Slips, trips and falls are the most common workplace accidents. Years ago we were sold the idea of Water Fed Pole and Pure Water window cleaning technology as the 100% health & safety compliant method of cleaning windows. And it still is, but choosing to clean windows with water fed poles does not make you bullet proof, unfortunately. Here is my experience….

Commercial window cleaning companies in the UK have pretty much got Health & Safety imprinted as laws force them to look at Health & Safety at work and clients force the same under their own due diligence.

Residential window cleaners tend not to be too concerned with Health & Safety with some still maintaining traditional work on ladders as the bomb. Whichever way you choose to clean windows, considering your own H&S and the H&S of others around you must be your first consideration. The idea is that you move forward after evaluating your work risks that may include such things as assessing unattended spills, wet floors, exposed cords, unstable work surfaces, uneven floors, loose rugs and cluttered areas to name a few. Posting signs and cones identifying hazards in areas that are being cleaned or that have recently been cleaned, and cordon off complete areas if required, would be the first obvious action. Considering the height of your water fed pole and the area that it would fall into should the tech loose control is an example of a risk least likely to be considered by window cleaners, but so important.

Spring is around the corner, the last week of February. My company cleans both commercial and residential work. Some of our residential work are large compact areas.

In one area, I decided to work with my staff. I had not cleaned a single window here for over three years, yet I found myself being mobbed by the customer’s eager and pleased to see me. Receiving hugs, questions on how my family was doing and jokes about me sitting in my seemingly ivory tower. It was a great feeling.

Unknown to me that feeling would soon turn to dread.

I was cleaning a house here and there but because there was a team of us and I was acting as the lead that day, keeping the paperwork straight, handling any money/cheques and writing out calling cards, I found I was able to look around more at the efficiency of my staff. Which is always a bonus.

The first thing I noticed was that over the years they had gathered the knowledge of all the customer details, desires and wants and were able to provide a quality job with a smile and great customer service. I loved the interaction they had in my place and my customers saw them as an extension of me. Good customer loyalty extends to the customer knowing that you are the boss and the staff are staff. Regardless of the staff good customer loyalty means they want you in charge. After all I remember nearly a decade ago doing this all on my own.

I felt like Undercover Boss that day ( except my staff all knew who I was, and I was not in disguise) as I spoke to my customers about my staff and began to take a closer look at each house they cleaned as they moved up the street. I could see where our service was and where improvements may or may not be be needed. I believe in congratulating staff when you find that work is carried out just as you would expect it or customer service is demonstrated well.

But then I started to pick up things that did need changing. Because some properties were complete streets of houses I noticed the water hose pipes running from the van would stretch for 100’s of meters with very little sign of hazard cones down the street.

Whereas I marveled at the ingenuous way one of my staff had come up with in order to efficiently drag this hose down the street to the next batch of properties by hooking it loosely to the Truk Rax system (ladder rack) and curb crawling his way up to position, some how as an employer I knew that this had to change.

Why do most residential window cleaners do not even bother with H&S? Well, 1) The law confuses them. HSE say that you do not need to have a company H&S system if you have less than 5 employees. IMO you need to have this from the first day of business. Get into the habit, especially if you want to grow your business. 2) They work on their own. They think they are the best judge and rarely think about how they work and how it might affect them or just as importantly the people around them.

Back on the street, I was already thinking I need to change the way we work. On this day we had our apprentice working with our team, Dominik.

Dominik is 16 and enjoying window cleaning as a job very much. He started back in January so had only been at it for 7 weeks, but already he was proving to be a dab hand at using the water fed pole, not so skilled with squeegee work.

Dominik had his CLX pole in one hand and dragging his hose in the other as he made his way around the back of a property. At this very same time I was knocking on the customer’s door for payment (if they were not in we would write out a ticket and pop it through the letterbox). There was no answer and so I turned. As I turned I spotted Dominik’s hose sliding pass like a huge grass snake. I began to step over his hosepipe when I realized that this hose had a massive loop in it. Everything happened within seconds. As Dominik pulled, my foot got tangled into the loop and I started to fall forward. The pain was instant as my knee bone crushed against the concrete.

I was rushed to hospital and operated on the next day. In an instant I was facing a min of 3 to 4 months off work and up to a year in recovery.

I consider myself lucky as I have employees to carry out my work. But what if you work on your own or you have just one employee, maybe that employee does not drive and relies on you heavily. Either way the impact on your health and well-being is obvious, the impact of not being able to clean your residential properties can be devastating.

So how will I change things?

This was a no brainer for me. I had a lot of thinking time from my hospital bed. I knew that to fix this risk I would have to introduce trolley systems for all work in areas where the public had access. It was me this time, what if it was one of my employees or a member of the public!

But then this idea threw up a paradox. Am I just shifting one risk to another? Manual handling is a big risk in the workplace and so the thought of staff lifting heavy trolley systems in and out of vans was a little daunting to consider. It was not until talking to a good friend of mine, who owns a successful window cleaning business in Sheffield, that the suggestion was made to use a special pump that could not only fill up a trolley system at 40L per min, but it could also do the opposite and empty the trolley. My manual handling risk evaporated.

It just goes to show, that we are all still learning. As I write this to you now I am still off work. The last hospital appointment was last week. The doctor reckons I can be back window cleaning within the next month and that it may take up to a year before I get the full range of motion in my knee, if I get 100% ROM.

By looking at how we work and considering the risks my experience demonstrates how things can go horribly wrong and cost a window cleaner a whole lot more than just broken bones.

Are you a window cleaner thinking about adding conservatory valeting to your range of services? We picked two off the shelf products that may or may not be able to assist with the uPVC cleaning required in conservatory valeting.

What is a conservatory valet?

This is a high value niche service aimed at detailing a conservatory inside and out. Sometimes it includes a treatment to help protect the valet finish so that the conservatory stays super clean for longer.
A conservatory valet will almost certainly include track brushes, toothbrushes and grout brushes in order to get into all of those nooks and crannies. It is labour intensive but the reward is high both in job satisfaction and money made.

There are a mountain of cleaners out there. Some work, some do not. Today we are comparing HG uPVC ‘Powerful Cleaner’ and Astonish uPVC Cream Cleaner. We compared both these products against old fashion warm water and Fairy Liquid just to see how the bottom end would compare. We had three soft sponge pads for each product and plenty of fresh water. ( Always test sponge pads first in a small area)

The HG Powerful comes in a handy 500ml trigger action spray bottle. The nozzle is twisted on or off to allow spray cleaning. The label sports a picture of uPVC windows and uses titles such as ‘easy and quick’ and ‘for all your synthetics’.

