Window Cleaning News, Fish, Squirrels & Dragons

First impressions always count for window washer Jason Smith: Clean windows are often part of a customers' first impression. That's why many businesses have their windows cleaned professionally by Jason Smith of Fish Window Cleaning. "Some businesses are on a weekly rotation, and others are once a month," said Smith. Smith takes calls and gives free estimates. He charges by the pane to do residential and commercial windows. When he's looking for new business, he will make cold calls by stopping at a strip mall, offering to wash windows and setting them up for future appointments.
Smith starts with a bucket of clean water and dish soap. He uses a window mop that looks like a sponge on a squeegee and washes the window until the mop glides. He changes to a squeegee with a sharp rubber blade and uses the swirl or fanning technique to glide the dirty water down and off the window. The squeegee leaves the window streak free. He finishes the job with a clean, lint-free cloth on the window edges, the sills and the frame. "I don't just wash windows; I clean them," he said.
Smith also works on windows up to three stories with either a pole or a ladder. He does windows inside and out. What's needed: A window washer must like to work and be self-driven for business cold calls. Working in the elements year-round and some ladder work is required. Attention to detail is important. Smith likes to see a positive attitude and punctuality. Employees must be clean cut and in proper uniform.
Smith worked in appliance delivery for 10 years. He's also worked in construction, car detailing and carpet cleaning. Now he's the operation manager. "This is the first time I've been in management, and I really like it," Smith said. In addition to washing windows he handles the phone calls, estimates, paperwork and billing and makes sure the employees get paid.

• Highlights: The best part of the job for Smith is the drive time and seeing all different types of businesses.
• Lowlights: The worst part of the job is filling up the gas tank.
• Advice: There's no such thing as a stupid question.
• Future: Smith would like to someday own part of the company.
• Facts: No special formulas are used in professional window cleaning — plain old dish soap and water and elbow grease.
  

Local business owner witnesses OSHA and IWCA alliance: Local business owner, Victor Munson, traveled to Washington, D.C. this past month to be part of a long awaited event. The International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced their alliance to promote safe and healthful working conditions for professionals who work within the window cleaning industry. “We pursued the alliance with OSHA to promote the importance of on-going safety education in our industry,” said Victor Munson, IWCA President and owner of Erlanger Window Cleaning in NKY. “With representatives of both organizations working together, we should be able to achieve our goal of increasing safe and healthful working conditions.”
The new alliance will concentrate on educating members by providing them with information and guidance to help them protect their employees. It is IWCA’s intention to focus on (i) improving fall protection education (ii.) reducing other job site hazards and (iii) addressing the challenges of small business owners and low literacy and limited English of employees in the window cleaning industry. In addition to member education, IWCA and OSHA will work together to promote workplace safety and health on a national level. “We want our members, and everyone in our industry, to know we take workplace safety very seriously,” said Debra Nemec, Executive Director for IWCA. “Together, SWRI and OSHA will be able to utilize their combined resources to maximize job site safety and awareness.” Both groups formalized their alliance during a meeting at 3 p.m., June 10 at OSHA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. For more information about the alliance, please contact Vic Munson at 859.371.4210

Michael Portillo (smug picture) has been staring out of a lot of windows lately, exploring Britain's rail journeys for the BBC. So he knows a good shine when he sees one, and has taken to evangelising about his window cleaner back home. Residents of Chelsea have received hand-signed letters from the former Tory MP recommending the services of one David Doyle. "When someone works inside and outside the house, I must have complete trust in that person," it reads, "I do place my trust in Mr Doyle." In case you don't believe him the letter provides Portillo's home address, email and even his mobile phone number. He's clearly forgotten what it's like to have constituents.

Answers From a Window Cleaner, Part 3 - have been added to the original questions & answers featured here. Andrew Horton, who has been a window cleaner for more than two decades responds to readers. Andrew Horton knows the secrets of the trade and safety practices.

Friends and family of murdered teenager Ben Lund have marked the first anniversary of his death and collected more than 1,200 signatures in support of a memorial garden. Nineteen-year-old Ben Lund, a popular window cleaner, was murdered in the Funktion Rooms Nightclub on July 11 last year. Nicholas Sitko, 25, repeatedly punched the teenager causing a fatal brain haemorrhage and was sentenced to at least 14 years in prison for his murder. Last Sunday, on the anniversary of Ben's death, sunflowers were placed outside the Funktion Rooms from Ben's family and other flowers, letters and cards were left by his friends.

