Photo Of The Day + Window Cleaning News

Photo of the Day: We are used to looking up at window washers, but this is an interesting perspective on an everyday scene. There are lots of great elements to this photo, including the angle, the lines, and the person on the street. A tilt-shift lens can be an overused gimmick, but it really works in this image.

Sunshine Cleaning Company in Marin County announced their participation in International Monetary Systems (IMS), a barter network and trade exchange. IMS is a professional system which allows companies to exchange services instead of exchanging cash. Sunshine Cleaning Company’s involvement in IMS expands their Marin commercial cleaning, maid service and janitorial services for businesses and individuals in the San Francisco Bay Area. “Bartering is an old practice which was used long before cash exchanges,” said Daniel Muithya of Sunshine Cleaning Company. “Our participation in today’s world allows our cleaning services to be exchanged for another service which is identical in value.”

For example, if an IMS participating restaurant seeks commercial cleaning services from Sunshine Cleaning Company, then that restaurant will exchange a food service with Sunshine Cleaning Company which is similar in monetary value. All goods and services are exchanged through IMS with “trade dollars” which values the cost of specific services in nearly every industry. Sunshine Cleaning Company not only saves cash through this process, it also expands their immediate market. All participating businesses seeking commercial cleaning and janitorial services in Marin are able to search for Sunshine Cleaning Company through the IMS network. In other words, by participating in IMS, they automatically have access to the client base.

The IMS network currently has more than 16,000 members nationwide and continues to grow each day. Some examples of exchangeable services include printing, repairs, travel, office equipment, corporate gifts and company meetings. 

Window cleaner robbed ‘friend’ - A thieving window cleaner befriended a 90-year-old woman before snatching cash from her bedroom on three occasions. Nedeme Leigh, 20, took £61 in cash from elderly Grace Painter’s purse after watching TV with her at her home in Blagdon Road, Whitley. Reading Crown Court heard on Thursday last week that the young drug addict stole at least £20 at a time from the pensioner on October 3, 10 and 11 last year. John Upton, prosecuting, said: “While at her premises cleaning windows he asked to use the toilet. After the last visit on October 11 Mrs Painter noticed £61 was missing from her purse. “The police view was that Mrs Painter, because of her age, was not entirely clear what had been taken and when, but was adamant £61 was missing.” When questioned by police Leigh admitted he had done some window cleaning for Mrs Painter and had taken about £20 on each of three occasions.

The court heard Leigh had described Mrs Painter as “a nice lady” who had trusted him and he admitted he had taken advantage of her. Mr Upton added that the defendant had offered in a police interview to pay Mrs Painter back at a rate of £7 to £8 a week. Leigh admitted three counts of burglary at Reading Magistrates’ Court on October 29. At his sentencing, Henry James, defending, said Leigh had come from a “very troubled background” which had involved drug use and he had sought help to stop his habit. “He formed a friendship with this lady which makes this betrayal all the worse,” he said. Mr James added Leigh was “ashamed” of his actions. Leigh’s mother sat motionless in court throughout the proceedings. Describing the offence as “mean and unpleasant”, Judge Ian Grainger sentenced Leigh, of Queen’s Road, Central Reading, to a 12-month supervision order. He further ordered Leigh to undertake a six-month drug rehabilitation programme and pay £125 compensation.

New pro in the ring aiming for debut win: Stafford boxer Grant Cunningham faces his biggest test as a fighter when he makes his professional debut at Walsall’s Town Hall at the end of the month. An amateur boxer for nearly nine years, Cunningham has been lined up to face journeyman Davy Jones from Scunthorpe in his first scrap, at super middleweight. Nearer home, Cunningham has carried out his gym and road work under the watchful and experienced eye of Woodward, who added: “He’s got the ability, both physically and mentally and he is buzzing. But he knows he must take one fight at a time.” It is the crucial first rung of the ladder for the former Staffordshire (twice) and Midland amateur champion, who runs a local window cleaning business.

Speck by speck, dust piles up: The world has a dust problem. There is more of it than there used to be. Apparently, the amount of airborne dust doubled in the 20th century, according to a recent scientific paper in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. The claim sounds outlandish. The amount of dust in the world must be a constant. The finding was somewhat surprising even to Natalie Mahowald, the lead researcher on the study and an associate professor of atmospheric sciences at Cornell University. Climate change seems to be one source for all the new dust. Human land use is another, she said. Alternately, I asked, have researchers considered the possibility that the dust might have come from under my bed? Recently, my wool Schlitz hat fell down there. When I retrieved it, the hat had grown a full, gray rabbinical beard.

Dr Mahowald’s study didn’t measure dust from human sources, like our burping tailpipes and pilling sweaters, she explained. “Dust is such a vague term. I’m being very particular here: soil particles suspended in the atmosphere.” Mahowald seemed to have her hands full figuring out what all that dust might do to the earth’s oceans and climate. Academia can be petty that way. So I compiled my own advisory panel of lay experts. They were people who live in white apartments and people who collect books by the myriad. The future is looking like a dustier place, I said. What can we do to prepare? We could start by closing the windows, said Jane Novick, who lives on the fourth floor of a prewar building on Fifth Avenue, overlooking Central Park. The buses and taxis crawl by all the time, she said.

