R.I.P. Norm Winton

From Ted Winton: I just wanted to let the group know that my dad, Norm Winton, passed away on September 22nd. He suffered a stroke on September 3rd, and never made it out of the hospital. I'm not sure how many of you knew him that well, but I saw he had been posting here fairly often.For those interested, here is a link to the slideshow that my brother and I put together for his memorial service.

In loving memory of Norman L. Winton. Born November 8, 1936 in Hewitt, Minnesota. Died September 22, 2008 in Clackamas, Oregon. Memorial service will be held on September 26, 2008 in Portland, Oregon.

Norm was most prolific as a moderator on the windows 101 forum, sharing his insight into the window cleaning world. He came across on the internet as a very funny & giving guy. I always enjoyed the stories he dug up & his fascination with sea sponges! Thanks Norm for your servive to the window cleaning industry.

Tool Talk with Mark

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 rubbers, buckets & swivel handles. All available from the USA & UK.

San Diego Window Washers Rescued

SAN DIEGO -- A typical work day turned hairy for two window washers in Carmel Valley Tuesday morning. One end of a scaffolding dropped, leaving both mean hanging off the side of a building eight stories up for more than 40 minutes. Battalion Chief Mike Finnerty of the San Diego Fire Department said, "The cable just kept extending while the other one didn't, and basically dropped the platform out from underneath one of the window washers who ended up dangling on his safety cable." One of the washers dangled in the air for more than 40 minutes. Thankfully, he was wearing his safety harness. "It's a full-body safety harness that encompasses the legs, the waist and the chest," said Finnerty. The other washer was able to hold on to the other side of the scaffolding that didn't drop. "They were completely safe the entire time. It was just a matter of them now needing to be rescued because of the failure of the scaffolding," said Finnerty. Firefighters used ropes to pull both men up and over the edge of the roof.
Neither washer was hurt. "The main thing is our employees are safe. Nobody got injured on the ground," said Steve Harvey of Lot Management. Both men were able to walk away, quickly telling cameras as they left that one of the machines that winds the cables on the scaffolding stopped working. Lot Management said they would investigate before sending their men back up. Video also here.

This video released by WSIB, Canada from the workplace safety & insurance board.

Q & A Welsh Window Cleaner

Marc Rees had ambitions to be a teacher before he realised he could never spend every day indoors. The 22-year-old, from Whitchurch, Cardiff, is now a window cleaner and has been doing the job for two years.
How did you get into it?
I started working with a friend who had a family business and I’m trying to start out on my own. I’ve been canvassing for the last few months. I cover Whitchurch, Rhiwbina, Birchgrove, Lisvane and Thornhill but eventually I want to expand, maybe take on a partner and work all over Cardiff.
What’s the best thing about your job?
I love working outdoors. I hated the idea of working inside and could never do an office job for that reason. Being out in the fresh air is one of the best things, but I love how independent I get to be. You never get told what to do, the hours are flexible and you can work at your own pace.
I also love meeting people and having a chat. I’ve seen couples argue behind the windows – that’s embarrassing but I just ignore them politely and get on with the job. I used to feel awkward when I saw a potential row about to start – now I just get on as quickly as possible and leave!
What qualities do you need to be a window cleaner?
You have to be fit. There is a lot of walking around and carrying heavy equipment. It’s a good work-out every day. You also have to have good time-keeping and be organised enough to keep a busy diary. It’s important you’re very self-motivated.
Safety’s obviously a big issue – you have to know how to put up the ladder so you don’t fall, and know which roof tiles you can’t stand on because they’ll crack. Obviously you can’t be afraid of heights either.
What’s in your kit?
I carry an applicator, blades which we call squidgeys, a special soap, scrins (cloths), a reach-and-wash brush for conservatories and purified water. I carry it around on a belt with my appointment book and a bucket. I’ve recently started painting exteriors so I’ve got all the tools for that too.
Did you always want to be a window cleaner?
No, I wanted to be a teacher. Part of me regrets not going to university after school. I started training, to be a teaching assistant and worked at nurseries, then was planning on doing a Post Graduate Certificate in Education but I soon realised it wasn’t for me. I can always go back to it though and for now I’m enjoying what I do. It’s a lot less tiring than looking after screaming reception children but it keeps me just as busy. My great-grandfather was a window cleaner and had a good business brain apparently – I hope that rubs off on me!
What’s the worst thing about the job?
The weather. If it’s belting down with rain you can’t work but I’ll go out in showers – I have to or I wouldn’t earn anything! You also have to understand things like that will mean that you won’t always have a completely reliable income. So far I haven’t been affected by the dreaded credit crunch. I think people always want their windows cleaned and nobody wants to get up a ladder and do it themselves. I’ve seen some really disgusting windows. I did a friend’s who lives with two other girls and they’d lived there a year without having it done – the windows were filthy and were covered in spiders. I should have charged them more really!
How difficult do you think it will be to maintain a business on your own?
There are a few costs when you’re starting out so I’ll have to save up. You can get a transit van for about £800 and the equipment costs just over £100. Then there’s the business cards. I enjoy working with my friend because you can chat as you go along. But I don’t get lonely when I’m out on my own. I get on well with all my customers, they’re always polite and most offer you a cup of tea. I’ve only ever had one customer who was really miserable, most are really chatty and take an interest in what I’m doing.
Would you recommend it?
Yes – it’s a great job and I genuinely love it. When I tell people I’m a window cleaner I get mixed reactions. Some people give me a wry smile and look as if they wonder why I’m doing it – people can be a bit snobby. Others congratulate me on doing my own thing and trying to start a business. A lot of people don’t understand the hard work that’s involved.

