Unger Stingray Wins Innovation Award

PRESS RELEASE : Unger wins Innovation Award Unger Stingray shines all around. Solingen/Chicago – Unger was presented with the Innovation Award at the international cleaning trade fair ISSA/Interclean North America. 

 The Unger Stingray indoor window cleaning system managed to impress the exclusive jury and won the coveted award in the Supplies and Accessories category. With a total of 50 cleaning companies registering their products for the Innovation Awards this year, the competition was challenging across all categories. 

A distinguished expert jury made up of distributors, construction companies and in-house service providers judged every product on its forward-thinking potential, giving particular consideration to profitability and safety aspects, as well as innovative features, quality and productivity. The jury chose Unger Stingray as the outstanding innovation in the Supplies and Accessories category based on its unique advantages that make cleaning indoor glass, mirror and other washable surfaces simpler and more efficient. 

Unger Stingray – allowing cleaning personnel to work simpler, faster, safer and more efficiently: 

Cleaning indoor glass using traditional sprayer and a cloth can be time-consuming and labour intensive, especially in areas with lots of internal glass surfaces that have to be kept spotless at all times, such as offices, hotels, restaurants and shopping centres. Using ladders or climbing chairs to clean at height can also be risky and require re-arranging furniture and equipment for access. 

Unger Stingray easily solves these issues and offers a perfect solution to all your indoor glass cleaning needs:

According to the “Indoor window cleaning time and consumption study” conducted by the hygiene consultant Hyco Mück, the Stingray allows you to clean 25% faster compared to traditional sprayer and a cloth method thanks to its one step “apply & clean” design. Its enclosed sprayer applies the glass cleaner directly to surface, eliminating overspray and drips, so there is no risk of airborne chemical inhalation and no need to spend extra time on covering up nearby items or cleaning up the mess.

At a push of a button, the Stingray pump dispenses a single shot of professional glass cleaner with 3M Scotchgard protection, its precise application allows you to clean brilliantly, control costs and minimise waste, using 39% less chemicals!

With its highly intuitive design, the Stingray is simple and easy to use, with minimal training required even for your least experienced staff. This means that surface cleaning at heights of up to 4 m (13 ft) can now be safely carried out by in-house teams on a daily basis, reducing risks and costs whilst increasing building cleanliness and customer satisfaction. 

Photo Caption:

The expert jury selected Unger Stingray for its outstanding innovative design, allowing you to clean indoor surfaces efficiently and faster than ever before – maximizing profitability in the process.

Also see: The Stingray indoor cleaning system
Ungers official Stingray sites here & here

Winterize

It's official....winter is here! You spent a lot of money on your pure water window cleaning system this year. Watch the video below for some tips on getting it winterized and tuned up for next season!

Crush Your Window Cleaning Competition With Data

Hello, Window Cleaners!

At the beginning of this year, WCR asked 1,000 window cleaners 100 questions.  We cover topics like Marketing, Sales, Money, Operations & Competition. You know all the important stuff!

Download it for Free HERE

This valuable tool helps you to see how you stack up against the competition. It will also help benchmark your progress and see what's possible with your business.

The Window Cleaners Census is the only large-scale survey in the Window Cleaning World. 

Stay tuned in the early winter for the next release.

Health and safety board says window washer's death could have been avoided

One worker is dead and another injured after a window cleaning crane overturned.

In a recent article here,  the Quebec Health and safety board reported that a window cleaner's death could have been avoided. In this instance, they ruled that the window washing company is fully responsible for the unfortunate incident that resulted in the death of a 53-year-old employee back in April.

The employee, Rafael Marchante died on April 10th when a mobile crane overturned and crushed him. He and his 19-year-old son were cleaning windows on UQAM’s Paul Gerin Lajoie Pavilion the morning of the incident. The company overseeing the job, Lavage de Vitres Haute Performance, made several mistakes.

The crane, parked by another employee, was deployed at an extreme angle to reach some of the windows at the building. The crane was also not levelled. A plank of wood was placed over uneven terrain and under the support.

With the added weight of the employees in the support basket, the left support leg sank, causing the crane to tip backwards. Marchante was struck in the head by part of the crane . He died instantly. His son survived but was badly injured.

Officials said, “When the crane tilted, the chip fatally hit the worker aboard the window cleaning platform. And secondly, the operation of the crane beyond the lifting limit allowed by the manufacturer contributed in the sliding of the left rear stabilizer cylinder out of its support and destabilized the crane."

