Window Cleaning News Update: Part 2

Window cleaner falls through glass canopy at Greenwood Plaza, Sydney-Australia: A window cleaner was lucky to escape with only minor injuries when he fell through a glass canopy while cleaning windows at Greenwood Plaza in North Sydney earlier today. Police, ambulance and fire services were called and traffic travelling on the Pacific Highway was delayed as firefighters attempted to free the man. Passers-by said the man had been working to clean the windows above the ground floor canopy when his foot had broken the glass.
“The man had been cleaning windows when his leg went through the glass panel.” said North Sydney Police acting sergeant Scott Macgee who was at the scene. ``He received a cut to his leg and was taken to hospital.” Workers in the Little Sushi Bar Tokyo sushi shop adjacent to the window said the man had put his weight on the panel to clean it when it broke under him.
“He jumped down slightly to clean the window and the window broke under him,” said assistant Alice Kim. “The man got stuck in the middle of the glass and was trying to get out of window and he cut himself.’’ He has been taken to Royal North Shore Hospital with minor injuries. Click thumbnails to enlarge.


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Crews rescue trapped window washers: HOUSTON - Two window washers had a harrowing experience in Greenway Plaza. They were about 10 floors up when they encountered a problem with their scaffolding. We first brought you the rescue live on Eyewitness News just after 1pm.
The high winds became fierce when they began to whirl and swirl around the Greenway Plaza high rises. At that point the men were trapped. Their scaffolding lines twisted, creating danger for the window washers and those below. "It was rocking for a while," said eyewitness Scott Jennings. "I can imagine what happened is before they got it secured it went sideways and then just started taking out glass." Fire officials say the two men were harnessed into the scaffolding and not in danger of falling, but they were stuck as the platform twisted in the wind.
HFD Chief Robert Schlieter explained, "Because it was being buffeted around, it broke several of the windows on the building. But they were unable to escape into the building because it went into a mechanical room wall and they couldn't get through it." Firefighters broke out windows one floor up on the 11th floor and pulled the men inside. All of it happening in front of surprised and terrified office workers. "I've have been in this complex for 14 years and I have never seen anything like this before," said eyewitness Scott Van Dyke. "They're cleaning our windows about twice a year and you'll see guys go up and down all the time, but you never see them break loose and guys holding on for their lives." The two trapped men were not injured. They were treated on the scene and released.


Student entrepreneur Jordan Leahy, a sophomore, won $3,000 recently in Northwestern University's "Entrepreneur Idol" competition. Leahy, a member of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization, took home the prize for his business, Clest LLC. "It's always nice to get extra exposure because a lot of times you build a company out of [personal relations]," Leahy said. "It's really nice to be able to continue to dial in how you present and how your tone and your story about your company. It gives you a lot more confidence when you go into larger companies." "Entrepreneur Idol" required participants to sell their business idea to a panel of judges in a short amount of time. The competition is described as an "elevator pitch" because it would be the same amount of time to have a conversation with someone in an elevator. In this case the time limit was three minutes. Despite being only 22, Clest is not the first business that Leahy has started. At age 15 he started his own window cleaning business, which he sold in 2008. "Entrepreneur Idol" was just the first in a string of contest victories, he recently won $300 at the national CEO elevator pitch competition. He was also the 2008 UW-Whitewater Warhawk Business Plan Competition winner for the Rendlex Tool. The tool was invented to house various tools in the handles of window cleaning supplies. Leahy's motto is "It's not who you know, it's not what you know, it's who knows you." At the rate he is going, a lot of people are going to know the name Jordan Leahy.

Industry on hold for cell phone bill: The bill was referred to the Assembly Committee on Transportation, joining similar cell phone bills on hold before getting a public hearing. State Rep. Jeff Smith, D-Eau Claire, introduced one of those bills. His would prevent people younger than 18 from using any cell phones while driving and would require hands-free devices for people older than 18. “It’s not a matter of if; it’s a matter of when,” said Smith, who said he was using a hands-free device on Wednesday while plowing snow. “Almost every car you buy new now has some kind of hands-free option. This is the direction we’re going.” But Smith said policing cell phone use will be difficult. He said he has a window-cleaning business in Eau Claire and tells employees not to talk on cell phones while driving his seven company-owned trucks. “I can’t say for sure whether they do or don’t,” he said.

