Window Washer To Soap Maker

Larry Plesent of Vermont Soap, whose unofficial slogan is "Replacing yucky stuff with yummy stuff," specializes in formulating natural, organic and nontoxic home and garden products.

Vermont Soap has a Formula for Cleaning Homes the Nontoxic Way - The curing room in Vermont Soap's manufacturing facility in Middlebury may be one of the most fragrant spots in Vermont. As dozens of soap bars cure on drying racks like ageing craft cheeses, the air is laden with the rich aromas of pine, peppermint, lavender, lemongrass and other essential oils.

But, unlike the scents added to most conventionally produced soaps, shampoos, toiletries and home-cleaning products, none of these odors comes from artificial chemicals or toxic ingredients. In fact, the earthy reddish hue of some of the bars is derived from lobster shells.

Vermont Soap, whose unofficial slogan is "Replacing yucky stuff with yummy stuff," specializes in formulating natural, organic and nontoxic home and garden products. Those include underarm deodorants, oral-care products, antiaging creams, pet and horse shampoos, surface cleaners, fruit and vegetable washes, car cleaners, and even yoga-mat cleaners. Most are U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified organic, and all are safe and nontoxic. That makes them ideal for consumers with severe allergies or chemical sensitivities, or those who simply have concerns about the prevalence of hazardous materials in the home.

Larry Plesent, 57, founded Vermont Soap in 1992, after he'd learned the hard way what toxic chemicals can do to your body. In the 1980s, Plesent earned money for college working as a Burlington window washer. In an effort to economize, he concocted his own window washing solution consisting of dish detergent, floor cleaner, windshield-wiper fluid and antifreeze.

For about eight years, Plesent essentially soaked himself in noxious chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulfate, methanol and ethylene glycol, which left him with severe contact dermatitis and multiple chemical sensitivities. Conventional deodorants gave him rashes across his arms and torso that lasted for weeks. Normal shampoos caused his hair to fall out.

He tried one conventional brand after another, but the problems never went away. By 1991, Plesent's "reactive body" was so sensitive, he couldn't touch or be around artificial scents, artificial colors or petrochemical products, including most plastics.

Then, one day at a Vermont craft fair, Plesent picked up a bar of soap made with goat's milk. Just days after he tried it, his eight-year bout of dermatitis disappeared. Realizing that countless other consumers must suffer from similar sensitivities, Plesent decided to turn his disability into a business venture. Thus Vermont Soap was born.

Of course, Vermont Soap isn't the only producer of eco-friendly home-cleaning and personal-care products in the Clean Mountain State. According to Forbes magazine, Burlington behemoth Seventh Generation does more than $300 million in annual retail sales.

Many of Vermont Soap's customers suffer from asthma or chemical sensitivities or have compromised immune systems due to chemotherapy and other medical conditions.

While Vermont Soap hasn't reached that level, it's growing quickly as more consumers seek products labeled organic. The company now has 25 employees and sales in excess of $3 million annually; it recently expanded into Asia and is exploring new markets in Europe. Two-thirds of Vermont Soap's products are now sold under other labels or are added as ingredients to other products.

A June 2015 fire in Vermont Soap's factory on Middlebury's Exchange Street shut down operations for four months but ultimately proved fortuitous: It forced a move into a manufacturing facility more than twice as large just down the road. The company still maintains a discount retail outlet at its original location. There, consumers can find deals on Vermont Soap products and visit its modest soap museum, which features antique washing machines, shaving kits, classic toiletries and, of course, old soaps.

In accordance with Plesent's goal of "doing as little harm as possible," his new and much larger manufacturing space is all electric and at or near zero emissions. Eschewing landscaping that might expose his employees to pesticides and other allergens, he recently planted vegetable gardens for his staff's use.

Consumers who typically buy organic meats and produce can shop online at Vermont Soap for similarly nontoxic alternatives to familiar cleaning products. For example, Produce Magic is an organic cleaner that removes waxes, pesticides, and other dirt and residues from fruits and vegetables. Green Car is an automotive cleaner similar to Armor All, except it's certified organic and contains no petrochemicals.

Liquid Sunshine is an all-purpose spray-and-wipe surface cleaner and concentrate similar to Citra Solv, but it contains all-natural citrus oils. According to Plesent, it can be used safely on cabinets, woodwork and hardwood floors, just like Murphy's Oil Soap, but it's nontoxic and easy on your hands.

