The Cutting Edge Of Window Scrapers

The New Unger Ergotec Ninja Scraper available in 4 inch & 6 inch.

The cutting edge of window scrapers: Torsten Deutzmann of Unger Professional Worldwide reveals why professional window cleaners rely on their scrapers so much.

The word scrape has a number of different meanings, but one of the most appropriate I have found, in terms of window cleaning, is: ‘Move a hard or sharp edge across (a surface) especially to make something smooth’.

Materials used during the construction period, such as cement, grout and paint, can splatter onto glass – and scrapers are the most effective tool to help remove such debris, and other substances that can cause significant problems due to their unsightly appearance or ability to cause physical damage to the façade of a building.

Throwing eggs at buildings can seem like a good practical joke to some but egg can be a stubborn substance to remove once dried on. Scrapers can help in these circumstances, as they can with another big problem when it comes to building maintenance – bird excrement. Bird mess not only has the potential to spread disease and bacteria, its corrosive nature can also cause damage to brickwork and building facades if left for too long. Scrapers can also be useful when dealing with fly-posting or other materials such as stickers.

Toughened safety glass, also known as tempered or safety glass and as ESG in Germany, is extremely common. It is manufactured by a process of extreme heating and rapid cooling, so that the surface area cools much quicker than the inner layer. This makes it stronger than standard glass, and, if the glass does shatter, it breaks into small ‘chunks’ instead of splintering into dangerous, jagged shards.

Extra care needs to be taken when cleaning this type of glass as issues have arisen surrounding ‘fabricating debris’. This takes the form of tiny rough imperfections, sometimes referred to as ‘glass fines’ that are created in the hardening process.

Fabricating debris has been a subject of debate for years, and it prompted the International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA) to publish the IWCA Tempered Glass Informational Bulletin 2004 – Scrapers and Fabricating Debris in 2004. It offers a range of guidance and advice, including:

• Fabricating debris consists mostly of tiny glass chips and glass dust that get baked onto the surface of some tempered glass. These surface defects, also known as glass fines, may create scratches when they are dislodged and trapped by a scraper during window cleaning

• Builders should require suppliers to provide quality tempered glass that can be cleaned without scratching, the same as glass which is not tempered

• There should be a tempered glass scratch liability waiver for all construction window cleaning contracts, and for maintenance contracts when significant scraping will be done. The builder signs a tempered glass scratch liability waiver to assure they will not blame the window cleaner for scratches due to fabricating debris on tempered glass, and will not force the window cleaner to prove that fabricating debris caused scratches on tempered glass.

Check glass

Scrapers should not scratch normal, uncoated glass when used properly, but it is always advisable to check if the glass is scratch resistant before work starts, to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and to perform a test on a hidden area.

One useful way to determine whether glass is safety glass or not is to do the lighter trick. Simply hold a lit flame, from a lighter, match or candle, in front of the glass. If you see a double reflection in the pane it is safety glass. If you see just one flame reflected back at you, then it is normal glass.

When it comes to blades, the material they are made from and the way they have been sharpened are extremely important.

Scrapers are called upon to clear the most tough and stubborn dirt, debris and residue so the steel used should be hardened and corrosion resistant, ensuring that blades stay sharper, and rust-free, for longer. Carbon steel or low/high alloy stainless steels can provide these properties. Carbon steel will produce a stiffer blade, whereas those made from stainless steel are more flexible.

Carbon steel is a hard material, giving the cutting edge greater stability. The blade will stay sharp, but as water and/or cleaning chemicals are often used to lubricate the surface of the window being cleaned, this will have an effect as carbon steel rusts more quickly than stainless steel.

In contrast, stainless steel is more flexible and stays rust-free thanks to its high chrome content, which makes it a more expensive option. Being softer in terms of material means that the finely ground surface will wear down and lose its sharpness quicker than a carbon steel blade.

Dual-sided window cleaning blades made from corrosion resistant 440A grade stainless steel provide excellent edge retention, which means that the blades stay sharp for a long time. These blades benefit greatly from going through a precise honing process, which creates a cutting angle that is sharp and consistent, enhancing the speed and effectiveness of every scraper pass.

Scrapers need to be used with care, the golden rule being never to use one on dry glass. Always wet your window with the correct cleaning solution for the material you are about to remove as this helps to lubricate the blade.