All that cleaning can have an unintended consequence: Oddly enough, it actually breeds dust. In fact, cleaning is one of the three main sources of household dust, according to research on indoor particles. Cooking is the second; movement is the third. Every step disturbs tiny particles of dirt, fibre, soot, pollen, paint, food and dead skin. In common parlance, it’s all dust, said Richard Flagan, the chairman of the chemical engineering department at the California Institute of Technology. As soon as these motes lift off a carpet, “you induce air currents” that propel them around the room, he said.

Lonsdale manufacturer Raven Products is one of SAustralia's great international business success stories. Raven also produces the category-leading range of Glidex advanced window cleaning systems and new recycled rubber ramps to improve access and mobility. Raven Products business development manager Rennie Colston says the focus on energy efficiency is not just because it is a comfort issue, but is increasingly a cost issue involving the energy and carbon footprint. Raven Products was founded by Peter Raven, an inventor and innovator, in 1950 and it has been growing ever since. An early product was its Glidex window cleaning equipment, which remains an Australian market leader in hardware stores.

About Kellen & Me - Audio Tree's first artist plays an electro-folk-tapeloop-rock, promising to be refreshing to all ears. Kellen & Me is a one-man musical experience that has a sound larger than one man. The artist's main responsibilities are crafting and performing songs, as well as handling all the food and liquor purchases for his entire operation. Prior to the conceptualization of KELLEN & ME, Kellen worked in the monkey pits as an electro-spectomatrist and as a window washer in his hometown of Chicago during the dead of winter (which he claims is enough to make a grown man cry). Currently, the final elements are being applied to Kellen's first, full-length album release. Kellen's new LP will erase your numbness to music when it unveiled in the Spring of 2011.

Michigan resident Susan Smith says corporate assistance really helped her franchise business. Smith's husband ran a Fish Window Cleaning franchise. In 2008, he suffered a fatal heart attack. Smith was forced to close the store. However, after her husband's funeral, a man from Fish corporate stayed to guide Smith through the first week after reopening; the district manager and headquarters also helped. Smith's business has since been named Fish Franchisee of the Year for her size territory.

Leading support services provider OCS Group UK Limited has successfully retained its contract with St David's, Cardiff for a further 3 year term. Valued at £8m, the contract includes security, cleaning and support services. The contract is multi disciplined with security and cleaning as the two main services provided, supported by window cleaning, pest control, washroom hygiene and the new customer information team which was TUPEd across from Land Securities. OCS initially won the prestigious contract for security services, but has since progressed to provide added support services and has built up a bespoke facilities package with the client. St David's is the largest shopping destination in Wales and welcomed 36 million visitors last year. The centre was also nominated in the Building Cleanability Awards in 2010, in which they were a National Finalist.

All County Windows plans job fair -Vernon - All County Window Cleaning, the largest window cleaning company on the East Coast, is having a three-day job fair Monday through Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 47 Route 94. The company is looking to hire up to 40 people to fill positions in the office, sales, residential window cleaning, commercial window cleaning and power washing.

An 84-year-old Chicago native stranded in the Arizona desert for five days says he survived by drinking windshield wiper fluid. Henry Morello said he was trying to drive to his home outside of Phoenix when he took a wrong turn. He realized his mistake, attempted a U-turn and crashed into a ditch. "I tried to walk away but I fell down," he said.  "Then the battery went dead.  My phone went dead." For five days he says he sat and waited, using floor mats to stay warm during the cold nights. His only food was a plate of leftover pasta in his car, but he said it was too dry to eat.  Left with no water, he tried drinking windshield washer fluid to stay hydrated; a move not recommended by his doctors. Henry Morello said that despite the near death experience, he’ll most likely venture out that way again. "I’ll go back there, it’s my favorite restaurant. They got the best prime rib there is," he said.

General maintenance and upkeep at Youngstown State University are likely victims of the budget reductions this semester after operating funds were cut in fiscal year 2011's midyear budget adjustments. "[The reduction] will cut into any contracts and materials or supplies we need to buy," Executive Director of Facilities John Hyden said. Facilities saw a $149,468 cut in funds, or about 10 percent of the Finance and Administration division's $395,561 operating fund reduction. Hyden said things might not be attended to right away, if at all, just because they are not aesthetically pleasing. So if the necessary supplies are not available, walls that need painted, small cracks that need fixed or windows that need washed will remain on Facilities' to-do list until supplies or funds to buy supplies are available.

At last - a good home for unwanted flyers: In the past few weeks I've had leaflets through from people who want my unwanted gold (yeah, because I have a ton of that) or my broken jewellery (or any other 'antiques'). I've had calling cards from tree surgeons, carpenters, cleaners and ironers, gardeners, window cleaners, persons who can jet wash my patio (I don't have one), replace my fascia boards, (my what? Is that something cosmetic for me or the house?) power clean my oven, and wash my carpets and soft furnishings. There are loads more. And that's not even including the pesky catalogues full of plastic tat and overpriced make-up that get left by local distributors each week. So, as I've been standing waiting for the kettle to boil and idly leafing through the pile that I've accumulated, I realised I could potentially pay for someone to deal with almost every part of my life, from cleaning my car to bringing me pizza at teatime. It's tempting to note down their numbers.