Sandy Lincoln, owner of Sandy's Books & Bakery in Rochester, sells organic baked goods and says she uses only Liquid Sunshine on all her countertops, glass surfaces, prep tables and dishes. "So many chemicals on the market leave a chemical, toxic smell behind," she says. "Liquid Sunshine has a really citrusy aroma that our customers love."

In 2014, Delicious Living magazine gave Liquid Sunshine its Editor's Choice Award, noting that the household cleaner contains no volatile organic compounds, which can irritate eyes and cause headaches. "Is it possible to fall in love with a household cleaner?" wrote managing editor Jenna Blumenfeld. "If it's certified organic, eco-friendly and made with a mere five ingredients, it is."

Many of Vermont Soap's customers suffer from asthma or chemical sensitivities or have compromised immune systems due to chemotherapy and other medical conditions. Over the years, some have reached out to Plesent to seek his advice or thank him for the products he's created.

In response, Plesent published a downloadable 68-page book, The Reactive Body Handbook, which instructs people with chemical sensitivities, asthma and other environmental triggers on how to become a "Sherlock Holmes to unravel the mysteries of your own body."

"One of the first comments I ever got on our website was from a woman who wrote, 'Thank goodness you wrote this, Larry. I thought I was the only one,'" he says. "No, you're not. There are millions of us."

Two New Biodegradable Soaps For Window Cleaning

EBC Glide & Window Cleaner from Window Cleaning Resource

EBC GLIDE Glass & Window Cleaner is an advances formula designed for maximum results in minimum time. Super concentrate means you less chemical. Super effective means you clean better, faster! Readily biodegradable surfactants make this a great choice for environmentally sensitive areas.

Features of EBC Glide include:

- Superb Wetting with minimal bleeding

- Subtle impact cleaning agents for grease splashes

- Reduces drag; makes squeegees glide

- Stays wetter longer

- Will not harm glass, plastics, or metals

- Polishes metals

- Extends life of squeegee rubber, especially the tips

- Smoother razor scraping; less chance of scratching

- Unique formula leaves sparkling shine

- Leaves no haze, even on polymer treated surfaces

- Windows stay cleaner, longer

- Superior wetting and rinsing

- Environmentally friendly. Biodegradable

- Super-Concentrated: less packaging water

- Contains no phosphates or ammonia

- Contains no hazardous chemicals

- Less end-streaking

- Perfect foam/sud level

DIRECTION OF USE:

-Use only 1/8 fluid ounce per gallon of water

-Perfect foam and perfect glide

-Do not allow window to dry

Thank you all for your interest in GLIDE. EBC GLIDE. What can I tell you about this soap?

EBC GLIDE was created, in part, directly from the overwhelming success of EBC Multi-purpose cleaner (EBC MPC), which was launched back in early 2012. In our run up of establishing EBC MPC as one of the "go to" soaps for the pressure washing contractor, we also knew that a secondary component of our soap blend (EBC MPC) offered some very unique characteristics relating to cleaning windows from a down streaming or x-jetting application.

In 2013, I began reaching out to window cleaning professionals to "pick their brain" about window cleaning soaps and what they need for not only a soap to be good but for a soap to be in a category of it's own. Buzz words such as glide, slip, wetting, suds and drag were just a few of the "tag" words along with other ones that actually established the cornerstone of what EBC GLIDE is today. Obviously I cannot go into describing in detail the formula or blend of EBC GLIDE but I will say that based on the 7 months of beta testing and formula adjustments, we are confident that EBC GLIDE posses a unique balance of "stuff" in it that positioned us for our launch. As with any product launch, it will take some time for the soap to get out there and have the measurable impact that we are looking for. We we are in this for the long haul and look forward to working with window cleaning professionals world-wide. Today we are establishing our distributor network for EBC GLIDE, with WCR being one of our first distributors to carry it. Our infrastructure is solid with two production facilities currently meeting the demands of our EBC soap lines for our domestic and international distributors.

We (EBC) are actively involved with our distributors and the contractor community on a daily basis. Our distributors matter. Our contractors matter. We involve ourselves in the industry to the extent that we do not just want to hear what our product can do but more importantly where our product line can use some improvement in. This type of feedback is very important to us and we view it as a win-win for all involved.

When beta testing was well underway it was comforting to hear comments such as "your soap Carlos stands shoulder to shoulder with GG3 or GG4" or "EBC GLIDE cut through that kitchen grease on the window like no other". We certainly wrestled with a few issues along with way regarding the formula where adjustments had to be made based on the feedback. However we worked through those "speed bumps" and positioned EBC GLIDE for our launch this past week with WCR

Moving forward we are excited to be working with WCR and obviously based on this thread we are eager to continue to receive continuous feedback from all that test, try or use GLIDE on a regular basis. Thanks for the interest everyone and we look forward to hearing more feedback from those that will be receiving samples from WCR.