Courtesy is really quite simple. Anyone in marketing knows customers do not just buy a product, they buy a feeling. And it’s everyone’s job, from the manager, to the window-washer to the cashier, to make that a positive feeling. Therefore, I am starting a new column, to expose the good, and more often, the bad restaurants and shops in the Minneapolis area in terms of customer service. And if any higher management sees their shop and wants to give me free vouchers in consolation or appreciation of my reviews, so be it…

Mike Chapman, a high-rise window washer in college and a former Mill Creek policeman who was working part time for the Customs Service, chased Ressam through downtown Port Angeles, eventually tackling him and throwing him to the ground. His actions earned him the nickname "The Tackler" from the late Washington Sen. Slade Gorton. "Ressam did not have a gun, that's what I was thankful for," Chapman's wife, Bobbi, said. Five months later, Chapman would announce his intention to run for commissioner, a job he has held ever since. He'd already been thinking about running for public office, he said -- and the Ressam incident had nothing to do with his decision. But when Chapman was courted by the county Republican Party -- he's now an independent -- there were two schools of thought on the direction of his campaign: play on his status as a well-known candidate or stay away from the Ressam issue altogether.
"I chose to take the route of the unknown and worked my butt off," Chapman said, adding he knocked on 3,000 to 4,000 doors introducing himself to Port Angeles voters. The Chapmans' two boys are now 10 and 12, more cognizant of election cycles than the anniversary of their father flinging to the ground a terrorist hellbent on destruction, Chapman said. "It seems like a long time ago to carry a gun and wear a uniform."

Window Cleaning News Update: Part 1

Company blamed in window washer death: The death of a window washer who fell 20 floors from a building in downtown Montreal in August was preventable, said Quebec’s workplace health and safety board Wednesday. In its report into the death of André Laroche, the CSST is critical of the window-washing company, Mon Laveur de Vitres, which it said "compromised the security of its workers." Laroche, who had 33 years experience as a window washer, was not wearing a safety harness when he fell to his death from the roof of the building at the corner of President-Kennedy and Aylmer.
Laroche was supervising three other employees who were adjusting their "swing stage" — a platform that is manoeuvred up and down the side of a building — in order to be able to use it in the tight space between two buildings. When the weight of a cable dangling off the side of the building caused part of the stage to tip, Laroche tried to grab the platform — but wound up falling over the edge of the building.
Harnesses not used: While there were four workers onsite, there were only two safety harnesses, and none of the workers was attached, said CSST inspector Sèdoté Ghislain Hounkpe.
Hounkpe also said the workers should not have been adjusting the equipment so close to the edge of the building. "The procedure was unsafe … working the way they were working," Hounkpe said. "The equipment will fall, that's for sure. The harness will protect him because he will be suspended." The workers were not adequately supervised, said Hounkpe, who was also critical of the company’s attitude toward safety.
"The policy they have is: only when they operate on the platform, washing the windows, [it] is only then they use the harness," Hounkpe said. The company faces a fine of between $5,000 and $20,000 to be determined by the Quebec Court. The CSST said falls from high places are a serious problem in Quebec. In 2008, officials said more than 4,000 workers fell from a height of more than three metres. Eight of them died.

After man fell to death cleaning window, kin say probe half-hearted: New Delhi A day after Jitendra Narotia, 25, fell to his death while cleaning the seventh-floor windows of Hyatt Regency hotel in South Delhi, his relatives on Tuesday alleged the police are trying to “hush up” the matter.
While RK Puram police registered a case of negligence against unknown persons (under IPC Section 304A) on Monday night, Narotia’s cousin Rajesh today claimed the police are not looking for the “real” people responsible for this “negligence”. Investigating officers today said they have not yet recorded statements of others working alongside Narotia at the time to know what exactly had happened — the incident took place at 4 pm on Monday. Narotia was employed with the company Techno Clean, which has the contract with the hotel to clean its windowpanes, for the last more than four years, his brother Rajinder said. Grieving, Rajinder did not want to talk further about his brother’s death.
Rajesh, meanwhile, claimed the police are not keeping them informed about developments in the case. “We have learnt that a company supervisor named Sudhakar (from Techno Clean) was reportedly detained by RK Puram police for questioning,” he said. “But whenever we ask about developments in the case, the policemen brush us off, saying they are looking into the matter.” He said as no one from the company met them since the fatal incident on Monday, the family members went to the company today and asked officials there to look into the matter.
About compensation to the victim’s family, Rajesh said, “A company official had come to meet us but she did not commit anything about compensation.” He said the police and company officials are saying that Jitendra had unlocked his safety belt and was trying to go down by the rope. “But we would like to ask them why would he do that? There must have been some negligence , which triggered this incident and he fell,” Rajesh said. Officials at Techno Clean did not want to comment.
Jitendra was the youngest in the family — he was unmarried, and his mother Chandravati, sister Savita and elder brother Rajinder survive him. He lived in Dakshinpuri area of Ambedkar Nagar, Southeast Delhi. His cousin said Narotia had studied up to the fifth grade and began working when he was 20 to support the family. Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern range) Ajai Kashyap said the police have registered a case of negligence and will take further steps as per investigation.
Window cleaners’ safety ensured: Employees claim their equipment is foolproof and checked regularly, companies say staff undergoes rigorous training. The death of Jitendra Narotia, who fell while cleaning the seventh-floor windows of five-star Hyatt Regency Hotel, has brought safety measures in this job in the spotlight. Popularly known as ‘spidermen’, the cleaners do not yet have standard safety guidelines set by the Bureau of Indian Standards. A senior BIS official said, “No such specification is in place in India.” Cleaning companies, however, vehemently claim that the safety of their workers is ensured. Techno Clean, the company for which Narotia worked and that has the contract for cleaning and façade maintenance of Hyatt Regency, says it follows European standards of safety. Incidentally, Techno Clean pioneered the ‘spiderman’ or the abseiling technique and was the first to bring it to India in 1999.

