly mother. “I have to take care of my mom. I can’t be cleaning the windows every other day. The window tracks, they are full of black dirt.”

Residents of Bowburn recall a village once covered in white asbestos dust: Mark Hunter vividly recalls the film of white dust settling on everything as he grew up in a former mining village. He said: “We never realised what it was and had no idea how dangerous it could be”. The source was the Cape Asbestos Factory in in Bowburn, County Durham - the seemingly innocuous substance potentially lethal dust spewed out from its vents. Mr Hunter, 51, was speaking at the Crowtrees Workingmen’s Club, in Bowburn, today (Wednesday, October 16) after hearing Caroline Wilcock - girl he had know from his childhood - had accepted an out-of-court settlement from the successors of the factory. He said: “We used to see the housewives cleaning the windows and wiping it off the windowsills every day. “There was dust all over. But we didn’t know what it was in them days. “I was only a kid. We used to break it up and use it as chalk." He added: “A friend of mine’s father who worked at the factory died very young 15 years ago and he has been trying to claim compensation ever since. “I believe it is right they should pay out. They made massive profits. “If anyone takes ill they should pay out quickly and if someone has died they should still be held to account and pay out to their families.”

Tougher restrictions the only option: mayor (Australia) - The city's water consumption has increased in recent weeks, Mount Isa Mayor Tony McGrady told the council's monthly meeting during  debate on a motion to impose stricter restrictions. ``I did note on the weekly consumption report that consumption of water had risen in the last couple of weeks,'' Cr McGrady said. He said it was disappointing to have to impose stricter restrictions, but there was no alternative. The council voted unanimously to introduce the stricter controls. Cr McGrady also reassured residents that the water was safe to drink. ``With regards to the quality of the water, the Mount Isa City Council, Mount Isa Mines and Mount Isa Water Board and, of course, the Department of Public Health meet and discuss [the issue] on a regular basis. The measures are _ * In private gardens, the use of sprinklers, micro-spray and drip systems fitted with timers will be restricted from 8-10pm on even dates for properties with even property numbers and odd dates for properties with odd property numbers.

* The use of hand-held hoses, watering cans or buckets will be restricted to 6-9pm on even dates for properties with even property numbers and odd dates for properties with odd property numbers.

* In public gardens, the use of sprinklers is restricted to every second day for beautification areas inaccessible to a water truck, with automatic systems set for maximum duration of 15 minutes per cycle from 7pm to 7am. Municipal watering by water truck using recycled effluent or bore water only is permitted at any time.

* Window cleaning may only be carried out using water from a bucket.

French cleaning industry gets to grips with illiteracy: The French cleaning federation is organising courses in reading and writing, reports Christian Bouzols. More that 8,000 cleaning workers have taken life skill courses under the auspices of the French cleaning federation. These courses cover the ability to read, write, make elementary calculations and to get around in space and time. These courses have been organised by the Federation for the past 13 years because illiteracy is actually quite a problem in the sector specifically and in the country generally. According to the national agency for the prevention of illiteracy, nine per cent of the French population are illiterate. The Federation programme is called ‘Clés en main’ (Keys to opportunity) and is carried out by teaching institutions to help cleaning workers to become more self-sufficient and easy to train.

Totalling 290 hours and taking place during two half-days a week, the course is attended all over France by hundreds of cleaners who exchange their cleaning equipment for pen and paper to be taught four major life skills (reading, writing, elementary calculation and the ability to get around), complemented by six applied skills (numeracy and technology, attitude and behaviour, gestures, postures and observation, the world of regulation and cultural openness). This training is based on real work situations and helps trainees to deal with the written material they’ll see every day, such as product labels, notice boards and work rotas. Based on the official requirements of the various trades involved (cleaner, machine operator, window cleaner with scaffolding, refurbishment technician), the ‘Clés en main’ training leads to a professional certificate called ‘Maîtrise des compétences clés de la propreté’ (Working knowledge of the main cleaning skills) which is delivered by the national commission for employment and training of the cleaning sector.
By obtaining this certificate, cleaners improve their chances of being transferred to other cleaning jobs and progressing in their careers. It is a custom-made type of training that in helping cleaners to increase their skills and knowledge offers them scope for enriching their work experience. Each year, the French cleaning sector spends about four million euros to fight illiteracy. In fact, it was the first economic sector to seriously tackle the problem. Among those who have attended the programme, 60 per cent are women, 50 per cent are over 45, 74.4 per cent are unskilled, 14.5 per cent are skilled workers, 10 per cent are office employees, and 52.7 per cent are full-timers.