How I would love to have someone come in and maintain the garden, and if I believed in ironing, it would a delight to offload it on to someone else. As for having my carpets and oven cleaned, I'm totally sold - that is so going to happen. I didn't even know mobile oven cleaners existed. Now I know that they do, I'm going to keep them in business.In fact, the only thing I haven't had a flyer through for is dog walking. Not that I have to worry about that, as Matilda is still resisting all efforts to go outside beyond the garden. It's thanks to her I have started saving all the junk mail: once shredded it makes excellent 'litter' to line her puppy crate with. And all those plastic charity collection bags make very good 'nappy sack' substitutes. Some might say it's all most of it is fit for. Me mainly. As much as I want that oven and carpet cleaning man round.

Glass Doctor of Ramsey earned the prestigious 2010 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor given to companies with outstanding consumer ratings over the past year. Glass Doctor belongs to a group of fewer than five percent of registered companies that meet the eligibility requirements to be considered for the award. To earn The Super Service Award, Glass Doctor maintained a total and overall grade of “A;” rated by the consumers, have received a minimum number of reports; are not in the Angie’s List “Penalty Box” and did not have an unsatisfactory rating with the Better Business Bureau. The franchise also received the award last year for their windows services. “Our Super Service Award winners are the cream of the crop when it comes to providing consistently high quality customer service, as judged by the customers who hired them,” said Angie Hicks, founder of Angie’s List. Angie’s List is the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews on local service companies.

Victim’s dad ‘gutted’ as thug avoids prison: A father whose son was brutally stabbed by a teenage thug has slammed the legal system after his attacker escaped a prison sentence. Neil Boyd’s 19-year-old son Liam was one of three young men to be stabbed outside the Townhouse pub in Market Street, Ely. The triple stabbing happened in the early hours of July 10 last year. The attacker was a 17-year-old boy from Ely, who cannot be named for legal reasons. He walked free from Cambridge Magistrates’ Court last week after he was handed a 12-month youth referral order. He was also ordered to pay £200 in compensation to Mr Boyd and £50 compensation each to his other two victims. Liam Boyd’s father Neil, a window cleaner from Ely, said he was “gutted” with the sentence and has vowed to write to MP Jim Paice and to the courts to challenge the decision.

Daniel Radcliffe shows off his moves as he prepares for musical theatre debut: As the actor prepares for his debut musical theatre role on Broadway, the 21-year-old has given a sneak peek of his dancing skills in a new photoshoot for U.S. Vogue. The English star shares the stage with three scantily-clad showgirls in a stunning shoot by acclaimed photographer Annie Leibovitz at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The shoot comes as Radcliffe prepares to star in the New York revival of 1960s musical How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, which starts previews next week. In a departure from his role as the bespectacled wizard, Radcliffe will play the lead role of J Pierrepont Finch, a bow-tie wearing window cleaner who works his way up the corporate ladder thanks to a self-help book. How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, written by composer Frank Loesser, originally opened on Broadway in October 1961. The musical follows the fortunes of window cleaner Finch as he attempts to work his way to the top of the World Wide Wicket company.

In late 2009, the council’s overview and scrutiny committee published a report listing a host of shortcomings, including cramped rooms, sub-standard washing facilities, uncared for community rooms and poor disabled access. Mr Butler, who is also deputy chairman of the council’s sheltered homes forum, believes there are still too many failings. He said: “It’s not how you should treat people. “It’s also the simple things – the guy who used to do our window cleaning retired, and he was never replaced. “It’s unprofessional.”

John Rabenold of the Deferred Deposit Association says payday lenders provide a valuable service to 180,000 Kentuckians who have nowhere else to turn for short-term loans. Rabenold says payday lenders employ 2,000 Kentuckians, at an annual payroll of $35 million. Their building leases pump $20 million into local economies, plus another $30 million for goods and services, like signs, window washers and carpet cleaners. “The banks, I don’t think, really have an interest in making the smaller loans, or at least the ones that I’ve talked to don’t,” said Ford. “If they did make a smaller loan, they have fees that they can charge to make up for those differences."

I have started to feel those first stirrings of unease that I always get at this time of the year. It may be the early glimpse of pale sunshine which shows up the smudges and smears on the window panes, or the seasonal rustle in the letterbox as the leaflets advertising carpet and upholstery cleaning come through. Or perhaps it is the distant buzzing of a power drill that sets off the mood. Spring is an unsettling time for dedicated non-handymen. It sets off our restless search for something to keep us otherwise occupied. What causes this home-improvement urge in spring? There is definitely something that awakens the deep-seated human grouting instinct. I don’t really accept the theory that it’s all about nature renewing itself, because if that were the case, we’d be better off sprouting buds.

Three tips for sweet success: Can anyone build a fast-growth company? They occur in any region and in any sector. There is no easy, off-the-peg formula – but there are common characteristics, writes Brian Groom.