First case of it's kind: Man told to pay £1,500 after being found guilty of drowning a squirrel - When grey squirrels invaded Raymond Elliott’s garden and targeted his bird feeders, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He bought a cage to trap the pests and, when he did catch one, dropped it into a water butt, killing it ‘almost instantaneously’. But after a neighbour tipped off the RSPCA, he was hauled into court, charged with causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and - in a legal first - forced to pay £1,500.
The 58-year-old window cleaner, who said he believed he had killed the animal in a humane way, will now be lumbered with a criminal record. The case sets an important precedent for killing grey squirrels, which are classified as a non-native invasive species, and could pave the way for hundreds of other prosecutions across the country. The RSPCA, which brought the prosecution, warned that many common methods of killing grey squirrels and other pests could now fall foul of the law. It added that the only humane - and therefore legal - way to kill them would be to have them put down by a qualified vet, which can cost up to £40 a time.
Mr Elliott, from Branston, Staffordshire, was prosecuted under Section Four of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. He pleaded guilty and was given a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £1,547 to cover investigation and legal costs incurred by the RSPCA at Burton Magistrates last Friday. Yesterday, he described the fine as an ‘injustice’ and claimed he had been singled out by the charity.
He insisted that the way he killed the grey squirrel was not cruel or inhumane and said he was simply trying to do what homeowners across the country do when the pests invade their homes and gardens. 'This is an injustice. People do it across the country all the time - they are just making an example of me,’ he said. ‘I do not feel what I did was inhumane or cruel and I was shocked by how big the fine was. ‘All along it was going to be guilty because it was a test case and they needed a guilty verdict.’

Dragon helped me spread my wings: Tony Earnshaw was just 18 when he started his first business, buying a rundown burger van for £50. After securing a pitch in his home town of Glebe in Washington, Tyne and Wear, he made £3,000 in two months before selling the van for £6,000. Tony, 25, used the profits to buy a window cleaning round for £300 that he rapidly builtup before selling it for £16,000 six months later. Next he bought two transit vans and a small depot and launched UK Commercial Cleaning Services, offering everything from shampooing office carpets to a specialist operation cleaning up crime scenes.
Last year Tony appeared on the Dragons' Den television show, which began its latest series last week, and secured £100,000 from Dragon judge Duncan Bannatyne in return for 35% of the business. At the time of appearing the company's turnover was £370,000 and it operated only in the North East, but Tony had plans to take the business nationwide, having bought a second depot in Leeds in 2008. Now, nearly a year on, a London depot will open in two weeks' time and a depot in Stirling will open in six months. The firm now employs 40 people, up from 16, and turnover for the year ending April rose to £1.2m, with predicted turnover of £4m for this year.
Tony is also setting up a franchise that he hopes to sell to franchisees in the south of England. Though Tony had to hand over 35% of the business - up from the 20% stake he initially offered - he has no regrets about securing funding through Dragons' Den. 'Appearing on Dragons' Den gave the business a real publicity boost and has helped us to grow rapidly,' he says. 'I have the support and advice I need from Duncan, we speak monthly, but he gives me the freedom to run the business as I know best. As far as I am concerned there were no downsides.'

London's Strata tower: It is the world's first skyscraper with built-in wind turbines. But is London's Strata a green gimmick – or the future?At 147 metres, the newly opened Strata is London's tallest residential building. The plan was first made public six years ago and work is unlikely to be completed before 2020. It's a colossal challenge, as well as an opportunity, and the £113.5m Strata, the first of three skyscrapers planned for here, is a symbol of the dynamism and energy the project demands. And that energy must, of course, be seen to be green. It's early days, but if the turbines work as planned, and aren't too noisy for residents in the pricey penthouses beneath them, they should generate 8% of this 43-storey building's energy needs. This is roughly enough to run its electrical and mechanical services (including three express lifts and automated window-cleaning rigs) as well as the lighting, heating and ventilation of its public spaces, which include an underground car and cycle park. Strata is the first building in the world to incorporate wind turbines into its structure.

