Gutter Season

With gutter season upon us WCR has rolled out some new videos that go in-depth with one of the  popular selling gutter vacuum and pole sets available on the market.

We hope you enjoy them and learn a thing or two. Check out the videos below:

Lucky Escapes For Amateurs

PRECARIOUS: Serangoon residents were shocked to see a maid balancing on a window sill to do cleaning.

Maid's safety in the balance for 15 minutes: Residents of an HDB estate in Serangoon were shocked to see a domestic worker balancing precariously on a ledge to clean windows on Saturday. The incident occurred at about 2.30pm at an eighth-floor unit of Block 539 in Serangoon North Avenue 4, Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News reported yesterday.

Ms He, a 40-year-old housewife who lives at a block opposite, told Shin Min that she saw a maid climbing outside to clean the windows. "To see that maid standing on the window sill, grabbing on to the window to clean it without any safety measures on the eighth floor, it really frightened me," she added. She said she had wanted to go over to stop the maid but changed her mind when she saw that there seemed to be other people in the unit.

Another resident, Mr Chen, a 45-year-old construction worker, had also witnessed the maid's actions. "I wanted to shout at her to ask her not to do that, but I was worried that if I did, disaster may follow if she got frightened so I could only watch." Mr Chen added that the maid had spent about 15 minutes wiping the windows, most of the time squatting on the sill.

Madam He said this was the first time that she had seen the domestic worker carry out such a dangerous act. "Luckily, she climbed down safely in the end, much to my relief," she added.

Shin Min approached the maid's employer, who said that the woman had worked at his home for about five months. He said the maid was hard-working although they had some difficulty communicating.

After he saw the picture of the maid cleaning the window, the employer was shocked and said that he did not know she had done such a thing. He was normally away from home during the day, with only his mother and children around. He added that he would advise the maid to be more careful and that he had instructed her not to clean the windows' exterior since it would rain anyway.

Another lucky escape for those DIY amateurs. See below for video.

Lucky Escape For Man Stuck in Compost Bin: This guy stood on top of a compost bin so he could clean his gutters. However, the bin couldn't handle his weight, so he fell through and got stuck. He called for his family to help him, but all they did was laugh at his misery. This homeowner got away lightly & shows another case of how hiring a professional to do the job over DIY can pay for itself many times over.

This could have turned out very badly, luckily the man fell in such a way that he didn't harm himself. But in a lot of cases were knee flex is restricted when landing can cause serious damage. Extended knee landing results in serious deformation of the meniscus and cartilage and increases the risk of bone-to-bone contact and serious knee injury when the load exceeds the threshold safety height. This risk is considerably greater than the risk of injury associated with walking downhill or flexion landing activities.

Tricks Of The Gutter Clean Con Men

Aftermath... The mess left behind at the home of the elderly couple who were almost duped out of £3,000. “I want all households to be aware that this could happen to them, the men were very nice, they looked very presentable."

Conmen try to scam thousands out of blind pensioner and wife: Fraudsters tried to con £3,000 out of a blind Nuneaton pensioner and his wife. The 85-year-old man and his wife, who did not want to be named, have been unable to sleep since the incident , which took place on June 18. They have spoken about their ordeal in a bid to highlight the tricks used and ensure no-one else is duped.

The pensioner said: “He was an Irish chap and he said ‘good morning to you’ he was very nice. He said that they were going all the way up the street, to the top of the street, cleaning gutters. “He said that they would clean my veranda and the bit around the corner for £5, and that they would make a good job of it. “He said he would be back at 9am on Monday and so I said ‘yes’, fair enough if he was only going to charge a fiver. “We normally get the window cleaner to do it, but we haven’t seen him for about two months, so I thought ‘why not’.

“On Monday one of them went up the ladders and came down with bits of wood, grass and bits of black roofing felt with holes in it, “The boss man of them said ‘I don’t know what you are going to do with the state of things up there’. “He said that is it rotting and going to go through next door, and we would have to repair their roof as well. “My wife couldn’t believe it, she said that there is no way all of that rubbish had come out of our gutter.”

The workman was insistent that they needed to carry out repair works to the roof and it would cost £2,850. Fortunately, the pensioner had phoned his grandson while the incident was ongoing and he told the men he was coming over to have a look. He added: “That is when they scarpered, they literally disappeared, I didn’t even have chance to get the registration number on the van. “I haven’t been able to sleep, it has knocked me for six.

“God forbid that they try this on someone else and they fall for it, I hope that by talking about it, I have done my duty for the rest of the public.” All three men were wearing red caps, with oatmeal coloured zip-up jackets with a logo on it. Despite not falling for the con, the couple have suffered as a result of the trick - all of the fascias at the front of the home have been damaged and will need replacing. “I am convinced that they backed the van up to the house and put all of that rubbish up on the roof, and then brought it down,” the OAP added. “They have left a lot of mess and some damage and they didn’t even clean the guttering.”

Cameras & Drones

Cameras & drones, commonly used by window cleaners.

DeHart: Gutter maintenance using camera-assisted vacuum - Grant Baudais has started a new property maintenance service business, Select Property Maintenance Services. Their focus is on gutter cleaning, power washing, window washing and other services around the home or business. 

They use unique equipment in their business, including a vacuum system that allows them to clean gutters from the ground using a commercial vacuum system with minimal use of ladders with a remote wireless camera system which aids in monitoring the cleaning of the gutter to ensure all materials are removed. A surface cleaner power washes decks, patios, sidewalks, driveways and other hard surfaces cleaning ground in dirt, moss and other stains. Their website is active and changing daily as they add more information, pictures and videos.

Window cleaner, Sam Luff with his drone.

Redhill window cleaner captures stunning aerial photos of Surrey with drone: These pictures were not taken from a helicopter or a fancy Google satellite, but by a Redhill window cleaner with his feet on the ground. Sam Luff has shot these stunning aerial images thanks to a drone – a light flying robot with a built-in camera – which he has used to capture East Surrey from a different perspective.

The 31-year-old, of Rathgar Close, first picked up the hobby two years ago when his girlfriend bought him a toy drone which could fit into the palm of his hand. After mastering the controls, Sam invested in the hobby-grade Phantom, which he now uses to photograph some of Surrey's most impressive landscapes and buildings, from sprawling Royal Earlswood Park to a calm and reflective Watercolour estate. Even Redhill and Reigate at night could be mistaken for inner-city locations.

Sam, who ditched a desk job after 13 years in favour of a working life outdoors, told the Mirror: "Being my own boss means I get to plan my own days. I take my drone out with me. Whenever I get half an hour or there's something interesting, I just throw it up and see what's there." He added: "I like photography anyway and the drone is an extension of that. You have full manual controls on the camera, shutter speed and exposure value – it's not just a phone camera. "I don't think most people care if I accidentally take a photo of them. If I'm hovering near their windows, that's a different thing altogether."

Reigate at night.

The device, which resembles a space probe, is limited to travel 400ft up in the air, 500m away from the controls, and move at a top speed of 30mph. Civilian use of drones has been growing, leading to the Civil Aviation Authority, which polices UK airspace, to draw up regulations.

Sophisticated models like Sam's, which are synced with a mobile phone app, have GPS technology which stops the drone from entering no-fly zones. He said: "If I take off from Horley and try to fly towards Gatwick, once it gets within 4 or 5km the whole unit restricts itself. It knows it's at Gatwick and restricts how fast and how high and how far it is from the controller. When you get to within 2km, if I was going to be careless and stupid, it would hit a geofence and it won't fly any further."

And with a live video feed to the mobile, drone controllers know exactly where they are. There's even a button to press to bring the drone back to where it took off. Sam said it means there is "no excuse" for reckless drone users.

Sam Luff, inset, takes stunning images of Surrey with his drone.