Directions of use are simple – apply spray and wipe. HG promises to be a very special and powerful cleaner capable of quickly removing all contaminants, nicotine and many other types of dirt.

We found this product to be slow in cleaning. Liberal spraying was required, in fact we treated our test window to the heavy soiling direction that involved spraying onto the surface and leaving it to work for a few minutes. It also advises to re treat if the stains are persistent.

Next up was Astonish uPVC Cream Cleaner. Now I knew this might do a little better since the cream has a mild abrasive in it. So always test an area if you are going to use this product and avoid polished areas, gold or silver coloured metals and lacquered surfaces.

The Astonish uPVC cream cleaner has a ‘no mess’ cap, which gets messed up. The label also shows a uPVC set of windows using titles such as ‘powerful cleaning action’ and ‘ shifts grease and grime’.

The cream cleaner worked best out of the two. Whereas HG was powerful it failed to take all grey staining out of the corners of the window sill. We found also that you had to work much harder, applying a lot more pressure in order to get the shortfall result it provided. When compared with Fairy Liquid and warm water to the HG, there didn’t seem a lot of difference in the two except for price. Disappointing really when HG is considered to be a high-end powerful product.

The cream cleaner stole it, however, with complete and utter ease. It was far, far less work and this was helped as the cream cleaner expanded into soap during the cleaning process. It made light work of the grey staining on the sills and sill corners. The only downside is that it can get pretty messy, so don’t go wild if using inside the conservatory and think about protecting the surroundings more.

We give HG uPVC ‘Powerful Cleaner’ 2 out 5 because it cleans, but does not clean deep, it is harder to use, but it does come in a handy trigger spray and the pink liquid colour is pretty too.

We give Astonish uPVC Cream Cleaner 4 out of 5, awesome cleaner, makes light work and removes all grey staining from the sill. Downsides are it can get a bit messy but its defo a winner and the Fairy Liquid test came no where near its finish.

Below Left: HG.                                   Below Right: Astonish.

I love window cleaning in the UK, where it is safe for window cleaners to work, relatively. Once considered one of the most dangerous jobs to do ( and essentially it still can be), water fed poles have assisted in improving the safety record a tad.

When commercial window cleaning in the UK, you are least likely to come face to face with a homeowners unexpected Pit Bull dog. More likely if you are cleaning residential properties.

Nature can attack at anytime and where you least expect it. And so spare a thought for the poor window cleaners that live in countries where everything wants to either kill you or eat you. Suddenly that Pit Bull does not seem that bad after all. In fact here is a list of some of the fights window cleaners are having world wide:

Raccoon attack – Usually confined to North America, Raccoons are noted for their intelligence, with studies showing that they are able to remember the solution to tasks for up to three years. So these guys are well equipped to kick window cleaner butt, if they need to. Usually nocturnal, so disturbing one of these might not be pretty. After all, wouldn’t you be grumpy if somebody woke you from the dead of sleep? The worse type of Raccoon attack, is the ‘Zombie’ Raccoon. One window cleaner in Middletown, Delaware goes on to say, “I had to face a rabid raccoon, it was weird. He wasn’t too fast tho” – every cloud……..

Spider attacks – Lots of window cleaners come into contact with spiders but it is the venomous ones in countries such as the USA and Australia that we need to watch out for. Having said that, it was reported that a Black Widow spider was found amongst a bag of grapes in Leamington Spa, UK!

The picture above is of a Black Widow Spider drowned in a sea of pure water from the window cleaner, cleaning this window. It is not surprising that window cleaners have reported lots of near misses with this type of dangerous spider.

One window cleaner from Medford, Oregon tells of his encounter with the Widow maker, “I knocked a Black Widow out of a second story window with a water fed pole. Little close for comfort when you’re rocking flip flops!”

Another window cleaner recounts, ” A spider landed on my face on the first day of the job in 2001. I had a short pressure washer gun in my hand and my first thought was to blast it off my skin!! It went within about a cm away from my eye socket; I was lucky”.

Snake attacks – Ok so there are a lot of snakes that are harmless, but they are still creepy enough to freak any window cleaner out, especially when you have seconds to establish if its the good snake or the bad snake. Most creatures, if feel threatened, will react in a defensive manner. The truth is they are more scared of you and your looming Unger Monsoon strip wash than you are of it.

But let’s get real, the danger is there and it seems that Rattlesnakes are high up there as the snake that might come into contact with unaware window cleaners. Rattlesnake bites are the leading cause of snakebite injuries in North America. However, Rattlesnakes rarely bite unless provoked or threatened; if treated promptly, the bites are seldom fatal.

One window cleaners experience from Cambridge, Maryland, “I was cleaning a large bay window behind some bushes, then I went to the steps to the right of the bush. While I was on the steps I heard some rustling in the bush I was just in. I looked over and a snake was coiled and striking at me”.

Alligator attacks – Now if there is one animal sure to eat that British Pitbull it would be this one. There are only two species of ‘Gator, the American alligator and the Chinese alligator.

So then, do you need to worry if you are a window cleaner in the US? Well, maybe, only if you live in the Southeast US states. It is clear that Alligators can be deadly, however one window cleaner says, “For Gators, you just need a good honey mustard dredge and then they’re awesomely friendly”, I’m guessing this window cleaner packs a Crocodile Dundee hunting knife as well. ‘Call that a knife?……….. this is a knife’.

When window cleaners are under attack by nature it can be the usual suspects like Bees and Wasps, mainly. We get to work out in the open, in our dream job, taking in bucket loads of fresh air and earning shed loads of money. It would be a shame to have all that end after a fatal battle with nature! Stay safe guys and if you have any amazing Window Cleaner Vs Nature stories drop me a line on LBURBIDGEHIGHSHINE@YAHOO.COM

The Manchester Cleaning Show took place at Event City, Manchester, on  6th and 7th April – and attracted unprecedented press coverage and visitor numbers.

The Manchester Cleaning Show – the regional launch event based on its parent, the Cleaning Show in London – was open for business on 6 and 7 April…and was an instant hit with exhibitors and visitors alike.

