Unexploded Bucket

Window cleaner, Robin Baxter with his "unexploded" bucket.

Road blocked as police investigate Lichfield window cleaner's 'unexploded' bucket: It was a case of 'Danger Unexploded Bucket' in Lichfield this week when police blocked off Tamworth Street to investigate an item which had been left unattended.

Window cleaner Robin Baxter of Complete Panes had nipped into the Acorn public house at around 10.45am on Tuesday for a coffee leaving his bucket outside the BetFred shop. When he came out he was told that the police had been to check the item and blocked Tamworth Street off at the entrance to the pedestrianised zone with a patrol car to prevent access.

"I can understand why they did it but it is obviously a bucket," said Robin. "I can see the funny side but the police have a job to do. "Because of the climate, people are having to look out for unattended items."

Obviously a bomb! 

The Eco Window Cleaning Unit - Reinventing The Bucket

The Eco Window Cleaning Unit - reinventing the bucket. Click to enlarge. It is predicted that a  competitive price will be around around £65.00 + VAT. The unit is a single module.

The Eco Window Cleaning Unit  - A Window Cleaning Unit That Saves Water and Cleans Better! We all love admiring the beautiful views through our apartment and house windows but most of us are unaware of the impact which window cleaning has on the environment. With millions of windows being cleaned daily, the amount of water wastage is phenomenal – until now. With the creation of the Eco Window Cleaning Unit, we can all play a small part in reducing the amount of water used during window cleaning, reducing the impact on the environment. The Eco Window Cleaning Unit still uses the traditional window cleaning squeegee and applicator, but with clean water and a fraction of the amount used before. It really is Window cleaning done the smart way and your windows will be even cleaner than ever!

Why It’s Better Than a Bucket…  It Saves Water! Using the traditional method of cleaning windows, you ‘dip’ an Applicator into a bucket to absorb the water, and then you can either wring it out with your hand and get soaking wet hands. …Or do what most cleaners do and pull it out of the bucket with all the water on it and slop the water all over the window. Wasting about 250ml of water every time! The Eco Window Cleaning Unit uses less than a teaspoon, as the excess water is removed from the applicator before it gets anywhere near the glass.

It Saves Time! The Eco Window Cleaning Unit can hold 6.5 litres of water. You’ll be able to wash 64 glass panels of between 0.5 and 1 sq metre approximately. That’s enough for a window cleaner to last a whole day without a water change! The specially fitted pump and micro-jets mean that only the right amount of clean water is delivered to the squeegee when you need it. All you have to add is one teaspoonful (a quick squirt) of fairy liquid to break down the grease and that’s perfect!

It Cleans Better! With just an Applicator and a bucket, you end up cleaning dirty glass with dirty water because after a couple of panes the water WILL get dirty as it removes dirt from the earlier windows. In fact, it’s not just ‘dirt’, it’s called settlement and is comprised of the sand and dust that sticks to the applicator; over time it will damage the glass leaving a permanent haze and you just won’t get a clean finish. The Eco Window Cleaning unit solves this with it’s patented water flushing mechanism.

And It's Eco Friendly: The Eco Window Cleaning Unit changes the way water is being stored and used during window cleaning. The Unit reduces the amount of water wasted during window cleaning by keeping the dirty water separated from the clean water. The Unit is designed for both left and right handed users, and is light and easy to transport from job to job or around office areas and the house without worrying about spilling water. The Eco Window Cleaning Unit is really great for cleaning at heights, whether it’s used by industrial rope access or ladder work. It has lanyards which attach the cleaning applicator and squeegee to the unit and the way in which the cleaning equipment is positioned on the Eco Cleaning Unit prevents the cleaning equipment from getting tangled. And of course, it’s easy to use at ground level too!

Who Can Use The Eco Window Cleaning Unit? The Eco Window Cleaning Unit is perfect for anyone who has to clean windows, but is especially useful for window cleaners working at height, whether on ladders or using rope access. It works great inside an office with furniture and computers because you can just walk around without disturbing the occupants and with no risk to their work.

For janitors working internally on stairs, lifts and communal areas, the same benefits apply; easily transportable and no spillage. It just slips over your shoulder and you’re good to go!

There’s no need to refill the water and the pump, microjets and flushing mechanism mean that you’ll be cleaning windows with less water, clean water and getting a better finish. You can even use it at home, flush it out and store it in the cupboard easily. This really is window cleaning for the 21st Century.

About the inventor: Clyde Jordan has been a commercial abseiler for the last 10 years; these are the guys you see abseiling down the sides of tall buildings doing whatever work they have been contracted for. Commercial abseilers have to be multi-disciplined by the nature of their work and may be called upon to repair masonry and brickwork, welding, painting, installing glass panels and more, but window cleaning is a big part of the work as there really isn’t a more practical solution, particularly nowadays as building shapes and sizes are becoming more adventurous! Clyde became acutely aware of the problems facing the “rope access” technicians when it came to window cleaning, and he set out to to solve the problems.