Carlos Gonzales
Manufacturer Enviro Bio Cleaner
EBC GLIDE Window Soap
(707) 759-2244

A new detergent from Jim Thompson, a window cleaner in the UK.

New Window cleaners Shine! By Mpower! glass cleaning solution is here! No Soap or detergents No chemicals Fully Biodegradable!

Long lasting shine! Self cleaning properties! Seals rubber window seals to stop black streaking! Will be available from this week in 500ml bottles! No nasty chemicals! 100% Biodegradable Eco Friendly! Smear and streak free windows guaranteed!

More Eco friendly biodegradable products coming soon from the Window cleaners shine brand! For cleaners! By Mpower.

Developed by a Jim Thompson, a UK Window Cleaner.

Introductory offer now on!

• £4:99 1/2 ltr will make upto 125ltrs of solution!
• £7:99 1ltr will make upto 250ltrs of solution!

20ml into 5ltrs of water this will last all day using the solution in a traditional base and it will make enough mix to last between 15 to 20 UK houses a day. So costing will be just £1 a week to use! That is 20p per day! That 1/2ltr bottle will last you 5 weeks! Remember this is a professional formula not an off the shelf dish washing soap!

Window Cleaning Tool Talk

Check out all the window cleaning tools you can want with the FREE "Window Cleaning Business Owner" magazine, shipping to all professional window cleaners now.

Mark the window cleaner gives us the lowdown on his favorite scraper called the Ettore ScrapeMaster.

Need more slip with your soap? Mark showcases "Winsol Superslip" that might just be what you need.

Need a new soap? Mark discusses another option with a useful squirt explanation.

Mark shows an old favorite - the Unger Teleplus 30' pole with a nice little squirrel story to boot!

And finally, John Lee demonstrates an Apollo carbon fiber pole from Denmark.

Soap Comparison Video

John in Germany touts the merits of Ecover washing up liquid which has now developed in to even adding to your WFP tank on many forums as an option even though it gives a high tds. It could be a fad, but early results look promising.

Cold Weather Window Cleaning, Window Drawing & Ice Dams

Window washers still head to work, even in bitter cold: The bitter cold isn’t stopping area window washers from working. One of those die hard workers is Jeremy Anglin. He works for Reflections Window Cleaning. He was still out scaling walls and cleaning windows even as temperatures dipped down into the 20’s. Anglin says it’s a misconception window cleaners don’t work in the winter, but he says sunshine or snow he’s battling the cold temperatures from nine to five. This is Anglin’s fourth winter cleaning windows. He uses special chemicals similar to windshield wiper fluid to keep his water from freezing.  He also wears special gloves to keep his hands as dry as possible during dangerous temperatures. When the weather gets too bad, most of the workers will hold off on the bigger buildings for a few days or even the whole season if they have to. 

A regular Picassoap: Jose Urias first discovered he had a natural talent for art in elementary school. Combining his artistic ability with his career as a window washer occurred 20 years later. “When I was in second grade, I discovered I could draw,” Urias said. “The teacher asked us to draw a picture of a ship in this book. Mine ended up looking just like the one in the book.” Urias started drawing more but never made a career or serious hobby out of it. After jobs in construction, gardening and maintenance, Urias was offered a job at The Vintage Club in Indian Wells as a window washer. The Indio resident jumped at the opportunity.

“They taught me how to use a squeegee,” said Urias, who found that the squeegee could be used for more than cleaning off the soapy mixtures. It also could be his “brush” for soapy window art creations. “The Vintage has 83 windows around the pool,” Urias said. “I found that it entertained me and the people and kids watching me to make different pictures in every window.” Using a solution of dishwashing soap and alcohol and two different sized squeegees, Urias creates hummingbirds, dinosaurs, ships, sea horses, faces (Dick Tracy is a favorite), butterflies and more.

“I started doing this about four years ago to keep kids from putting their hands on the windows,” Urias said. “I soon discovered I could draw anything in the soap. ... I take requests, and people bring their grandkids to watch and take pictures.” There is a real technique to drawing in soap, Urias said. “You have to hurry before the water starts coming down. “I love it when they applaud. I tell them I will give them the sun and the moon, and I do.”

Why did you choose this business?

In 1985, I jumped from being a maintenance man to being a window washer, which paid more.