It’s also important to scrape in one direction only, lift the scraper from the surface, and then reapply it. Scraping the blade back and forth across a window increases the chances of dirt being trapped under the blade and causing scratches. Clean your blade regularly in water and always apply an even pressure, holding the blade flat against the glass.

Old, worn-out or damaged blades must be changed regularly to ensure optimum results, and safety is also highly important. When not in use, caps should be placed over blades, or retracted, to minimise the risk of cuts.

The most effective and up-to-date models feature ergonomically designed handles which provide a more comfortable fit in the hand, minimising stresses and strains on hands, arms and shoulders. The latest innovation to hit the scraper market is the ability to change the angle of the scraper head from straight to 30 degrees at the touch of a button. This ensures a smooth and swift transition between manual and pole work.

Blades that are easy to change, using a slider mechanism, are preferable; and it’s also worth investing in a holster that allows you to store your scraper when not in use, but makes it easily accessible when needed. Choose one that has the ability to fit onto a range of tool belts, and has a solid back to protect your leg/body from cuts.

Scrapers have been used by the window cleaning, glass and building industries for years, and they are still the tools to go to when faced with certain types of dirt and debris. As design and technology know-how helps to improve the results they achieve, they can only retain their usefulness for many years to come.

Click to take you to the download page.

The Glass Tempering Handbook: Jonathan Barr has published 'The Glass Tempering Handbook', which "aims to explain and demystify the glass tempering process" in only 52 pages. It's packed with information and practical advice including glass fines on tempered glass surfaces and how they affect cleaning with metal blades - is one of many topics addressed by Barr. 

Healthier Workplaces - Making Companies Shine

Tools are now designed to fit easier in the hand

Cleaning is the key to a safe and healthy workplace by Torsten Deutzmann - strategic business unit director of Unger Professional Worldwide and managing director of Unger Europe - writes his latest exclusive blog for ECJ.

Workforce well-being is an issue that all responsible employers take seriously. Looking after workplaces, and the people that work in them, makes sense across the board: because healthier, happier people make more motivated and productive employees - helping to boost output and profits, while also improving customer service and increasing client satisfaction. Put like that, only the most foolhardy organisation would neglect to ensure that workplace well-being was not near the top of their agenda.

Health and safety is a phrase of which even more of us are aware. This can sometimes elicit an extremely negative response about ‘red tape' and rules. However, when you separate the two words out, you realise their importance to the wider issue of workplace well-being. Keeping employees, customers - and cleaning operatives - safe and healthy is paramount. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) states that. ‘Good safety and health is good business', and it goes on to list some of the benefits this can bring:

• Healthy workers are more productive and can produce at a higher quality
• Fewer work-related accidents and diseases lead to less absence. In turn, this results in lower costs and less disruption of production processes
• Equipment and a working environment that are optimised to the needs of the working process and that are well-maintained lead to high productivity, better quality, and less health and safety risks
• Reduction of injuries and illnesses means less damages and lower risks for liabilities.

Skilled and dedicated cleaning operatives, using equipment that harnesses the latest technology to make their jobs quicker, safer and more efficient, can greatly enhance the workplace in terms of welfare. A regime that keeps the environment clean, but is responsive enough to deal with unexpected spills or incidents, is a key factor in any on-going well-being campaign.

A grubby, smelly, neglected workplace does not inspire worker loyalty or encourage employees to go that extra mile. Appearances aside, an uncared for workplace can also be a breeding ground for germs, causing illness and staff absence; and poor maintenance is also a precursor to accidents such as slips, trips and falls. When looked at in this way, it becomes obvious that professional cleaning contractors provide an essential service, whose work can make a much wider contribution to the success of an organisation or company.

One good example of how cleaning operatives are providing better and safer services is the adaptation of outdoor window cleaning tools for use inside buildings. Indoor window cleaning systems, incorporating telescopic poles, allow customers to clean places that were previously out of reach, such as glass atria, escalators, conservatory roofs and elevators.

Ordinarily, this would require specialist cleaning and logistics to arrange - increasing financial outlay because of the high cost of hiring equipment such as scissor lifts, and causing disruption to the working day because areas have to be closed off while cleaning takes place. As building design has evolved, so cleaning tool manufacture has followed suit, making workplaces cleaner, healthier and safer.