Angolan Inventors: The Angolan inventor, Inácio Augusto Simão won on Sunday a gold medal at the Fair of Ideas, Innovations and New Products ( IENA ) in Nuremberg , Germany , with translation software for gestural verbs and sounds in national languages? In the wake of the distinctions, the inventor Inácio Augusto Simão was awarded with silver medal having made a candle holder which makes recycling of wax and also a silver medal for the inventor Ricardo Figueiredo, with automatic window cleaning machines.

Robotic window cleaner wins supreme 'Bright Sparks' award - 2013 Bright Sparks Awards Winners. Auckland student Sohail Abdulla's robotic window cleaner has won the top prize at the 2013 Bright Sparks Awards. The annual competition, created by The Skills Organisation, encourages young people to experience electronics and technology directly through a project-based approach.  Mt Roskill Grammar student Sohail invented his robot after seeing his father struggling to clean the family's windows, due to a back complaint. The judges were impressed with Sohail's inspired design, which integrated software, electronics and mechanical engineering elements into a impressive final product. Sohail's documentation was also described as "superb". 

An Ulverston window cleaner caught doing 100mph on his motocycle on the A65 Settle bypass has been banned from driving for six months. Tony Arnold, 50, admitted speeding on his Honda CBR 1000 at 6pm on August 21 but asked Skipton magistrates to take into account his job. Arnold, of Soutergate, Ulverston, told the court that he had sold his motorbike and in the future intended to do his racing on tracks and not on roads. He argued he would suffer exceptional hardship if he lost his licence as most of his customers, built up over 20 years, lived in the countryside and he would not be able to reach them.
Magistrates told Arnold, who already had six points on his licence, that it was a very high speed on a road which they believed was used by drivers as a racetrack. They turned down his exceptional hardship argument and endorsed his licence with six penalty points, taking him to the maximum 12 and giving him an automatic six month ban. He was also fined £155 with costs of £85 and a victims surcharge of £20. 

A man was stabbed in the street in a row over £50. The victim was punched in the back of the neck and slashed in the chest by attacker Steven O'Brien, who then chased him, saying: "I'm going to kill you, I'm going to murder you in the street." O'Brien (51), a window cleaner and odd-job man, formerly of Clarendon Park Road, Leicester, admitted unlawful wounding and possessing an offensive weapon on June 6. He was jailed for 12 months. Katya Saudek, prosecuting, told Leicester Crown Court that O'Brien harboured a grievance against the victim, claiming he owed him £50 for carrying out some work at his home.

ORLANDO LOPEZ GOT THE CHANCE to identify Jacques in court a second time, more than two decades after he first pointed to him as a child witness. This time Jacques was seeking a new trial, and this time Orlando was going to clear him. He had flown in from Cleveland the day before the hearing, missing work where he earned an honest living at a high-rise window cleaning company. A 35 year old married father of four, Orlando decided to leave his gang ties behind in Chicago, moving away from the city in the mid-90s. On June 23, 2011, he found himself back on the stand, back in the city. “As you sit here today under oath, is it your testimony that you consciously lied when you identified Jacques Rivera (pictured) as the shooter of Felix Valentin?” “Yes,” Orlando answered.

Man jailed for beating his elderly wife to death: A man who beat his elderly wife to death after a row over the heating has been jailed for five years. Douglas Bailey, 74, of Rilshaw Lane, Winsford, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility at Chester Crown Court. Hazel Bailey, aged 82, was found dead at their bungalow on Friday 7 September 2012. She had suffered a sustained and brutal assault and died as a result of blunt trauma to the head caused my multiple blows. Bailey had been married to Hazel for 45 years prior to her death. They were both retired and had no children. Friends close to the couple described Bailey as having changed in the years before the attack with his nerves getting the better of him, and him becoming very agitated and highly strung. Hazel was killed at sometime between September 5th and 7th. 