Last month, a police investigation was launched after a British Airways pilot reported a possible drone strike on a plane landing at Heathrow. Sam said: "It upsets me more than anything. It's idiots like them that may destroy the hobby. I do everything by the book. It's upsetting that anyone would fly a drone at a commercial airline."

He added: "You should know exactly what it's doing. It tells you if you're in a restricted area. There's lot of information and maps and where exactly the no-fly zones are. There's actually quite a lot of intelligence in it."

Also see:
Cumbrian Business is in the Gutter
Drones Cleaning Windows
Umbilical Drones For Window Cleaning & Painting
Drones - Window Cleaning Add-On

The insect-like micro aerial vehicle (MAV) generates a static charge for attaching to surfaces, similar in principle to static cling from a balloon. Video here.

Flying Mini-Robots Can Cling to Your Window - A new type of micro aerial vehicle saves precious power by perching on leaves or walls instead of hovering: Birds and bees make perching look easy, but creating a tiny aerial drone that can land on—and then re-launch from—a wall, tree branch or other surface takes a lot of work. Such micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) have previously used spikes or magnetic landing gear, and expend a lot of precious power to take flight again. But researchers from Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and several other institutions have created a minuscule wing-flapping robot that literally turns the problem on its head—with a disklike top that can cling to most surfaces using static electricity, much like rubbing a balloon and sticking it onto a wall.

The “electroadhesive” MAV can hang from the bottom of a wood or glass surface, or even a tree leaf, by creating electrostatic attraction between the surface and the electrode in its head. The power needed to maintain the electrostatic connection is “three orders of magnitude” less than that required to keep the MAV in flight for the same amount of time, the researchers wrote in a report published Thursday in Science. “Running out of power becomes a bigger problem the smaller the vehicle is,” says Moritz Alexander Graule, one of the report’s co-authors and a PhD student in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.

The ability to hang from a structure rather than rest on top also provides the MAV with a less-obstructed view of the area below and protection from extreme weather conditions during long perching sessions. The headfirst electrostatic approach works by changing the charge distribution of the material to which it is clinging, Graule says. This works best with a smooth texture, so the drone can adhere better to something like a window than to a rough or porous surface. The MAV’s electroadhesive connection is not particularly strong, however, which means the drones need to weigh in at roughly 84 milligrams—less than a bee. In order to relaunch the drone cuts power to the circular copper electrodes in its disk and restarts its wings.

Other aerial mini drones under development use more mechanical approaches to perching. Stanford University’s scansorial UAV uses onboard sensors to detect a wall, for example, and then performs an inflight maneuver to land and cling using microspines on its legs, according to Mirko Kovac, an engineering professor at Imperial College London’s Department of Aeronautics. Kovac’s article in this week’s Science analyzes the latest developments in MAV flight. In terms of energy conservation other ideas under consideration include leveraging wind gusts to alleviate flight strain on batteries or even developing ways for smaller MAVs to perch on larger ones midflight so they can travel greater distances without using additional energy, Kovac says.

The big remaining challenges for the researchers involve integrating a battery and microprocessor that can make their MAV more autonomous. The current mini drone relies on a wire tether to deliver power and data from external sensors to determine its position while flying but the researchers want to build a battery-powered version with enough onboard power and intelligence to fly untethered. They have also considered the possibility of enabling the drone to stick to vertical surfaces as well. The ability to cling to a wall requires not only more adhesive power but also a way for the MAV to orient itself so that its wings do not interfere with the landing.

Such a drone might be one or two years away in the lab, and as long as a decade away from being ready for more widespread development and use, says Robert Wood, the project’s principal investor and a professor at Harvard’s Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “I see applications in search and rescue, hazardous environment exploration—basically any situation where you want to have low cost and distributed sensing [that] would be too difficult or too dangerous for a human,” Wood says. He believes more immediate benefits from this research will come from solving the technological challenges of developing devices at this scale from scratch. Wood and his colleagues now use the microfabrication techniques developed to build their MAV to likewise create articulated and sensor-laden microsurgical tools geared toward minimally invasive surgical procedures.

Spring Gutter & Roof Cleaning

 Jeffrey Hausmann, pressure supervisor at Custom Window Cleaning and Property Maintenance, scrapes the moss off of a roof in Eugene. For many window cleaners in the US, winter/spring is the perfect time to offer roof/gutter cleaning.

Time to tidy up the roof - Dos, don’ts from Lane County experts for removing moss and keeping gutters flowing free: Trees can be hard enough on roofs, what with their falling needles, leaves and limbs. But even worse, usually, is a silent plague bred by dark and moist Willamette Valley days.

“The last two winters have been ridiculous,” declares roof-maintenance specialist Doug Holston. “Moss has grown on everything. If you have wet, warm, mild winters, you’re going to have more moss growing.” The only way for homeowners to know how their roofs have fared against moss, debris and wind over the winter is to have a look.

Workers use harnesses and safety ropes when cleaning a steep roof.

Leave inspections of steep roofs to the pros, implores Holston, owner of Custom Window Cleaning and Property Maintenance in Eugene. His crews harness themselves to anchored ropes for their own safety on slippery pitches.

Homeowners with milder roof pitches — 5/12 or less — can venture a look-see themselves if confident of their balance on both roof and ladder. “Be sure it’s not too steep and slippery, and that you have your tennis shoes on,” advises John Davey, co-owner of long-time River Roofing in Springfield.

Autumn and spring are the best times to go up top and inspect. “At least get up there once a year,” Davey advises. “This is a great time right now, with spring arriving. You can check on any damage from winter weather and clear off debris that’s accumulated up there.”

Moss actually eats away at the roof, causing it to deteriorate faster.

Kill and remove moss

The bane of rooftops in Oregon is moss. When dampness accumulates on a shaded area, moss breeds, potentially causing long-term damage to roof shingles and support structure. Before moss digs in and spreads, kill the growth.

Most moss-control products contain zinc sulfate. “Green” treatments, such as sprays of diluted white vinegar and baking soda, can be effective, too. However, alternative moss control solutions can void the warranty on some brands of asphalt shingles, so be sure to read the fine print before application.

“Whether you use those natural products or a chemical moss killer from the store, in about six weeks the moss will die and then you can go up there and scrape it off,” Davey says. What you absolutely must not do with a composition shingle roof is use a pressure washer to remove debris. Pressure washing can damage asphalt shingles and cause the roof to leak. Davey recommends a stiff broom and a small, light steel brush. “Work (the moss) loose, but don’t get too aggressive with it,” he says.

Pressure washing is OK on roofs of cement, steel, concrete or metal, but even then Davey recommends an initial cleaning followed by a light wash.

While pressure washers should never be used to clean an asphalt-shingle roof, it is OK to remove debris with an air blower.

Clean gutters crucial

Clogged gutters can cause rainwater to seep under a roof’s fascia and rot the wood. Gutters and downspouts should be cleaned at least once a year. Examine both the gutters and the downspouts for leaks and gaps in the seams.

“Gutters used to be installed with silicone, but now we use an aluminum-based sealant that stays pliable during temperature changes,” says Kelly Carter, who, with her husband, owns and runs Hedge Carter’s Continuous Gutter Service based in Dorena. “You won’t get the leaks you did in the past.”

Larger gutter spouts also are now available, “and that makes it much easier to clean and maintain,” she adds. Wire-mesh screens and some other gutter coverings can help keep needles, leaves and limbs from clogging drainage. But any covering requires periodic cleaning.

“There is no maintenance-free gutters, screens or anything else, no matter what anyone tells you,” Holston says. “Nothing is maintenance free.” Always make sure that gutters and downspouts lead water away from the home and its foundation, and that brackets hold downspouts tightly against the house.

Maintenance on steep roofs should be left to pros with proper safety equipment. Upkeep on roofs with milder pitches, at 5/12 are less, is within the realm of homeowners confident of their balance on roof and ladder. 