What makes your business special in the valley?

I have never seen a window washer draw.

What would you be doing if you had another career?

I never thought I'd be a window washer or an artist.

How do you enjoy your time away from work?

I work eight hours, plus side jobs, so I don't have much free time. But I do enjoy doing things with my family.

Homeowners Beware: After Snow, the Ice Dam Cometh: The latest winter storm, coupled with heavy snow accumulation and long cold snaps across the U.S., have left homeowners, pedestrians and buildings themselves unusually vulnerable to the dangers of ice and snow buildup. Well beyond slipping, there's a growing risk of injury from falling material. Recently, a chunk of ice plunged from a pine tree and landed on Mark D'Ambrosio as he cleared the driveway of his of Abington, Mass., home. His son called 911, and Mr. D'Ambrosio was hospitalized briefly with a head wound that required three staples. "I've been in this house 13 years and never seen anything like what's happening this winter," says the 39-year-old Mr. D'Ambrosio.

Other times, the danger comes from homeowners trying to clear roofs of winter's mess before it causes structural damage. While roof collapses get the most attention, a more common worry for the average homeowner is ice dams. These often form when an under-insulated home's heat escapes through the attic, warms the roof and melts snow. As water runs down the roof it can refreeze into an icy dam along the overhang, which is cooler—much like a bridge. If the dam gets big enough, it can then block water from running off the roof and force it to back up under shingles, triggering leaks and other damage. Icicles are one symptom of dams forming.

As snow and ice storms pummel the Northeast, Midwest and South this week, consumers are trying to remove snow however they can. Sales of roof rakes—long-handled tools used from the safety of ground level—are up 30% at Garelick Manufacturing Co., which went back into production this month to meet demand. Northern Tool + Equipment Co. cites unusually strong demand for its hockey puck-sized RoofMelt tablets made of calcium chloride, which can be tossed atop roofs to fuel melting.

Businesses specializing in ice-cutting with pressurized steam or hot water and other solutions report a surge of interest. Bylin Heating Systems Inc. has logged a 200% rise in inquiries this winter for its electrical ice-melting roof systems, which are best installed after existing dams are cleared. Similar demand is brewing for installers of attic insulation and other products that prevent heat loss and slow ice dam formation.

Tom Mahoney's 8,000 square foot house in Edina, Minn., was damaged after a thick ice dam formed along his roofline and triggered water leaks in his master bedroom. His solution: pay $1,000 to have chunks of the ice removed professionally. Mr. Mahoney's contractor, Philip Grave of Dale Services Inc., says he and his brother are on track to earn $100,000 this winter as roof ice-cutters. The duo, who operate a carpet and window-cleaning business in warmer weather, charge $250 to $300 an hour to climb on roofs and blast away at ice dams with 180-200 degree water using a pressure washer. Says Mr. Grave: "We cut ice every day in December and had a wait list."

But with so much snow, residents often are taking drastic short-term actions themselves. In Minnesota, where some areas have received more than 55 inches so far, a Shoreview man died Christmas Day after falling from his roof clearing snow. Meantime, Immanuel St. Joseph's hospital in Mankato has logged a surge of emergency room visits from people injured toppling off their rooftops while shoveling, says hospital spokesman Kevin Burns. "It's directly attributable to the increased snow," says Mr. Burns who reports everything from scrapes and bruises to broken bones and serious internal injuries. "People are very well-intentioned but aren't prepared for the slippery conditions and steep pitch of the surface."

Last week in New York City, which had its snowiest January in history, the Department of Buildings issued a warning reminding property owners they are legally obligated to remove ice and snow from roofs, overhangs and awnings—and singled out icicles as "a threat to public safety." A growing number of new homes are built with thicker insulation that can help prevent ice dams, including more than a million new homes that have earned the federal government's Energy Star label, and there are tax credits and subsidies available for retrofits.

"Most of the time, the ice is there and you are rolling the dice and may or may not have a big chunk hit someone's car or head, or a leak, but the risk is always there," says Mike Rogers, vice president of GreenHomes America Inc., a national home energy retrofit company.

When 51-year-old April Butler of Syracuse, N.Y., moved into her home in December, she wasn't aware that her house was at risk. But soon, dams and icicles hung like a cave around her front door, threatening to pull down her gutters and possibly harming a passer-by, including her 17-year-old daughter. Ms. Butler hired GreenHomes America last week to blow insulation into her attic crawl space, seal air-leaks with foam and replace recessed ceiling light fixtures where the home's heat was escaping.

