Lee Burbidge of Window Cleaning Magazine UK fame has made another video of life window cleaning in the UK. Chatting about window cleaning with 'Wagga' aka Chris Dawber as he works. Lee Burbidge goes on to say "Newbies will find this
interesting and seasoned window cleaners, hopefully will find this
entertaining." "Personally, am totally going to try the WFP/Wagtail
switch that Wagga demonstrates and we get another look at a harris pole
mounted with a modified wagtail flipper and see it in use." "Something for
everyone here with traditional and water fed pole window cleaning work." Please click the youtube link (bottom right hand side) to see this video in hd quality.
This is a book from a window cleaner we all know well from his YouTube videos. Chris Dawber (aka Wagga) says he began to write this book out of bitterness. Bitterness at all the hard work and failure he has endured in his life, but as he progressed through his book, he began to realize how many experiences he could share with others. This is largely an account of an ordinary man searching for a place in life and trying to find out just who he is. Much of what Chris did was borne mainly out of fear, fear and failure. This was to lead Chris into all sorts of adventures and situations that he could not cope with, let alone have the ability to carry out with any competence. From cleaning toilets to Royal Naval Aircrew, Merchant Seaman to Psychiatric Nurse and even a window cleaner, a life lived to the full, he regrets none of it. This led to many humorous and some dangerous situations, many of which he sought to escape by Running For Home. A book, written with honesty and sincerity - this book may help anyone to come to terms with their lot in life! Just to remind you... Chris in action..
A few snippets from Chris...
I was cleaning windows for over 20 years until I changed my system over to what is called WFP (water fed pole) where ladders are not required. In all this time I never once fell off. There were some very close shaves though. Several times the ladders slipped a bit then stopped. Once a rung snapped but it was the last but one, closest to the ground, so I just fell backwards onto the grass without injury. Once when my wife was working with me, I climbed onto a roof to do a window above a porch. I had muddy boots and as I got to the window I slipped, began to slide back down the roof on my bum, my progress only halted by the plastic gutter into which both feet went. This flexed alarmingly and I was terrified and called out to my wife to catch me if I fell, which sounds hilarious now. Somehow I managed to get back to the ladders"
Some customers have been the same ones since I first started window cleaning in 1986 up to 2011 as I write this. Many became friends and many now know my name. Sadly several have died and I can remember most of them and hear their voices. One of my customers was actually murdered. My wife and I would talk to her every time we cleaned the windows. Then one day the whole of Aycliffe Village was crawling with police but I did not know at the time what was going on. It was only several weeks later whilst we were watching Crime Watch on TV that we realised what had happened. We had no information so we did not ring up Crime Watch but in hindsight, we should have done. Its just that I had felt that the police had been incompetent in not talking to me when they saw me in the village cleaning windows. It was as though I was invisible or something. Some years later, I asked a detective who’s house I cleaned, how the case had gone since I had an interest. I mentioned that no one had thought to interview me and my wife and surely the forensic team had found the ticket that I had put through her letter box. It was the very same stamp I used to make the ticket that he got in his letter box. I said “Surely you found my ticket?” The next time he saw me, he knew my name and appeared to know quite a lot about me.
One morning a few years back, I had just started work when an elderly woman came out of the house next to the one I was cleaning. She was obviously in distress and shouted that her husband had collapsed. She was on the phone and the emergency services were talking to her when I entered her house. I found her husband Francis, aged 78 collapsed on the floor of the kitchen. He’d obviously fallen against the wall and was sat up. His eyes were slightly open and I could not see any movement whatsoever. My worst fears began to set in as my training in the forces kicked in once again. The first thing I did was check for a pulse, first on his neck and finding none, on his wrist. At first I could not believe that there was no pulse so I checked over and over again. I said to his wife, “there’s no pulse”. The emergency services asked her to tell me to start CPR. I knew what I had to do and dragged Francis into the hall where I began to try and breath some life back into him.
I opened his mouth and breathed into his. His chest rose. He had been sick and I could feel bits of vomit in my own mouth. I didn’t feel sick though, that would come later when the adrenalin wore off. I pumped at his chest, counting as I went, then back to giving him air. It seemed to go on for ages. When would the ambulance arrive. On and on it went, some colour returning to his face but I was getting no response. Still no pulse. On and on without success.
Then the paramedics burst in and took over. Their professionalism really showed since they did not just brush me aside but instead asked me to help carry him into the living room where there was much more space. Then said its okay, "we’ll take over now."
I stood in the doorway watching as they did all they could to bring him back but the monitor stayed resolutely blank. They began shaking their heads. I knew it was over but still could not accept he was dead. I sat in the kitchen where his wife made me a cup of tea. When the doctor arrived he pronounced Francis dead. The tears rolled down my face, but one of the paramedics consoled me by asking if I had done this sort of thing before. I said I had been in the Navy. He nodded knowingly.
If you feel that this book would interest you or you have enjoyed or learned from Wagga's videos, please shake your pocket & give something back. As Chris would say... "Job Done!"
Glyn Hewitt of "Adders rinse and clean" gives us his "Adders Guide to get working on Cold days":
"There are a lot of posts just lately about not working in this cold weather." "So what I thought I'd do is show you all how I go about working and if that helps anyone then great!" "OK, first just to show you how cold it was for me - here is my van."
"This picture was taken at 9.30 a.m., it was so cold that I could impale an apple on my brush."
"OK, the first thing I did was take my pump in last night, they say prevention is better than cure, so I thought if the pump is not in the van there is no way it can freeze. Here is my pump set up so I can easily take it in at night."