Harrisburg, Pa. - A glass panel from a 9th floor tower fell from a downtown Harrisburg building Monday evening. The panel was from a Verizon Tower and fell from the building, landing on the bridge to Capital Park from Strawberry Square. Hassinger said a visual inspection from the ground was conducted by Hershocks and HDC employees following the incident. City and Capitol police were notified and the bridge to Capitol Park remains closed until further notice. Also, the sidewalk corridor along the South side of Walnut Street along Strawberry Square has been closed to pedestrian traffic. Glass from the incident is being swept from the area by a contractor hired by HDC. An inspection of the glass panels on both the Verizon Tower and SO1 (State office tower occupied by Revenue and Attorney General's office) is being scheduled within the next 24-48 hours.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group: "Snapple was founded in 1972 by Arnold Greenberg, Leonard Marsh, and Hyman Golden. Greenberg operated a health food store on the lower east side of Manhattan. His boyhood friend Marsh ran a window-washing service with his brother-in-law, Golden. In the early 1970s, the three founded Unadulterated Food Products, Inc., to sell pure fruit juices in unusual blends to health food stores. Products were bottled at a small plant in the New York metropolitan area. The partners ran the business in their spare time while all three kept their regular jobs, and the enterprise plodded along until the late 1970s. In 1978, Unadulterated Foods began to market carbonated apple juice. The company called the product "Snapple," after purchasing the name for $500."

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."

HomeOwners Falling Off Ladders + Window Cleaning News

Balcony fall man fighting for life: A Toowoomba (Australia) man has taken a turn for the worse and is fighting for his life in the Nambour Hospital a week after falling nine metres from a Sunshine Coast balcony. Robert Andersen, 55, slipped off a step ladder as he was cleaning the window of his investment unit at the Mandolin Resort, Alexandra Headlands, last Saturday. Initially, his injuries seemed minor, considering the fall from the fourth floor. He sustained a broken pelvis and bruising. However, his condition took a turn for the worse on Wednesday afternoon. Mr Andersen developed pneumonia, blood clots in his lungs and a dangerous infection.
His wife of 29 years, Shona, has been by his bedside since Saturday. “On Wednesday, he got bad,” Mrs Andersen said. “They put him on strong antibiotics for the infection. “He also developed pneumonia; the lower lobes of his lungs have collapsed. “We are taking each day as it comes.” Mrs Andersen first thought she had “lost” her husband after the fall. “Robert was out cold for maybe a few minutes, but it felt like forever,” Mrs Andersen said. “He was a terrible shade of grey, when he finally opened his eyes and said my name, it was such a relief. “I thought I can deal with having a husband who is crippled, but not being a widow.” Mrs Andersen said it was too early to say when her husband, who is a carpet layer, would return home. “They are not moving him anywhere,” she said. “The clots that are in his lung have the potential to move. “Each day is a new start.” Mrs Andersen is staying at the Reed Charity House at the Nambour Hospital as their unit is currently being leased.

BNP member jailed for 11 years after weapons and explosives found in house: A BNP member who spent a decade building up a cache of weapons in a bedroom hideaway was jailed for 11 years today. Bus driver Terrance Gavan manufactured highly dangerous firearms and explosives at the home where he lived with his mother in Batley, West Yorkshire. Police discovered 54 improvised explosive devices including nail bombs and a booby-trapped cigarette packet at the address, as well as 12 firearms. The former soldier told detectives that he had "a fascination with things that go bang", the Old Bailey heard. The defendant had worked as a bus driver for six years and had also run his own window cleaning business, the court heard.

APPLETON - The winter warm-up had plenty of people outside Thursday, without giving it a second thought. After a blizzard days of below-zero temperatures, the day's weather seemed almost spring-like. Tim Payne with Valley Window Cleaning of Kaukauna was among those enjoying the outdoors. He says he's braved all kinds of weather in his job. "Oh yeah," Payne said. "We use methyl alcohol so the water doesn't freeze and we keep going rain, snow, whatever." Even in below-zero weather, Payne will carry on, but he says days like Thursday bring a smile. "Oh definitely, yeah," he said. "It's kind of a tease but yeah." There may be a lot of winter left, but as snowmen slip away and the temperatures creep up.