1. Grow: First, the sine qua non is to have the ambition to grow. You are unlikely to expand without the determination to do so. Those who set out to run a lifestyle business will probably stay doing just that.

2. Innovate: Fast-growers tend to be disproportionately innovative. That can mean anything from inventing a new technique for window-cleaning to internet technology that out-smarts your rivals, or simply a better way of training and organising your workforce.

3. Find a gap: You need to spot a market opportunity that others are missing. That can be a fresh development in an old industry– such as exploiting the “retro” market for nostalgic brands of sweets – or one that is restructuring. It could also be latching on to a trendy high-technology sector.

Bartering & Other Window Cleaning News

Bartering Keeps Small Oklahoma Businesses Alive In Tough Times - OWASSO, Oklahoma -- The economic recovery appears to be stalling, and new figures out Wednesday show the past three months of new home sales are the worst on record. Unemployment remains near double digits, and job growth in the private sector is slowing. And let's not even talk about Wall Street.
But some area small business owners are showing some Oklahoma ingenuity to get by during the tough times. It's called "business bartering," and the practice is going strong. At Andolini's Pizzeria in Owasso, they make 22 different kinds of specialty pizza. "I just try to make my favorite pizza and hope that it will be someone else's favorite pizza, and I think we kind of hit the mark," said restaurant owner Mike Bausch.
When the economy started its downward spiral, like many small business owners, Mike Bausch looked for ways to save money. He couldn't skimp on ingredients, but could sacrifice on extras: like window washing. That's when John Wyatt stepped in. Wyatt owns a window washing business. "Having your own business, you can't really beat it," said window washer John Wyatt.
His idea helps the pizza restaurant and his window washing business which has slowed down because of the poor economy. "I love to eat," Wyatt said.
So Wyatt and Bausch reached a deal that helps both: bartering pizza, for monthly window washing. "It is the ideal definition of a win-win," said Mike Bausch, owner of Andolini's Pizzeria. "Of course I can't do exchanges with everybody, because I can't barter my mortgage payment or my electric bill, but it does help out," Wyatt said. Wyatt says with small business budgets tight, bartering helps businesses keep up a nice appearance and earns him things his family would ordinarily spend money on. "I've done exchanges for golf clubs, furniture, eye exams," said John Wyatt, "Everybody has something that you may want or need."
Restaurant owner Mike Bausch says bartering makes sense in good economic times or bad. "I haven't paid for an oil change in years at this point," he said. And Wyatt predicts with the economy still struggling, more small business owners may turn to bartering until things get better. "Instead of going under or closing your business down, you might think of this first," said Wyatt. Wyatt says trading window washing for eye exams and contact lenses is probably the most unique barter he's made. But, he's also traded window washing for free family vacations in Branson as well.

Working together helps Brevard businesses cut expenses: Local businesses are getting creative in the ways they cut costs. They say their innovative ideas trim expenses without hurting their products and services, keeping their customers happy. Almost four years ago, Albert Sanders and his wife Ellen, the owner of Palm Bay-based Ichiban Cleaning, sought out fellow cleaning competitors to work together on several of its contracts. Ichiban — Japanese for No. 1 —teams with Fish Window Cleaning, Fox Janitorial, which specializes in floors, and Clean Sweep Carpet Care. It helps, Albert Sanders said, that while all the companies are in the cleaning industry, they don’t have the same specialty. They also don’t share proprietary information. But the move allowed Ichiban Cleaning to offer those services to its customers without having to invest in the equipment it would need to do the work in-house, said Albert Sanders, the company’s chief executive officer and executive vice president. The idea was out of the norm for the competitive commercial cleaning industry, where companies typically don’t like sharing business information, Albert Sanders said. “It was the philosophy of work with your competition instead of fighting against them,” he said. “Why fight when you can all get along and make money?” Said Ellen Sanders: “We took a chance and we built a relationship.”

Modernism’s moment: Inigo Manglano-Ovalle’s gorgeous and unnerving film installation Le Baiser/The Kiss best illustrates modernism’s cold heart. Set in Mies van der Rohe’s famous glass cube Farnsworth House, an architectural commission that ended badly for both client (Dr. Edith Farnsworth) and architect, The Kiss plays with the power dynamics between artist and patron. Running on two back-to-back screens enclosed in a metal and glass box, Manglano-Ovalle’s film follows a uniformed window washer as he carefully squeegees the exterior walls of the house. A sullen-looking young woman stands inside, behind the thick glass, listening to music on headphones. The two protagonists are wholly unavailable to each other, and their class difference is obvious – while he works, she plays.

A fast-growing regional industrial cleaning business has expanded. UK Commercial Cleaning Services, based in Washington, Wearside, has opened a depot in Swindon, Wiltshire, creating 20 jobs. The depot will give the company access to a number of major cities including London, Norwich, Bristol and Cardiff, as well as achieving managing director Tony Earnshaw’s aspirations of opening an operation in the South. He said: “Choosing Swindon as a hub for our operations in the South was an obvious choice because it gives UK Commercial Cleaning easy access to a number of key cities along the M4 corridor, unlocking huge business potential.”
It is the latest success for the company, which rose to national prominence when Duncan Bannatyne made a £100,000 investment on television’s Dragons’ Den. Mr Earnshaw, 26, started the business by buying a window cleaning round for £300 when he was 19, turning it into a company with a turnover of more than £1.5m. Earlier this month, the firm announced it had been been awarded a three-year deal to provide services to 304 Bupa care homes across England, Wales and Scotland. Also here.