All these measures are designed to prevent ice dams from forming in the first place; much of what she has now is beginning to thaw. The total cost: $7,062, for which she received a $2,500 subsidy based on her income as a teaching assistant from the Assisted Home Performance with Energy Star program. "As of yet, we've had no leak damage," Ms. Butler says. "Hopefully this will eliminate the fear."

Is this the future of cleaning? New Window Cleaning Soap?

Ecover has developed the world's first ‘eco surfactant' - the beating heart of a cleaning product - that it claims is 'more ecological and powerful' than their old formulations... The mantra of 'green' cleaning has always been to use plant-based and mineral products instead of petrochemical ones.
As well as cutting down on harmful chemicals in our homes, 'eco' products cut down on chemicals in our water systems that can be highly toxic to fish, frogs and other aquatic animals. That said, even plant-based formulations have an environmental impact. They require water to neutralise their impact on the water supply, energy for the manufacturing process and transport for their raw ingredients. In other words, there is always room for improvement in the world of green cleaning.

Last month Ecover took an important step in the right direction. The company announced it had succeeded in developing the world's first 'eco surfactant' using an energy-efficient and entirely biochemical procedure powered by yeast - similar to the process of brewing beer. But first, a word on surfactants Surfactants are the active ingredient in the majority of household cleaners. They can be produced from either petrochemical substances or plant-based alternatives. The first benefit of plant-based alternatives is biodegradability. Petrochemical surfactants do not biodegrade completely and so leave behind particles that accumulate in watercourses. They may also be absorbed into soil, in both cases increasing the risk of environmental damage and hindering the use of sewage sludge as an organic fertiliser.

Dirk Develter, research and development manager at Ecover describes it as similar to the rubbish left in space from space missions - the rockets break up and just leave the bits floating around. Plant-based surfactants on the other hand biodegrade quickly and completely, leaving behind no traces in the environment. The second benefit of using plant-based over petrochemical surfactants is that they are from renewable sources rather than from petrochemicals which rely upon fossil resources. Ecover has always used plant-based alternatives for the bulk of their ingredients. However, until now, plant-based surfactants have been manufactured using the same energy intensive process as petrochemical ones.

After seven years of research Ecover's scientists have invented a new energy efficient process to produce surfactants naturally. Their new surfactant is produced from a ‘sophorolipid' - completely natural compounds created through the action of yeast. The idea of this is nothing new - in the 1960s scientists discovered yeast in a bumblebee nest that had the unique characteristic of creating a kind of surfactant from a combination of glucose (sugar) and oil (a fatty acid) - but the application of it on this scale certainly is. At first, Ecover scientists started production in a test-tube. Now they use a special 10,000 litre ‘bioreactor' in Slovakia, a machine which provides the perfect breeding ground for yeast cells. This in turn enables them to harness yeast's unique ability to combine water-soluble sugars and non-soluble oils to produce the new surfactant.

Develter says the company's new range of products containing its eco surfactant are 'more ecological' than their old formulations for the following reasons:
• They are made using natural, readily available, sustainable raw ingredients - vegetable oil, yeast and sugar.
• The raw ingredients are sourced in Europe, whereas previous plant-based surfactants had to be sourced from Asia so they require less transport miles.
• The energy required in the production process is even lower than before
• The products have full biodegradability and lower aquatic toxicity than before.

The new formulations are kinder to human skin too. As well as only containing plant-based ingredients and fragrances, the range is pH neutral - so no rubber gloves necessary. What about performance? ‘Our new formulations are much more powerful our old formulations,' says Develter. Tests conducted by Ecover and an independent body for the hard surface cleaning range showed that the range outperformed most, if not all brands in effectiveness, and all scored highly in areas such as ease of use, fragrance and drying time.

So what are the downsides? According to Develter, whilst eco surfactants are suited as low-foaming surfactants in hard surface cleaning and automatic dishwashers, they are not suitable for high foaming applications such as manual dishwashing. Experiments with solubility, foaming powder and stability are, however, in full swing so that the eco surfactants can be used in laundry and dishwashing detergents.

What's the catch?
One issue for Ecover is price. The eco surfactants are almost ten times more expensive than the cheapest petrochemical-based surfactants around. ‘Yet because of their superior performance this difference is largely levelled out' says Develter. However, in the long term the company hopes to use and produce larger amounts at a cheaper price. At the moment Ecover can only make enough to cover their own brand's needs and they have patented production. 'We are at the beginning of a long journey with this and in the future if others see eco surfactants working they may be interested too,' says Develter. 'This may allow us to work with others and up-scale production to another level.' There may be no such thing as a 100 per cent ecological cleaning product, but Ecover's eco surfactants are an important step in the right direction. The surfactant bar has been raised - are the cleaning giants nimble enough to follow?