A warm welcome for end of freeze: A window cleaner has returned to work after the weather forced him to put down his sponge and bucket until the frost and snow cleared. It was business for usual for Robert Hemmington yesterday, but the heavy snowfall and low temperatures have meant that he has only worked a handful of days since the original heavy snowfall in December. Mr Hemmington, who has been cleaning windows for more than 30 years, said: "I'm just glad to be getting back to work. "I've basically had more than three weeks without work. "As soon as the temperature drops below freezing point I have to stop working. "The water freezes in the pipes and in the van where the water is stored. "It's been the worst winter since 1993 and it does have a huge effect. "If I'm not working for three weeks that's three weeks without pay. "Unfortunately, there's not a lot I can do about it. "At least now, the temperatures are going up and getting back out to jobs."
Mr Hemmington, of RAH Cleaning Contractor, lives in Northampton but works across the county. He added that as well as freezing cold weather, changing legislation on the use of ladders had caused a big change in the way he worked. Around the middle of the last decade laws over the use of ladders also meant he could only use a small ladder when working on his own. He said: "I had to go out and buy a special hose to clean the upper floors of buildings which cost me about £4,000. "The thing is, when you're having to spend that much money on equipment it means you need to be working. "Things like the cold weather and the snow just causes more problems."
The Evening Telegraph wants to hear from more businesses which have been put out of action by the recent cold weather. Write to Newsdesk, Evening Telegraph, Newspaper House, Ise Park, Rothwell Road, Kettering. Alternatively email et.newsdesk@northantsnews.co.uk or call 01536 506153.

Nicholas Sitko, 24, is alleged to have violently attacked Ben Lund, 19, at the Funktion Rooms, in Eastbourne, last summer. Mr Lund, a window cleaner, of York Road, Eastbourne, suffered fatal brain injuries and died within seconds of the alleged brutal beating. Sitko, a factory machine operator of Mendip Avenue, Eastbourne, denies murder at a trial at Lewes Crown Court. He said witnesses described Sitko attacking Mr Lund, who fell to the floor where he was beaten around the head and neck and left lying in a pool of blood. Afterwards Sitko left the club but was arrested about an hour later. He was tearful and told police he wanted to talk to his mum. He told police he had only acted in self-defence. Mr Miskin said: "He lied because he knew what he had done could never be justified." The trial continues.

5 trends for 2010: Consumers seek harmony, serenity, cleaner lines in homes: Busy, hard working Americans have never claimed to have much free time. So it should be no surprise to anyone to hear that low-maintenance products will be much sought after this year. Over the years, outdoor furniture has improved in terms of becoming easy maintenance. A simple hose down will work with many lawn chairs made of recycled high-density polyethylene.
Window manufacturers like Andersen also are now producing low maintenance windows. The window glass has a special photo-catalytic coating -- titanium dioxide -- on its surface that makes it easy to clean with a jet of water. Along with staying on the green course, Americans will have a positive attitude toward recycling materials for their own home improvement projects.
Repurposing and looking for ways to reuse existing items is a reflection of a shift toward people focusing on comfort and being cost-conscious, design industry experts say.

Exclusive: an interview with A Place in the Sun stars Jonnie and Jasmine: Jonnie: I do get recognised on the street now and again, but it’s not something I’m really bothered about. Occasionally, I get complete strangers coming up to me and saying hello – they think they recognise me but don’t know from where. I reckon they think I’m their old neighbour. I turned up to a friend’s party once and the lady that answered the door wanted to give me the money for the window cleaning – unfortunately, someone put her right before I got my hands on the dosh!

Actor Craig Gazey, who plays window cleaner Graeme Proctor in 'Coronation Street', has signed a new contract which will keep him on the show until March 2011. Digital Spy reports that Gazey confirmed the move saying "I've just signed another year's contract, so I'm definitely here now until at least March 2011.

Odds & Ends: Window Cleaning News

A Green Certification on the Horizon for the White House? President Barack Obama intends to get the White House LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) spokesperson, Christine Glunz, says the effort to get the White House to LEED certification includes energy and water systems as well as waste. She believes it is vital to consider toxicity and life-cycle when making purchases for facilities. CEQ is looking to reduce the carbon footprint of the White House by implementing computerized energy management systems, automatic light sensors that turn off in unoccupied rooms and low-flow water valves. Paints and sealers with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), biodegradable cleaners and recycled equipment will all be used by White House groundskeepers and engineers, according to a White House spokesperson. Window films that will lower UV rays and save energy will also be added.