Emmy Awards Nominations: Outstanding Cinematography For A Miniseries: Dirty Jobs • High Rise Window Washer • Discovery Channel • Produced by Pilgrim Films and Television, Inc. for Discovery Channel, Douglas Glover, Director of Photography, Troy Paff, Camera Operator, Carston Bell, Camera Operator.

Why Vote Bill Lussenheide For United States Congress ? Bill is a longtime self-employed businessman and has been a talk show host on several large California conservative radio stations. He is a Constitutional candidate from California in the 45th district for 2010, running under the AIP banner. Bill Lussenheide used to also own & run Sunshine Window Cleaning in Menifee, California.

There's the famous story of the man who fell out the window of a skyscraper. A workman cleaning a window on a high floor shouted to the man "How are you?" The unfortunate fellow replied, "So far, so good."

£5,000 worth of jewellery stolen: Bedfordshire Police are appealing for witnesses following a burglary in Renhold this week. Between 7am and 5pm on Tuesday (August 24) the thieves smashed a window of a property in Renhold before entering the house and stealing jewellery with an estimated value of £5,000. The jewellery consists of a number of necklaces, bracelets, rings and a watch and is of significant sentimental value. Pc Kevin Howes, investigating the burglary, said: "The burglar or burglars have clearly targeted the jewellery and these items are of considerable sentimental value to the victim. "A man who said he was a window cleaner was seen acting suspiciously in the area and we would urge anyone who has seen anything suspicious or is offered any gold jewellery at a low price to contact us immediately." Anyone with any information is asked to call Bedfordshire Police on 01234 275142, or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Summit window cleaner wins award: Tim Satterly, owner of the Fish Window Cleaning franchise in Silverthorne, was recognized as the Micro Market Star Performer at the Fish Window Cleaning convention in St. Louis, Mo., July 29-31. Satterly's franchise led all other like-size franchises in sales performance during 2009.

Final ride for charity cyclist Donald, 75 . . . after 2,000 miles: He's already cycled nearly 2,000 miles for charity and had pledged to give up this year. But 75-year-old Donald Thompson will be completing a final 100-mile cycle ride in one day this weekend. The fundraiser from Colerne will be among dozens of people taking part in an annual ride for the charity Action Medical Research.
Mr Thompson took part in the challenge, which sees riders going from Bath to Kempton Park in Middlesex, for the first time in 1987. Since then he has completed the route annually, raising thousands of pounds for the organisation which funds medical research in the UK. Mr Thompson, who has been a keen cyclist since the 1950s, still uses the same bike he did when he began taking part in the event – and has only needed one change of saddle since. He said he had planned to stand down from the challenge this year but after his window cleaner decided to sign up for Sunday's ride, decided to keep going to provide moral support.

For whatever reason, people in my house like to download the latest Sims add ons or leave their computer downloading titanic files with the internet open whilst they stand outside for half an hour chatting to the bloody window cleaner. This always happens when I am either a) in the middle of a blog post, which then freezes before saving b) just pressing the 'Publish Post' button c) trying to reference an online source for my assignment's bibliography or d) all bloody three.

Cambridge Who's Who: Nardine Bellew, President, Chief Executive Officer of General Safety Services Corporation, has been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for demonstrating dedication, leadership and excellence in business management. With 20 years of professional experience, Ms. Bellew serves as the president and chief executive officer of General Safety Services Corporation. Specializing in leadership development and business management, she supervises 20 employees, plans and develops strategies, manages administrative functions including finance, marketing and public relations, interacts and follows up with clients, and writes proposals. She is a member of the Associated Subcontractors of Massachusetts, Inc., The Associated General Contractors of America, Master Window Cleaners of America and the International Window Cleaning Association.
In 1991, Ms. Bellew completed coursework in Business Management and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Massachusetts. In 2004, she established General Safety Services Corporation, a woman-owned window washing company that provides interior and exterior, and high-rise and low-rise window washing services. The company has achieved the State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise certifications. They use the newest and safest tools, equipment and techniques in the industry to provide the best service in New England. Ms. Bellew is proud to state that she has successfully increased the company's revenue from $500 to $1.2 million over the years. She attributes her success to her customer service skills, good reputation and work efficiency.