• Ecover Window & Glass Cleaner - RRP £2.69 (500ml) - this brand new product can be used on windows, mirrors, glass and chrome. Up against Mr Muscle Window Cleaner, it took victory on performance and finish, and was described as ‘efficient', ‘very effective' and ‘easy to use' in consumer research.
What's more, because Ecover only uses sustainable plant-based and mineral ingredients, you don't have to worry about leaving behind residues of nasty (and unnecessary) chemicals when you clean. And thanks to its pH neutral formula, it won't irritate skin like some other products can - so feel free to forget the rubber gloves. I've heard the dish-washing soap is also great for cleaning windows.

Soap Wars, Drinking Window Cleaner & Other News

Another installment from Mark Strange of "Beautiful View" from Toronto, Canada gives us a few more unbiased reviews of products in the window cleaners workplace. This time his opinion on window cleaners soap, bravely done in this weeks edition of "Tool Talk." All information on Titan labs GG4 & other window cleaning products can be found here.

"Glass Gleam-4 is a state-of-the art liquid additive to water, designed for cleaning glass using a squeegee. Extensive field testing and customer feedback has proven that GG-4 cleans visibly better with less wipe-up time. It was developed by professional chemists specifically for glass. Titan Laboratories is a recognized leader in window cleaning and restoration chemicals.
GG-4 contains a new detergent system allowing improved cleaning and degreasing of the glass. The squeegee drag reduction (slip) is excellent. Other features include low fragrance, optimized foam level, kind to your hands, and a blue color indicator to reveal that it has been added to the bucket or spray bottle. High-tech polymeric water softeners condition the water to greatly reduce dirt redeposition. This feature alone makes GG-4 highly desirable in areas of hard water. (See comments below on water hardness)."


Keeping up appearances: Following comment by the public on the condition of the hand-painted signs at the five entrances to the town, Romsey Town Council were keen (in the words of Hyacinth Bucket) to be seen to be keeping up appearances.
However, with a limited budget and not wishing to trust the work of local artist, Rob Johnson, to less caring hands, Councillor Ian Richards, a window cleaner, has again proved himself a practical member of the council by cleaning them himself.

'Rogue' trader turns out to be genuine: A window cleaner who featured in a police “rogue trader” warning after a house was given an unwanted washdown and a bill posted through the door has stepped forward to say “it was an honest mistake.” Police issued a press release highlighting the incident at Overstrand near Cromer and spelling out the standard warnings on doorstep traders. But after a small item appeared in the press David Rose of North Walsham-based Easyreach Ladderless Window Cleaning said: “It was a genuine mistake. A new cleaner went to the wrong address - the right number but on Cromer Road rather than Mundesley Road which join into one. “We are a fully-insured legal company covering East Anglia” he assured people in the area. Norfolk police said: “We have to take all reports of suspected rogue traders seriously at the time they are reported to us.”

Legal & General - DIY approach leaves home help out of work: Legal & General has published research which reveals that many UK households are adopting a DIY approach to domestic tasks such as window cleaning which could leave many home help professionals out of work. The pension and insurance provider's survey found that demand for odd jobs people has dropped by 86 per cent, while demand for window cleaners has fallen by 48 per cent. Legal & General also found that 29 per cent of homeowners who previously employed a domestic cleaner claim they will stop paying for one. Overall, 45 per cent of the households which employed some help last year are cutting back. Garry Skelton, marketing director at Legal & General's general insurance business, said: "A significant number of people will be rolling up their sleeves and doing more work around the house in the next few months." Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that nearly two million people in the UK are now unemployed. Also here.

Death-fall maid's employer fined: A businessman whose maid fell to her death while cleaning the windows of his flat has been fined the maximum of $5,000 for not ensuring her safety while at work. Selvam Packirisamy, 39, is the first employer to be prosecuted under the Employment of Foreign Workers Act, in a case in which the maid died. Earlier this month, he was found guilty of failing to ensure that Ms Mariyappan Revathi, 23, performed her window-cleaning chores in a manner which did not endanger her life. EMPLOYERS' RESPONSIBILITY 'It is in the public interest to ensure that employers protect the well-being and safety of their domestic helpers.' MR R. MANOJ, Ministry of Manpower prosecutor.