Check for wear and tear, too

With spring, also check your roof for missing or damaged shingles. Quick replacement helps to prevent water damage that might result when rainwater pools around curled or missing shingles. Also, be sure metal flashing remains intact around vents, exhaust pipes and chimneys. Check to see that the flashing isn’t bent, and existing sealant isn’t dried up or loose.

Seal cracked mortar or caulking around joints and chimneys if there are signs of deterioration. New sealants are extremely flexible in hot and cold weather, and are much more durable than their predecessors, Davey says.

He suggests using polyurethane sealants rather than the more traditional roof mastic. “These newer polyurethane options have a tendency to stick better to brick, glass, wood and shingles,” Davey explains, “and they have a longer life.”

Trim trees so their limbs do not overhang the roof and shower it with needles or leaves. And keep an eye out for animal damage, too. Various birds and insects love your roof and its underpinnings.

Three For Friday

Debris scooped out from Dane Mitchell's gutter goes in to an Ettore window cleaners bucket.

Recent rain means big business for gutter cleaning services  (DALLAS) -  Dane Mitchell has been meaning to clean out the gutters of his North Dallas home. Take one look at his roof, and you'll understand why he's been putting it off – it's tall and steep. "I'd get me a ladder from Home Depot and do it myself, but here I am three years later and I've never touched it," Mitchell said. Thursday he brought in a professional. Mark Brown of Brown's Painting and Window Cleaning is a tough get these days. "It won't stop ringing, I've got 20 calls, I'll go spend a whole day doing estimates and I've got another 15 to 20 calls," he said.

Brown's company has been around for 22 years. The most recent storms have produced the most water he's ever seen. He's one of a half-dozen cleaning crews we called that's all booked up. "Some people have even told me, they've never even thought about cleaning their gutter until all this rain," Brown said. Mitchell admits, he's one of those people. He's watching safely from the ground as Brown carefully scales a two story ladder to investigate. "When it shoots past my gutters and doesn't even stop and doesn't collect and doesn't go down the downspouts, then I'm kind of concerned that there is some blockage there," Mitchell said.

Mitchell was right, and the proof is in the yellow bucket. "And this is just leaf debris and stuff that comes out of the gutters, that was just across four or five feet," Brown said. Debris that Brown says will eventually weigh down the roof and damage the gutters. And standing water isn't good either, it provides a breeding ground for mosquitoes. When Mitchell's gutters were clear, Brown was off to the next house with weeks of backed up drains ahead of him.

In 1915, a small window cleaning company was cleaning the dirt and smoke generated from gaslights off of buildings in downtown Grand Rapids, MI. 

Happy 100th birthday... how a small Grand Rapids window cleaning company grew to one of the largest cleaning operations in Michigan: In 1915, a small window cleaning company was cleaning the dirt and smoke generated from gaslights off of buildings in downtown Grand Rapids, MI.  Now, that same company, Grand Rapids Building Services, is turning 100 this year. How did a once modest company turn into one of the oldest and largest custodial contractors in the Midwest?

Versatility:  GRBS has always demonstrated an ability to serve a wide range of clients. The facilities in their repertoire are quite diverse, ranging from universities and K-12 school districts to office, government, medical and light industrial buildings. The custodial team has prevailed over a century by proving they can meet the challenges of the most demanding industries.

Customer Dedication: The company knows they would not be in business if not for their faithful customers - some of GRBS' clients have trusted in their services for over 50 years, notably 5/3 (Old Kent) bank and the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. You cannot retain decades-long patrons without making dependable customer service a top priority, which is exactly how GRBS approaches every client – old or new.

Employee Care: The people of GRBS think of their employees as family. They believe the key to a successful team is through respect and constant collaboration. Employees are team members, not subordinates. GRBS has only become a better company by believing everyone is integral to their success.

Life Long Learning: Whether it is the always-changing landscape of cleaning technology, equipment or chemistry, GRBS has stayed ahead of the curve by keeping an open mind. By keeping up with contemporary practices, the company has not only been able to succeed for a century, but also expand. They currently service over 30 million square feet throughout Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, and have a team of over 1,300 employees.

This little company out of Grand Rapids has grown to be a custodial force in the Midwest. And it is these core beliefs that have allowed Grand Rapids Building Services to become the model for longevity and success. Yes, they have set new standards for the custodial industry, but any small business with large goals can learn from GRBS' dedication to keeping an open mind, and most of all, treating clients and employees like friends and family.

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Men in Kilts blow into Houston and they're ready to do some heavy-duty cleaning: Making household maintenance fashionable and fun, an all-male crew of professional cleaning technicians, Men In Kilts, hits Houston today. They not only do windows but, in a nod to company founder Nicholas Brand’s Scottish ties, all employees do their chores while rockin' a tartan plaid kilt.  Men In Kilts enters the Texas market thanks to Houston oil and gas entrepreneur — and kilt enthusiast — Bob Cavnar (pictured), who is often seen wearing the Scottish garb at black-tie events around town.

“Three years ago, I saw it (the company) on the national news and really liked the entire concept. First off, because of my own affinity for wearing kilts, and also because of my family’s Scottish background,” Cavnar tells CultureMap. With his interest peaked, Cavnar flew to Vancouver to meet with the founder. “I really wanted to have a piece of the action because I thought it would be fun. But at the time, I was still heavy in the oil business and didn’t have time. Now I do, so I bought the Houston franchise and plan to expand to all the major metropolitan areas in Texas.“

As for putting together his merry band of kilted men, Cavnar says, “My target employee is military veterans (via organizations such as the Lone Star Veterans Association) and young guys looking for direction. This gives me a good platform to provide good steady jobs to guys who need them. Anyone who is good shape and doesn’t mind climbing on ladder, I will hire.”

Men In Kilts offers a range of household maintenance services.

The Canada-based franchise, with U.S. outposts in Boston, Jersey Shore, Bucks Montgomery, Pa., and Raleigh, offers services including window cleaning, gutter cleaning and pressure washing for residences and commercial businesses. Prices vary according to the size of the job and such factors as the number and type of windows (large pane, divided, high surface requiring a ladder, etc.), window treatments and screens; when we called to asked about the price for a two-story house with 18 windows (half high surface), the estimate came in at around $350.

Cavnar believes Men In Kits has another advantage in that all workers are fully insured. “We have employees, not contractors, and we do background checks. Everyone who works for Men In Kilts is accountable to me.” As for what the men are wearing underneath those pleated wraparounds, Cavnar says, “We never answer that question. No peeking!”

Three For Friday

The funeral procession for window cleaner Keith Clarke, with his colleague Chris Knowles leads the procession dressed as Elvis.

Sheffield gets All Shook Up with Elvis tribute at superfan’s funeral today: It was a show-stopping final farewell fit for even The King himself. Well-known Sheffield window cleaner - and massive Elvis fan - Keith Clarke was remembered in style this afternoon in an unusual funeral procession through the streets of Intake where he spent years working. Family friend Chris Knowles donned a black jumpsuit and wig while carrying his ladder - watched by onlookers, many Keith’s customers - to lead the procession in a 45-minute tribute to the dad-of-two.

Grandad-of-three Keith, aged 74, lived in Arbourthorne for years and died of terminal cancer. Son Darren Clarke, of Intake, organised the Hollywood-style tribute as a suprise for the family. He said: “Dad had been to Graceland in America with my mum on numerous occasions, I think he’d been about five or six times, he was the biggest Elvis fan you could ever meet. “All the pallbearers are wearing Elvis Presley T-shirts, everything had to be Elvis, Elvis, Elvis for him. “Nobody knew about Chris dressing up as Elvis as it was a last minute surprise.

“Dad did several jobs over the years but for quite some time he was a window cleaner with me in the Intake area, that’s why we wanted to go through all the streets where he used to work. “Dad would have been over the moon to see it - it’s amazing.” The procession made its way from Ridgehill Avenue and through several streets to Newlands Road.

