A Science To Cleaning Chandeliers

To clean “Chihuly: Inside and Out,” the 15,000-pound, 2,080-piece glass sculpture at the Joslyn Art Museum, Dave Pugh takes just four or five pieces of glass at a time off their stainless steel studs, wraps each and labels it, then wipes them down them with a wet cloth and a dry cloth before carefully replacing them. The yearly process takes about a week.

There's a science behind cleaning Joslyn Art Museum sculpture: Ten years ago, Dave Pugh was hired to clean windows at the home of Omaha philanthropists Sue and Walter Scott. And later, a Dale Chihuly chandelier that graces their front entry. “For years, I told the guys that work for me, 'Don't even look at that thing because I don't want to clean it,'” said Pugh, owner of Perfect Image Window Cleaning of Omaha. But when Sue Scott asked Pugh to clean it, he did. And he did it well enough that when the Joslyn Art Museum acquired a Chihuly piece, she recommended him to handle its cleaning.

The piece, “Chihuly: Inside and Out,” was crafted and acquired by Joslyn in 2000, as a gift from the Scotts. The colorful glass sculpture is on permanent display in the museum's east atrium. It weighs 15,000 pounds and contains more than 2,080 pieces. Joslyn provides Pugh with a 40-foot scissor lift to clean the sculpture from top to bottom. The first time Pugh cleaned the piece, he said, he started by getting on his knees and praying that he wouldn't get hurt or break anything. “I'm so nervous,” Pugh said, recalling that first cleaning. “I can feel sweat running down my chest and arms.” Pugh feels better about cleaning it now, but he still uses an abundance of caution.

Pugh, the owner of Perfect Image Window Cleaning, did this year's cleaning of the Chihuly sculpture last week. It's "nerve-wracking, but I find it a great honor," he said. "I enjoy it."

Each piece of glass slides off a stainless steel stud. Pugh removes just four or five pieces at a time and marks where each belongs. He wraps each piece in towels and plastic foam so they are safely cushioned on the work platform. Then, one by one, he unwraps and cleans each piece. When each group of pieces is clean, he returns the pieces to their places in the artwork. And then repeats the process. The cleaning method itself is simple, he said, and involves just a wet towel and dry towel. He takes two to three minutes to clean each piece and about a week to complete the job. “It's nerve-wracking, but I find it a great honor,” Pugh said. “I enjoy it.” 

Dave Pugh was asked by Jolyn Art Museum to give "Chihuly: Inside and Out" an annual cleaning based off a recommendation from Sue Scott, who, with her husband, Walter, donated the piece to the museum in 2000.

Three For Thursday

The staff devised a scaffold system to clean the museum windows from the outside.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas: Every detail of opening the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art was planned as carefully as possible but everyone on the staff knew there would be issues come up that couldn’t have been seen ahead of time. Flexibility would be the proverbial name of the game and in the first year of the museum, that philosophy has worked well for the museum. There is a common theme threaded through most unexpected issues that came up in the museum’s first year: numbers. Based on research made at other museums in similar-sized markets, planners hoped for about 250,000 guests with about 3,000 members joining the museum the first year.

Those figures were blown out of the water. As of Nov. 4 this year, a week short of the museum’s one-year anniversary, the museum welcomed more than 595,000 people and has more than 7,500 "Original Members." Such members are anyone who joins the museum until Nov. 30 and those members are afforded additional benefits to their membership. More guests means more food has been ordered, more employees hired, schedules altered and even more parking has been necessary. Those issues are just some of the lessons learned during Crystal Bridge’s first year. “The first year is always trial and error,” said Diane Carroll, media relations manager. “We’ve been adapting to the overwhelming response.”

Cleaning the museum is another major task, something that usually happens on Tuesdays and at night when the museum is closed. Museum visitors are treated to countless windows that let them see the natural beauty on the outside of the museum while they peruse the works of art inside. The problem with so many windows is how to clean them in a way that is safe for personnel and the environment. The curved windows that overlook the ponds create special challenges for the staff. They created a pontoon boat system that allows them to float to the outside of the windows to clean them using ionized water that doesn’t have chemicals.