Even before the doors had opened, exposure on BBC Breakfast had created considerable interest and a real buzz of excitement in the hall. The TV news programme’s business presenter, Steph McGovern, broadcast each of her business news ‘slots’ from the show floor between 6am and 9am on the first morning, riding on and using a variety of equipment provided by exhibitors. This was followed by two appearances on the BBC’s local North West news programme, and a couple of features on Radio 5 Live. Steve Diprose, managing director of Quartz Business Media – a 50% partner in BCCE Ltd, the organiser, a company jointly owned with the British Cleaning Council – said: “Having BBC Breakfast and BBC North West broadcasting was fantastic – add to that the articles in the Blackpool Gazette and Yorkshire Post, plus features on Radio 5 Live and the Steve Wright Show on Radio 2, and you have an incredible result. I do not know of any other B2B show that has received such media coverage.”

And this star-spangled start was a taste of things to come. From the moment the doors opened, the crowds flocked in. The total attendance figure has been confirmed at 2308 – a phenomenal result for a regional two-day show, particularly as this was its first outing.

Craig McKay, sales and marketing director at Karcher UK, said: “It’s been a fantastic show, attracting very high numbers of visitors to an excellent location. The venue is first class and has been part of the draw. As well as our prominent stand within the hall itself, we have also been able to demonstrate a number of larger ride-on machines in the outdoor area. The excellent coverage provided by the BBC Breakfast team was a real plus – both for the event and the industry as a whole. We’re very much looking forward to the London event next year.”

Simon Hollingbery, chairman of the British Cleaning Council, said: “I am absolutely delighted with the outcome of this event. I am extremely impressed by the show itself, and the buzz in the venue throughout the two days has been evident for all to see.”

The popular Window Cleaning Competition was once again organised by the Federation of Window Cleaners and Terry ‘Turbo’ Burrows, the world’s fastest window cleaner. Unger sponsored the competition and gave away 5 hampers to the fastest window cleaners over the two days (Terry was exempt from winning). Unfortunately, no records were broken this year, however Terry has confirmed he is already in training for the Cleaning Show in London next March.

Which leads on nicely to the next big event in the Cleaning Show series – The Cleaning Show in London next year – 14 to 16 March at ExCel. Make sure it’s in your diary now – judging by the success of the Manchester event, the main London show should be fantastic and there are plans to making Window Cleaning a major focus in 2017.

See you in London – www.cleaningshow.co.uk

Part of what makes up the new WFP Link is the Phone App. It should be pointed out that the Link can be used just with the radio remote fob as this is the key to the whole thing.

So what does the App give you and why would someone consider it.

The App will give you:

• Access to a larger LCD display that many people use every day
• The Ability to display meaningful information
• Displays all the V11 user codes
• Provides flexibility to the user by allowing the fob to be set to individual preference
• One button auto calibration, tank fill or whatever your preference
• Hyperlink to your distributor’s website

The Smartphone is as common as rain these days almost every one of us are using one to manage their business, stay in touch with customers, staff and suppliers. Using this ready made large touch screen makes perfect sense for working with a Controller.

We all use Apps without any thought. What this tech does is carry all the common function and features from the V11 range and uses the Smartphone Screen to deliver and manage that information. The app will display all the common codes seen on the controller range.

Spring the brainchild of the WFP Link goes on to say, “It was very important to build in as much flexibility as possible we know from experience that people like the fobs and some want flexibility. The factory default for the fob will be increase/decrease water flow, start/stop the pump and switching between a rinse and wash flow rate”.

Within the App ( as in the Booth Talk video for WCM TV ( see link below) where Oliver Stanton of GrippaTank demonstrates, the user can select how much the water flow is increased. It can be set in steps of 10. However, if you want 1, 5, 20 the app allows you to select your preference. For those that want to be able to start a tank fill or switch on a heater, no problem, you can simply select this via the app and save. The App automatically updates the fob next time it communicates.

The App also helps monitor water temperature, battery voltage and TDS levels. In the future this App will be looking at displaying water flow rates by connecting a flow meter, or display pressure at the the RO membrane.

Watch the demonstration video here

In the Booth Talk film featuring GrippaTank, it mentions ordering resin from the App. Yes you can – all you do is tap the hyperlink symbol and off you go to your distributors website, and you have placed your order via the App. One less job to worry about.

In short, Spring have taken the successful development of their controller range and added in loads of flexibility, useful meaningful data, and massively expanded the range of the radio remote, plus you can set it up how you want to work. Spring hopes this will be a win win.

The full indepth article on WFP Link, fob and App is covered in May/June issue of Window Cleaning Magazine.

Window Cleaning Magazine is at the forefront of the window cleaning industry not just here in the UK, where the magazine originated, but throughout the entire World.

Because of this, we can see trends far more easily than those homed into their own geographical market. And because we are soooo AWESOME at getting the message out, industry looks towards us for reaching out to their potential customers. Sure, you can go to trade shows and conventions and kick the tyres, but most of us are not always in a position to do that and it cannot reach the mass market on its own merit. Besides, timing is an issue. Who is going to wait to release products available now for a show in 6 months or 8 months time. If the release times in, then it becomes an advantage and gives the trade show that they are exhibiting at, kudos for 5 minutes.  

The reality is that new innovations and trends in the market happen all of the time, all year long and the best place for you to get the latest update is here at Window Cleaning Magazine. Subscribing to our YouTube channel too CLICK THIS TO SUBSCRIBE will keep you updated with the clearest information both visually and verbally.

So what are you babbling on about Lee?, I read the title and it said ‘soft washing’. Where’s the soft washing bit?!

We have been watching a trend spreading through the UK, the latest trend being soft washing. Soft washing is an alternative to pressure washing hard surfaces, building rendering or roof tiles. It can quite easily clean up a driveway or patio (assuming no hard removal of weeds and moss). Unlike pressure washing thou, the soft wash chemical does all the work for you and window cleaners are waking up to the fact that a lot of money can be made.

Best of all, is that window cleaners have already got a captive audience for soft washing and can transfer that into hard cash very easily. They have their existing customer base, a customer base that already trusts you as a service.

What is Soft Washing? Soft washing uses chemicals or pure water with as low of a pressure as required in order to clean hard surfaces. The advantages are less potential damage, specifically on surfaces such as K Rend which could be severely damaged from pressure washing. Soft washing also allows an extended period of cleaning, because the process is effectively sanitising the area…. killing off all the organics and rendering the surface near new.

For different jobs, there are different mixes and whereas careful care with Health & Safety in writing out your risk assessments and wearing PPE, the less time exposing your employees to chemicals, the better.

Yesterday I came face to face with the Clever Injector. And no, it is not the nurse that gives you the flu jab down at the surgery. You know the one, the one that is very good at crosswords. This is Soft Wash UK’s Clever Injector designed to take all the guesswork out of mixing your softwash recipe.