Nurse Freda Holland saved my life: Dad, window-cleaner, husband – but it is only thanks to one woman’s bravery Paul Darling (pictured) is alive today. Mr Darling was just 12 days old when he was rescued from the burning Dellwood Maternity Unit in Liebenrood Road, West Reading, on April 18, 1954. Now he has paid tribute to the woman who saved him, who sadly died last month. Reading nurse Freda Holland, of Cressingham Road in Whitley, had passed away aged 97 on Monday, November 16, after suffering from dementia. Heroine Miss Holland was 41 and working at the unit when she rescued 15 newborns from the blaze. Mr Darling, now of Rodway Road, Tilehurst, attended Miss Holland’s funeral in Reading.

Window Cleaners evidence used in court: William Needham told the court he worked as a window-cleaner during the summer of 2001 and cleaned the windows of various establishments at the Crumlin shopping centre. Mr Needham said he cleaned Abrakebabra’s windows on the Wednesday before the alleged murder and described the windows as being in "a clean state" when he was finished.

With windows for their canvas, Parkville High students put their creative talents to work during the local business association's fourth annual window decorating contest. The students were among a dozen groups, including several area schools, the recreation center, Scout troops, a day-care and a dance studio, who would decorate windows - in washable paint - for 36 businesses. "This helps give Parkville a sense of identity and makes this community stand out," said Pinder, a board member of the Parkville Carney Business and Professional Association, which sponsors the contest that offers $1,000 in prizes. And, best of all, Pinder said, no one has to fret about post-holiday paint removal. "We are hiring a window cleaner," he said.

Tom Foley has won the 'unsung hero' category in the BBC's annual sports awards in the south west for his work with the Barton Hill Amateur Boxing Club . Window cleaner Tom, 49, set up the club three years ago after he saw some children playing football with an old Coca Cola bottle. He said to them: "Haven't you got anything better to do," and they told him there was nothing in Barton Hill for young people. He asked them what they would like to see and they said a boxing club. Tom spoke to friends who put him in touch with Dave Grant, 44, who boxed for England as a junior. Together with Lin Gibbs they set up a club at a building known as the Dug-Out in Barton Hill. The club now has more than 300 members aged from six to 60, of 15 different nationalities. Tom said: "I never turn anyone away. The discipline here is second to none. Everybody deserves a chance."

'Window cleaner' burglar behind bars: A burglar who preyed on elderly vulnerable victims by claiming to be a window cleaner has been jailed. Homeless Jon Donoghue, who carried out eight distraction burglaries in Hertfordshire and dozens more in London, was sentenced to four-and-a half years in prison. The 34-year-old, appearing at Wood Green Crown Court last Friday, admitted a range of offences from May and June in Watford, Potters Bar and Borehamwood. Officers from Operation Manhunt, Hertfordshire Constabulary’s team dedicated to catching distraction burglars, arrested him after a public appeal in October. Detective Constable Katie Bish said: “John Donoghue tricked his way into the homes of the elderly and vulnerable in our community by claiming to be a window cleaner. “I hope this sends a message to other criminals who come into Hertfordshire to commit such awful crimes that Operation Manhunt will relentlessly pursue you to ensure you are dealt with by the courts.”

I've got 668 'friends' on Facebook... but I don't know any of my neighbours: And I know I'm not the only one. A friend of mine hadn't lived in his house very long when he noticed a man cleaning the windows of the house next door. He popped outside and cheerily asked 'Can you do mine when you're done?', and when the man replied 'Sure', my friend went inside for a cup of tea and a sit down. Half an hour later, he went outside to arrange payment only to discover that the nice man was not, in fact, a window-cleaner, but his retired, 70-year- old neighbour. It hadn't occurred to my pal that the chap was simply being neighbourly. Of course, he was mortified by his actions but, awkward about what to do, he has pursued the only course of action he could handle: he has avoided his neighbour ever since.