Australia is about to take a world lead in nanotechnology with the development of an amazing new instrument at a Melbourne research facility, writes Nick Gibson. Scientists at the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication at Monash will shortly bring online one of the most powerful nanotechnology instruments in the world, able to write data on particles ten thousand times smaller than the width of a human hair. The new multi-million dollar electron-beam lithography instrument can write or mark nano-sized objects with such precision that it could write the whole of ‘War and Peace’ on a pin-head.
Scientists will use the new instrument for a variety of key applications such as banknote fraud prevention, micro-texturing of surfaces, manufacture of micro-fluidic devices and x-ray optical elements. End products of such technology already in use include better quality paints, car and window cleaning treatments and improved swimsuits. “Nanotechnology is key to the future and many exciting new discoveries are being made through its use and application,” says Darrell Todd, ceo of thinkingaustralia.com.

An internet game featuring a high-rise window washer on a cradle. This one from the dutch, features guessing the letters before King Kong cuts the safety line & the window washer falls to his doom. Based on the word game, known as hangman. It's in Dutch, but don't be put off, just choose lot's of V's, W's & P's! Click the picture or here to play.

German film fest: Cuci The Musical. The musical, based on Hans Isaac’s movie, is about four adopted brothers from a small window washing company called Cuci Cuci Services. They aspire to compete in the ‘’Window Washing Olympics’’ competition to win a contract to clean the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. The musical takes centrestage at Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur from Oct 23 to Nov 8. Leading the cast are Afdlin Shauki, Hans Isaac, Awie and AC Mizal. Their dream is to one day be given the contract to service the exterior of the Kuala Lumpur Petronas Twin Towers. That opportunity comes with the Window Washing Olympics – a competition run by Citi Jasmin (Vanida Imran) – that awards the winner with the cleaning contract. Cuci-Cuci Services decide to take on the defending champ, Wira Maju, a company owned by Citi Jasmin's boyfriend, Wira (Harith Iskander). Romance soon blossoms between Citi Jasmin and Khai much to Wira's dismay. Made first into a movie, released in January 2007, Isaac in a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, said he had every intention to initially make Cuci into a musical, but at the time he didn't have the finances.

A magnificent church window, rumoured to have been designed by one of the world’s most famous architects, has been returned to its original glory. A painstaking £25,000 restoration job has been carried out on the eastern stained-glass window at St Mary’s, Staindrop. Legend has it that the window’s design was the work of Augustus Welby Pugin, who planned the Houses of Parliament with architect Sir Charles Barry. St Mary’s eastern window, which is about 25ft high, was installed in 1855. In the past, John Cory has also been credited with the design. “There wasn’t a great deal of damage, but it was dirty as the window cleaner didn’t dare touch it. Borderdale did a good job and it’s now very fresh-looking,” Mr Poole said. St Mary’s Church, one of the oldest in the region, was founded in 771.

Murder man friends joy at club closure: Ben Lund (pictured), who died following an assault at the Funktion rooms nightclub has shut down after being repossessed and locked by the landlord. Friends and family of the popular window cleaner, who lived in York Road, held a peaceful protest against the club reopening and many are now pleased to see it has closed down. Rachel Jordan, a friend of the Lund family who helped organise the protest, posted a message social networking site Facebook which said, "Hooray, well done everyone for all your hard work through your sheer love for our fantastic gentle Ben. "This couldn't have happened without you all."

Windex "all-in-one" Canned again! It comes with a cleaning head; a handle and one cleaning pad that the package says will clean 20 windows with just one pad and in one use. I have seen it priced from $16.99 at Walgreens up to $22 on Amazon. It’s simple to use, just attach pad to cleaning head, then spray the window and cleaning pad with a water hose, then wipe the window using the cleaning pad and then rinse again making sure no suds are left behind...when it's done drying you should have a streak free shine
The replacement pads cost $4.99. It does say one pad will clean 20 windows but you have to clean all 20 windows at once, because directions say when done cleaning windows throw away the pad. I also cleaned a window using some paper towels and vinegar and water.
I gave the Windex Outdoor All- in- One a thumbs down because after letting it dry there were tons of streaks on my outdoor patio window. The vinegar and water cleaned better then the Windex Outdoor All- in- One. What I did like about the Windex All-in-One is the pole. It was a lot easier to use the pole then get up on a set ladder to clean that window.