In parallel, the health and well being of cleaning operatives is just as important, and cleaning equipment has evolved along ergonomic lines to put less of a strain on workers. Tools are now designed to fit easier in the hand, items such as mops or sweepers can be adjusted to the height of the person using them, and equipment is lighter and more manoeuvrable than ever before.

These developments have improved the lives of cleaning operatives, which in turn has upgraded the cleaning services provided to workplaces, and this has, inevitably, enhanced the well-being of the employees who work there. So don't be too quick to dismiss ‘health and safety'.

Taken as separate entities they are essential to worker well-being, and are factors that will influence the development of cleaning equipment and practices for years to come - which can only improve the quality of life for us all.

Mark Miller founded Americlean, which just changed its name to Performance Industrial, and his business philosophy is rooted in positive thinking and fostering personal growth programs for his employees. Services provided; Five divisions including industrial cleaning, industrial and commercial painting, commercial kitchen exhaust system cleaning and maintenance, sandblasting and HVAC duct cleaning and maintenance.

Making companies shine - Performance Industrial, under new name, finds growth in commercial cleaning, painting (South Glens Falls):  Leafing through a copy of Entrepreneur magazine in 1986, an ad for a pressure-washing franchise opportunity caught Mark Miller’s eye. He was 26 years old, driving a tractor-trailer hauling goods across the country. It was good money, but it required him to be on the road more than he liked. “I didn’t have any schooling. I didn’t have any college. I barely graduated high school. I was driving a truck and I wanted to do something different. I needed to make some good money because I had a family. I was making good money driving a truck, but I was gone all the time,” Miller said.

So instead of driving trucks, he figured he could wash them closer to home and bought into a franchise called Americlean that would take him around the area pressure washing houses and trucks. He quit his job and cashed in on a profit-sharing plan at the trucking company, borrowed some money from family and scraped together $17,000 to buy Americlean’s 17th franchise on April 1, 1986, in his home. By the next year, there were 120 franchises, Miller said, but the franchisor was all washed up. “Then they went broke. Within a year, there was no franchise. There was nothing except my ignorance that led me to say, ‘I’m just going to keep doing this.’ The other 119 — they tried to sue the company. They went out of business and thought life was over for them,” Miller said.

The copyright for Americlean wasn’t held by the franchisor, another problem for them, Miller said. “The owners of the copyright in Montana and I had a little discussion. I said, ‘I’m just a little guy in New York. I just want to keep washing houses. I can’t afford to change my name,’” Miller said, and they agreed to allow him to keep using it. Now the business, which shared the name of a national dry-cleaning franchise, no longer needs that clearance since it was officially changed April 1 to Performance Industrial, a title that better describes what the company that now employs nearly 30 people actually does.

Another plus, Miller owns the URL for Performance Industrial. “The name Americlean worked fine when we started. But for the last 10, 15 years, we’ve had this identity crisis with Americlean. We do so much more than clean. Even still today we get calls for carpet cleaning, window washing, janitorial services that we just don’t do, and some of it we never have,” Miller said. Operating out of a blue building at 51 Harrison Ave. in South Glens Falls, Performance Industrial crews travel around the Northeast providing a one-stop shop for industrial and commercial cleaning and painting services.

The company crews complete 800 to 1,000 jobs a year in several states, from western New England through Tech Valley and into central and northern New York. Services include heavy-duty industrial cleaning, sandblasting, HVAC cleaning, complex commercial and industrial painting jobs and commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning. While Performance Industrial doesn’t offer residential painting, Miller’s son’s business does. It’s an entirely separate company, American Pride Painting.

The transition from washing housing to industrial jobs came when Miller was washing a house for an engineer who worked at what is now Irving Tissue. “Everybody who owns a house works somewhere,” he said, and through those contacts, he entered the industrial market. “It involves a lot of thinking. It’s not something you just go start doing. There’s a big safety factor. It just requires planning, it’s backstage work. It requires hours of preparation to do a small performance.”

The new name, proposed by his wife, lends itself to his analogy for running a business — a Broadway play. There is front stage work — the performance or work at the job — and backstage work such as safety training, planning and office work, and everyone must do their part. Putting on a good show has built Performance Industrial a following. When it comes to the backstage work, the company has been recognized by the Department of Labor’s On-site Consultation Program’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program, a federal designation. The OSHA cooperative program recognizes small business employers “who operate an exemplary injury and illness prevention program,” and sends inspectors to the company job sites.