Picture of a window cleaner at work at the St David's Hotel in Cardiff Bay -

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Cleaning the Crocodiles Windows

WHEN I'm cleaning windows … Paignton Zoo crocodile keeper Rod Keen jumps into help but only after a dangerous 'saltie' has been locked away. Window cleaning is a big part of a zoo keeper's life, says the zoo, and mostly it is a pretty routine job.
A zoo spokesman said: "And then there are the underwater viewing windows in Crocodile Swamp" The £1.5million exhibit which opened earlier this year to critical acclaim was closed for a morning recently so staff could clean the underwater viewing windows. The spokesman said: "A magnetic device is used to clean the acrylic windows in Crocodile Swamp. It is used from outside but holds a cleaning pad on the inside.
"However, algae managed to get a hold on the windows of the last exhibit, containing the 2.6-metre female saltwater crocodile, before staff had a chance to use it, which is why staff had to resort to good old elbow grease."
Crocodile Swamp was designed with interconnecting pools, so all the keepers had to do was move the female Cuban crocodile out of her pool and into the neighbouring lily pond. The saltwater crocodile was then moved into the pool vacated by the Cuban. The vacant pool was drained and staff moved in to start work, armed with cloths and waders.
The job took head reptile keeper Rod Keen and keeper Andy Meek several hours to complete.
The spokesman said: "With the water in the pools at 25° Celsius and the sunlight, the algae can build up very quickly on rock and window surfaces. "The state-of-the-art filtration system keeps the water clear despite the daily cocktail of plant material, small pieces of food and crocodile dung."
Neil Bemment, the zoo's operations director, said: "Windows throughout the zoo need to be as clean as possible so visitors can get the best possible view of the animals.
"Cleaning underwater viewing windows is a job aquariums and places like Living Coasts have to do regularly, but these are probably among the trickiest windows in the zoo for us to clean.
"From now on we should be able to use the magnetic cleaner and not have to move the animals." Crocodile Swamp holds more water than three domestic-sized swimming pools or 2,500 bath-tubs. It is home to Cuban crocodiles, Nile crocodiles and a saltwater crocodile, plus four species of large snake. There are five interconnecting pools of different sizes containing 255 cubic metres or more than 250 tonnes of water. See previous story by clicking the alligator.