Secrets of the gecko: A Stanford mechanical engineer is using the biology of a gecko's sticky foot to create a robot that climbs. In the same way the small reptile can scale a wall of slick glass, the Stickybot can climb smooth surfaces with feet modeled on the intricate design of gecko toes. Mark Cutkosky, the lead designer of the Stickybot, a professor of mechanical engineering and co-director of the Center for Design Research, has been collaborating with scientists around the nation for the last five years to build climbing robots.
After designing a robot that could conquer rough vertical surfaces such as brick walls and concrete, Cutkosky moved on to smooth surfaces such as glass and metal. He turned to the gecko for ideas. "Unless you use suction cups, which are kind of slow and inefficient, the other solution out there is to use dry adhesion, which is the technique the gecko uses," Cutkosky said.
The toe of a gecko's foot contains hundreds of flap-like ridges called lamellae. On each ridge are millions of hairs called setae, which are 10 times thinner than a human's. Under a microscope, you can see that each hair divides into smaller strands called spatulae, making it look like a bundle of split ends. These split ends are so tiny (a few hundred nanometers) that they interact with the molecules of the climbing surface.
The interaction between the molecules of gecko toe hair and the wall is a molecular attraction called van der Waals force. A gecko can hang and support its whole weight on one toe by placing it on the glass and then pulling it back. It only sticks when you pull in one direction – their toes are a kind of one-way adhesive, Cutkosky said.
"It's very different from Scotch tape or duct tape, where, if you press it on, you then have to peel it off. You can lightly brush a directional adhesive against the surface and then pull in a certain direction, and it sticks itself. But if you pull in a different direction, it comes right off without any effort," he said.
The team's new project involves scaling up the material for humans. A technology called Z-Man, which would allow humans to climb with gecko adhesive, is in the works. Cutkosky and his team are also working on a Stickybot successor: one that turns in the middle of a climb. Because the adhesive only sticks in one direction, turning requires rotating the foot. "The new Stickybot that we're working on right now has rotating ankles, which is also what geckos have," he said. "Next time you see a gecko upside down or walking down a wall head first, look carefully at the back feet, they'll be turned around backward. They have to be; otherwise they'll fall."

The second episode of Shatner's new series investigates a small Texas town where witnesses claim they saw U.S. air-force planes in hot pursuit of UFOs. It's just one the of many fantastical and unbelievable real events or phenomena the show explores in its first season. Others include a highrise window washer in New York who survived a 50-storey fall, boulders seemingly moving of their own accord in Death Valley and two San Francisco sea lions that may have predicted an earthquake.

The original Curious George stories are also kind of meandering. For example, in Curious George Takes a Job, George makes a mess in an Italian kitchen, then gets a job as a window washer, then falls off the building and gets sent to the hospital, where he accidentally inhales some ether and gets stoned, at which point he gets picked up by the man in the yellow hat and makes a movie about his life in Hollywood.

Window Cleaning News

Dragon’s cash leading to national success: A cleaning firm boss who won backing from celebrity entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne on television’s Dragon’s Den plans to launch a national franchise network to help grow his firm’s annual sales from £370,000 to £2.5m by 2011. Tony Earnshaw entered the Dragon’s Den with his Newcastle-Based Uk Commercial Cleaning Services Company last year and got £100,000 investment from Darlington leisure tycoon Mr Bannatyne in exchange for a 35% stake in the business.
Mr Earnshaw is now planning to use the cash to set up offices in London to complement his site in Leeds, and wants to franchise the business to prepare for large national contracts that are in the pipeline. He said: “This is a massive step for us as it allows us to not only expand nationally but to service large contracts which are in the pipeline for this year.
“This opportunity is fantastic for anyone looking to start their own business, as it removes the risk of them starting from scratch because they have the advantage of our brand, materials, and current workload. The cleaning industry is worth an estimated £10bn in the UK and we are giving people the opportunity to get a slice of the cake by starting their own franchise.”
The firm, which will employ 40 staff once its London operation opens for business, expects to employ 60 staff by 2011 to help with its growing portfolio of contracts, which includes window cleaning for Ladbrokes, Sunderland City Council and the Bannatyne’s Health Club chain. Mr Earnshaw has also set up a crime-scene cleaning division.
Duncan Bannatyne said: “Franchising is an excellent option for anyone looking to expand their business and UKCC has a sound business and profit model, which gives people the opportunity to invest in a solid franchise option.
The company’s humble origins make its future aspirations all the more impressive, with Mr Earnshaw starting out in 2004 after buying a window cleaning round for £300. As a 19-year-old, he quit his role at waste management company Biffa and proceeded to transform the window cleaning round from a handful of houses into a £6,000-a-month business in just six months. Expanding his cleaning enterprise nationally is something which Mr Earnshaw has been working towards since 2004 when he bought a window cleaning round for only £300.

Cleaning business launches franchise: A young entrepreneur who won the backing of Duncan Bannatyne on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den, is to franchise his industrial cleaning business. UK Commercial Cleaning Services (UKCC), which founder Tony Earnshaw grew from a window cleaning round in Washington, Wearside, to a £1.5m turnover business, is to be franchised across the UK. UKCC, which Mr Earnshaw established in 2004 with £300, when he was 19, is making the move in order to increase its workforce and prepare for large national contracts that are in the pipeline. Mr Earnshaw operates from depots in Leeds and Washington, and is using franchising as a way to expand the business, with ambitions to deliver services to Scotland, Wales, the South of England, and Ireland. North-East based entrepreneur Mr Bannatyne, who backed the company with a £100,000 investment in the last series of Dragons’ Den, has backed the move, saying: “Franchising is an excellent option for anyone looking to expand their business.” Mr Earnshaw said: “This is a massive step for us as it allows us to not only expand nationally but to service large contracts which are in the pipeline for this year. “This opportunity is fantastic for anyone looking to start their own business, as it removes the risk of them starting from scratch because they have the advantage of our brand, materials, and current workload.”
Mr Earnshaw is working with franchise experts to firm-up plans for the venture, which is due to launch next month. Estimates suggest that it would cost an individual around £30,000 to take on a franchise. Franchisees will be given machinery, a branded vehicle, a depot, and key contacts in which to generate business. They will also be given work from national contracts which have been secured by UKCC. Anyone interested in starting a franchise can call Mr Earnshaw on 0191-415-5610 Previous Blogs: Here & video here.