Russia's Artisanal Moonshine Boom: It is a far cry from what most Russians think of moonshine, a time-dishonored pastime in a country where alcohol poisoning has helped lead to a population decline. In January, The Moscow Times reported that the reason for so many deaths is that 300 million liters of substances never intended for human consumption are drunk annually — these include perfume, aftershave, and cleaning liquids. Many shops sell contraband vodka which is made from a combination of those liquids and water. Good quality samogon, however, is unlikely to do anything for Russia's epidemic of alcoholism. Says Poluetkov, "If people want to drink window cleaner and aftershave, and sniff glue, nothing will stop them. Because window cleaner, aftershave and glue will always be on sale. An addiction is a psychological problem, not just a financial one."
There are 2.5 million alcoholics in the country according to Russia's chief epidemiologist Gennadi Onishchenko. Just last year 19,000 people died of alcohol poisoning; and while this number is less than previous years, alcoholism is still a large factor in Russia's declining population and is responsible for the large gender gap in the mortality rates. To cut down on deaths from poisonous substances, the Russian Government plans to introduce a set minimum price for vodka, which will be 100 rubles ($3) for half a liter.

Window Genie of Akron-Canton selected as dealer of the year: Window Genie is a local service company that has been in operation since 1998. Started primarily as a window cleaning and pressure washing company, Window Genie turned its focus to the area of Window Film in the year 2000 and hasn’t looked back since. The trend today is to build beautiful homes and commercial buildings with a tremendous amount of glass. Most people enjoy the natural light and the view; therefore, do not cover the windows with treatments. However, a large amount of unprotected glass can cause issues such as heat build-up, fading, and annoying glare. Window Genie entered the Window Film Industry because the company is passionate about helping its clients protect their prized possessions, save on energy costs, and just be more comfortable in their homes or offices. “We had a great understanding of these issues even before we got involved with window film, because, as window cleaners, we were in front of our clients’ glass all day, every day” says Dave Manderine, one of the company’s two owner/operators. Manderine’s partner, Mario Kotik believes “that partnering with Huper Optik gave us that competitive advantage we needed. And we believe in these products so much, we added Automotive Window Film to our list of services last year.” Manderine adds “By attending the Huper Optik Dealer Meetings the last three years, our eyes were opened to the “Green Movement” and the push for conserving our energy resources”. Huper Optik USA (HOUSA) is a window film manufacturer/distributor based in Houston, Texas that has established distributors and dealers across the world. HOUSA owns the patent on a German Window Film Technology with incredible clarity and extremely low reflectivity. As the exclusive Huper Dealer in the Akron/Canton Area, Window Genie offers a wide selection of window films with the best warranties in the industry.

8 Companies Rewarded for Composite Innovations: This year, eight companies and their partners will receive JEC Innovation Awards awards at the JEC Composites Show from March 24-26, 2009. The programme was created in 1998 with the goal of promoting innovation. Each year, a jury of renowned international experts chooses the best composite innovations, based on their technical interest, market potential, partnership, financial impact and originality. This year, the winners were selected from the following categories: Raw Materials, Process, Automation, Aeronautics, Building & Construction, Transportation and Environment & Energy. The decision to give prominence to these projects was based on their atypical nature and various noteworthy aspects.
Joint Winner: A façade with an innovative modular system that makes an extensive use of sandwich composites to support both glass and marble elements by Skandinaviska Glassystem AB (Sweden) Partner: Diab Group AB (Sweden) This façade for a six-storey office block in Copenhagen presents two entirely different aspects, depending on the viewpoint of the observer. Viewed from one side, the building would appear to have a façade that is basically a glass wall. Viewed from the opposite side, it would appear to be completely finished in marble. The same effect was required for all four sides of the building. The total area to be covered by the facade is approximately 4,000 square metres.

Chemicals & What Goes In Your Bucket?

Every couple of times a year or more, the window cleaning forums come back to which concoctions or bought solutions are best for cleaning windows. And each time the users religeously vote for the solution they have used & the past experience they have had with other brand names. Some vote for dish-washing liquids others for brand names especially formulated just for that - cleaning windows. And others often try to concoct a mixture that they swear is the best yet, often at risk to their own health.
Jack Nelson of the MWCoA has started his own "Green Environmental Education Section" & will show you the proper way to handle and use the chemicals to the best of their abilities.