Mark Cave CEO explained and demonstrated its use. Instantly I saw two benefits for those with employees. And judging by how many of these have sold so far other companies see it too.

Clever Injector is housed onto a trolley (sold separately) with its tail end dropped into a 25 L barrel of your required softwash chemical. Clever Injector can then be set at the ‘mix’ ratio for the specific job and locked. Water mains are connected and as it passes the chemical inlet, it carries this to the lance end at the right mix.

The first benefit I noticed is the reduced handling of the chemicals by employees. Picture a lab with a nutty professor, in a white overcoat, bubbling beakers full of multi coloured fluids on bunsen burners, surrounded by whispers of white smoke. No more manual mixing of your recipe by the employees. You know those labs always explode in the end.

The second benefit was no more guess work, getting the wrong mix, and causing bad issues that are liable to cost your company dearly.

Clever Injector allows you to mix without leaving you with leftover soft wash to deal with. All in all a very solid piece of equipment that allows you to reduce your exposure to chemicals, and get the right mix ratio for whatever that job may be. We will have a full write up on this in the magazine as we interview Soft Wash UK.

For more information please click this.

Window Cleaning Magazine Facebook Group admin, Scott O’Donohoe is a much-loved character in the top UK FB group Window Cleaning Magazine. He is a salt of the earth with a heart of gold.

It turns out his kind nature has extended into his window cleaning business. Scott wanted to do something to help the local community, and decided to offer a free window cleaning service to a charity store in the town of Rayleigh. Reflection Perfection is a growing successful window cleaning company from Essex and they felt that even at this early stage of business they wanted to give something back.

Scott goes on to say, “I approached the shop manager of Dogs Trust and they welcomed me with open arms and was extremely happy, and to be honest very shocked with our offer to clean their windows for free. From the Managers reaction it was a real motivational boost for the team and me. From that conversation with the Manager I felt the need to get the media involved. From the newspaper article I gained 12 new customers and 5 new paying shops. Kind and caring does pay off”

And it certainly does! Proud Master Guild of Window Cleaners member holds honesty and integrity as well as service and punctuality high on his company list. You will be amazed at how many miss out on this approach. I promise you, calling people on time and being on time, is the new USP… because your competitors are not doing it… I will write more on this topic at a later date.

A sill brush is unlike the standard dual trim brush you might of been use to previously. The bristles are set in a radius within the stock so as to allow scrubbing contact on a window sill. Why is this important I hear you ask? Well, when cleaning residential properties particularly in the UK, customers are insistent that their window sills are washed over. It stands to reason that after scrubbing the frame first, cleaning the glass second that a third stage of giving the sill a quick wash over is a must. After all its where the dirt will land or hang around. I just want to add that standard dual trims are still ok for residential work, I used them for years and so a sill brush is a preferance and here is why I justify its use.
With standard brush heads, even with an impressive bristle splay, it difficult to concentrate effectively on the sill surface.

Now everyone is different and experiences differ slightly but there is no denying that the sill brush does what it intends. I have used both standard and sill configurations and I found that with standard brush heads all I managed to do was drag my brush along the sill with the plastic stock scraping along the uPVC. It is not ideal.

For a great job, I would recommend a sill brush on UK residential properties. In the past I have found myself in the position of explaining to a customer the special properties of this type of brush. Their faces light up as you demonstrate why you choose that brush…. they love that you bothered to ‘think’ about the process of providing that great service to them. Sills are defo in the top 3 customer requests in the UK.

A sill brush is also very useful on soffit, facia, and external gutter cleaning. The radius helps ‘flick’ out debris in all of those nooks and crannies.

So how does this translate to commercial glass? Well if the commercial building is set up like residential windows there should be no problem, but on large plate glass using something like a Gardiner CLX and ultra light sill brush, your going to find the sill brush bounce off and skip during your down and up strokes… this is definitely not ideal. You can still clean the glass with the sill brush but if you want to ensure that you get to scrub every bit of that commercial glass, switch it out for a standard dual trim.

In September, I have a special guest stopping at my home, Shawn Gavin of Tucker Pole Systems. Shawn is bringing along his new hybrid brush head with nylon outer bristles and boars hair inner bristles. I think this would make an ideal commercial brush and so we anticipate a closer look at this.

The Big Convention and Trade show in Maryland USA over the 11,12 and 13th August is an annual event that does two things. It provides seminars from a range of speakers from within the Power Wash – Window Cleaning industry and speakers on business strategy, motivation, recruitment with so much more to offer.

Sole owners and companies with a number of vehicles on the road send their guys into this event in order to learn and share information. These guys leave pumped and full of ideas for taking their businesses forward.

The added trade show has the biggest names in the US market attending, such as Moerman, Ettore, Unger, Tucker Pole, J Racenstein, Softwash Systems, PowerWash, IPC Eagle, WCR to name a few. Perry Tait from Reach-iT, Willie Erken of Wagtail were also there. Many more make this show in order to speak with and sell direct to the US cleaners.

It is very impressive to see such a diverse and wide range of supply companies all in one place speaking to the guys, who want to talk, learn and buy. The only other place we have seen so many Window and Power Wash specific companies is the Glassenwasser in the Netherlands. It’s a real win-win for everyone.

Willie Erken who after a long journey was buzzing and raring to go showing both existing and new products. Willie Erken can be so innovative with his product range. He was wowing the windows cleaners as he steps into his entertaining pitch. It is something to watch. Willie did reveal he has something new up his sleeve and is working on moulds. He was not ready to bring it to the big convention or give away very much. Mr Erken’s travels will take him on to Windows 101 and a chance to pop home before he is off to the UK.

The trade floor was soon buzzing and full of sound with people eager to look and get there hands on the Tucker C45 and Reach-iT poles proving very popular draws. Perry (CEO of Reach-iT) was giving away a “BOSS” baseball cap to guys who have bought or were buying Reach-It kit. Nice Touch Perry!

Travis Brown and Mike Dientz of Tucker Pole found their CF45 and CF35 were going down a storm. Being light and strong the pole has a quite large 1st section standing about 8 feet! Great rigidity and the new euro adaptor make switching out brush heads very simple. Tuckers new metal clamps are easy to use and have a lifetime guarantee.
Tucker has also improved the brush and offers a dual trim hog’s hair. These guys were really busy. We look forward to seeing Tuckers hog’s hair hybrid brush in the UK on 9th September.