 

The company is now barred from using cranes to wash windows. All companies that use cranes should carefully review all safety measures and operational instructions for their equipment. Quebec's Federation of Labour (FTQ-Construction) is calling for mandatory training of all crane operators to reduce future injuries and accidents.

Live Q&A!

Exciting news! A new live stream Q&A show airs this Sunday at 3pm central time on Luke the Window Cleaners youtube channel. We will be covering all things Excelerator. Hope to see you guys there! You can read more updated information here.

New Unger nLite Video Series

Watch our brand new video series on the Unger nLite Water Fed Poles!  This video series covers a comprehensive overview, unboxing and set up, and a closer look at the Unger nLite water fed poles. We also cover Unger water fed brushes, indoor cleaning and more! Check out all the videos at the link below!

Cleaner killed after gondola falls from 23rd floor

A window cleaning gondola fell from the 23rd floor of the Intiland Tower in Indonesia

In a recent article by The Jakarta Post, a cleaner was killed after a window cleaning gondola fell from the 23rd floor of the Intiland Tower located in Indonesia. The incident occurred on Wednesday at 11:15 AM.

According to key persons, the gondola was purchased a year ago and had never been used before the accident. “Last week, the gondola was repaired. It was the first time the thing was used after the repair. It was in a good condition,” he was reported as saying. A corporate public relations officer said the building’s management was still seeking an explanation for the cause of the accident from the contractor that repaired the gondola.

“Yes, there was an accident and one man was killed,” said the detective head of the Police office in Central Jakarta, on Wednesday. There has been no talk as of yet at who his responsible for the accident. 

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:

Moerman Excelerator in action!

Have you checked out the highly anticipated Moerman Excelerator yet?! Check out two videos below that go over key features and how it looks in action!

Great thread of updates and information here.

Boars Hair vs Nylon

What is the difference between Boars Hair and Nylon Water Fed Pole Brushes? What’s best for you? It depends on what your cleaning and at what height. This shot video breaks down both types.

Check out more videos here:
Tucker Water Fed Brushes, Poles, and Systems
Window Cleaning Basics
Understanding Pure Water & WaterFed Pole Window Cleaning

Basic Fanning Technique

Check out this basic fanning technique video on how to clean windows. More detailed and advanced window cleaning techniques later on in this instructional"how to clean windows" series. It's nicely broken down and easy to understand for those that are new to the industry. Click here to watch the video.

Water Fed Pole Compare O' Meter

Have you ever wondered how the top water fed poles compete against each other? You’re not alone! Window Cleaning Resource has come up with a handy way to compare your favorite water fed pole brands. Check out the live comparison sheet below!

To compare the brands even further check out the link below. Sort, compare, analyze and crunch the stats of your favorite WFPs! Sort by brand, product name, material, actual length, type, weight, compacted length, # of sections or price.

Click here to check out the Live Water Fed Pole Comparison Guide!

Window washers stretch safety rules...

Facing hard-to-clean sliding windows, cleaners on East 44th Street cut corners

In an article by Peter D'Amato which can be found here, a five-man crew from a company called Upgrade Services took turns leaning out and stretching to clean the farthest corners of the windows in a 1950s-era office building. This building was sixty feet above East 44th Street. 

Upgrade Services President John McDermott sent the five men back for retraining once the union had heard the risky maneuvers they attempted to perform their work. The workers were in clear violation of the state's labor law. Laws require that workers use safety harnesses or a scaffold when cleaning the outside of windows. The President of the company also went on to say, "After years on the job, veterans can get overly brave. "You get lulled into a false sense of security that it's OK to take these chances."

Moerman Liquidator

Check out this video on the Moerman Liquidator. In celebration of the release of the Liquidator channel back in April, Moerman released some time-saving tips and tricks! Its design comes close to eliminating detailing. You can cut down on almost all wiping of window frames and edges.

Here are some Liquidator suggestions straight from Moerman:

1. Place your original Liquidator rubber in the middle of the channel
2. Use enough detergent, preferably directly on the sleeve
3. Put minimum pressure and it floats like air
4. Get a feel for the right angle of attack
5. No detailing of the window

Check out the full video below!

Last year they brought you the Liquidator, this year Moerman plans to release "The Combinator." The new 3 part window cleaning squeegee comes highly anticipated. It has the same great features as the Liquidator with all new longer lasting ending clips. It is ideal for pole work, residential and even store fronts. It is component based which allows customization according to your budget and needs.