• A standard bucket isn’t made for working at height
• It uses a lot of water
• The water gets dirty, so you end up cleaning glass with dirty water
• The equipment (applicator and squeegee) are always getting tangled up
• It’s just plain uncomfortable

Clyde decided there was a better way of doing it. From initial idea, home-made designs, concepts and prototype testing has taken 7 years.

Clyde Jordan at work in London, with 30 St Mary Axe behind aka "the Gherkin."

The Story Behind The Eco Window Cleaning Unit: I made the first prototype by hand, making my own holster, using bottles and copper tubes to see what worked and through relentless testing, I found what worked…but it was too bulky so I needed to scale it down. Once I found one that I was confident in, I sent it off to a design company who came up with some further enhancements. This company helped me through the patent process and they made the first prototype. We had to change the whole design before coming up with the current system; for instance, one of the things we’d not considered in the early stage was the ease of use whether someone was right or left handed. The final design addressed this.We still needed a few things tweaked but it gave us enough to get a price for manufacturing in bulk. The manufacturers suggested some more refinements with their experience of tooling, manufacturing and shipping and we got another prototype made. 

The whole process including prototypes, design, patent attorneys, has taken 7 years. I’ve even had to buy products so that I can use different components. For example, I bought a hoover for £80 just to experiment with a spring inside! There are so many things I bought just to get stripped down parts because I had to get a working prototype for myself before I could even look at using a professional design company. I tested it myself on a window cleaning round initially and then a few of my friends working in rope access caught up with what I was using and asked if they could try it so I made a few for them.

They came back with great feedback such as “This isn’t quite balanced” or “You’ve got a problem with this not sitting right” so I was able to change it and give it back to them, tweaked to their requirements. In fact, a few of them are still using them a year later! The best story I have is their use on the Shard in London. I’d been working offshore and I was asked to help clean the glass panels on the Shard They had problems cleaning the windows on The Shard because it was a new building and all the glass had been kept in the yard so it was pretty dirty when it was installed. The way the building is constructed, it was only possible to clean one panel at a time, and with a long transfer time between panels including changing water, one guy managed 3-4 daily, which equated to £30-40 – not a lot of window cleaning income. Then there was the problem of guys dropping their tools because the applicator and the squeegee were getting tangled.

So I spoke to the man who was in charge of the contract, and I showed him what the unit does and he asked me for some right there! I made 15 units and sold them to him and it improved the job so much that he actually won the window cleaning contract because he included details of the unit in his risk assessment. The clients were blown away by the safety aspects as you can imagine from a Health and Safety perspective, objects falling from a building can have dramatic consequences. From a efficiency point of view, the amount of window panels cleaned daily per man went up from 3 to 4 to 20! That’s a massive timesaver because there was no need to stop and change the water.

I truly believe the Unit can transform the working practices and livelihoods of those window cleaning at height.

Clyde Jordan

Inventor and Founder

Our Toxic World

The argument for bucket & squeegee.

Our toxic world (Part 10): Indoor Air Pollutants Up Close: The degree of air pollution indoors is worse than outdoors. Inside the buildings and in our homes, the toxins are trapped in enclosed spaces. This is the reason they tend to be more concentrated. Our kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, bedrooms and living areas are prime targets of indoor toxins. Most of them are petrochemicals, which are the intermediate derivatives from petroleum, hydrocarbon liquids or natural gas. Most of them are from the wide variety of products we use for cleaning. The following list was culled from the book Green This, authored by Deirdre Imus, who runs an environmental center for kids with cancer in New Jersey.  Be conscious of reading the labels and avoid the products that contain them.

Aerosol Propellants (iso butane, butane, propane). Effects:  Irritation of the eyes, airways, asthma and lung disease. Sources:  Oven, carpet and upholstery cleaners, furniture polishes and waxes, air fresheners and insecticides.

Alkylphenolic  Compounds. Effects: Disruption of hormone signals that regulate reproduction and development. Sources: All-purpose cleaners, laundry detergents.

Ammonia. Effects: Irritation of the skin, eyes and airways, and pulmonary edema. Sources: Automatic dishwasher detergents, window cleaners, furniture polishes and waxes, metal cleaners.

Chlorine Bleach. Effects: Local irritation affecting the skin eyes and airways. Sources: Bleaching or whitening products and laundry detergents.

Chloroform. Effects: Nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, respiratory problems; in extreme cases—cancer, liver and kidney damage, heart problems, even death. Sources: Fabric softeners.

Colors and Dyes. Effects: Skin and eye irritation, contact allergy, even cancer. Sources: All-purpose cleaners, hand dishwashing liquids, fabric softeners.