“Whatever we put in the water has to be green,” Eccleston said. “We’re an eighth of a mile from the water treatment plant so anything we put in the water (including runoff from the landscaping) must be very neutral and green.” The entire staff takes managing the facility and grounds very seriously. “All of it is a shared resource with not only our visitors but the animals that live here,” he said. Although the drastic increase in numbers has created challenges, the museum staff and volunteers are grateful that so many people have appreciated the museum. “It completely furthers the vision of the museum to bring art, architecture and nature to a wide audience,” Carroll said.

WORTH THE CLIMB: Luke Rayner with the diamond ring he found on a roof.

Window cleaner finds diamond ring on rooftop of Sandbanks house: A window cleaner saw a different kind of shine when he found a diamond ring on a Sandbanks house during work. Luke Rayner, 24, from Queen’s Park, who runs Harvard Window Cleaning, stumbled across the find when he climbed on to the roof of the property, Emporio, on Brudenell Avenue, ready to clean the next part of the building. He said: “I was cleaning one of the windows of the house which is for sale, when I climbed up on to the roof, which is flat.

He added: “I was just looking at the bird spikes, when I saw something. I looked away – but then, when I looked back, I saw it and I thought: ‘Bloody hell, it’s a diamond ring.’ ”  “It was in among some leaves and twigs, so a bird must have taken it there. “It’s quite incredible really. “It must have been a bird, which likes shiny things.”

Luke says that he would love to know how it got there but may never find out. He said: “I mean, it’s not a fantastically large ring but it’s a diamond ring nonetheless. “I don’t know how much it is worth. You would have to get it valued for that but it’s a diamond ring, so it could be worth a fortune. “I think I could be the luckiest window cleaner ever. “I’m going to hand it into the police, and then people can have a better look at it, if they think that it is theirs.”

Licences required to clean building facades in Abu Dhabi: Cleaning companies must now obtain a maintenance licence before undertaking any work on building facades and windows in the capital, the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City announced in a statement sent on Wednesday. Any companies in the sector found to be violating municipal health, safety and environment (HSE) standards will face fines ranging from Dh10,000 to Dh20,000. The municipal decision and revised fines come after a spate of recent accidents and near-accidents in the capital involving workers cleaning building facades.

While two window cleaners were killed in October when their scaffolding collapsed, four others were rescued by the Abu Dhabi Police in two separate incidents last month. “Scaffolding equipment is considered to be among the top risks posed to workers,” said Abdul Aziz Zurub, the municipality’s HSE director. “The municipality will therefore rigorously monitor all building and construction sites, as well as maintenance and cleaning works, to ensure that companies comply with all HSE requirements,” Zurub said. According to statistics revealed by the Health Authority Abu Dhabi, 53 lives were lost in 2011 due to falls from heights and falling objects. In addition, 59 per cent of all injuries from falls and falling objects occurred in the construction sector.

The licence to undertake the cleaning of building facades can be obtained via the municipality’s e-licensing programme. A list of approved technical inspection companies must also inspect the equipment used by cleaning companies every six months. These inspection companies have themselves been approved by the municipal HSE department, as well as the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA). Companies engaged in maintenance or construction that do not implement the appropriate security precautions to safeguard passers-by or adjacent buildings will be considered as violating the municipal HSE standards.

Other violations include undertaking maintenance or construction work without the appropriate permit, or working beyond the prescribed working hours, the municipality statement said. If a violation is detected, operations could be suspended until the applicable fines are paid and the errors corrected. Zurub urged cleaning companies to ensure that scaffolding equipment, cranes and platforms are made of safe and high-quality materials. “Platforms should be panelled with wood so that they can withstand loads. In addition, protection barriers and systems to prevent debris from falling should also be provided,” he said.