Reach-iT was also getting a lot of interest as always. Again with the pole rigidity good clamps the Mini continues to do really well. The ergonomic handles (Power & Control) take so much strain out of using the pole. 18-inch brush and Reach-iT did a roaring trade.

Moerman’s Combinator and Liquidator tool’s are easy to use although some do prefer other tools, Moerman are keen to listen to feedback and evolve the tool further. Window Cleaning Magazine will be in Belgium filming and taking pictures of the latest Moerman gear tomorrow infact.

A surprising revelation in the event was the awareness of tank delivery systems and pump controllers by our US cousins. Spring controls were on three booths from the high current H20 Pro at Racenstein, the Fill n Go from RHG and WCR were offering pump and controller combinations. The other surprise was an active self-build market.

The New WFP Link was on display, the range of this unit is something else. 300+ metres around a corner and the fob still worked at the event!

Steve Blyth of Racenstein who was at the trade show with Mike Drapper and Dwight Rowe said that they really have to be here (HUGE Convention) as their customer base show up year after year and it’s great to speak to people. Steve commented that he can get more done here in a couple of days than a week’s worth of calls.

Unger also had a Booth displaying the Stingray. With its pleasing design and innovative head that helps get up into the corners. Some guys commented that the Stingray is fantastic for maintenance cleans every 4 – 6 months but for a really hard first clean they use the Unger speed kit as the pads use less moisture. Unger as you would expect were doing great.

There were whole loads of Pressure Washing systems at the event this year carrying some of these trailers some of which bigger than a UK car. But you get all the kit you could need to tackle any job.

AC Lockyer from Softwash Solutions was doing a storm selling his Green Wash and giving guys guidance on just about any job. AC has standardised his chemical ratios and on the whole suggests 1 ounce per gallon of water will do just about any job.

IWCA guys were attending too. These guys would like to see OSHA drive stronger working at height regulations within the industry and promote safer working methods. They feel it would significantly reduces the numbers of falls which lead to serious injuries and occasionally worse.

They also say they see the UK as the leader and innovator in terms of window cleaning technique and equipment. Which is nice.

Also there were Rope Access Training, Business Marketing and web site companies and just so much stuff to have you in Hogg heaven. All we can say is, if you get a chance GO!! You get to talk cleaning and hang with a great crowd and the Family go in the pool and leisure complex.

The Buzz and draw of this Convention is obvious the guys do not see this as spending money they see it as investing in their future. That they still see the UK as the innovator makes us smile ☺

Every now and then something really special happens in our industry. Something soooo rare that even sceptics would muster up the strength and take a look in order to indulge their curiosity.

Something so rare where usually the doors are slammed tight behind a wall of secrecy; the curtain is dropped for just a moment.

So rare that this goliath industry leader at the top of their game opens itself up to the fascinated gazes of awe inspired window cleaners. Window cleaners that have travelled from all over the UK. No, I am not talking about Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and there isn’t a golden ticket insight, but something like that, maybe.

Last week Ionic Systems in Swindon opened their doors to the public. Attendees numbering shy of 50 throughout the day were treated to demonstrations of the new hyCLEANER, a robotic machine used for cleaning large building areas, water fed pole and machine demos, a seminar with guest speaker and a tour of the Ionic plant that included exhibits such as an original crash tested Ionic System and the robotic solar panel cleaner.

Unfortunately for me, I missed the hyCLEANER demos. Reuben Reynolds, Director of Ionic Systems and Charlie Price, the Big Cheese over at Price Group introduced the demonstrations. Well let’s face it, with Price Group providing half a million quid of Bronto Skylift truck-mounted platform on site, who better to keep an eye on it!

I entered the head office of Ionic Systems and I was lead to the tail end of the factory tour. (I would be treated to my very own private tour later in the day. Check out my factory tour blog).

Meanwhile, window cleaners gathered like eager students as they surrounded a factory worker demonstrating how water fed poles are made and put together. Both the factory worker and Reuben Reynolds appear well rehearsed delivering funny punch lines amongst the vast amount of production knowledge bestowed upon their audience. There were lots of questions asked, lots answered and lots learned…. It must of felt like living in a fishbowl for the factory workers but actually they enjoyed telling others about the job they do as they took centre stage. 

Outside the building the full range of water fed poles and machines were available for demonstrations and the Zero static option got a flurry of interest. This was mainly down to the makeup of visitors with a few running larger fleets of window cleaning vans. Interestingly this group showed more interest in Ionic than the Pure2o ranges.

One or two window cleaners recognised myself from the Window Cleaning Magazine and YouTube and so it was nice to chat shop with those guys. For me and the other attendees the seminar was something we were all looking forward to.

Sarah Richards of Alexander Swan Insurance Services, the Guest Speaker of the day, gave a free flowing talk on protecting your business… and the attendees asked lots of great questions.

The main attraction, however, had to be Developing Your Window Cleaning Business with BWCA Founder and Ionic Systems’ Chairman, Craig Mawlam.

Opening up, Craig looked very casual as he announced ‘profit ensures cash flow and cash flow is king’. Straight away you could see that Craig still had that passion for the industry. That passion that has brought him so far from the early days when he was known as The Window Man cleaning residential windows. Touching briefly on his early window cleaning days the general theme was on CHANGE and how to market the change. ‘Changes could come from regulations, economy, the housing market anywhere and marketing that change effectively = opportunity’, Craig says (paraphrased).

The seminar was insightful and motivational, there is nothing like listening to the thoughts of a man now running a multi million pound business who has once stood in YOUR shoes.

Keeping with CHANGE, he was current too, citing Brexit as a possible ‘change’ indicator for business and he used it as an example as to where opportunity may come from in the form of Government or private investment, CHANGE = OPPORTUNITY.

Of course the best example for this, Craig mentioned, was Ionic Systems having the right product at the right time as the Working at Heights 2005 Regs came into force. New regulations meant that business owners were to avoid working at height wherever possible and choose alternative methods if they were available. To you and me that was Ladders Vs Water Fed Poles. And the rest as they say is history. Ionic Systems lead the way with pure water window cleaning and became the leaders of our industry.

CHANGE = OPPORTUNITY quickly moved to USP (Unique Selling Point) something that every business should try and find avoiding that ‘me too’ trap, but as Craig points out USP has a short shelf life and re-inventing yourself is the key.

‘It goes without saying that some things do not change such as quality over price’; Craig tells his audience, ‘and Experts are always in demand’.

During the talk it was announced that Ionic Systems would roll out a new support service for its customers called The Reach & Wash Support Service. This is so new that costs and things like T&C’s have not yet been finalised!