Crystalline Silica. Effects: Irritation of the skin, eyes and airways. Sources: All-purpose cleaners.

Diethanolamin. Effects: Possible cancer. Sources: All-purpose cleaners, hand dishwashing liquids, personal-care products.

Dioxane (also known as diethylene oxide, dioxide, or ether). Effects: Suppressed immune system, cancer. Sources: Window cleaners.

Dioxin (the most dangerous man-made chemical). Effects: Birth defects, development delays, damage to the immune, reproductive and respiratory systems. Sources: Any cleaning product labeled “antibacterial” or “antimicrobial.”

D-limoneme. Effects: Skin and eye irritation.Sources: All-purpose cleaners, fabric softeners.

Ethylacetate. Effects: Headache, stupor, irritation of the eyes and airways. Sources: Fabric softeners.

Formaldehyde. Effects: Severe irritation of the skin, eyes and airways, skin allergies, asthma,  pulmonary edema. Sources: Air fresheners, disinfectants, spray starches; off-gassing furniture, dry-cleaned clothes and upholstery.

Hydrochloric acid. Effects: Highly irritant to the skin (on contact) and to the eyes and airways via fumes. Sources: Toilet bowl, aluminum and oven cleaners, and rust removers.

Hydrofluoric acid. Effects: Extremely irritant to the skin and eyes. Sources: Metal cleaners and polishes.

Kerosene. Effects: Damage to lungs and nerves. Sources: Kerosene itself or component of furniture polishes and waxes.

Linalool. Effects: Nervous system disorders. Sources: Fabric softeners

Methanol (methyl alcohol, wood alcohol). Effects: Neurotoxin and skin irritant. Sources: Window cleaners.

Methylene chloride. Effects: Possible cancer. Sources: Air fresheners and any artificial fragrances.

Morpholine. Effects: Irritation of the skin, mucous membranes and eyes; liver and kidney damage. Sources: All-purpose cleaners, furniture polishes and waxes.

Naphthalene. Effects: Skin and eye irritation including corneal damage and cataracts; liver and kidney damage; damage to the fetus via maternal blood; nervous system disorders; hemolytic anemia. Sources: Moth balls, air fresheners, deodorizers, carpet and toilet bowl cleaners.

Optical brighteners (synthetic chemicals used to brighten clothes). Effects: Allergies. Sources: Laundry detergents.

Organic Solvents. Effects: Nerve toxicity, depression. Sources: All-purpose cleaners, metal polishes, dry-cleaning fluids.

Oxalic acid. Effects: Gastrointestinal problems. Sources: Metal polishes and cleaners.

Paradichlorobenzene or PDCB. Effects: Liver and kidney damage, hormone disruption, cancer; vapors irritate skin, eyes and airways. Sources: Moth repellants, insecticides, air fresheners, toilet deodorizers.

Pentachlorophenol. Effects: Irritation of skin and airways, headache, sweating, weakness and gasping; liver and kidney damage. Sources: Spray starch.

Perchloroethylene, or PERC. Effects: Irritation of the skin, eyes and airways; damage to the liver, kidneys and the nervous system; hormone disruption, and cancer. Sources: Spot removers, de-greasers, dry-cleaning fluids, carpet cleaners.

Phenol. Effects: Highly toxic irritant to the skin, eyes and airways, bronchitis, pulmonary edema, convulsions, shock, coma, even death. Sources: All sorts of cleaners, polishes, disinfectants and fabric softeners.

Phosphoric acid. Effects: Eye, skin and airway irritation. Sources: Toilet bowl cleaners, metal polishes, fabric softeners.

Sodium bisulfate. Effects: Respiratory problems including asthma attacks; damage to the skin, eyes and internal organs if swallowed. Sources: Toilet bowl cleaners and deodorizers, drain cleaners.

Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda or lye). Effects: Skin, eye and airway irritation; lung damage, blindness, even death if swallowed. Sources: Dishwashing liquids and detergents, laundry soaps; oven, tile and tub cleaners, toilet bowl deodorizers.

Sulfuric acid. Effects: Burns, eye damage even blindness. Sources: Metal polishes and drain cleaners.

Synthetic Pine Oil. Effects: Eye irritation. Sources: Air fresheners.

Thioureas. Effects: Thyroid enlargement, bone marrow depression. Sources: Metal polishes and cleaners.

Toluene aka Xylene. Effects: Neurotoxin, carcinogen. Sources: Stain removers.

Trichloroethane (TCA). Effects: Skin irritation, dryness, cracking, inflammation; eye and airway irritation; liver and kidney damage and birth defects on heavy exposure.  Sources: Furniture polishes and waxes, stain removers.