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High Rise Window Cleaning in New Zealand + Videos

Fearless folk are busy spring cleaning some of Christchurch's tallest buildings. Goleman industrial abseiler Josh Pretty shares the perks, and the quirks, of high-rise window cleaning with KATIE WYLIE (Source: Press, The; Christchurch, New Zealand).

Hi Josh. How long have you been in the world of window cleaning?
I started back in 2001. I'm into the outdoors big time and I studied over in Greymouth to be an outdoor instructor with the whole tourism thing, but the whole seasonal thing got a bit boring. I went back up to Auckland and kind of fell into it there.
You fell into it? Not literally, I hope.
Yeah, something like that.
How do our buildings compare with Auckland's monstrosities?
They're a lot smaller, of course, but it becomes part and parcel of the job. Before I came down I was a supervisor at SkyCity . . . so I used to do exercises abseiling off the Sky Tower. When you're hanging 200m up in the air, these things are just tiny in comparison.
You're a man with a head for heights.
I wouldn't say I'm fearless, but it's having a healthy respect for heights.
You seemed pretty fearless easing over the edge for our photographer. Is that the worst bit?
Yeah, I think it actually is. You get some buildings where it's a lot more precarious with obstacles in the way and it can become a bit of a nightmare.
Sweaty palms, a racing heart and all that?
No, not really. I've had a few "ooh" moments when it was a bit hairy. On ropes, you feel real comfortable.
And you get to sit down on the job. It's positively cushy!
The seat just makes the job a lot more comfortable. Hanging in a harness just by itself gets really uncomfortable, particularly for gentlemen.
Ahem. Yes. Still you don't have a bad office. Smashing view.
Definitely. I wish I'd actually started earlier taking a camera with me and taking photos of the views from the rooftops. It would make a great pictorial book.
You would see some funny things going on indoors, no doubt.
I have seen some real interesting sights. You get some people that totally freak out when you come down. Sometimes you might be going quite fast and you jump down from one ledge to another, all of a sudden the life jumps out of them. I've seen a variety of naked people and people in the act in some residential apartments. A lot of the time people inside don't even notice you're there and I guess that's part of the job, to be quite discreet.
What's the secret to a clean window? Do you give my hard work a second life and use newspaper?
We just use basically liquid soap and plenty of soapy water on the window. If it's too dry and you pull your rubber across it, you're going to get streaks.
How about fluff? How does one prevent the cloth moulting mid- wipe?
I think it just comes down to the rags that you use. We go through mountains and mountains of rags just to make sure it's all tidy.
You really wouldn't want to miss a spot in this line of work. Thanks.

Some video's from the Eastern hemisphere...

and a funny...........

Window Cleaner Dies in Arson Attack

A homeless drunk who murdered two of his closest friends in a jealous rage was today given a life sentence. James Cox (pictured) laughed as he was led away from the dock at Oxford Crown Court after being told he would serve a minimum of 20 years behind bars. The 63-year-old killed his girlfriend Sian Sanchez and his friend Howard Blake in a fit of jealousy by torching the derelict cottage where they were both sleeping as squatters. Former window cleaner Howard Blake, 51, was born in Norwich, but his family originated from Dublin. He leaves a son, Anthony, 13, who lives with his mother. Mother-of-eight Mrs Sanchez, 36, was born in Oxford and moved to the United States at 14, but was later deported to England and ended up living rough. He added Cox had returned to the scene to alert neighbours and the emergency services, adding: "It is clear Mr Cox was in a particularly desperate position, living rough on the streets of Oxford and dependent on alcohol, with his health deteriorating."
Handing him a life sentence, Judge Anthony King said: "You deliberately set the fire inside the house at the foot of the only staircase, which was the only means of escape for the two people on the first floor." Cox had refused to take the stand during the trial, but the court heard he had told paramedics he would "get his own back" on Mr Blake and Mrs Sanchez. He made a hoax 999 call to police claiming Mrs Sanchez was being raped by Mr Blake before being caught on nearby CCTV cameras around the time of the fire. Speaking after the case, Det Supt Rob Mason said: "It is a tragic case. All three people involved have had difficulties in their life that led them to become dependent on alcohol.