This is a very clever idea and the timing could not be better. Essentially, available for hire would be the hyCLEANER but also something very lacking in the industry today.

As it stands today the only way you can hire a van with a full pure water system in the back is via an insurance claim and even then only a small selected group of insurance brokers such as Alexander Swan provide this.

Imagine if you land that huge job and they wanted it doing yesterday, or if your van breaks down and those time sensitive jobs you had booked in next week were at risk of not getting done, now you can hire a complete van and system with a professional window cleaner. You just order it in, the hired van and worker turns up to the location you want them to be at. Simple. The day is saved!

This new service helps add that professional punch to your website too. Ionic will provide its customers free pictures and information showing that they have hyCLEANER and Rope Access capability. The Rope Access is to be sub supported by Price Group.

Fantastic ideas, fantastic day (with a catering van by the way) and a great turn out.

Reuben Reynolds, Director, Ionic Systems, “It was pretty good for our first event. And we see this as a successful day. We have already planned another one with speakers for the Spring of 2017. This will also coincide with our 20th Anniversary.”

We look forward to that! Window Cleaning Magazine will be celebrating that one with them too.

Colin Jeffery found guilty of manslaughter.
The owner of a gutter cleaning company has been found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced today (14th of October) at Exeter Crown Court, following an incident in December 2014 where a 17-year-old Mason Beau Jennians (known as Beau) died as a result of falling from a ladder.
Colin Jeffery from Durham Close, Paignton, trading as Utterley Gutterley, pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter by gross negligence and a breach of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 for work undertaken at the Coach House, Abbotskerswell, where on the 4th December 2014, Beau Jennians fell to his death when carrying out work up a ladder.
Colin Jeffery was found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence, and pleaded guilty to further health and safety offences at four other properties in the Torbay area, a breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
He was sentenced to a total of five years in prison.
Detective Inspector Steve Davies from the Major Crime Team said: “Colin Jeffery operated his business with total disregard for the safety of his employees and had a cavalier attitude to health and safety. The vast majority of his employees were young men who were vulnerable to the risks of dangerous work by virtue of their youth, inexperience and inability to appreciate risk.
“He engaged them in such work with a flagrant disregard for the regulations which govern work at height, which are there to protect workers from death and injury. He did so with the sole aim of providing a cheap quote to customers that would secure him work. He completely failed to consider or implement even the most basic of safety measures. His working practices were inevitably going to lead to the serious injury and death of one his employees at some point in time.
“Sadly for Beau, his family and the owners of the house where Beau fell, it was Beau who was the victim of his negligence.
“During the trial, Colin Jeffery distanced himself from any responsibility for Beau’s death. He put Beau’s family, his girlfriend and friends and the owners of the property through the ordeal of a trial. His motive in doing so was one of self protection.
“Devon and Cornwall Police and the Health and Safety Executive welcome the verdict of the court. We hope that Beau’s family will find some comfort in the fact that the man responsible for his death is paying the penalty that the court has given him, even though they will never recover from the pain of such a needless loss of life.
“We hope that this case will serve as a reminder to those who during their business undertakings work at height that working from ladders is a very high-risk operation. Ladders provide no protection at all from falling and even falling from relatively low heights can easily result in death.
“The safest way for members of the public to have work done at height is through the use of reputable and professional organisations who understand the risks and have the equipment to deal with the task professionally.”

Source: Devon & Cornwall Police

Sheffield based in the North of England has gained an international reputation for Steel production and it has spewed out top bands like Def Leppard, The Arctic Monkeys and Pulp. Sheffield was also the turning point in Eddie Izzard’s career as he swapped accountancy for comedy and the city became immortalised as the backdrop for the 1997 movie The Full Monty.

So then, what happened when a window cleaning firm from Sheffield were invited to bid on a new build 9 story building in the city?

With the prospect client, they were invited to tour around the building in order to work out a costing for the on going service of window cleaning. The place still resembled a building site, but this was not unusual towards the end of any building project.

Having checked the roof area for rope access it was decided that powered access would be the way to go.

On finishing the tour the window cleaning firm and site managers made their way to a two-story car park basement. And it is here where all hell broke out!

You may associate the man who stole from the rich to give to the poor with Nottingham, but Robin of Loxley actually hails from Sheffield.

As the window cleaning firm and site managers turned a corner they witnessed the tail end of bungling burglars.

One man was franticly pulling heavy cable back into the store cupboard having already spotted the manager’s arrival whilst the other man clutched his ‘crown jewels’ having been whacked with the cable as the first man pulled it in so fast crushing his ‘brazil nuts’.

They were stealing it, spotted the group of managers then decided to pull it quick time back where they got it from.

But it was too late; they were caught red handed with a car full of the stuff!

In shock the window-cleaning firm stood back so that the site managers could deal with the theft.

Pictures were taken by the site managers as a third man appeared. At this point the original two men decided to go for a ‘cigarette’, never to be seen again whilst the third man took the full force of the law.

Turns out they where subcontractors of subcontractors.

“It’s not what you would expect to see whilst quoting on a job”, said the window cleaning firm.

I think even Robin Hood would of turned in his grave at the stupidity of these criminals.

Gardiner Pole Systems is probably one of the best known brands here in the UK for water fed poles and accessories. It certainly tops the popularity charts with UK window cleaners. The brand is also rapidly growing in the US and European markets – so then, why is this brand of telescopic poles growing so much in popularity and considered to be the ‘go to’ pole? Part of this must be down to the Gardiner Smart Clamps that recently were granted a UK Patent. Gardiner Smart Clamps come fitted as standard to every Gardiner brand telescopic pole sold since 2013 and are also available as an upgrade to older poles.

What makes them so good? Because they have successfully solved a reoccurring issue facing high use telescopic pole users. A common problem, as any window cleaners using composite material poles will know, is that when wear starts on the outer surface of a section it is never evenly across the whole surface of the pole. This creates low spots that lead to spinning sections when clamped. Previous Gardiner poles and every other brand of poles have suffered this problem with no resolution in sight. A pole would have to be rebuilt or sections replaced simply because one part of the section had worn by half a millimetre more than the rest of the pole – very annoying, time wasting and costly.

How did the Gardiner Smart Clamps resolve this? The Gardiner Smart clamp mechanism features a compactly packaged auto-adjustment tension spring that allows the clamps to adjust the clamp jaw position without the need to adjust manually the tension of the whole lever mechanism. Put simply for us window cleaners this means that once adjusted, the clamp will easily clamp and close on unworn sections of the tubes surface, but when needing to be clamped firmly on a heavily worn area (such as in the closed position where poles are generally clamped up most often) they will still clamp and hold the section with the same simple lever closing action.