Window cleaner who had indecent images sent to prison: A 27 year old man who used a concealed camera to record a teenage boy using the toilet has been jailed. Michael Park was tracked down by police when he was discovered using an internet forum for people with an interest in young boys. When officers searched his home they found 2,542 indecent images and movies of children on his laptop, phone and CDs – two of which he had recorded himself. Park, a window cleaner, was sentenced to 16 months in prison at Derby Crown Court yesterday. He has been banned from working with children and has to go on the sexual offenders' register for 10 years.

I spoke to the vice-president of the investment arm of a multinational bank. ‘I recall talking to my window cleaner at the height of the banking crisis,’ he said. ‘I don’t often talk to the window cleaner. His 15-hour working week and my 15-hour working day don’t lead to many opportunities for crossing paths. ‘But I had a rare day away from the office and the conversation led to the economy and eventually to my job. In hindsight, perhaps, I should have claimed a more respected career, such as professional puppy murderer. What’s frustrating is that he held me personally responsible for the collapse of the economy.

In that most long lived serie of soap-operas in the UK: - Graeme's on his window cleaning round and enjoys winding Norris up over a 'stolen ladder' (see Pictures below). Norris is embarassed when Graeme produces a receipt for the ladder. This week in a new fascinating twist: Meanwhile, Norris still feels bad about Graeme's broken leg and by way of an apology, he offers to look after Graeme's window cleaning round while he is out of action. Graeme's grateful but Norris is secretly thrilled at the chance to nosey into everyone's houses.

Window Cleaning Death & Miraculous Fall in the East

Man falls to death from Hyatt building:NEW DELHI: A 21-year-old employee of a cleaning company fell to his death from the seventh floor of Hyatt Regency hotel at Bhikaji Cama Place in south Delhi on Monday evening while reportedly cleaning a window. The police said the victim was standing on the window sill without any safety gear when the accident happened.The victim, identified as Jitender Karotia, a resident of Dakshinpuri, was posted to the cleaning wing of the luxury hotel by his employers, Techno Clean. The incident took place around 4pm. Curiously, a hotel spokesperson, citing police statements, said Karotia fell from the first floor and not the seventh.

A police officer said he died instantly. ``We have registered a criminal case of negligence against Techno Clean, as the hotel's cleaning job was outsourced to them by the Hyatt administration. We will look into the terms of the contract to determine who all have liability in this case. The safety norms being employed at the hotel will be inquired into,'' said DCP (south) H G S Dhaliwal. The police said the hotel administrationcation, Hyatt Regency, ``The man was not a hotel staffer as we have outsourced our cleaning job. We have been told by the police that he fell from the first floor. He was rushed to AIIMS Trauma centre by our hotel staff. Our sympathies are with the family.'' A post mortem will be conducted to determine the nature of the fall. The local R K Puram police said that they will also be investigating if other freak accidents had been reported from the five star hotel.

Pakistani window cleaner survives 9th floor fall: JEDDAH – A Pakistani man cleaning the windows of a high-rise hotel in Jeddah Sunday miraculously survived a fall from the ninth floor when one of the cables securing the cage in which he and a colleague were suspended broke, toppling him out and sending him plunging to the ground below. Astonished witnesses who saw the man fall 37 meters to the ground and stand right up on his own two feet called rescue teams and watched as the second window cleaner was rescued from the cage in which he remained dangling precariously by a single cable. The latter was referred to a nearby hospital.

Window Cleaning Videos

A few videos to keep you busy while I go missing in action for a few days...

Gary from Box Cleaning discusses the reach and wash system, how it is used in the window cleaning industry and how it allows a Window Cleaner to safely clean windows that are between 6 and 65ft high. In the second video Gary discusses the tools he has used throughout his window cleaning career and also a little know fact that Window Cleaners also clean the inside of your windows!?

Very arty high rise complilation from Legacy window cleaning in Utah entitled "It's a Long Way To the Top" parts 1 & 2.

High rise window cleaning on an office building in uptown Santiago de Chile.

Another high rise video from the 80's talking about the dangers of window cleaning.

Roof cleaning in San Diego...

Tim Hunter of Gleaming the View shows us how to clean a roof in 30 seconds:

Window washing on the aft of the "Celebrity Infinity"...

"On the Spot" with DFWCZ T.V. visits Fort Worth Window Cleaning.

This parrot called Rita has heard one too many crap window cleaners..

Dive boat charter from St.Mary's in the beautiful Isles of Scilly starts a new business..

Chris Dawber (aka Wagga) with fridge freezer & washing machine carries on his series of DIY water fed pole-ing..

Finally Jason Simons -the "Taffmaster" shows how good a window cleaner he was before he became a hypnotist.

59 Year Sentence For "Best Window Cleaner"

Officer's shooter gets maximum sentence: Brian Reese spent most of the past decade free from trouble. A friend called him the best window cleaner in the city, and two daughters said Reese showered them with affection and support. But that seemed like a different Reese from the man sentenced to 59 years in prison Friday for nearly killing Indianapolis police officer Jason Fishburn during a foot chase in July 2008. Testimony from the daughters, their mother and a friend who ran a window cleaning business with Reese was hard to square with the image of him, then a crack-cocaine user, shooting the patrolman in the head.