Chris, who has now taken Keith’s place working alongside Darren, then got in one of the limousines which carried on to City Road Cemetery. Money was also raised on the day for St Luke’s Hospice, where Keith died, through collections in window cleaning buckets and a wake is being held afterwoods at The Sherwood pub in Birley. Darren added: “Dad had terminal cancer and it has just been horrendous, he died in St Luke’s. “I think we will have raised quite a lot of money for them from the funeral but I’m also doing a massive walk later in the year from St Luke’s to Bakewell.”

Vanessa Isaac and window cleaner Gareth Windsor.

Torquay Rowcroft patient Gareth marries sweetheart Vanessa and 'now we are complete' - A cancer sufferer who is in end of life care at Rowcroft Hospice has married his fiancee in a fantastic ceremony that made the couple complete. The couple have moved their wedding forward especially because of father-of-two Gareth Windsor's illness. Gareth, 34, and his partner of six years, Vanessa Isaac, 25, both from Torquay, had planned to get married later this year at the Imperial Hotel in Torquay.

However, when Gareth, who suffers from cancer of the bile ducts, saw his condition worsen, they made the decision to get married sooner, and in just eight days planned their wedding. "The main thing was we got married and it was something we wanted to do. "It was very stressful to plan the wedding in eight days but we got it done and we got there in the end.

"The wedding was fantastic and it was a really good day. We went to the Imperial Hotel for the wedding and we had 80 family members and close friends who attended. Afterwards we went to Boots and Laces for a reception and around 500 people attended. "It was really good and we are happy to have got married, and it means a lot that everyone came along in such a short time. "We are thankful for everyone who was there and it was a really good day. We are now complete."

The staff at Rowcroft assisted with the wedding planning by liaising with the Registrar to make them aware of the couple's special circumstances and they exchanged vows on Saturday, and Vanessa said that she wanted to thank them for all the help that they gave them in planning the wedding. The couple, who have a one-year-old son Callum and a three-year-old daughter Frankie, first met six years ago at The Fortune of War pub in Plainmoor, where Vanessa was working as a barmaid.

They have been together ever since, and Gareth, who used to be a window cleaner, said: "I've received the best possible care at Rowcroft, without it I wouldn't have been well enough to get married." Dr George Walker, Consultant in Palliative Medicine at Rowcroft, said: "Our philosophy at the hospice is to make every day the best possible day and we were honoured to play a small part in Gareth and Vanessa's wedding."

Daniel Sharp was left half-a-million pounds by Ronald Butcher.

Pensioner left £500,000 fortune to man who cleared his gutters for free: Daniel Sharp who cleaned an elderly man’s gutters for free has been left a fortune in the man’s will. Ronald Butcher, who was described as a ‘private and quiet man’, left Daniel Sharp £500,000 in his will, claiming a friendship was struck up between the two when Mr Sharp refused payment from the 75-year-old to clean his gutters.

However now the family of Mr Butcher, whose dead body lay undiscovered and decaying in his Enfield home for two months after his death, are disputing the will. They claim Mr Sharp is ‘lying’ about his friendship with the pensioner, who altered his will to include Mr Sharp a few months before his death in 2013, and have asked Judge Leslie Anderson QC to revoke the will in favour of an earlier one which leaves his substantial fortune to them.

Mr Sharp said he was ‘shocked’ by Mr Butcher’s will, however claims he had no influence on his elderly friend’s last minute change to his will. While the family accept that Mr Butcher was of sound mind when the will was made in 2013, they have pointed out the ‘odd’ nature of the alteration, arguing this should ‘excite suspicion’ over Mr Sharp’s involvement. Mr Sharp’s lawyer said of Mr Butcher: ‘He found a male friend in Mr Sharp, somebody he could chat to. They had a shared interest in DIY and he liked to hear about Mr Sharp’s son.

Start-Ups: Gutters, Windows & Power Washing

Business partners, left, Danny Sayer and Sam Cordner from EACM, specialists in gutter vacuuming and external maintenance including window cleaning.

Suffolk plan for Start-up: The founder of a Norfolk start-up business is hoping to clean up by expanding into Suffolk. Sam Cordner set up East Anglia Cleaning and Maintenance about 18 months ago investing nearly £2,000 in specialist gutter cleaning equipment. The 27-year-old took on his friend Danny Sayer, and the pair set up cleaning gutters and homes around North Norfolk. Since then, the business has secured work in Norwich and Great Yarmouth, and now Mr Cordner, from Marsham, near Aylsham, is hoping to win work across the border.

With a limited budget to spend on advertising and marketing, he said he had relied largely on word of mouth to win new work. However, he had recently promoted the company through the Tickles website, which is owned by EDP publishers Archant, and he was also working on developing a website. “It’s a big market because people want it done, but a lot of people haven’t physically got the ladders,” Mr Cordner said. “I already had the van, it was just a case of buying the equipment,” he said. “It’s basically a very large vacuum cleaner, which we can run from the mains or from an adapter.

“We have got telescopic poles and can go up to four storeys comfortably and there’s a camera at the top of the pole. “We did go down the window cleaning side and we do outside maintenance but we want to emphasise this part of the business.”

Mr Cordner, whose father, Stephen, used to run Corton’s Electrical in Aylsham before selling the business, admitted that the recent cold weather had seen work dry up but with spring just around the corner he was confident that the business would resume its growth. “I like the self-employed lifestyle,” he said. “This year we want to branch out into Suffolk and get a bigger van. “We get a lot of jobs by turning up at somebody’s house, and the neighbour comes out and asks us to do their gutters too. The best result we had was doing four houses in a row, when three had asked us if we could do theirs.”

Rich Wallace, owner of Window Genie of North Raleigh works on installing low reflective window film at Catch the Fire Raleigh Thursday, February 14, 2013. Working with him is lead technician Desmond Ellis (not in frame).

Franchising means entrepreneurs don't have to go it alone: (Raleigh) — Rich Wallace wanted to start his own business, but wasn’t sure where to start. At first, Wallace, 34, wanted to open a coffee shop, but his experience was in administration and information technology. So, he decided to explore franchising. “I know how to manage an existing business, but I didn’t know how to get started,” Wallace said. “A franchise system was going to give me the coaching I needed and the freedom I also wanted to run my own business.”

Franchises offer prospective owners the opportunity to go into business for themselves but not by themselves, said Alisa Harrison, senior vice president of communications and marketing for the International Franchise Association. However, it doesn’t guarantee a business’ success, Harrison and others said. Prospective owners need to do research, have enough capital to get the business off the ground, and put time and effort into the endeavor, Harrison and others said. “Make sure you fully understand what it is going to take to be successful, especially in the beginning,” Harrison said.

Franchises accounted for 10.5 percent of businesses with paid employees in the 295 industries from which data were collected in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent statistics. Franchises accounted for nearly $1.3 trillion of the $7.7 trillion in total sales for those industries. U.S. franchise establishments increased by 1.5 percent to 757,055 in 2012, and are expected to grow by 1.4 percent in 2013, according to a report prepared for the IFA. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, survival among independent businesses and franchises is similar; about half of new small businesses survive five years or more and one third survive 10 years or more.

Ted Zoller, a UNC-Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School professor and the director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, said franchise advantages include a template business with a predefined pricing and marketing strategy, and access to market research. The biggest advantage, Zoller said, is the relevance and visibility of the brand. “People know the brand based on its experience with it elsewhere,” Zoller said. “So you can immediately get traction.”

‘Can’t do enough research’ - Franchising includes everything from restaurants and car washes to postal companies and hair salons. With more than 300 different lines of businesses, and in some cases hundreds of companies within those categories, the opportunities abound. Initial investments run between $5,000 and $5 million, Harrison said. Product distribution franchises, including Coca-Cola and Goodyear Tires, are businesses in which the franchisor owns the right to the trademark and sells that right to distribute their product to the franchisee, according to the IFA. 