On the afternoon of Friday 7 September 2012, two window cleaners were at the house cleaning the windows as normal when Bailey came out in his pyjamas and paid them. They noticed that his pyjamas were blood stained down the front and he told them he had suffered a nose bleed. Concerned with the account and the fact Bailey had paid them when it was usually his wife, one of the window cleaners mentioned what they had seen to a neighbour.

Man held in 'Pyroguard' fraud probe: Police have urged anyone who may have bought the glass from a company called Glassworks Ireland Ltd to have it checked. Concerns were raised over glass supplied by the firm which was marked as "Pyroguard". Pyroguard is recognised, approved and certified as fire-rated. However, Glassworks Ireland Ltd has not purchased it from the manufacturer. A PSNI spokeswoman said a 42-year-old man was arrested today and is helping officers with their inquiries. Glassworks Ireland Ltd is based on the Hillview industrial estate in Randalstown, County Antrim.

Window cleaner acquitted by rape trial jury: A window cleaner has been cleared of an historic rape after telling a jury that the incident had never happened. Ronald Gliddon, aged 56, was found not guilty by a jury at Exeter Crown Court after a four-day trial in which he had been accused of pinning a woman to a bed at her own home and forcing her to have sex. The woman said she was so terrified by the ordeal she took her school-age son and hid under bushes in a field near her Exeter home to escape. Gliddon said she had in fact taken an overdose of painkillers during an argument and left the house because he asked her how many pills she had taken. The alleged offence was around 15 years ago when Gliddon was working as a window cleaner and stopped at the woman's house after finishing his Saturday morning round. Gliddon, aged 56, of Bennett Square, Exeter, denied rape and was found not guilty.

Window washers accused of stealing from Shrewsbury apartment complex:  Authorities say one suspect is in custody and the other remains at large after they allegedly stole multiple rings while working as window cleaners at a Shrewsbury apartment complex. According to police, the men were cleaning windows at the Our Lady of Life Apartment Building in the 7600 block of Watson Rd. on Sept. 27 when they stole the rings from an unknown number of residents. Police say one of the men was later arrested and found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. Officers recovered two of the stolen rings. Authorities continue to search for the other suspect. The suspects’ names have not been released because charges have not been filed in the case.

People warned about suspicious ‘window cleaner’ - People are being warned to watch out for a man who is claiming to be a window cleaner. The man often targets elderly or vulnerable people living in bungalows or sheltered housing telling them he has cleaned their windows and that they owe him money. He is white, in his late teens or early twenties, about 5ft 8ins, of slim build, short brown hair and clean shaven.
The most recent incidents took place last week. The man went to a woman’s home in Oldbrook on October 21 and told the woman he had cleaned her windows the day before and was coming to collect the money. She told him she did not have the correct amount but he said he would take any money that she was able to give him. The following day in Willen the same man went to a house claiming to work for the home owner’s current window cleaner. He was challenged by the woman and ran away.
Detective Sergeant Kelly Gardner said: “We are asking residents in Milton Keynes to be careful who they are opening their door to and if they have any concerns then to call the police. We ask residents not to be alarmed as the man is not thought to be dangerous. “We are working hard to find the man and prevent this from continuing and should anyone have any information about this male then we ask them to contact us”. Anyone with information can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Joseph Lindhartsen, 42, of Lakebay, died on Sept. 7, 2013, seven years after being diagnosed with the blood cancer multiple myeloma. Lindhartsen was born in Blackfoot, Idaho on April 11, 1972. He married Sarah Lindhartsen in 1998 and moved to Lakebay, in 2003. He was a high-rise window cleaner in Seattle for several years, and also had a business repairing computers on the Key Peninsula.
Lindhartsen and his family are very grateful for all the support and love from the KP community, especially the benefit dinner and auction that was held at the Key Peninsula Civic Center in 2007. Lindhartsen enjoyed playing music, painting, drawing, skateboarding, photography and being a dad. His remarkable spirit and energy impacted many people.