Reese is accused of killing three other people that week, with trials coming soon. Before giving the maximum penalty Friday, Marion Superior Court Judge Lisa Borges said Reese, 37, deeply hurt his own family as well as Fishburn's, and she issued a $4,000 fine. "To your children," the judge said, "I would say that choices have consequences. And your dad made some very bad choices: the choice to use drugs, the choice to carry a gun and the choice to run from police."

Reese was convicted last month of attempted murder, resisting law enforcement and carrying a handgun without a license by a jury in Northwest Indiana's Porter County, where the trial was moved because of publicity. Reese's attorneys challenged the lead charge, arguing that Reese didn't shoot with intent to kill. At Friday's hearing in Indianapolis, Fishburn's presence brought home the enduring effects of his encounter with Reese between two houses shortly after the officer had joined the chase on Indianapolis' Eastside.

Fishburn, 30, hobbles wearing a leg brace, can barely move his right arm and sometimes struggles to find the right words. Returning to street duty might be an elusive dream. He now handles administrative tasks at the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Fishburn displayed what might be his deepest emotional wound when Deputy Prosecutor Denise Robinson asked, "Did you like being a police officer?" "Yes," he replied tearfully.

Windows Of The Future

Motion sensitive glass could boost home security: Besides letting in light and providing pleasant views, (hopefully), windows unfortunately also provide a convenient entrance for burglars. Security systems have long employed contacts that, when broken, activate an alarm, but what if the simple act of moving around outside a window were enough to raise the alert. That’s the concept behind a system developed by the Fraunhofer Institutes for Applied Polymer Research IAP in Potsdam-Golm and Computer Architecture and Software Technology FIRST in Berlin that sensitizes windows and doors to detect suspicious movements.
The motion sensor enables window panes and glass doors to detect movements thanks to a special coating. If anything changes in front of the pane, or someone sneaks up to it, an alarm signal is triggered. “The glass is coated with a fluorescent material,” explains IAP group manager Dr. Burkhard Elling. “The coating contains nanoparticles that convert light into fluorescent radiation,” so when the invisible light of a UV lamp “illuminates” the window panes it generates fluorescent radiation in the coating which is channeled to the edges of the window, where it is detected by sensors. Therefore if someone blocks the light of the lamp, less light reaches the coating and less fluorescent radiation is produced, which the sensors detect.
Simple applications would require only one sensor, but if several sensors are installed on all four sides of the window frame, conclusions can be drawn from the data as to how fast and in what direction an object is moving. Its size, too, can be estimated by the sensors so that moving objects the size of birds for instance do not trigger an alarm. Likewise, the sensors do not react to light from passing cars, as the system can interpret different light signals. The system can also be implemented on existing windows with the coating able to be sprayed on by airbrush or glued on as a film.
A demonstrator system already exists, and the researchers now plan to optimize the dyes and their concentration in the coating. Looks like my days as a peeping tom may be numbered. Oh well, it was good while it lasted.



While attempting to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease researchers have discovered a new nanomaterial that can repel dust and water and could provide a self-cleaning coating for windows or solar panels. Unlike similar dust-busting materials that take inspiration from the surface of the lotus leaf, the new material is actually made up of molecules of peptides that “grow” to resemble small forests of grass. The coating also acts as a super-capacitor, thereby having implications for electric cars in that it could provide an energy boost to batteries.
Using a variety of peptides - short polymers formed from the linking of amino acids – the researchers from Tel Aviv University (TAU) found a novel way to control the atoms and molecules of peptides so that they "grow" to resemble small forests of grass. The short peptides, which are simple and inexpensive to produce, were used to create self-assembling nano-tubules in a vacuum under high temperatures.
In the range of one-billionth of a meter in size, these nano-tubules can withstand extreme heat and are resistant to water, making them an ideal candidate for the creation of a coating that could be used to cover the sealed outer windows of skyscrapers so that they never need be washed by daredevil window-washers again.
Such a coating could also improve the operation of solar panels, which can become up to 30% less efficient due to dust accumulating on their surface. This would also save money on maintenance and cleaning, which is especially a problem in dusty deserts, where many solar farms are installed.
As a capacitor with unusually high energy density, the researchers say the nano-tech material could also give electric batteries a boost. One of the limitations of the electric car is thrust, and the team thinks the research could lead to a solution to this difficult problem and provide the extra oomph required in starting an electric car, going up a hill, or passing other vehicles on the highway.
"Our technology may lead to a storage material with a high density," says TAU graduate student Lihi Adler-Abramovich. "This is important when you need to generate a lot of energy in a short period of time. It could also be incorporated into today's lithium batteries."
The TAU researchers have already been approached to develop the coating technology commercially, which could see self-cleaning windows and more efficient energy storage devices appearing in a few years, but they also plan to continue their work on short peptides for a treatment of Alzheimer’s disease – the original focus of the research.

