Maintaining A Clear View

What’s the secret to streak-free windows? You’ve just gotta have the magic touch.

Maintaining a clear view: Clippings came across window-washer Eric Auerbach doing his thing in downtown Red Bank on July 12, 2014.  Auerbach was also featured in a red bank green interview a few years back. In the 20 years he’s been cleaning windows, Auerbach says, “not much has changed.”

The window man sees a lot: Quick questions for Eric Auerbach of Clearview Window Cleaners, Long Branch. He’s shown here at Bain’s Hardware, Sea Bright.

How long have you been a window-washer?

About 13 years. I started off working for another company and then I went off on my own. I was doing all the work, and he was making all the money, so I just went off on my own.

Do you enjoy your work? 

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I do enjoy it, for the most part. You do the same thing day in, day out for 13 years, you get a little tired of it. But for the most part, I feel I’m lucky to have what I have. There’s a lot of people who don’t have jobs, or go to a job that they hate. I like what I do. I make all the decisions. There’s no corporate bureaucracy to deal with. I’m the corporate bureaucracy.

Ever done any high-rise work?

I’ve never really done any high-rise stuff. I might do it one day, but I’ve never really had the opportunity to do it.

We saw you working in Middletown, Fair Haven and Sea Bright all in one week—, always after 6 pm. Is this a night job? 

I work all kinds of crazy hours, day and night. I have a route that I do. I’ll put in a 16-hour day and then I’ll put in just a half-hour day, do a quick job. Every day is different. I work my own hours, but if I don’t go to work, I don’t get paid.

What’s the secret to streak-free windows?

You’ve just gotta have the magic touch.

You’re on the outside looking in, professionally speaking. Do you ever feel that way?

You mean, do I feel ostracized? No, no.. —my job is very social. I’ll be working and people want to talk to you. Everybody has something to say. You hear the latest gossip from around town. A lot of times you get distracted. I’m right out there in front of a lot of people, —it’s like a stage act. 

Ever seen anything that people didn't want seen? 

What, like catch people at an ‘awkward moment?’ Yeah, I guess it has happened. The window man sees a lot.

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve seen?
Ah, a gentleman never tells.

What kind of work do you think you’'d do if not this? 

I’d probably still be in music. I used to play drums in rock bands, play music for a living. Nothing big, but I actually scraped out a meager living doing it. I’d probably still be doing that.

Which is more important, comfortable shoes or great food?

I never really thought about it. That’s a strange question. As with anything, if you have shoes that don’t fit you properly, it’s going to affect you physically, whether it be washing windows, or bowling, walking. or whatever.