Home Shopping Networks

Is this a call for ladder licensing? Lets face it, these guys shouldn't be let any where near a window let alone near a ladder, they both have delusions of adequacy when it comes to preparation. Home network shoppers can also watch other blunders, from Japanese swords to P.C. porn, isn't it great that these shows go out live. Seriously these ladder sellers do the window cleaning industry no favours for the "working at height" debate. Another reason to think about purchasing a water fed pole.

Squeegee Rider

With the Internet taking over our lives in a big way, there are quite a few companys putting out ad's on YouTube hoping to get noticed. Heres one from Kieth in Albuquerque, New Mexico with a slight difference. Take it away Kieth.........floor to floor....

The Human Squeegee!

The Bodyflik is a body squeegee designed to clean yourself after using the shower & will remove 75% of the water from your body. Wendy Brodie the inventor from Buckinghamshire, UK, came across the idea while grumbling that her life seemed to be nothing more than laundry chores. She hopes to crack the hotel market by stressing the Bodyflik’s environmental advantages & wants the Bodyflik to become as common as Gideon Bibles in hotel bathrooms.

A window cleaning add-on? ..............nah.

Lewis Doubtfire - Under Pressure

Lewis Doubtfire operates in Liversedge, Yorkshire UK as Gleem Clean with his rather unique WFP pressure system. As you can see the water is sent to the brush head with the aid of garden sprayer bottles & the pressure is topped up with a 12v battery powered "all in one" compresser. The unique benefit of this system is that if the battery fails the water can still be hand pumped to provide the pressure. His system can be seen below with a few sections of his ultra-light weight modular fishing poles.
Lewis is also a practitioner of rainwater harvesting in a big way.

Rainwater Harvesting

As water is becoming increasingly taxed and/or drought restrictions are threatening everyday, more wfp'ers are turning their heads towards the skies. Some have already got their rainwater collection delivery systems in place & believe it or not are praying for rain!

Many have also found that rainwater seems to be a better cleaning agent than "manufactured" water i.e. RO or DI systems & claim a better clean to boot. The forums are "awash" with which roof is the best to collect rainwater & what practises to achieve a respectable 001 tds collection. Once the roof has had its initial clean just a quick switch of a diverter or use of a cartridge will collect the pure water you need. Even if it isn't as low a tds as you want, just pumping your process water through a DI unit will give you a respectable tds water purity when you are at the job site.

As popularity grows, all types of water collecting tanks are appearing & some in modular (available UK) form as well. Many systems are available in the UK & the US. See window cleaning resources for more links. A guide is also available from the UK rainwater harvesting association UKRHA.

Water Fed Pole Academy

Those great guys at the Water Fed Pole Academy Joe & Jeff, recently put out an appeal for an on-line auction for members to auction any equipment they no longer needed, to help a fellow member in trouble. The auction was a great success and being described by one of the members as 'better than ebay' with the funds raised. The Academy hope to employ a professional doorknocker team, to help the unfortunate member rebuild his round/route.

Joe & Jeff pictured, started the forum in 2006 & the WFP Training Academy has gone from Strength to Strength. They hope in the future to become one of the largest forums on the internet. Joe is an aspiring inventor (like all of us) & has been looking at different ways of improving on problems we face everyday. Any question can be answered with the forums experienced members.

Squeegee Man & Captain Obvious!

Well it had to happen, but come on, the window cleaning world needed something better than this : (
Squeegee man fights grime & crime apparently, along with his partner in grime.......Captain Obvious from the super league of super heros. My favourite response from one of the kids - "hey spongy, don't give up man".
And no super-hero would get on the underground to finish the 'Walk for Aids' now would they? I was going to leave this for a Sunday posting, but since the window cleaning news is full of drug induced window cleaners & the like, I thought this would be a more positive posting.
ermmmm...............squeegeethanks.