The official also said that scaffolding equipment must be anchored with a rigid support system and base plate on a solid ground surface. Workers must also use securely connected safety belts, and protective personal equipment such as face masks. In addition, all equipment must be re-checked after bad weather conditions, or when cleaning platforms and cranes are dismantled or changed.

Mihal Labonov, technical director at equipment manufacturing and maintenance company Tass Industries, said many cleaning companies tend to use cheaper equipment that is often not safe. “In many other countries, load tests to check the condition of equipment used in construction and cleaning works are required each year. The Municipality of Abu Dhabi City has, however, implemented even stricter standards, requiring these tests to be conducted every six months,” Labonov said. “While the stricter inspection standards will enhance safety for workers, companies must also always ensure that workers are well trained and provided with proper safety equipment,” he added.

San Diegos Finest... Cleaning Windows

Elite Window washing turn up to start cleaning. Click to enlarge.

Recently, Salvatore (Tory) Marino of Elite Window Washing & six other companies from the Window Cleaning Resource forum gave away their time & expertise as a services donation on a sizeable project recently in downtown San Diego. The building is home of a non profit organization called "The New Children's Museum" of San Diego. The main purpose of the museum is to get young ones to embrace that creativity that they all have. They help them by encouraging their passion, and letting it take on its own form before they become adults. Providing sustained, educational experiences in a classroom environment is central to the Museum’s mission. The center provides thousands of students and families with access to in-depth arts classes and the opportunity to work directly with an artist.

Tory (center arms folded) & other window cleaning companies get the low down on the cleaning mission. Click to enlarge.

The crew get ready with the safety harnesses. Click to enlarge.

Tory of Elite talks to Trevor of Clarion. Click to enlarge.

Tory of Elite checks the walkie talkies with the Sky High boys. Click to enlarge.

Brian Crowder of SD Cleaning Pro's & Tory in the MEWP. Click to enlarge.

Tory & his company has been cleaning this building for the last 4 years since it was opened. The very first time he tried to use a waterfed pole on the south facing side where the main entryway door is.. problems started. But after it was finished, it actually looked better before the attempt to clean the glass. There's some kind of greasy film that finds its way onto the glass that prevents use of the wfp. Every year Tory & his crew have tried to find a solution to the problem, so that they can use the wfp's as a prescrub & then use various mixtures of soaps with a pure water rinse. Nothing worked! Plus, because of the odd shape of the windows on the east and west facing sides, drips and bleeding are still going to be issues even if they were able to use the wfp's. So, nose-to-glass has always been the way to tackle this beast.

Enjoying the work! Click to enlarge.

Are we there yet? Click to enlarge.

Showing the difficulty of access. Click to enlarge.

2 x 60 footer boom lifts (MEWPS) in tandem. Click to enlarge.

Tory takes a break at one of the museums entrances. Click to enlarge.

You get a feel for the job in this picture.. wfp wasn't possible because of the grease build-up. Click to enlarge.

You can't be a "basket-case" all your life - Tory takes his turn on traffic duty in downtown San Diego. Click to enlarge.

Tory said, "We've always had only one boom lift, but this year we had two of them which really made things move pretty quickly!" "However, when you have so much foot traffic in the heart of downtown San Diego, keeping everyone safe is not an easy task." "The truth is, it don't matter the color, size or shape of your barricades." People WILL walk right thru them WITH their kids. "This project had a curveball thrown at us too...every year the museum closes the day we clean." "This year it remained open, which means that families would be trying to view the exhibits the day we were cleaning." "Children, despite a parents best intentions, as many know, can escape the watchful eyes of the parent." "So this time instead of only one spotter for the boom lift operators, we used two + one man running traffic control."

The job at hand. Click to enlarge.

A little pole work saves on the ladders. Click to enlarge.

You take the high road, I'll take the low road. Click to enlarge.

Breaking out the Alaco "A" frames. Click to enlarge.

The detail cloth man. Click to enlarge.

Getting the angle. Click to enlarge.

Closed in. Click to enlarge.