Miller said the business remains the only cleaning and painting contractor in the state with the designation. That’s an honor, but it’s not about the recognition, Miller said. “It’s about the type of people we become by getting it,” Miller said. Over the years Performance Industrial has grown by acquiring several similar businesses throughout the region and has hit $3 million in annual revenues.

Also adding to its financial growth, the company fosters a spirit of personal growth, investing $3,000 annually for each vice president’s personal development, which goes toward seminars like Dale Carnegie-inspired courses or to join organizations like Toastmasters International. The book that changed Miller’s life was Jack Canfield’s “The Success Principles.” From there, he went on to work directly on Canfield’s team three different times to help plan the annual workshop. Canfield is best known for the “Chicken Soup” books.

“It’s just to help people feel better about themselves and realize how important it is take care of themselves, to put their oxygen mask on first, so they can help others,” Miller said, drawing on another analogy — a flight attendant’s instructions to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others during an emergency.

Window Cleaning Info

Mole & Jersey tenth video!

The Mole and Jersey Show Episode 10 - Mole & Jersey are talking with Mark from Canada's best window cleaning supply store. And a ton of other great window cleaning and pressure washing awesomeness...

The Segments:

3:38 The Wire...Yelp ratings court hearing

6:45 Marketing Madness...Logos

11:25 The Chop Chop...Mark the window cleaner

20:33 Fail of the Week

23:47 Top 5...Things I hate about my business

28:48 Screw you Shecky...

Clean – at all costs (Article by Torsten Deutzmann) Torsten Deutzmann, managing director Unger's European division, writes his first blog for ECJ. He emphasises the importance of cleaning tool manufacturers working closely with their customers in order to develop the most effective, cost efficient solutions.

No country in Europe has been immune to the ‘age of austerity' that has swept the region, and the world. True, some have managed to weather the storm better than others, but it has encouraged us all to question how we spend our money - and to hold governments and big business to account over how they spend theirs.

Words like rationalisation, lean management and restructuring have leaked into our respective languages, making regular appearances in media reports and TV broadcasts. As competition increases in all sectors, business owners have to watch budgets and balance sheets closely, constantly searching for ways to make their output or service provision more affordable for clients that are becoming ever more demanding, thanks to seeing their own budgets reduced.

However when it comes to cleaning, quality standards cannot be sacrificed to cost cutting. Although slashing cleaning budgets is sometimes tempting when a quick financial fix is needed, this is a dangerous strategy as the resulting short-term gain often has a much bigger negative impact further down the line. Hygienic results must be maintained, as any dip in service provision can result in dissatisfaction at the best, and increased worker absenteeism, due to unclean surfaces spreading germs and viruses, at the worst.

Contract cleaners have to be realistic, though. Clients will always look to secure the best possible price for the products and services that they are procuring, age of austerity or not. So, can quality cleaning really be delivered on a budget?

I believe so. The cleaning professionals with whom I have had the privilege to work, when developing new products over the years, have all been wholly committed to delivering the very best service to their clients. They're not afraid to try new methods or products in order to remain competitive, and clean in a safer, more efficient way.

By investing in the best tools and equipment, professional cleaners can improve the way they work, passing on benefits to their clients. Product design has moved swiftly over the years, and tools now make cleaning less of a strain on the body, allowing operatives to finish their work more quickly, and preventing any break in service due to injuries or sick leave.

Cleaning tools have now also become more adaptable. Systems, such as window cleaning poles, can reach further thanks to the addition of extensions, and clean specific surfaces or shapes by using changeable brush heads. Additional savings can be made by choosing more ‘eco-friendly' equipment, such as machines that use less energy, or do not require chemicals to clean.

The challenge for cleaning tool manufacturers is to ‘keep it real'. They must not be remote from the market and their customers - instead, they should strive to ensure they have regular contact with the cleaners ‘on the ground'. Working in partnership with cleaning operatives is the only way to ensure that the equipment of the future continues to deliver the right results at the right price - which is a win-win situation for all involved.

Can you clean windows in the rain? Myth busted: Rain does not make windows dirty. Let your customers know and give them piece of mind. (P.S. ..Unless you live near a desert).