Is there any other benefits to these clamps? Technically the design allows for the use of thinner wall composite sections compared to comparative poles on the market – the clamp is not relying on a thick wall section to resist the effects of tight clamping on section wear areas. This is why Gardiner poles are so light and last so long – this might explain why seemingly every other window cleaner you meet is using one! The compact design of the mechanism also means that despite being ‘self-adjusting’ these clamps take up less length on the pole leading to improved packaging.

So they appear to help compensate for worn areas on the pole, but do they help reduce overall wear rate of the pole? Evidence shows that it has helped prolong the pole section life as well. The device maintains the optimum level of tension on the clamped section surface – not too tight causing damage to the thin wall section or too loose which increases the twisting abrasion action on the section. The poles last longer and clamp so much more easily and smoothly through the life of the pole. Traditionally telescopic composite poles would become a struggle to work with, sometimes after just 6 months of regular use, whereas the Smart Clamp equipped poles continue to work easily throughout the life of the pole.

In conclusion if you have not had the chance to try out a Gardiner Smart Clamp pole – where have you been? Give one a try and you will find an easier, more reliable and smarter pole solution than has been previously experienced.

Perry Tait is State side and currently preparing to attend a PWNA Event on the 17^th and 18^th November.

 Perry has always strived to improve his products and make life easier for window cleaners with the goal of getting water fed pole brush strokes down to a one up, one down movement on the glass.

Perry asks, “What do we see as the future innovations for pure water window cleaning?”

Responding to his own question, he defiantly sees the focus on less time scrubbing and less time on rinsing the glass and the future in brush design is paramount to this goal. Perry says that we need to aim towards that water squeegee across the top effect in the brush.

With this we are excited to hear that the Constructor brush will be perfected in 2017 with new innovation. After a year of customer feed back on the Constructor Brush, working with customers old issues that may have coursed a problem have been put to bed. Some issue were seemingly out of Reach-iTs control.

For example; a bad batch of bristles that caused the bristles to curl over on the brush head. Reach-iT located the problem and discovered that they had been ‘duped’ by a source factory. Perry, “We think they added recycled material into our black bristles. From this experience we decided that our bristles would be clear in future. You can’t add unwanted recycle material to clear bristles. This was an example of some of the things we had learned over the past year. It was painful for us to experience this for our customers but humble in the fact that those few that had been affected with these types of issues stuck by us”. Incidentally, Perry tait does mention that any customers who have experienced this batch problem should contact Reach-iT for the free replacements.

Getting your window cleaning technique to one stroke up and one stroke down sounds great but what about baked on debris?

Reach-iT have even thought about this. Perry says that he is not a fan of reach around or flipping the pole to a pad for removing debris. Perry says, “Its ultra time consuming and adds to your work. It’s a lazy design too; we did one but will not repeat it”.

Perry continues, “Our focus is much more simpler…. We are looking at adding a slid in panel to the constructor brush, there will be two sizes. These panel inserts will allow you to attach a pad of your choice, microfiber, bronze etc. We think making the Constructor Brush more efficient this way is key. Compressing the brush to use these pads in this way makes more sense to me”.

Dare I say it; Perry is also looking at many other agitation solutions for 2017 and exploring all possibilities such as using stainless steel bristles!! You gotta love the think tank at Reach-iT. We look forward to seeing the improvements and innovations from the Reach-iT camp in 2017.

Here is a film on the Constructor Brush: https://youtu.be/oriRNiL0ZEg

I have a couple of IBC tanks at our shop in our city. We use them to generate 2000L of pure water, 24hrs, 7 days per week. From this ‘static system’ we fill our vehicles up and off they go to clean windows all day.

I can’t remember where we bought the two tanks from, but I do know they cost around £150+vat each plus around £60.00+vat delivery. When they arrived at the shop they were brand spanking new, untouched and ready to hold my liquid gold. So then, where’s the ‘hell’ in that? I hear you ask.

In my infinite wisdom, I decided to buy another two IBC tanks and have another static system set up in my garage at home. The idea of this was for an additional source of water out of the city (like an outpost) therefore creating an alternative ‘filling up’ station for our vehicles. Plus it was convenient for me too. If I went out and did a little work myself in my area, it meant I would have to travel a 20 mile round trip into the city, take an hour and half of my time travelling and filling up at the shop on top of that.

It kind of sounded better in my head at the time.

So I’m looking around on the net for two 1000L IBC tanks. Then I got to thinking. Can I shop smarter and save some dollars. After a while I found IBC tanks on Ebay. The description said that these tanks had had stuff in it previous (used) but were cleaned out and ready to use. Well, I thought as long as they are cleaned out and ready to use, they are not going to affect the pure water I would be holding in them.

The price was unbelievable… £40.00 each with £50.00 delivery. A picture of stacked high tanks all looking spanking clean in a warehouse sold it to me. I went ahead and ordered them straight away.

Wow I thought, that was so easy… when we are ready to up the tanks at the shop, I will just do the same thing!

eBay, put me in touch with the seller, Jimmy. He seemed really friendly and called me to ensure my delivery address was right. Sometime in May I had the delivery driver call my mobile, “ where do you want these loading to?”. “The driveway please”, I responded.

So all excited at the thought of having my very own static system right out in my garage, I hurried home to check the delivery.

I was horrified to discover both tanks were caked in some unknown substance… it smelt bad, like a strong chemical smell. I was not put off at this point, it was only when I got a mop to try and clean it up that my skin began to burn, my eyes water and my throat started to feel this chemical, like a sore throat. I had to stop what I was doing immediately. Everything was left as it was like a mini Chernobyl, buckets and mops left in situ. I got straight on onto my computer and wrote to the seller:

 Me: “(I sent pictures) Jimmy, I need to know what this is??”

 Seller: “If you want to return them you can”

 Me: “ Do you know what this stuff is?? It’s all over my drive now. Thanks for your help in this matter…” (Unbeknown to me as I have only used eBay one other time. When it comes to refunds and returns the seller bears the cost. Jimmy was pulling a fast one)

Me: “Jimmy, what’s the TPN service details you used to deliver this. I would like to call them and arrange the return. I’m surprised that your shipping stuff not knowing what chemical is on it?”