Business format franchises, such as Wendy’s and Jenny Craig Weight Loss, provide franchisees with a way to operate using the brand name, and often include ongoing assistance with services such as training, product supplies or marketing. Product franchises represent the largest percentage of total retail sales, but business format franchises are the most popular, according to the IFA. Once an entrepreneur decides to move forward, they need to “research, research, and research,” Harrison said. “You just can’t do enough research.” “If you are someone who is very independent and who likes to create and do things your own way, then franchising might not be the best way because the whole point of franchising is to follow a system,” Harrison said.

Most prospective franchisees have a company in mind before they start, but others, such as Wallace, turn to consultants for help. However, some consultants only represent certain brands, Harrison said. “Be aware of that and ask those questions up front and make sure that you are taking advantage of all the companies and brands that are out there,” Harrison said. Also, newcomers should seek the help of an attorney, business broker, or consultant before signing a franchise agreement. “It is a big commitment and it’s very, very important that you understand what you are signing,” Harrison said. Also, potential franchisees should be aware of pitfalls such as taking on the additional risk of buying a location instead of leasing, not having enough cash flow and assuming that the franchise brand is going to carry the business, Zoller said.

Opening the franchise - Wallace sought help from SCORE, which offers free counseling to small businesses, in the summer of 2011. Representatives there directed Wallace to Daniel Prendergast with The Entrepreneur’s Source, a franchisor that offers business coaching and helps connect prospective owners with franchising and business opportunities. Prendergast presented Wallace with three companies, and Wallace decided on Window Genie. “It was pretty clear to me early on that I wanted to be with Window Genie, but I made sure that I fully investigated the other two options,” Wallace said.

Wallace paid about $32,000 to open his North Raleigh store in March. The company’s franchise fees start at $20,000, but Wallace paid more to claim a protected territory of 60,000 homes. No one else can open a Window Genie in those zip codes or advertise in that area, Wallace said. Window Genie supplies Wallace with training and marketing materials. However, he had to pay for equipment, he said. He spent about $7,000 on a Window Genie package of supplies, including a pressure washer and ladders. He also spent about $19,000 on a vehicle and additional marketing materials. Plus, Wallace pays Window Genie a bimonthly royalty fee, which is about 7 percent of his gross profit.

Window Genie gives guidance to ensure that branding and company standards are met, Wallace said. Wallace can run ads, but Window Genie has to approve the artwork. Also, Window Genie requires services to meet its standard, but Wallace handles customer scheduling and management. Wallace hires his employees, but they have to pass a background check and be insured. Wallace has access to the franchise’s experts and technicians, and is part of weekly meetings to discuss best business practices. “They guide. I decide. They approve,” Wallace said.

The team at ClearVue Professional Window Cleaning.

NMSU grad sees clear path to own business (Las Cruces) — Peter Cruz, owner of Clear Vue professional window cleaning company, used to wear a tie to work. The Mayfield High School and New Mexico State University alum studied business and had worked as a CFO and an accountant. Then one day in 2006, someone came up with a unique suggestion. "I was getting tired of being in an office with a tie," Cruz said. "One I day was talking to a friend of mine I went to school with and he was telling me 'You ought to start a window-washing business.' "He was not sure the idea was a good. "I was incredulous," he said. "'Window washing, how can I make a living doing that?'" Even his wife was not sold on the idea.

But Cruz thought more about the suggestion. He knew he had the background to start his own company. "I looked into it and saw the potential," he said. "A lot of people start up a little service business like this and they don't have (background) to do the payroll or the marketing. The business side of it was easy for me." While he had the business acumen, Cruz had to learn the nuts and bolts of window washing. He said he touched base with other people he knew who were in the profession "I had to learn how to window wash, I had some training," he said. "I got videos, DVDs."

Cruz started out as a one-man show. "My very first job was the White Sands Federal Credit Union building (on North Main Street) and they're still our customer," he said. "I was scared. It seemed like a big building." more than six years later he has an eight-person staff. "Now I'm more like 90 percent in the office and 10 percent in the field," Cruz said. "When we have big jobs, I like to be there or at first-time jobs."

Recently Clear Vue cleaned the windows at the new performing arts center at NMSU and will clean the windows at the 10-story Las Cruces Tower (formerly the Wells Fargo Tower). The company will use a lift if necessary or ladders. "The buildings here in Las Cruces are pretty much 99 percent accessible (to us)," Cruz said. The company has clients in Hatch, Truth or Consequences and Silver City as well. It washes the windows on campus at Western New Mexico University in Silver City.

He said his clients are "a good combination" between businesses and houses. "We used to be mostly residential, but now its about 60 percent residential and 40 percent commercial," he said. Cruz said that his company has also expanded its services. "We do air vent cleaning, dryer vent cleaning, window and blind cleaning, things people would ask us about all the time we said 'Let's just add that on,'" he said. "We do window screen repair."

Derek Campbell went door-to-door in Arlington this week telling potential customers about the painting business he plans to start this summer.

Painting service gives collegians chance to run show: Derek Campbell holds nothing in his hands, not even a pen, as he walks door to door to pitch sales for his fledgling painting business. Campbell, 22, of Arlington relies on the power of persuasion and youthful charm. He introduces himself, explains that he is a student at Bentley University in Waltham, and tells potential customers about the business he plans to start this summer. Campbell is one of nearly 100 New England branch managers at Braintree-based Collegiate Entrepreneurs Inc., which describes itself as “the most widely used college painting service” in the Northeast. The company operates almost entirely with college students as managers of small painting ventures. They offer powerwashing including surface preparation, scraping, sanding, priming, caulking, glazing & staining.

Like other students, Campbell was looking for real-world business experience when he signed on with Collegiate Entrepreneurs. He is working with the company, through a training program and his own wintertime sales calls, to start learning the ropes of entrepreneurship. “Bentley teaches you in the classroom but it’s hard to actually translate that in to the real world,” said Campbell. “This gives you the hands-on experience and realization of, ‘Oh! So this is how you run a business.’ ”Collegiate Entrepreneurs, founded in 2000, provides managers with $1 million in liability insurance, workers’ compensation coverage, and a host of marketing materials to help them get started. In return, the company receives a 34 percent cut of revenue.

The typical student-manager’s business grosses about $50,000 a year by painting about 25 houses, according to Collegiate Entrepreneurs. Those student-managers keep about 26 percent of their business revenues, the company said. Collegiate is similar to the better-known College Pro Painters, a larger company with a national presence founded in 1971 that specializes in window cleaning as well as painting. College Pro said its student franchisees paint about 7,000 homes a year, while Collegiate said it paints about 2,150 homes a year. Collegiate has branches throughout the Northeast and California and is opening an office in Maryland this year. The company has received nearly 300 manager applications for about 40 remaining positions, according to Eric Crews, the president and founder of Collegiate.

“The real shift right now is that a lot of different types of students are taking the initiative to learn to run their own business,” Crews said. “We’re seeing students in every major saying, ‘We want to run a business, and want the get the skills that go along with that.’ ”Collegiate reaches out to students by sending e-mails, passing out fliers, working with college career centers, and speaking in classrooms. Campbell heard about the company from an e-mail sent to Bentley students by executive manager Robert LaBrie, who also went to the school and is a veteran of Collegiate’s program.

The company draws student-managers from more than 30 colleges in New England, but LaBrie said Bentley and the University of New Hampshire are two of their best sources for potential managers. “We look for students who are hard-working and motivated, especially those people with a really no-quit attitude,” said LaBrie. “Painting may not be sexy, but these kids are learning what it takes to run a company.”

After an application process that included three interviews, LaBrie decided Campbell, who has worked as an event planner and disc jockey since his sophomore year of high school, fit the bill. Now Campbell is responsible for marketing his business, getting customers, finding and hiring a four-member crew, setting estimates, and landing jobs before the painting season begins. Come summer, he will also be in charge of buying supplies, paying his staff, and maintaining the budgets of his plan.