Nice aerial view of window cleaners working. Click to enlarge.

No problem! Click to enlarge.

Tory was happy to say, "It went off without a problem at all." "We had 2 booms (60 footers) running in tandem on the east and west sides of the museum with one man running traffic control and another as spotter for the operators in the baskets." "All were equipped with 2 way radios & harnessed." Tory also added, "Zero incidents, zero near misses or injuries." "Both the director and the building engineer said this is the best quality work since my company has been cleaning the windows at this building." "Timing was record breaking! - This was completed in 8.5 hours!" "Every year, its completed by 2 teams of 3 members each, with only one boom lift." " This was a test for something that I couldn't prove as fact as far as quality and production for my Elite Window Washing."

Tory adds... "Someone who enjoys their work will:

• Solve problems/innovate solutions
• Produce twice as much 
• Take pride in the quality of their work 
• Follow direction with a better attitude 

We had a great time, and we all learned something from each other."

A job well done! Click to enlarge.

Niagara Falls Window Cleaner In A Fix

Up he goes.

Spotted in Niagara Falls, Canada recently a window cleaner working from a suspended platform, who has his own way of fixing a jammed line. In the words of our reader – “whilst walking down the street the other day, we came across this fella whose cradle winch seem to have packed up!” “Without thinking he just scrambled up the rope and sorted the problem out, then carried on working.” “What was he thinking of!” Since putting this story up we have discovered that the window cleaner in question is actually a dummy model on the side of the Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum in Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls and to the looks of things it would seem we believed it!

Robert Ripley, the franchise founder who has museums worldwide, was an exceptional flamboyant character who travelled the world collecting artefacts and writing stories about his weird and unusual findings. His museum’s are definitely for the fans of the bizarre and unbelievable with the museum in Niagara Falls designed to look like the fallen Empire State building with King Kong standing on top of it! But that's still not to say we are overly impressed with the platform he is using, no toe-boards and a floor that looks ready to give - its no wonder why he is climbing out of that death trap!

Halfway up.

Almost there.. apparently he fixed the problem and returned to the platform.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum in Niagara Falls.

A Surreal Window Clean

Dali Museum challenges window washers (One surreal scrubdown): St. Petersberg - High in the sky, some very brave men took to the glass structure that is the Salvador Dali Museum. For the first time since it opened in January, the museum got a window washing. "We have this incredible structure which we call the Glass Enigma, and each of the panes -- of which there's over a thousand -- has to be cleaned individually," explained the museum's deputy director, Kathy White.

Randy Spears, 37, and Nick Samaras, 29, of Bay Area Window Cleaning, wash the windows of the Dali Museum's Glass Enigma. This is the first time the windows have been cleaned since the museum's January opening.

Bay Area Building Services specializes in high-rise window washing. But the Dali Museum creates some unique challenges -- It's not straight up and down; it has curves and bends and slides. "Well, as you see, you're supposed to be going one way and the glass is going the other. It's your job to try and figure out how to stay on that," window washer Randy Spears offered. "You got a little bit of everything on this job," washer Nick Samaras observed.

The guys had to take an elevator all the way to the top, then they threw ropes over the side and rappelled down, washing windows as they went. But the shape of the building isn't the only challenge. "The timing on some parts of the Enigma -- the temperatures will be in excess of 120," explained Brett Hamphill of Bay Area Building Services. "A lot of times we'll have to actually bail out of a drop and hydrate and stuff. Want to be real careful you don't get dizzy up there because of the heat."

For the guests of the museum, it was another spectacle to take in. Many stopped to watch and take pictures of the dangerous work. As for the window washers, while they appreciate the attention, they wear their harnesses and they don't fear falling. "I've come to the conclusion that if it happens, I'm gonna be a bag of ketchup anyway. You gotta rest easy and lay your head at night," Spears added.

The museum says this isn't a project that will necessarily need to be done every six months. But the glass has been up for about a year, and when they built the park around the museum, it kicked up a lot of dust and dirt onto the windows.