Villages want ban on cold calling: Work is under way to get villages around Corby designated as 'no cold calling zones' following the arrest of a bogus salesman. The group of doorstep salesmen – known as the Nottingham Knockers – were stopped recently in Weldon and one man was arrested. A spokesman for the Corby Rural Safer Community Team said: "One of the group was wanted by two other police forces. The team has been giving presentations to various locals to raise awareness about doorstep crime and PCSOs have visited vulnerable residents in the parishes. "We are also consulting with all parish councils to try to agree to a 'no cold calling zone' being established in the parishes." The safer community team trialled the scheme in October last year in Gretton, Cottingham, Middleton and Weldon in a bid to protect the most vulnerable and elderly residents from scam-artists and distraction burglars. It is hoped other villages will soon follow their lead and adopt the ban.
Corby rural councillor Stan Heggs said: "The police have been really on the ball with this one. We have worked hard in the villages around Corby and why should people come from Nottingham and fraudulently take things from us? It is concerning, particularly for elderly residents." Joy Smith from Stanion said: "I think there should be a total ban. There was an old lady in the village who had someone who said he was a window cleaner and then took £120 from her and another claimed to be from the water company and took £100 from her bag. "I think these people can tell if people are living on their own and target them."

MELBOURNE, Victoria (Australia): Madewell Enterprises has introduced BillsTrust, an innovative and secure online bill payment web service. Uniquely BillsTrust requires no data entry and can pay any bill, whether handwritten or printed – meaning more obscure bills can be easily paid without any chasing around like fines, plumbing, garden maintenance, school fees, suppliers or window cleaning. The service is suited to businesses and busy individuals that receive large numbers of bills and who find it a pain to remember and shuffle upcoming bills in order to pay them manually closer to the due date.
BillsTrust has been running in Australia since September 2009, and has been developed by former MYOB employees including Craig Winkler, co-founder and former CEO of MYOB who understand the financial and lifestyle challenges faced by businesses and busy individuals. “BillsTrust is like having a virtual cash flow assistant working for you, as bills will only be paid at the last possible moment by the due date, or you can delay payments to your own payment terms,” said Craig Winkler, Managing Director of Madewell Enterprises. “We provide clients with personalised barcoded stickers that they stick onto the front of their bills as they receive them. They simply fax or scan & email their bills to us and that's all there is to it...send and forget. When a bill is paid, our client receives an SMS and email notification of what bills have been paid and how much.”
BillsTrust aids clients to avoid late payment fees while saving them time, yet without sacrificing control of their bills. When they sign into their BillsTrust account clients can see their bills all queued up ready for payment, view a timeline of upcoming bills to be paid, and view historical payment information and digital copies of bills in an archive. As such BillsTrust provides visibility of clients bills all in one place, rather than individually.

More States Require 'Green' Cleaning Products: More states are requiring schools and government buildings to use environmentally friendly cleaning products, raising debate about their costs and benefits. After a burst of legislation last year, 10 states including Connecticut, Illinois and New York require or encourage "green" floor waxes, window cleaners and other products in schools, according to Green Seal Inc., a nonprofit that certifies the products. Similar bills are expected to be debated this year in at least five states.
Critics say that while the measures are laudable, states should not mandate which products schools and agencies must buy, especially if they increase costs for governments that are struggling financially. But supporters say the laws protect the environment and reduce the use of harsh chemicals that can harm workers' and children's health. "The goal of the bill is to make schools and other public space less toxic and healthier for kids and the general public," said Democratic Rep. Cory Mason, sponsor of a bill in Wisconsin.
Nevada lawmakers watered down a bill last year that would have required green cleaning products in schools after school officials raised concerns about the cost and their lack of expertise in such cleaning. The bill signed by Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons only requires schools to use environmentally sensitive floor cleaners.
In Hawaii, Republican Gov. Linda Lingle last year vetoed a bill that would have required the Department of Education to give preference to products approved by Green Seal. She said it was inappropriate for the state to rely on certifications from "a single private organization." The Democratic-controlled Legislature overrode the veto.
Mason's plan, like those in other states, would require public buildings in Wisconsin to use cleaning and paper products certified as environmentally sensitive by the federal government or several private groups. But it also would encourage agencies to apply the products in ways that reduce water use and the amount of chemicals released into the air.