For now, Campbell is contacting prospects in a door-to-door marketing effort. “When people would ring our doorbell, I know my dad would always yell from the other room, ‘We don’t want any!’ ” he said. “But what I’ve found now is there is nothing more effective than actually going to potential clients directly and making that personal connection.” Campbell has also sent letters to his old friends and neighbors — “anyone I could think of with a house” — posted ads on Craigslist, and passed out countless fliers. He hasn’t nailed down any jobs, but he’s not discouraged. “I’m following up on some pretty solid leads, making sure we turn those into estimates to get some sales,” he said. “Painting might not be my passion, but starting a business is, so this is where I’m starting.”

Window Cleaning News

Nick Florence has turned college football’s most difficult assignment into a season to savor. As the quarterback following Heisman winner Robert Griffin III at Baylor, Florence knew he couldn’t duplicate Griffin’s arm strength or world-class speed or flair for the dramatic. Yet somehow, he just might duplicate some of RG3’s numbers. Going into Thursday’s Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl against UCLA, Florence could conceivably break Griffin’s season records for passing yards and total offense, among others. “He’s been unbelievable,” Baylor coach Art Briles said. “I think he had the toughest job in America to come in and follow a Heisman Trophy winner with all the dynamic qualities that Robert had.”
Then again, Florence knows all about hard jobs. After graduating from South Garland, he delayed enrolling in Baylor as a full-time student for a semester, grayshirting as it’s called. During that time away from school, he worked as a window washer in Waco. “It was mainly residential, two-story houses,” Florence said. “The more experienced guys did the really high ladders. But I did get to see a lot of real cool houses.” Like? “In the main living room of one, it had every type of animal you could imagine,” Florence said. “The coffee table was made from an elephant’s foot. There was a polar bear, all kinds of deer and elk on the walls. It was a sportsman’s paradise. And there was a fireman’s pole connecting the first and second floors.” Florence even re-enacted his window washing memories at Baylor’s practice facility this year for a TV spot. Now he’s leading the nation in total offense, a unique transition from dirty jobs to filthy numbers.

It was the “rescue” that had Ballarat talking yesterday. Cars slowed down and pedestrians turned their gaze skyward as Fred the window cleaner dangled precariously from the edge of one of Ballarat’s tallest buildings. Fred wasn’t worried. The big grin on his face was proof of that. He knew a team of full-time professional firefighters from Ballarat City Fire Brigade were just minutes away to enact his amazing rescue. Yesterday, Fred (the Friendly Rescue Extrication Dummy) became stuck several times at the corner of Dana and Doveton streets, as seven members of the brigade trained for delicate high-angle rescues. Station officer Scott Gambino said the training was used to fine-tune the firefighters’ skills in different disciplines as the summer fire season raged on. “The scenario was that we had a window cleaner up on a building and his harness and rope gear got jammed, so we had to send someone down in our rope rescue gear,” he said. Mr Gambino said yesterday’s drill helped ensure the city’s career firefighters would be ready the next time a real rescue was required. “We get quite a few rescues off roof tops in Ballarat,” he said. “But there are some areas where the truck can’t get to, that’s where we use the rope gear.” Ballarat City Fire Brigade had a minimum of seven staff on duty 24-hours-a-day...lucky for Fred, who was lowered back to earth without any hassle yesterday. “He’s always happy when you bring him down,” Mr Gambino said.

Defendant in court over death plunge: Lawyers have two months to submit their closing arguments in defence of an official, who is accused of manslaughter after a window-cleaner plunged 17 floors to his death. The Bahraini, 34, appeared in the Lower Criminal Court yesterday in connection with the death of Pakistani Mohammed Shafique Siddique, 47, who was cleaning the windows of Al Rossais Tower in the Diplomatic Area when one of the cables of a suspended platform he was working on snapped on May 27. The impact of the fall was so severe that his body was not in one piece. According to court documents, Mr Siddique was unable to hold on to anything as he was not wearing safety gear. The defendant, who was the building's administrative director, has also been accused of violating Labour Ministry rules by using the victim without a work permit, violating safety rules by not providing safety equipment to him and not maintaining them. The Bahraini was earlier released from police custody after having a travel ban imposed on him. The case was adjourned until March 31.

Two Hull firms and a company director have been sentenced for joint safety failings relating to the death of a worker who plummeted more than eight metres through a fragile rooflight while cleaning gutters. The image shows the shattered rooflight where Kevin Jackson fell; a father of five, suffered multiple injuries including several fractures of his skull, 15 broken ribs and severe damage to his lungs and other internal organs. He died in hospital the same day. The Health Safety Executive yesterday prosecuted director Shaun Cavill, his company Cavill Property Maintenance, and Garthwest, after investigating the incident which occurred in October 2009. Hull Crown Court was told that Kevin Jackson and a colleague had been hired by Cavills and director Shaun Cavill to clean the gutters and roof of Garthwest's factory in Rotterdam Road. The workers were not given any safety equipment, no protection measures were provided to reduce the risk of falling, and neither man had been trained to work safely at height. Mr Jackson was on the roof working when his colleague heard a crash and turned to see him fall through a fragile factory rooflight to the concrete floor more than eight metres below.

HSE served a Prohibition Notice on both companies after the incident, preventing any further work at height on the site. A subsequent investigation found a series of serious safety failings:

- No controls, e.g. boards or staging, were used to work from to prevent workers stepping on to a fragile surface

- No controls, such as crash decks, were provided to reduce the distance of a fall if one happened

- No risk assessment was carried out

- No edge protection was provided on the roof

- No instructions were given by either company to the workers about how to carry out the work safely

Cavill Property Maintenance of Kingswood Park, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £65,000. Garthwest, of Sutton Fields Industrial Estate, was fined £50,000 with costs of £19,300 after also admitting breaching Section 3(1) of the same Act. Shaun Cavill, of The Spinney, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the same Act by virtue of his negligence as an individual director. He was fined £25,000. After the hearing, HSE Inspector Mark Welsh said: "All three parties in this case have contributed to the tragic loss of life of a loving husband, father and grandfather. It was an incident that was wholly preventable if obvious and sensible controls and safeguards had been put in place.

"Cavill Property Maintenance should have had safe working practices and provided safety equipment to ensure the workers were not put at risk, but the firm neglected its duty of care. Shaun Cavill took on the contract for the work and it was his responsibility to ensure his company put safety measures in place. "Garthwest, where the incident happened, should have followed their own safety procedures but did not do so. They failed to assess the competency of the company they hired and didn't ask for their risk assessment. Nor did they supervise the work or carry out any checks on what safety equipment was being used - which was none.

"Unsafe work at height on fragile roofs is a regular occurrence within many industries and is a major cause of death and serious injury. HSE will not hesitate to bring legal action against companies and individuals who fall so dangerously below accepted safety standards." The latest figures show that 38 people died as a result of a fall in a workplace in Great Britain in 2010/11, and more than 4,000 suffered a major injury. Information on preventing falls is available here.

Business women of New Jersey honored - Despite the stereotype that the business world can sometimes be a "boys' club," women are particularly suited for business, says Karen Martinez-Wardzinski. "I love women in management positions. They are very detail oriented, and they give you 120 percent all of the time," says Martinez-Wardzinski, founder and owner of Bravo Building Services, a facility service and outsourcing company based in Green Brook. Martinez-Wardzinski recently was recognized as a finalist for the Leading Women Entrepreneurs and Business Owners Award. The initiative was created in 2011 by the Leading Women Entrepreneurs Program, based in Clinton, to acknowledge female business owners who exhibit outstanding performance in four areas: market potential, innovation, community involvement and advocacy for women.