"OK the next thing was to fill my van up - this is a picture of the master tank."
"As you can see its outside and the water inside was frozen."
"I needed to fill up so what I did was take the hose that goes from the tank and put it in the bath to defrost." "I connected it back up and left it to run as you can see there was still ice pouring out of it so I let it run until that had stopped."
"OK, tank now filling, so I brought the hose reel and poles in and left them near the radiator so they could defrost."
"When I connected everything up, the hose was still not defrosted, so that went in the bath as you can see - it looks like a spaghetti bath!"
"Right tank all filled and the hose all nice and warm." "Time to see if all is OK." "And it was time, now at 11.00 a.m. and heres my works partner on our first job."
"Who says that you need a hot system in the winter months!"
OK... recap:
1 Never leave your system with out some protection from the cold.
2 Take as much gear inside as possible.
3 Never start work too early when the water can freeze up again.
4 Finish work early as well.
5 Never go back to ladders in the icy cold, that's just stupid.
6 Remember that w.a.s.p are the greatest rock band of all time!
"Hope all you lot managed to get working this week - all the best your fellow window cleaner, Adders!"
The Electric Window Cleaner says "I found a Rubbermaid, she was cheap and keeps my water warm for ages. A 25 litre drum looses approx 1 degree each hour. It holds 2 x 25 Litres or one and a hose reel and brush, which is handy to warm a frozen brush - its like a warm box. I also find that you dont need hot, if you store the 25l in your home they are approx 20 degrees, warm enough to work with. However if you use zillions of gallons then this is not for you.
MyWagga says in the video below, "Even if you live in a hard water area, it may be possible to use your domestic hot water system to fill some barrels through a DI." "It wont damage the DI and you will have enough hot water to do some work until the weather changes." "Some sort of insulation for the barrels might be good."
(The Nutter) The coolest window cleaner in town: Is Jamie Powell the coolest window cleaner around? Well, he certainly was on Tuesday. Despite the freezing weather he stripped to his boxers the polish the panes at the Journal offices and publicise his charity fundraising drive. Jamie, 40, who lives in Tisbury, will be braving the elements in his underwear as he goes on his rural rounds in the run-up to Christmas, and hoping that customers will feel moved to pay him a little extra to support the Prostate Cancer Charity. The father of three said: “It’s a good charity. I chose it because my godfather, a good friend of my dad’s, is battling prostate cancer. Luckily he’s doing OK.” And how will he cope with the chill winds atop his ladder? “It makes absolutely no odds to me,” he said bravely, if perhaps rashly. “I’ll just keep moving and hope that somebody will make me a nice hot cup of tea.”
A quick disclaimer for the information above. Due to the fragility of membranes & vessels in cold weather, this information is provided for the user who assumes the risk for taking any of the above advise! Winter working is taken at the users risk.
A few more window cleaning videos. More tomorrow... A ladder-stay for windy days: Wagga says "Just fit a clip like this and you can work a bit more confidently in the wind."
Windows 101 revives an old clip from the '80's of some high-rise action..
Must see footage of Skyscraperman aka "SpiderDan Goodwin", scaling the World Trade Center in 1983. His goal was to scale both towers in a single day but his plans were dashed when the window washing tracks nearly ripped away.
This is a feature story on a man who washes businesses' windows in downtown Bakersfield, all while riding his bicycle.
Galloway's Window Cleaning Services in Swansea, South Wales using a water fed pole.
Dr Squeegee from Canada...
Tool-talk with Mark Strange, author of the "Window Cleaning Skills" DVD. Here he is in explaining in his easy to understand style, Unger Monsoon covers & sea sponges.
Oh dear....Vicki Lewis demonstrates how her Bring-It-On Water Spot remover and new Super Squeegee team up to make short work of cleaning water-stained and mineral-stained windows and glass.
Chris Dawber from Newton Aycliffe in Durham aka "Wagga" on the UK window cleaning forums has made an art of adapting the Wagtail tools in a big way. Previously serving in the Navy for 11 years before turning to window cleaning for the last 23 years mostly domestic. In this time Chris has been using a Wagtail for about 10 years. Chris says "I prefer window cleaning, especially since I like going home for my dinner!"
Chris also adds, that although water fed pole is a great tool and of course it works, but he couldn't get on with his trolly system. "A van system is the way to go." "However, it is hard to beat the freedom you get from a traditional system using a pole." "It's taken a lot of practice I admit, but contrary to popular belief, it is possible to achieve good results with a traditional pole & squeegee." Adding "even I could not believe it a first." Chris's round/route is very local to him and he doesn't need to travel much. He says "there was a lot of building going on around here in the 80s and 90s so its mostly modern style windows he gets to clean." Chris also has another secret - he swears by Lidl dish washing liquid & has many converts that have taken his advise. He adds, "Good slip and few streaks."
Chris does about 80-90% of his round using a pole only. With these latest developments he says "anyone could learn the techniques fairly quickly." "It took me about 7yrs to perfect my technique but then along came the Flipper version and suddenly it made all the difference."
Above are the pictures of Wagga's current modified version for pole use only. Note, the pad is on top instead of below the squeegee. "The reason being, "you can see what your doing better and it never interferes with closing out." The pictures also show the new way he attaches the pad. Chris says "it works better once you're used to it, & use un-modded wagtail for hand use. The cable ties act like springs. They allow the wagtail to swivel as normal but it centralises the blade making it much easier and more accurate to use instead of it flopping from side to side. "Works a treat on most windows." "Takes a while to learn to use it but worth the learning curve." "You will need an angle for the pole." Click the pictures to enlarge as always. Note the dog-earing!