A Window That Washes Itself? New Nano-Material May Revolutionize Solar Panels and Batteries, Too: A coating on windows or solar panels that repels grime and dirt? Expanded battery storage capacities for the next electric car? New Tel Aviv University research, just published in Nature Nanotechnology, details a breakthrough in assembling peptides at the nano-scale level that could make these futuristic visions come true in just a few years.
Operating in the range of 100 nanometers (roughly one-billionth of a meter) and even smaller, graduate student Lihi Adler-Abramovich and a team working under Prof. Ehud Gazit in TAU's Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology have found a novel way to control the atoms and molecules of peptides so that they "grow" to resemble small forests of grass. These "peptide forests" repel dust and water -- a perfect self-cleaning coating for windows or solar panels which, when dirty, become far less efficient. "This is beautiful and protean research," says Adler-Abramovich, a Ph.D. candidate. "It began as an attempt to find a new cure for Alzheimer's disease. To our surprise, it also had implications for electric cars, solar energy and construction." As cheap as the sweetener in your soda
A world leader in nanotechnology research, Prof. Gazit has been developing arrays of self-assembling peptides made from proteins for the past six years. His lab, in collaboration with a group led by Prof. Gil Rosenman of TAU's Faculty of Engineering, has been working on new applications for this basic science for the last two years.
Using a variety of peptides, which are as simple and inexpensive to produce as the artificial sweetener aspartame, the researchers create their "self-assembled nano-tubules" in a vacuum under high temperatures. These nano-tubules can withstand extreme heat and are resistant to water.
"We are not manufacturing the actual material but developing a basic-science technology that could lead to self-cleaning windows and more efficient energy storage devices in just a few years," says Adler-Abramovich. "As scientists, we focus on pure research. Thanks to Prof. Gazit's work on beta amyloid proteins, we were able to develop a technique that enables short peptides to 'self-assemble,' forming an entirely new kind of coating which is also a super-capacitor."
As a capacitor with unusually high energy density, the nano-tech material could give existing electric batteries a boost -- necessary to start an electric car, go up a hill, or pass other cars and trucks on the highway. One of the limitations of the electric car is thrust, and the team thinks their research could lead to a solution to this difficult problem.
"Our technology may lead to a storage material with a high density," says Adler-Abramovich. "This is important when you need to generate a lot of energy in a short period of time. It could also be incorporated into today's lithium batteries," she adds.

Window Cleaner a thing of the past?

Coated with the new material, the sealed outer windows of skyscrapers may never need to be washed again -- the TAU lab's material can repel rainwater, as well as the dust and dirt it carries. The efficiency of solar energy panels could be improved as well, as a rain shower would pull away any dust that might have accumulated on the panels. It means saving money on maintenance and cleaning, which is especially a problem in dusty deserts, where most solar farms are installed today.
The lab has already been approached to develop its coating technology commercially. And Prof. Gazit has a contract with drug mega-developer Merck to continue his work on short peptides for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease -- as he had originally foreseen.

Also see previous blog for more information here.