Window washer survives 10-story fall

Window washer falls 10 stories from scaffolding in Newport News

Live from Norfolk, Va, a 24-year-old man fell 10 stories from a Newport News high-rise building on Friday. Read the official article here. Luckily, he is expected to make a full recovery. He is currently wearing a body cast and has a broken arm, broken foot, broken back bones and bruises on his lungs and heart.

Officials say he fell from the Maritime Square building which is near 26th Street and Washington Avenue. The incident happened around 1:45 p.m. on Sept. 9 while he was window cleaning.

Martin Stanford says he remembers free-falling and then having a tough time opening his eyes at the hospital. He doesn’t recall the impact. “When I first started dropping, I saw how high up I was,” he says. “The first thing I thought was that I’m about to die, and then I woke up in the hospital and I was still alive.” Stanford says he started repelling from buildings five days before the incident.

The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry is currently conducting an open case to investigate what went wrong.

The Executive Mindset

Join Josh Latimer in his free 5 day podcast series for window cleaners titled: The Executive Mindset

This is what he says about the series:

"Please listen in and take notes as I walk you through the 10 things you need to CRUSH your business goals and build a company you can be proud of!

Building a business is one of the hardest things you will ever do in your life but can also be the most rewarding.  Take the time to invest and work on your mindset.  Be intentional about the kind of people you spend time with and allow influence in your life.

Anyone can win but not everyone will.  Why?  It's a combination of mindset and GRIT.  Ask yourself this question:  "Are you relentless?  Do you want to win so bad that your stomach hurts?"  If the answer is yes than you have what it takes as long as you operate with the correct mindset."

Though today is day four, you can still listen to past podcasts on his feed here.

Close up with Tucker Water Fed Pole Brushes

Alex takes a close up look at the Tucker Water Fed Pole Brushes in our new video!

Check out the products mentioned in the video and more brushes here!

IWCA: Online Safety Training

IWCA has a program that could be beneficial for those looking for hands-on safety training. This is a great refresher course or good for onboarding new employees. The IWCA provides various online safety training modules just for this.

The tutorial includes PowerPoint slides along with video. The material is the actual regional safety training seminar which is taught by IWCA Safety Director, Stefan Bright. Instructional videos are broken up into modules that are an hour long The IWCA suggests that videos are "designed so your office safety director, business owner or training manager can reinforce specific training issues after the program and can discuss key points with employees." Each module is $125 (for members) or $175 (for nonmembers) for the first six months.

Module 1: Plan Ahead For Safety

Addresses proper planning such as equipment use, identifying hazards, site assessments and fall protection.

Module 2: Using Rope Access for Descending a Building

Addresses how to select the right equipment, how the equipment works, how to inspect the equipment and job site prior to use, the importance of a written plan, identifying anchorage points, helping a building to understand its part in the shared responsibility of workplace safety and basic and advanced rigging techniques. 

Learn more at their website, here.

New Waterfed Video Series!

Looking for more information on pure water and water fed poles? Look no further! Check out the brand new Water Fed Pole Video series from WCR! Browse in-depth videos on a variety of topics that cover pure water window cleaning, testing your water quality, understanding different purification methods, water fed pole overview and much more! Check out the videos below!

What's the next step? Check your TDS for free, use our automated water fed pole suggestion system or schedule a consulting session with John Lee, one of the top product experts at WCR and receive up to $100 off select pure water systems. Click here!

Window washing platform fails

Failed window washing platform on US Bank Tower.

2 workers 'self rescue' from failed skyscraper platform: According to the most recent news story, a scaffolding failed on a window-washing platform on the US Bank Tower Tuesday afternoon. Luckily, it fell sideways and to the left toward a lower-level roof.

The two crew members were then able to safely escape to the neighboring building. Lt. Steve Saunders with the Cincinnati Police Department said, "At around noon, scaffolding lines on the right side of the platform appeared to fail or become loose, with the left side remaining intact. Crowds quickly gathered at Fountain Square to watch the emergency response."

The incident occurred at the US Bank Tower on Walnut Street. It is 27 stories high and 365 feet tall. The window cleaners were up at about 20 stories up when the scaffold fell sideways.

Cincinnati fire officials have not yet determined what caused the accident. East Fifth Street was closed as police as rescue crews worked at the scene. A U.S. Bancorp spokeswoman says the company is grateful there were no injuries. Cheryl Leamon noted that the company is working with building and safety officials to assess the situation and prevent further incidents.