Martinez-Wardzinski is among the top 25 finalists, who were recognized at an event in Madison in December. Martinez-Wardzinski, along with other finalists, share their stories. "For me to break through the glass ceiling -- that I did is extremely rare," says Martinez-Wardzinski, 45. "When I started I would go to meetings, and I would be the only woman, and people looked at me like I had three heads. Now I am starting to see a little bit more here and there but not to my level." Being a woman is in part what prompted Martinez-Wardzinski, in 1997, to start Bravo Building Services, a company that provides housekeeping, mechanical maintenance, window cleaning, mail and administrative services to companies throughout the country. She was working in the building-service industry and didn't like how many of the male owners operated their businesses.

"I was frustrated working for only male owners," Martinez-Wardzinski says. "I thought there had to be a better way to treat employees and customers and be transparent in everything I did. If I brought employees in, and I trained them and promoted them from within and helped them grow, then we would be successful. I stuck to that, and it worked."

Today Martinez-Wardzinski's company has 3,100 employees that service everything from the Walmart headquarters in Arkansas to hospitals in Virginia. Along with its headquarters in Green Brook, Bravo operates branch offices in Arlington, Va., Charlotte, N.C., and New Castle, Del. Martinez-Wardzinski has plans to open another office somewhere in the western part of the country in the future. She lives in Franklin Township with her husband and her three daughters, ages 10, 9 and 7. Martinez-Wardzinski says she has a "nothing-is-impossible" attitude that has taken her far. "My experience is most people don't own their own business because they are scared to fail," she says. "If you can embrace that fear, and say, 'OK if I do fail I am still alive, I still have all these wonderful gifts, I can always make a new plan,' you will succeed."

'Cleaning Fairy' Susan Warren Arrested After Shoveling Man's Driveway Without Permission: Susan Warren has had another dustup with the law. The 53-year-old woman, known by local media as the "Cleaning Fairy," was arrested on Tuesday in Elyria, Ohio after someone reported that a woman was shoveling a stranger's driveway without permission, according to Fox 19. In November, Warren pleaded guilty to burglary after she was accused of breaking into a home west of Cleveland, cleaning it and leaving a bill for $75. She was sentenced to a year of probation. When cops questioned Warren on Tuesday, they discovered she had a warrant out for her arrest stemming from an attempted burglary charge, according to the Chronicle-Telegram. Fox 19 spoke to Warren's son who said he had no idea why his mom decided to shovel a stranger's driveway. Elyria Police Lt. Chris Costantino told the Chronicle-Telegram that Warren had nearly $1,000 in cash on her when she was arrested so the snow shoveling must have been “pretty lucrative,” he told the paper.

Necktie doubles as a cleaning cloth: A company has developed a necktie with a microfibre backing designed for cleaning delicate surfaces such as spectacle lenses, smartphones and iPads. The silk Ferrell SwipeTie has an integrated inner tip made from microfibre to remove smudges and smears. The tie is the brainchild of Swipe Apparel which was founded by Michael Kim and Avi Padhye in 2011. "We both come from professional backgrounds and would always encounter sharply-dressed men who would rub their ‘phones on their trousers and jackets to try to wipe off the built-up gunk," said Kim. "We knew there must be a better way. "Most clothing material is not designed to clean glass or plastic screens, so wiping your phone screen on your shirt will minimally reduce the dirty screen or make it worse. And carrying a cleaning cloth......who wants to do that?"

The Cailfornia-based company also manufactures a cotton T-shirt - the SwipeTee - which has an integrated microfibre badge. This can be either placed on the left or right sleeve or to the front of the T-shirt according to the customer's requirements. The microfibre segment of both garments is said to be particularly suitable for removing fingerprints and smudges from delicate surfaces such as eyeglass lenses, iPhone and Android smartphones, iPods, iPads and other portable entertainment and tablet devices. So now you can clean windows wearing a tie!

Family left angry and frustrated: They wanted a headstone to remember their late mum. But they have been left out of pocket and feeling angry and frustrated. Andrew Larcome, of Heather Lane, Nately Scures, and his two brothers paid £1,060 to Simply Memorials for a headstone to mark the grave of their mother Rita Ann Larcome. The 71-year-old mum, from the Isle of Wight, died from cancer in 2011 and was buried in a cemetery in Farnborough. The memorial company, based in Skegness, Lincolnshire, promised to supply the headstone 12 weeks after the payment was made on June 27 last year when Mr Larcome ordered it on the company’s website.

But no headstone came, and when Mr Larcome tried to contact the company by email and telephone, he did not get a response. He has since received a letter to say that the company has ceased trading and that its owner, David Blakey, would be filing for bankruptcy. Mr Larcome said: “It’s absolutely gutting especially when you think that we’re talking about a headstone. “It is absolutely devastating. It’s bad enough that my dad has no money and me and my brothers had to pay for it.” At the end of last month, the 47-year-old window cleaner drove to Skegness to try to find Mr Blakey.

JACKSON—Ronald Albert Jackson, 57, of Astoria, Ore., passed away Jan. 13, 2013, after a long battle with cancer. He was born July 20, 1955, at McAuley Hospital in Coos Bay to Bob and Peggy Jackson. The family lived in a logging camp in Scottsburg, later moving to Westlake. He graduated from Siuslaw High School in 1973. He ran a route delivering milk products, had a window cleaning business, and more. For several years he traveled on private buses with various rock bands, traveling across the United States, from Juneau, Alaska, to Key West, Fla. His true passion was teaching piano, which he did throughout his life. Ron will be remembered for his music, his puns, his sense of humor and the love that he projected throughout his entire life.

Halesowen arson suspect released: A 36-year-old man arrested after an arson attack on a Halesowen house, from which a mother and two children were rescued by a neighbour, has been released by police. A West Midlands Police spokesman said no further action would taken against the man who had been bailed twice pending investigations by detectives following the night-time blaze at the Elizabeth Road house last November. Terrified mother Catherine Keenan-Williams, aged 26, plucked Alex, aged three and two-year-old Caitlin from their beds as thick acrid smoke filled their home after the front door was set on fire.

Her desperate screams were heard by next door neighbour David Burford, a window cleaner, who, with help from son Josh, used his ladders to rescue the family from an upstairs window. The man, arrested from another address in Halesowen the same day, was questioned on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and bailed until December 14 and again until this month. The police spokesman said the blaze was still being investigated.

Jesus Image Appears On Window At Hard Rock Hotel In San Diego: Celebrities are a fairly common sight at the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, but the hotel may have had a celeb sighting of truly biblical proportions: Jesus Christ. The image of what some people think looks like the Almighty appeared in the window of one of the hotel rooms over the weekend. Chuck Rickman, a retired 911 dispatcher, noticed the eerie apparition while taking a stroll. "I was walking downtown when out of the corner, it popped out at me," Rickman, 64, told The Huffington Post. "I had a cellphone and took a picture of it."

Rickman said he's not religious and thought the image could either be Jesus or "Led Zeppelin." "It looks like someone had taken a shower and steamed up the window, but I talked with a young man nearby and he said he had seen it for several weeks," Rickman said. A hotel representative was happy to see the photo, but said there have been no other reported Jesus sightings in any of the windows. To be fair, the explanation for Jesus's appearance on a hotel window may be more scientific than beatific.

Researchers at Northwestern University say the human brain is wired to look for familiarity and meaning in the most abstract squiggles. As a result, brains automatically identify similar objects and then organize them according to type. That’s why we can look at a baseball cap and a fedora and know right away that both are hats. Still, Matt Greene, the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego's general manager, is thrilled by the prospect. "Celebrities stay here all the time, but if it is Jesus, he'd be the biggest one to stay here."