And again...Our testers are two Newton Public School employees used to washing all the windows in the district every summer. Andrea even asked us to test this, in hopes her job will get a little easier. Gary wets the windows on the school with the hose, and Andrea uses the wand to scrub the glass with the soapy pad. They rinse....and wait. As the water starts to dry, the two aren't happy. The water isn't streaking, but the tool does leave lots of individual water drops on the glass. That means one thing to Andrea: spots. That's exactly what they start to see all over the windows. Just to be sure, they ask the opinion of another school employee who says the results wouldn't pass her test. Although it is streak-free, the windows are spotty And to be acceptable, all three agree they'd have to wipe down each pane of glass. Does It Work? All three of them say "no."
When we called the company, S.C. Johnson replied if spots show up, wash again. If the pad isn't available, rinse again. And the company says the quality of water can determine the quality of the results. Gary says he thinks he gave the product the benefit of the doubt. He says the test was on a cloudy, mild day. According to him, if it spotted on a day like that, it would really be a problem on a hot day when the water evaporated faster. Next summer he says, he's reaching for his bucket of water and squeegee.

Only two days after he learned from his former boss Marc Mawhinney the lawn care company he was managing was folding - along with several other Mawhinney companies - Crowdis started his own. On Aug. 13, he opened Yard Pros, taking over many of the clients that were left hanging with the closure of Mawhinney Lawn Care. "I was left high and dry so I thought I'd put my talent back to work and start up a company again and try my hand at another career field." It only took him two days to launch his own yard care company and begin looking after - for free - the many customers who had paid Mawhinney for the entire season. "Nobody missed a beat when it came to mowing," Crowdis said. "Everyone still got mowed"¦I couldn't just walk away and leave them all just hanging there." Crowdis brought two of his former employees with him as well as his fleet of yard care equipment and soon found himself busy mowing, aerating, dethatching and fertilizing lawns. His company also offers spring and fall cleanup, window washing, bed edging and mulching, tree and hedge trimming services as well as driveway sealing and hot pour crack filling for driveways for both businesses and residences from Saint John to Sussex.

Owner of The Window Man professional window cleaning service since 1994 and Summit Haus Properties spec building since 1999, Hodges comes to Prudential with a lengthy background in new construction. His knowledge of home building coupled with his insights on property location and cost comparisons proves to be helpful in educating potential clients.

Another Resource for Fabricating Debris: You may want to bookmark this one. Its a quick link page to other sites on the same topic. Fabricating Debris is a defect found on tempered and heat strengthened glass when the tempering company fails to maintain proper housekeeping procedures. It has increased in occurrence with the higher demand for tempered products and creates a situation that is detrimental to maintaining the clarity of the glass for it's lifetime. Not heard about it? You will soon, Its fabricating debris!

Quick Window Cleaning Links & Stories

Canny marketing ploy helps Men in Kilts clean up: During the recession, this company is doubling business. The Lower Mainland’s tartan army is growing. Men in Kilts is cleaning up, proving true the old Saturday Night Live adage: “If it’s not Scottish, it’s crap.” In the face of a worldwide recession, the Richmond-based window and gutter-cleaning company has seen its business double in each of the last three years. Sales are expected to top $1 million this fiscal year. “Business has been going great,” said president Nic Brand, who started MIK in 2002 on a shoestring budget out of the back of his beat-up 1985 Honda. “We are bucking the trend in terms of the recession. We broke a couple of sales in a month records in May and June.”
Business has been booming since CEO Brent Hohlweg came on board about three years ago, with MIK now boasting 15 to 20 employees during peak season and a fleet of eight trucks painted with a distinctive green tartan. All the employees wear kilts — in a tartan similar to Brand’s Sutherland family clan — and cheeky T-shirts reading: “No peeking.” “We were sitting around having a drink and my wife said: ‘Why don’t you wear a kilt, you are Scottish,” said Brand, 31, who’s family is from Aberdeen in Scotland. “It’s a blast, we have tourists come up and ask to take pictures with us. “I wear a kilt five days a week — it’s a natural disarmer. No one forgets us. And we do get asked [whether staff wear anything underneath their kilts] all the time and, yes, people do peek.” Brand said all MIK employees are put through Tartan Bootcamp, but aren’t asked to model a kilt during their job interview — or do their best Stuart Rankin impression, made famous by SNL’s Mike Myers.
“If you drive a tartan truck and wear pants, you get a lot of funny looks. So you have to wear a kilt,” said Brand. “Our guys just have to dig the freedom. You don’t have to be Scottish. We have Asian guys and Filipino guys and they all love it.” In pursuit of its goal to be “North America’s premier window and gutter-cleaning company,” MIK plans to sell franchises soon, with the first one in place by spring 2011. Also see previous blogs here.