Window Cleaning News

It’s a winter tradition: husband on the roof in the rain, pulling leaves out of the gutters and trying not to fall to his death. So far, he’s been successful. I hate to make him do it, but, as Tory Marino at Elite Window Washing says, “If you don’t get your gutters cleaned, then the debris from leaves and pine needles and the debris from your roof will build up. The gutters will start to sag from the weight. Eventually, you’ll have to replace them. And if the downspout gets clogged so badly that it can’t be flushed out, it too will have to be replaced.”
Marino knows, because Elite doesn’t do just windows. “A 2000-square-foot home might have 130 lineal feet of gutter and might take us around five hours to clean at $3 to $5 per lineal foot, depending on how bad the gutters are. If there is over an inch of sediment in the gutter, we’ll take a gutter scoop — it’s like a hard-plastic hand shovel — and remove the sediment manually. If there’s only a half-inch or less of sediment, we’ll use a pressure washer to flush the sediment through the drains. If the downspout is clogged, I have a tool that looks like an umbrella handle that I put on my pressure wand. I feed it in from the ground up, and the pressurized water flushes things out pretty well. Then we start cleaning the gutters by hand, using rags and a cleaning solution. It whitens up the exteriors of the gutter — and it makes dark colors brighten up, too.”
For future protection, Elite can install “a product called Rainflow [$10–$15 per lineal foot]. It’s not a gutter guard or gutter screen…something that sits on top and changes the look of your house; it’s inserted into the gutter. It looks like fiberglass-mesh insulation, and it strains out debris. Leaves and pine needles will stay on top of the mesh during the rain, but after the rain stops and they dry out, the wind should blow them off. It comes with a lifetime guarantee, and if you have it in, your gutter should need only minor maintenance every five or six years. All I would need to do is take the Rainflow out at your gutter’s high spot and send pressurized water toward the downspout to flush out any dirt. A homeowner could even do it with a hose.”
That is, if I wanted to send my homeowner up there. I have some scary-hilarious visions of Patrick teetering like a circus clown, 20 feet up. “We follow OSHA ladder-safety guidelines,” Marino assured me. “When the ladder is fully extended, it should rest at a 45-degree angle from the house. And there’s the three-point rule: you must have three points of contact with the ladder at all times. Both feet and one hand.”
Like Marino, Jim Hamilton at Any & All Rain Gutter Cleaners is a stickler for safety. “We work from the roof, and if a roof has any kind of pitch, we’ll use a harness. And there’s always a ground guy and a roof guy in communication.” Unlike Marino, Hamilton doesn’t put anything into (or on top of) his gutters. “We used to install gutter screens but found that the leaves lay on top of the screen and biodegraded to form a sort of lid. When the water hit it, it skipped right over the gutter and onto the ground. And when the leaves finish decomposing, they drop through the screen as sediment.…
“We’ve been doing this for 16 years,” continued Hamilton. “When we started, we scooped gutters by hand or we used blowers, but we found it didn’t work for downspouts and roof drains. So, we’ve devised a water-jetting system; when we’re through, you could eat out of these gutters. We use a high-volume, low-pressure treatment. The machines on our trucks push eight gallons per minute — most washers only get two — and the higher volume carries everything downstream.” But not to the downspout. “You don’t want to send debris down the downspout. Some of them go underground, and you risk getting impacted sediment down there that will impede water flow. We block the downspout, blow everything out of the gutter into a receptacle, then unblock the spout and blast water through.” For that, “We use a spinning roto-jet nozzle that we can crank up to 4000 psi or down to 200 psi as needed.”
Hamilton’s prices start at around $175 per house and go up from there, depending on size. “We perform a flow test; if we see leaking at the seams, we’ll seal them. If necessary, we’ll readjust spikes to improve the angle of flow. We remove debris, clear the roof, and do a free pressure rinse of the home’s exterior.”

Kevin's no sponger! Less than a year ago Kevin Barrett lost his job and then his home. But after being out of work for less than two months he said “to hell with the recession” which was gripping the country and decided to start his own window cleaning business. And since then he has not looked back. Working from the back of his car with just a sponge and a set of ladders he needed to cash to put food on the table. Now eight months later he has got his own van, website and one of the most modern and best window washing systems money can buy. “It was pretty gut wrenching losing my job,” said Kevin. “I had been working for a car hire company and before that I had been valeting. I had never been out of work before. “But then after losing my job and I couldn’t get another, it was another kicking when we lost our house because we couldn’t pay the rent.” Kevin said he was lucky because his girlfriend’s parents gave them a roof and they have been with them ever since giving the support which was necessary.
“Claire and I have been together for 10 years and we’ve got a little boy Jake, who is eight, so we really owe my in-laws. We couldn’t have done it without them.” The window cleaning business started slowly. “I leafletted Wootton Bassett and I was quite surprised with the response,” he said. “Then after that I went to West Swindon and got another good response. “The money I got allowed me to get a small van and then a bigger one and then specialist equipment. “It’s all been paid for, which is satisfying. “Next year I want to expand and, possibly, take someone on and, of course, we have to get our own home.” “It just goes to prove than if I can do it so can anybody. You’ve just got to keep at it.”

A Mold family is facing another miserable Christmas a year after a gas blast wrecked their home. Pensioners Derek and Margaret Roberts and their son David, 42, are still suffering the effects of a terrifying blast that blew their Mold home to pieces. Window cleaner David suffered severe burns to his hands and has only recently gone back to work. The family is still living in rented accommodation and will not be able to move back into their home until February. David Roberts told the Leader: “It’s taken me nearly a year to get back to work properly. “I have still got the scarring on my hands and when I’m working in this cold weather they get very, very chapped and sore. “I am going for counselling now, which is helping me, but the trauma is still there.” The family were at their home in Stanley Street on the morning of December 1 last year when David lit a cigarette at 9.25am sparking a massive explosion that blew out the windows and doors and brought the house crashing down around them. David, who was engulfed in flames, dug himself out of the rubble, while his parents managed to scramble out of the property. Initial story here.