Eco living: window wars at Trinity College, Cambridge - Trinity College in Cambridge has grand renovation plans – but conservationists aren't happy with the changes. Today the Grade I listed courtyard demonstrates the intense debate between conservationists and those who argue that Britain’s historic buildings must be made energy efficient. At stake is not just student comfort – New Court’s rooms are notoriously draughty – but the future habitability of the country’s historic buildings. By 2018, all privately rented properties, including thousands of homes in Grade I and Grade II* areas of Bath, Belgravia and properties on Crown and National Trust land will have to achieve minimum energy standards if they are not to fall foul of the 2011 Energy Act. The Trust has also installed solar thermal panels on the roof of 700-year-old Chirk Castle near Llangollen, providing hot water for residents. He says local authority conservation officers’ knowledge often lags behind the rapid development of new materials. I went to see New Court and could not tell the difference between the original single-paned windows and a “Histoglass” one. Trinity’s plans are just the kind of radical and inventive ideas worthy of the great thinkers Cambridge has produced.

An off-duty Woodbridge police officer who was attacked after the 2012 National Hockey League Winter Classic game in Philadelphia has filed a civil suit against the man who attacked him and the bar where the man had been drinking before the melee. Raymond Gill, a Woodbridge attorney representing Neal Auricchio Jr.(pictured), an Iraqi war veteran and five-year veteran of the Woodbridge Police Department, said the suit has been filed against Dennis Veteri of Glassboro and South Philly Bar and Grill in Philadelphia. Auricchio, who was injured after being punched and kicked in the head, an attack that was captured on video, has a titanium plate behind his left eye and scar tissue that affects his vision, as well as post-concussion symptoms, Gill said. Auricchio spent three months undergoing medical treatment.

The suit seeks at least $50,000 in damages. “We think the case is significantly worth more than $50,000,” Gill said Friday, the day after a news conference was conducted in Philadelphia to announce the suit. Last January, after the Winter Classic game between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers, Auricchio and his friend, Michael Janocko, both Rangers fans wearing team jerseys, were standing in line to buy cheesesteaks at Geno’s Steaks in Philadelphia for the ride home. According to Gill, while the two men were standing in line, a group of people came out of a nearby bar and began taunting Auricchio and Janocko because they were wearing Rangers jerseys. The Rangers had defeated the Flyers in the game. According to the suit, the altercation started when Veteri paid a window washer to spray Auricchio and Janocko. Then Veteri knocked off Janocko’s hat and spit in it.

Bizarre accidents: Dying, of course, is bad enough but being proved wrong at the same time must be hard to take, as was the case for a Canadian lawyer who hurled himself out of a 24 floor window in Toronto while demonstrating to a group of visiting law students the ‘unbreakable’ nature of the glass. A lesson there for all of us, I think, about not tempting fate.

Wheel done Rab! Strathcarron supporter Rab Simpson has always gone the extra mile for the hospice. So when his name was randomly drawn from the hat for its fundraising car raffle, he was a particularly popular and deserving winner. The big-hearted Bannockburn man has raised well over £100,000 over more than two decades by collecting Barr’s returnable glass bottles. Now the 80-year-old is driving around in a brand new white Peugeot 208 provided by Hardies of Stirling. “I was gobsmacked when I got the phone call,” said Rab. “I thought they were kidding. It took a few days to sink in. Rab’s first donation to the hospice was in April 1990. More recently he handed over the bottle operation to Donald Crawford and David Walker, but continues to help with the collections.

People from all over the Central Belt contact the retired window cleaner asking him to collect their bottles in his trailer and he travels as far as Callander, Kippen, and even Glasgow, to ensure as many bottles get returned and as much cash is raised as possible.The majority of the collections have come from around 200 individuals and workplaces in the Stirling and Falkirk areas. He even had to invest in a special trailer to keep up with demand – although he twice had it stolen despite having it emblazoned with a large sign showing it is used in aid of Strathcarron.

I’ll steer kids away from gang life, says New Order's Hooky - New Order legend backing estate project that helps prevent youngsters being drawn into gangs, and founder says he has shown what can be achieved. New Order legend Peter Hook has a new role – helping prevent youngsters being drawn into gangs. The music star has been unveiled as the patron of community project United Estates of Wythenshawe. Based in Benchill, the charity aims to break down turf boundaries between rival groups in the area and divert youngsters from getting involved with gangs. More than 1,000 teenagers a week now use the centre’s gym, learn music and dance or work for the charity’s window cleaning and gardening social enterprise businesses.

Frugal Living - Dust high shelves: A window washing service will do it. My window washer routinely dusts my high ceiling fans and other hard-to-reach places. He will also change light bulbs and smoke detector batteries that are beyond the reach of a normal ladder! He helps with these small jobs when he is here for his “real job” of window washing. He has the appropriate ladders and equipment to do the jobs that most of us can’t reach. — Wendi, Arizona

Woody is a window cleaner. A few years ago, he was Britain’s favourite popstar. These days his window cleaning round brings him into contact with an odd collection of former celebs. Roxy Squires is one of the original TV ladettes. She’s interviewed more bands and flirted with more A-listers than you could shake a stick at. But now, how can she bring herself to admit that her fifteen minutes of fame might be over? Together, they form the world’s strangest self-help group; can Woody persuade his flock of failures to come to terms with life as ordinary civilians? Or will Roxy convince them to plump for one last shot at fame? Could It Be I’m Falling In Love? is the second, brilliantly funny novel from a bright new star in women’s fiction. Eleanor Prescott worked as a PR at MTV for seven years. She lives in Kent with her husband, son and daughter. Her first novel Alice Brown’s Lessons in the Curious Art of Dating was published by Quercus in 2012.

Denver council sparring over DIA contract, as union tries to organize: Renewal of a contract covering about three dozen airport security guards has created a rift in Denver's City Council, with at least one councilor alleging a union-backed effort is influencing his colleagues. On Tuesday night, Kniech questioned a DIA official and an HSS executive about allegations that workers have not received required training and that some have been disciplined for taking sick leave. Kniech voted against the bill on first reading, saying she will not support the final vote unless changes are made. Kniech said she is looking out for employees, not the union. "I don't want HSS kicked out," she said. "I want these problems solved. I am supportive of workers having a voice on the job. If they get a voice and I don't have satisfactory resolution, I still won't support the contract." The SEIU represents 700 workers at DIA, including window cleaners.

Spectrum Window Cleaners Are Hiring For Their Abseiling Division: Spectrum Window Cleaning, One of London’s leading commercial window cleaners, today announced that they plan to add a level 3 abseil window cleaner to their abseil cleaning division. Spectrum’s growing reputation in the London cleaning services market is demonstrated in the amount of growing demand for Spectrum Window Cleaners via repeat business requests. Lucian Ivan, Managing Director, at Spectrum Window Cleaning commented; “Spectrum’s continued growth in the London abseil cleaning services market via new business acquisition and through repeat business further demonstrates our growing reputation for quality and effectiveness on client premises. The hiring of qualified abseil cleaners ensures that we maintain the highest service levels of safety and effectiveness our clients expect”. The company offer employee’s great training opportunities, diversified contract work, the highest level of safety and competitive packages. Abseil cleaners are encouraged to apply to Spectrum Window Cleaning for open positions.

Cleaning firm to offer new jobs: A commercial and office facilities company is giving the town a boost with plans to take on 53 staff over the next three months. PCS Facilities has been awarded a substantial contract in the area which means it will hire area managers, supervisors, office managers and mobile teams to help support its growth for the year ahead. PCS Facilities is a national company and already employs more than 50 staff in Swindon and the surrounding area. The company is seeking to double that figure with the additional contracts.

The company specialises in commercial and office cleaning, window and carpet cleaning, waste management, pest control, ground maintenance, security and almost any task involved in the maintenance of a building, Company director Yucel Mehmet has lived in the town for 25 years. He said: “It’s an exciting time for us. “There is a demand for our expertise in Swindon and the local area and we are looking to double the size of our workforce. “As we expand we are looking to involve the local community and recruit from within the town. “Our aim is to deliver services to buildings without any fuss but with a high level of passion. “Swindon has a mix of old and new commercial and office developments and is a great place to develop PCS Facilities.”