Wyke Regis mugging victim's cash replaced by two businessmen: Two businessmen have chipped in to replace £80 cash that was stolen from an elderly Weymouth man in a brazen daylight robbery. The owner of Alf’s Fish and Chips in Chickerell Road, John Pearce, has given £40 of his own money to the 69-year-old victim who was attacked in Wyke Regis earlier this month. Mr Pearce’s generous offer has been matched by Pete McKernan, the owner of Wyke Window Cleaning Services. The donations follow an appeal by Dorset Police for witnesses and information after an elderly Wyke Regis man was attacked at 5.30pm on Thursday, August 6, in Shrubbery Lane.
The man had been walking home when he was struck on the back of the neck by what is believed to be more than one assailant. The attackers then stole £80 from their victim and fled as he lay helpless on the floor. A Dorset Police spokesman said the victim, who did not wish to be identified, suffered scratches to his face and was ‘understandably shocked and upset’. Mr Pearce, who is well-known for helping elderly people in the community with donations of food and help in funding day trips, said: “I just felt it was disgusting that an old man could be attacked like that and I felt sorry for him. Inspector Pete Meteau of Weymouth Police has praised Mr Pearce and Mr McKernan for their generosity and issued a fresh appeal for anyone with information to come forward. He said: “PC David Frampton is still appealing for witnesses to this robbery to come forward.” Insp Meteau added that anyone who saw the crime take place or who has information about those involved should contact Weymouth Police on 01305 222222 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Does everyone have their eyes shut while disaster happens right here in Clearwater and every other town across the country? I see so many businesses either closed or only open part time. They cut hours to save dollars. I just heard that three post offices in our area may be closing and one office has already moved the bulk mail to the Tampa postal facility. I know four business owners who are taking on cleaning jobs, lawn care, window washing, care of the elderly, car washing or any other job just to feed the family and try to pay some bills.

Empowering Children to.....ruin the economy! Today's blog is for Kathy Moreno who is struggling to take care of her 14 year old nephew. I know it can be hard to ask the children in our lives to make sacrifices and to help out when times are tough and money is tight. But I think it can actually be good for them to pitch in and contribute to both their own and the family's financial needs, within reason, of course.
Now, all this being said, children under the age of 14 are generally not permitted to work a "real" job and work should never interfere with a child's education. But there are things any young person can do after school to make money. Here's a few ideas to encourage your kids to consider as possible work opportunities: 3. Go to local shop owners in your area and offer your services as a window washer. The cleaner their windows are, the better their customers can see their goods. (Comment - is this legal???).

Carlisle window firm expands into new buildings: A Cumbrian window firm has tackled the recession head on by launching an ambitious expansion. Finesse, of Carlisle, has launched Finesse Architectural Systems, which offers glazing, fascias and facades for businesses. The company has taken on two units near its Denton Holme factory to run the business. The changes mean Finesse, which is celebrating 25 years in business this year, will operate three divisions: Finesse (windows, doors conservatories and garage doors) Finesse Direct (catering, cleaning and janitorial supplies for bars, care homes and schools, and Finesse Architectural Systems. The company already offers home office-backed ‘Secured by Design’ windows and doors to homeowners and will now offer its services to businesses across the UK.
Mr West, Finesse Architectural general manager, said: “We are really enjoying being part of Finesse Group. “Everything about the company is excellent; we have joined a great team that we have already felt the advantages of having the support of such an enthusiastic, professional and supportive team.” Finesse managing director Ian Milburn added: “We know we have an excellent base for this division. “Essentially all we are doing is taking the very best of what we do and offering it to the commercial sector across the UK. “We are confident that we have the teams, expertise, experience and networks to offer a first class service.”
Finesse was the first PVCu window company in Cumbria to receive the ‘Safer by Design’ award for its products. The award recognises manufacturers which help prevent burglaries and crimes on the home through the security of their products. Finesse’s windows were tested by security experts and the Association of Chief Police Officers, including a simulated 10-minute attack.

Ben's friends protest at club: Friends of Ben Lund gathered outside Funktion Rooms for a peaceful protest as the nightclub re-opened on Monday night. The Pevensey Road venue had its licence suspended by authorities following the death of 19-year-old Ben after an assault at the club in July. The popular window cleaner, of York Road, suffered bleeding around the brain and his death is being treated as murder. The council called an emergency meeting shortly after the fatal incident and closed the club in the interest of public safety and to prevent serious crime. But last week the licensing committee decided the nightclub could re-open with strict conditions. Friends and family of Ben were upset by the council's decision and when Funktion Rooms re-opened its doors on Monday night, a large group of people stood outside with placards and candles.

