Wash You A Merry Christmas

Christmas spirit: window-cleaner Luca Bertagna.

South Croydon window-cleaner Luca Bertagna becomes Santa to wash you a merry Christmas: A window-cleaner will become Santa for a week in a bid to bring festival sparkle to Croydon homes. Luca Bertagna, 36, of Sanderstead, will wash elderly and disabled people’s windows for free and give them cards and gifts – though from his usual van instead of a sleigh drawn by reindeer.

The dad-of-two, who launched his business Simple Clean just over a year ago, said he wanted to give something back to the community after a successful first 12 months of trading. He said: “All through the year when I go around or one of my guys goes around there are elderly people who pop up next door who want a chat, but who maybe can’t afford a window cleaner or don’t feel comfortable getting one. “They either haven’t got the money or just wouldn’t think of ringing up.

“We have had a reasonably successful year, with the contacts we have made and the contracts we’ve got, so going forward I want to make it a tradition that every year we do a week of charity work. “We want to start a tradition that encompasses the social responsibility I think is important to have.”

The benevolent businessman hopes to visit between 100 and 150 houses during his week of charity, which he will start on Monday. He said: “I put it on Facebook and loads of people got in contact suggesting people they knew. “It is going to be a bit of graft. We are certainly going to have to put in a bit of work. We don’t want to do a bad job.

“We don’t want any future business from these people. I picked a demographic that needed the help. We are just doing it as a present, not to get loads of business." "Hopefully we will be helping the members of our community that are most in need every Christmas and also raising awareness so other people will do their bit too.” Mr Bertagna, who employs two full-time and eight part-time staff, added: “I’ve got two girls so it is a bit to teach them that it is not all about us, as well.”