Triethanolamine. Effects: Skin, eye and airway irritation. Sources: All-purpose and carpet cleaners.

Trisodium  phosphate. Effects: Local irritations, breathing problems including asthma, and damage to the mouth, throat and stomach. Sources: All-purpose cleaners.

Dr. Ginsberg presented his book, What's Toxic What's Not, co-authored with Brian Toal, and discussed a number of frequently asked questions and myths the book addresses, ranging from asbestos, power lines and cancer clusters to radon, pesticides and mold. The increasing concern for sustainable environmental practices has been steadily gaining public attention over the last few decades in what Dr. Ginsberg described as the "green wave." But pseudo-environmental practices used by companies trying to appear environmentally concerned are sabotaging progress through a practice he calls "green-washing." He used as a window-cleaning product touting its use of vinegar as an eco-friendly product as an example of green-washing. "When I researched it and contacted them [the producer], vinegar was the last and smallest ingredient and the thing that did most of the cleaning was this industrial solvent that was always in the product," he said.

Thinking environmentally: Catching the "green wave" is really about new ways of thinking, he said. Homeowners associations and neighborhoods that prohibit clothes lines are key examples of an old way of thinking that needs to be replaced by new values, he said. "A new way of thinking is we see wind turbines on a ridge line and rather than people objecting to that as something that mars their view of their yacht when they're off of Nantucket, they see that as the way things ought to be, as a beautiful thing that people are using the wind and the sun," he said. He referenced the Kennedy family's opposition to wind power development off Cape Cod. "Sometimes the way things were, are the way things ought to be," he said.

DIY Traditional Mobile Bucket

You may remember Lewis Doubtfire (pictured) of Gleem-Clean from a previous blog & his inspirational use of a pressurised water fed pole system for getting water to the glass. Lewis has taken it upon himself to emulate both the Leif cart & the Quadropod made by Sörbo to come up with something rather unique that is lacking in the market-place.

Lewis says: "It looks overkill, but I've persevered more than 3 years ago on my original Model." "The designs a `tad`improved as the bucket is detachable." "The bucket height is also easily made adjustable." "The higher you have it - the better it is I find." Not only has Lewis incorporated a pole holder, two buckets on a belt & the most obvious benefit of having the bucket at a workable height, but he's also made it easier for transporting from one location to another. It can also be laid down for 'dunking' your strip washer as shown in the last photo. Click on the pictures to enlarge.

Lewis originally made the trolley public at the "water fed pole training academy" - in the traditional section of the forum. Full details of what you need & how to make the trolley can be found there. The Water fed pole training academy have recently surpassed the 1000 member mark & have just finished a competition to find the best flyer. Well done Jeff & Joe! It's easy to join up & only takes a minute, just click on the link below to take you there.

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Everything is Pointless

I've copied this title from another blog with this headline title, because after listening to the window cleaning business coach today, I felt that little things do matter & although not directly related may change the way you work with a little more care.

This was news back in May, 2007 when a window cleaner drowned in his own bucket & not an urban myth as some people seem to think. I've been seeing for a while now 'caution stickers' on window cleaners buckets aimed at protecting young children generally, but never the less, its another small detail that should be considered when working & being aware of whats happening around you. Infact drowning in buckets for children occured in 16% of all cases according to this American report from 1995 due to 'head weight' of much youger children.

A window cleaner drowned in his bucket of water after suddenly collapsing while he worked, an inquest heard. Mark Fairhurst, 35, of Wigan, Greater Manchester, was found by customer Elizabeth Bebe in June 2006 with his head submerged in water. Bolton Coroner's Court heard that a heart condition caused the collapse but the cause of death was drowning because he had been unable to save himself. The jury returned a unanimous verdict of accidental death. The father-of-one, of Fowler Close, Scholes, was working at the home of Miss Bebe in Whelley, near Wigan. She told the inquest: "I went outside to hang some washing at the back when I saw a ladder propped up against the wall. "I then saw Mark lying on the ground motionless, with his arms tucked in and his head tilted to the right inside the bucket. "It looked like he had been in that position for some time. I went to call a neighbour who then called the ambulance and the police." Miss Bebe told the jury she thought Mr Fairhurst may have fallen while on the ground, rather than from his ladder. The hearing also heard that the window cleaner had complained about heart palpitations earlier in the year but had not told his doctor. Pathologist Dr Charles Wilson told the jury he had been informed that Mr Fairhurst had been assaulted in August 2005 which had led to memory problems. He said he could not rule out the incident being linked to his blackout - but was satisfied there was no foul play.

AquaGo!

The AguaGo! allows rapid filling of a bucket without having to lift it into the sink. Simply attach the rubber cap & the bucket can be filled safely on the ground. Another initiative from Ionics. Its ideal for filling at a small basin (that won't fit the bucket) without having to lift it into the sink.