Local gov't cancels open bid after embarrassing e-mail blunder ICHIKAWA, Chiba: A local government here announced Tuesday it has canceled an open bid for its school cleaning contracts after mistakenly sending Cc (carbon copy) e-mails to participating bidders. According to the Ichikawa Municipal Government's educational facilities division, the bidding was for contracts for window cleaning at 63 elementary and junior high schools in the city. The bidding was to be held without designated bidding companies and without prior notification of planned prices and the lowest bids. Last Friday, however, when sending a question-and-answer form to 17 participating bidders, a person who was in charge of the bidding process accidentally sent e-mails to all of them via Cc instead of Bcc (blind carbon copy). The mistake was revealed on Saturday night when one of the bidders contacted the municipal government. In an attempt to prevent collusive bidding, the municipal government canceled the bidding that was scheduled for this coming Friday.

A body builder who battered a teenage reveller to death has been jailed for at least 14 years after “trying to get away with murder”. He confronted Mr Lund, a window cleaner of York Road, Eastbourne, in the basement of the venue, in Pevensey Road, which has since closed down, on the night of July 11 last year. Nicholas Sitko (pictured), 24, was convicted last week of killing Ben Lund at the Funktion Rooms nightclub in Eastbourne, because he suspected the 19-year-old was chatting up his girlfriend. Appearing at Lewes Crown Court Judge Richard Brown sentenced the burly digger driver to life imprisonment and told him he would serve a minimum of 14 years behind bars before he is considered for release. The judge told Sitko he had tried to get away with murder by lying to police that Mr Lund had started the fatal fight. Judge Brown said: "No sentence this court can impose can ever start to reflect the value of a life lost or bring comfort to family and friends devastated by the loss of a loved one. "In a moment of alcohol-fuelled jealous rage you attacked a respectable, bright, intelligent man. He had done nothing to justify any physical response from you. "Ben lost his life as a result of your totally inexcusable, uncontrolled violence.

About CleanPower, LLC: Clients include corporate headquarters, multi-tenant buildings, medical clinics and offices, schools, financial institutions and industrial facilities. CleanPower, has offices in Milwaukee, Madison, Eau Claire, Stevens Point, Wausau, Racine, Sheboygan, Appleton and Green Bay and serves clients at over 700 locations statewide, cleaning over 38 million square feet of workspace for more than 100,000 individuals. CleanPower, LLC is a member of Marsden Holding, which provides contract-cleaning services in Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, Michigan, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, California and Arizona. With the recent acquisition of Al’s Window Cleaning, CleanPower, LLC.’s annual revenues will exceed $40 million.

Ten candidates qualify for two city races: A crowded field of candidates will vie for the two Gainesville city offices up for grabs in the March 16 election. One of the candidates is Don Marsh: Owner of Marsh Window Cleaning; Republican candidate for Alachua County Commission in 2002. Campaign Web site here.

A Fair Trade: Bartering gains momentum as economy sags and businesses seek ways to retain cash. An age-old practice spanning centuries and continents, bartering, the simple swapping of one service or product for another, is enjoying a contemporary resurgence spurred by the economy’s tumult. As restaurants struggle with declining customer counts and seek ways to stir traffic and boost revenue amid fixed costs, bartering is gaining increased appeal and acceptance.
Though traditional bartering takes place between two parties, third-party bartering companies witnessed growing membership numbers in recent years and spearheaded a barter renaissance. Unlike one-on-one bartering, members of exchanges are not obligated to barter directly with a seller. Rather, members can have their account credited with fair market value for a sale and then use those credits for future purchases. In effect, the exchange creates a savings account based on trade dollars versus traditional currency.
John Kubisiak, owner of three Toppers Pizza locations in Wisconsin, did not know such exchanges existed when he opened his first Toppers location in 2005. Two years later Kubisiak joined the bartering service International Monetary Systems (ims), a publicly traded, Wisconsin-based barter company serving 50 U.S. markets. Barter dollars started coming into Toppers immediately and Kubisiak has since used his credits for equipment maintenance, window cleaning, and employee incentives, including spa and restaurant gift certificates. He enjoyed a pair of Caribbean vacations on barter as well.

Sell your home RIGHT NOW: Prepare for viewing daily, especially if your agent has keys. Wash up after every meal, keep bins empty, and put away laundry. Above all else keep your place spotless. Running the vacuum cleaner around is one thing, but dusting and keeping windows gleaming will make a difference. Viewers really will be scrutinising every inch.

Art Gallery abuzz sorting out plethora of pre-opening bugs (Alberta, Canada): In the front entrance, they were repairing a drip in the ceiling. (Don't worry, you won't get wet.) In another room, they were creating a drip in the ceiling. (Don't worry, it's part of an art installation.) Last-minute preparations at the Art Gallery of Alberta had the newly renovated gallery abuzz Thursday with activity and noise. Dave Perrott, a window cleaner, admitted his job has gotten tedious. No wonder -- he's been at it since October so that the building would look nice during construction, too. "It's been, 'Do it, gets dirty, do it again,' " said Perrott. At this point "we get kinda ticked if someone else messes it up." The big challenge, he added, was cleaning the borealis, the metallic swirling accent piece on the front of the building. "No one really knew how to clean it properly. Every time something touches it, it changes colour." The solution was handwashing the borealis with a rag and CLR to get rid of grease and "make everything blend."