The captain of West Watford Conservative Club's snooker team sunk his teeth into the ear of a team mate, a jury was told this week. Steven Gibbs, 33, left Paul Stockwell needing reconstructive surgery after the fight in Hemel Hempstead, St Albans Crown Court heard. Giving evidence Mr Stockwell, 41, a window cleaner of medium build, said: "He had me in a headlock and he just bit my ear. I felt his mouth around my ear. I felt a warm sensation running down the back of my neck. I could feel his mouth very close to my ear. "Once he got a grip his teeth pulled down my ear. I saw the reflection of my ear hanging down in the reflection of a window." Mr Stockwell, of South Oxhey, said he had been a member of the Conservative Club snooker team for three or four years.

A dad who fell 50ft to his death from a waterfall while holding his young daughter had taken cocaine and drunk alcohol, an inquest heard yesterday. Window cleaner James Gallacher, 35, was walking to the top of Nantcol falls near Harlech, North Wales, with his partner when he slipped after Soraya, three, asked to be carried. Pathologist Tony Caslin said Soraya died instantly when she hit her head, while her father drowned in a pool, still clutching her. Dr Caslin told the Dolgellau inquest the drink and drugs impaired Mr Gallacher's judgment. Verdict: Accidental deaths. Initial story here.

A footballer who hit a car and crashed through a wall after driving while almost four times the legal limit has been jailed. Greenock Juniors star Harry McLachlan, had been on a 12-hour drinking spree with pals before getting in his car at midnight. The 30-year-old midfielder did not get far before crashing into a black Honda Civic. His car then bulldozed through a boundary wall with such force, it got stuck as he attempted to drive from Old Kilpatrick to Clydebank. Fiscal depute Linda Clark told Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Tuesday: "Witnesses heard a loud bang and, when they looked out of the window, saw the accused exit the car and walk towards Dalmuir. Police arrived at the scene and spoke to witnesses who gave a description of McLachlan, who was located about 100 metres away." When police caught up with the full-time window cleaner, they noticed his eyes were glazed, he was unsteady and struggled to speak. McLachlan, of Broom Drive, Clydebank, was jailed for four months and banned from driving for three years.

Since opening in May, the SAP headquarters has picked up awards from environmental, architecture, and construction groups. Whether it qualifies for the highest level of sustainability certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program - platinum - is not yet known. Few sites in the region can boast of that designation. Two in Philadelphia include Liberty Property Trust's One Crescent Drive, a four-story building at the Navy Yard Corporate Center, and the Aquatic Facility at Overbrook School for the Blind. SAP's headquarters is a sun worshiper's - and window washer's - dream, with 80 percent of the exterior consisting of triple-pane, high-performance glass that allows more reliance on natural light and less on the kind you pay for. Pictured - SAP America's energy-efficient Newtown Square building. The firm is widening its line of software products that help companies go green.

Window-maker feels stimulus: If the green economy makes John Haddon a wealthy man, he will owe a fair amount of the credit to good karma and fortuitous timing. For when Haddon and his partners - five brothers and a brother-in-law - first considered buying a Bensalem manufacturer of energy-efficient windows and doors in October, Barack Obama had not yet been elected president. His green agenda was just campaign talk. Four months would go by before Congress passed the $787 billion federal stimulus package that made rebates and other financial incentives available for the kinds of energy-saving goods the manufacturer, Accu-Weld Replacement Window & Door Co., was producing. Just after Congress and Obama approved the stimulus plan, he said, "we got phone calls from current and past customers asking which windows do we have that qualify for the stimulus package." Traffic on the company's Web site was up, too.

Snyder believes that as mayor, he could help preserve Chaska’s small-town feel. “There’ve been too many changes for small-town quality,” he said. “I want to listen to what the citizens want,” he continued. “Tell me what you want, and if it’s feasible, I’ll do it.” “Let me know what you want done,” he said. Snyder said that he is a hard worker and plans to continue to work hard after he is elected mayor. He currently drives a school bus for Positive Connection and is involved in several volunteer endeavors including the Sons of the American Legion, the River City Days Committee and the Boy Scouts of America. He formerly worked for the Metropolitan Airports Commission and has had a number of business ventures over the years, including his own window washing business, a limousine service and a coffee shop.

Josh McDaniel didn't wait for his business management degree to go into business. The Augusta State University junior already runs two businesses. He even handles his own accounting. The 21-year-old owns Junk in the Box, a junk removal service he started in January. Two years ago, he started a window cleaning business, J & W Cleaning. He has inspired some of his friends to start their own businesses, and they frequently ask him for advice, he said. Mr. McDaniel said his father has encouraged him since high school to start his own business. "Halfway through my senior year, it clicked with me. He's my inspiration. I learned everything in business from him," Mr. McDaniel said about his father, who owned a small business. At J & W Cleaning, a local businessman who provides labor is his partner, and they split sales. "I've got roughly 41 or 42 accounts, so that's pretty good," he said.