Marissa Shaw, 17, and Steve Ayers, 48, were candidates for Lifeguard Rookie of the Year this summer at Doheny, San Clemente and San Onofre State Beaches. In a polling of their peers, Shaw today tallied the most votes and won. He is a 48-year-old veteran marathoner, triathlete, long-distance swimmer and canoeist. Marissa Shaw and Steve Ayers, who both live in San Clemente, are first-year lifeguards this summer at the area's three state beaches. Ayers, with an extensive background as a water-based athlete, had never worked in a lifeguard tower until this summer. "I was making my kids do junior guards," he said. "I told them that being a junior guard leads to the best job in the world, being a lifeguard. So my daughter said, 'You know, Dad, it sounds like something you always wanted to do and never did.' " He's doing it part-time this summer, along with his commercial window-washing business and real estate broker's license. "I love it," Ayers said. "I would actually pay to do this. I live by Riviera. I skateboard to work when I guard there. I'm kind of proud of that."

Mixed feelings over controversial building: It boasts a cutting edge design... but who's going to cut the grass on the roof? An old folks' home in Rotherham is stirring mixed responses among locals - who claim the eco-friendly hexagonal building looks less like a residential complex and more like a flying saucer has landed. The home, named Lord Hardy Court after Lord Hardy of Wath, the former Labour MP for Wentworth Peter Hardy, sits on the junction of Haugh Road and Green Rise. And with a grass-covered roof, hexagonal structure, and timber frames, Lord Hardy Court isn't a typical residential care home. Since February the strange building has been home to more than 60 elderly people who enjoy en-suite bedrooms, and communal areas such as coffee rooms and conference rooms. The building is also designed to be eco-friendly with sedum planted on the roof to help absorb rainfall, and has been designed to let in as much light as possible and provide its own power. Lord Hardy Court was part of a wider scheme which included the building of another home in Dinnington, Davies Court - which is also an eco-friendly design. The cost of building the two homes was £19 million and consultations began in 2005. But while the home celebrates cutting-edge and environmental building technology, neighbours overlooking it are dissatisfied with the way in which the home has been built. Phil Revill, 68, a retired window cleaner, said: "I don't like it. I think it's horrible. It's awful. Before it was built there were trees and when they built it they said they would be landscaping it but they haven't."

Gecko New Media has made several new appointments including the appointment of Dave Mallins as technical director. The Edinburgh-based-digital agency has also recently added legal firm Simpson & Marwick, national window cleaning contractor Greig Avinou, social enterprise Space Unlimited and Edinburgh girls’ school, St George’s to its client list.

For most people, looking down from the top of Blackpool Tower is the climax of a family day out on the promenade. For two “urban climbers” it was the culmination of two years of planning, many nights of practice and a thirst for adventure. The two men, calling themselves Scott and Stepping Lightly, scaled the 518ft steel-latticed tower under cover of darkness and from the outside. Police and the tower’s owners were aghast, but the stunt thrilled other urban climbers or “builderers”, those who delight in ascending the outside of tall buildings. The feat was done purely for the achievement, Scott told The Times yesterday. “It’s a personal challenge — you look at Blackpool Tower and think, there it is,” he said. They even climbed with cleaning fluids and a cloth to leave the building as they found it. “If you leave a mark you get rid of it. If you leave some damage you ring up and settle the bill,” Scott said. “We don’t break and enter.

Could this be the end of ladders? Miranda Tozier-Robbins should've just bought a ticket for the Circus. The woman who was arrested in April outside Britney Spears' Calabasas home after security guards caught her peering into a ground-floor window was cleared of trespassing Thursday but found guilty of misdemeanor peeking. For real! We didn't know that existed, either! Tozier-Robbins told E! News at the time that there was "no obsession with Britney"; rather, she had been practicing documentary filmmaking, paparazzi-style (which, to her apparently, meant in an invasive and illegal manner).
For peeking, the 26-year-old has been sentenced to three years' probation, fined $100 plus penalties and ordered to continuing staying at least 100 yards away from Spears, her kids and her residence, as per the terms of a previous restraining order. Tozier-Robbins must also perform 240 hours of community service. We're thinking window washing might be in order.