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Reports about a new study which found that nurses are more likely to suffer from asthma than other healthcare workers, because they are in regular contact with cleaning chemicals, have featured throughout the media in recent days.
The story sounded familiar, and looking back through Cleanzine's archives I discovered that we had covered a similar story on two occasions. The first, headed: 'Link between bleach and breathing disorders', reported on a Spanish study of 550 people that found a link between breathing disorders suffered by domestic cleaners and exposure to bleach and possibly to other irritant agents.
The second, broadcast 18 months ago and headed: 'Occupational asthma', covered another Spanish study, which revealed that cleaners are 71% more likely than the rest of the population to suffer from occupational asthma. This study involved 6,837 people from 13 countries, all of whom participated in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey, (1990 and 1995). It was found that exposure to known substances which trigger occupational asthma raises the risk of developing it by 60%. It was also found that if a person has been exposed to asthma-causing irritants during specific incidents, his or her risk of developing 'new-onset' asthma is three-times more likely than that of the general public. The act of mixing cleaning products or being involved in chemical spillages are considered asthma-causing irritants.

This particular study found that nurses were 122% more likely to suffer from asthma and cited a number of reasons for the increased risk. The researchers said: "Nurses could be exposed to sensitising substances, respiratory allergens, and irritants including sterilisers and disinfectants such as glutaraldehyde or bleach."
The latest study, which was carried out in the US and included 3,650 Texan healthcare professionals - including 941 nurses - found that nurses who are routinely exposed to disinfectants and other cleaning products are 72% more likely to develop asthma than healthcare workers in other fields, and 57% more likely to report asthma-like symptoms. Further, nurses who regularly clean medical instruments are 67% more likely to develop asthma. Nurses who used powdered latex gloves before the year 2000 were 6% more likely to have newly diagnosed asthma. "Substituting cleaning agents with environmentally friendly 'green chemicals' and using appropriate personal care protection could help minimise occupational exposures in this professional group," wrote the University of North Carolina at Charlotte's researchers.

Can you clean and still be green?

Chlorinated bleach. The chemical, which, according to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, is the most commonly ingested poison by small children, is virtually ubiquitous because of its whitening and disinfectant powers. The Environmental Protection Agency EPA reports that the use of bleach can cause health effects ranging from skin and lung irritation to blindness and cancer. Its byproduct is a carcinogenic substance known as dioxin.
EGBE. A common though unlisted, ingredient in products such as Pine-Sol, Simple Green and Windex, EGBE has been shown to cause reproductive disorders in lab animals, reveals Women's Voices for the Earth, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving women's health. Furthermore, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry reports that EGBE is a known carcinogen.

Phenols. These deadly compounds are found in many cleansers that exhibit a pine scent. According to the EPA, phenols can be "acutely toxic," leading to disorders ranging from irritation of the skin and lungs to kidney and liver disorders to cardiac irregularities, among many, many other symptoms.
Ammonia. Found in floor polishes, window cleaners and other cleansers, ammonia is a corrosive substance that can produce intense irritation in the eyes and the respiratory system. Sufficient exposure can result in burns severe enough to cause blindness, lung disease and even death, according to the EPA.
Formaldehyde. Like ammonia, formaldehyde is an ingredient in many cleaning agents that can cause respiratory irritation and distress. However, the EPA reports that it is also known to induce asthma attacks and may lead to cancer.
Indeed, the list of toxic chemicals found in cleaning agents is virtually endless. Other substances to avoid include: sodium hydroxide, sulfamic acid, butyl cellosolve 2-butoxyethanol, lye, petroleum distillates, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and morpholine.

The 54-year-old actor John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston insisted on staying by 16-year-old Jett's side as medics battled to save him, rather than follow the ambulance in a car. However, shortly after arriving at Freeport Hospital in Grand Bahama, doctors broke the news to the couple that their son was dead. Jett, who had suffered from seizures from the age of two, was found unconscious on Friday morning in the bathroom of the family home at the Old Bahama Bay resort in the Bahamas. Travolta said he fought to revive the teenager before paramedics arrived. Travolta's lawyers – Michael Ossi and Michael McDermott – were quoted as saying that Jett suffered from grand mal, a form of epilepsy that causes convulsions and unconsciousness.
The lawyers said he had been treated for some years with a drug that stopped the fits from occurring. But after a while, the medicine became ineffective and caused liver damage. So the course was discontinued and Jett started suffering a serious seizure every few days. The film star is a follower of the Church of Scientology, and has previously said that the church's teachings were of help in detoxifying his son during earlier medical problems. Jett was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease when he was a toddler – a condition his parents ascribed to the chemicals in household cleaning products used in their home.