Seller: “I’m not sure what courier service it was Lee. It was through a 3rd party. And this stuff cant be that bad Lee lol I think it’s just you cant be bothered to clean it
You need to send this baby soon if you wanting refunded because I’m away next week for 3 weeks” (Pressure to return for my refund but by paying for the return myself) I decided to double check with eBay. Turned out the return was the seller’s responsibility.

Me: “Jimmy, but it is that bad. It is a thick chemical that still smells on my hands. From a health & safety point of view, you are unable to tell me what this is. I just want to get this returned and off my drive. I have no idea what it is. Refunds can still be refunded even when you’re on holiday. I am talking with the local courier now on returning these items.
I understand that it was a third party, but you have a number you pick up to arrange the delivery. If you are not willing to give that information in the hope I give up on sending these back, you’re mistaken. I suggest you clean these thoroughly before you send out to customers or at least inform the customer what chemical may be on the items you are shipping out so that they may be able to risk assess the delivery. I’m looking for full co-operation in getting this returned to you and getting the refund”

Seller: “ I have offered you a refund since the beginning. All this return would of now been done and over if you didn’t just jump in to eBay”, Jimmy was referring to my contacting eBay who told me it was his responsibility for the return cost and for me to do nothing.

Me: “OK, I just this minute spoken to eBay. You need to arrange the return. I think they said you have till 25th May. I will leave it with you. The IBC tanks are in the spot they were delivered too”

Seller: “eBay has just informed me I don’t need to accept the delivery as you didn’t read the description. It clearly states they need washing and may contain previous product. So I won’t be accepting returns” 

Me: “ If you had written your description: it will arrive completely covered in a chemical that may or may not be hazardous to your health and that you don’t know what the chemical is…. then I would not of purchased them. I have a right to know what your are exposing me and my family too, don’t you think?”

Then it got nasty with his messages. He told me not to contact him again. He would reply to no other messages. He did not know what the chemical was. It was stuck on my drive and it was staining the driveway. Thankfully eventually, eBay stepped in, “Thanks for letting us know about the problem you had with this transaction. We’re here to help”.

They were brilliant. They looked at all the exchanges and looked at his description and viewed my pictures. They were concerned about the chemical and health & safety. I was awarded the full refund including the delivery costs plus vat.

I had one more message from Jimmy, “ I’m coming up your way this weekend to collect these tanks”, I told him this was ok they are in the exact place they were dropped off at. He never turned up. I left it another month, then I had an employee cut it up and dispose of it.

The chemical smell was around for the next 7 months, a massive grease looking stain has took the best part of a year to disappear, and the van we used to transport the cut up bits still smells of this toxic chemical even to this day.

By sharing this, you can see how sometimes a seemingly great deal can turn into a nightmare. At one point, as the two IBC tanks sat on my drive (like – for ever!) I rang the local environmental health and Council, none of them were interested. What ever are in these tanks prior to your delivery, buyer beware as you may get the IBC tanks from hell! You’re better off buying brand spanking new for your pure water static system.

My journey to becoming a window cleaner.

November 17-19, 2016 – Charleston, South Carolina saw the 2016 PWNA Annual Convention and Trade Show.

Robert Hinderliter an ex Powerwashing contractor that owned a distributorship and a guy called, Joe Walters who owned an insurance company named after him founded the Power Washer of North America in 1992. Joe Walters insured a lot of Powerwashing contractors. The #1 reason why Robert and Joe started the PWNA back in ‘92 was to give the Powerwashing contractor a voice for which they succeeded in doing over the years.

Back in the day organizations catered for distributors or manufactures only such as CETA, and contractors where never allowed to attend. It was unchartered territory setting up the PWNA and it would appear that the original founders attracted some backlash for branching out in this way. Eventually once the dust settled contractors began to join.

Today they have over 320 members and they continue to grow. The PWNA has a very rich history because of their longevity and class in this organization.

Being the first of its type in the Powerwashing industry does help.

We spoke to John Tornabene a PWNA Spokesperson, “The benefits of attending the PWNA convention are plentiful. From Networking with very successful contractors, learning from some of the best teachers in the Industry, meeting some of best vendors who care about their needs and the experiences they get from these Events can be life long just like some of the friends they make”

John goes on to say, “The classes were all getting excellent ratings by each attendee who filled out a small questionnaire to rate the classes they attended. The excitement on the trade room floor was something you could just feel in the atmosphere and yes I personally will be purchasing a water fed pole from Reach-iT, one of the Vendors at the trade show.
The networking during the cocktail hour and the friendship being formed at this event is priceless! All of this makes you feel like you are in one big happy family with something very unique, which is this…. We all have a common interest which is to be successful in the world of Powerwashing.”

The PWNA Convention this year was everything it was advertised to be and then some. The convention kicked off with the announcement of who the Vendor Sponsors are followed by the PWNA Board of Directors introduction. The President John Nearon’s who’s term ended received a huge applause. John Nearon received a plaque from Babe Ruth’s granddaughter Linda Ruth Tosetti for a job well done.

Incoming president Andy Reinsel, seemingly, has large footsteps to follow but most expect him to do very well.

Above: Incoming President Andy Reinsel

A part from the classes and trade show, attendees could eat lunch at round tables with specific subjects picked by the PWNA Board of Directors. This idea was the one that was requested the most by members. I have to say, Window Cleaning Magazine is a fan of roundtable networking and this unique spin on the concept is a great idea.

The ladies were not left out too at the PWNA, as they got their very own ‘Wine & Wash’ that proved to be a big hit and it will be back next year, and I have to say judging by the pictures Window Cleaning Magazine has seen, they had a fab time.

For more information on the PWNA please follow this link: http://www.pwna.org/

Below: John Tornabene

Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States (the fourth Thursday of November). Since 1932, it has been regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in the U.S., and most major retailers open very early (and more recently during overnight hours) and offer promotional sales. As always when America gets the snivels the UK catches the Cold, eventually. Recently, UK companies have jumped onto the Black Friday bandwagon. Sky TV is offering Black Friday deals on their box sets for example.

Historically, almost all stores come out with door busting sales discounts with early bird specials to attract consumers to their stores. People stand in line for hours before the stores are opened, to grab the bargain of the year. Almost every store has something that interests everyone. For bargain hunters, if there is a biggest festival in a year, that would be, no doubt, the Black Friday. In the last few years (starting from 2013 to be precise), Black Friday Sales have started way before Friday-with some stores starting their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving Day & some even starting on Wednesday. It would not be surprising to see Black Friday sale starting from Monday on that week. Therefore, revenue wise this is NOT the best day for stores. Biggest sales day now include Thanksgiving Day, Green Monday and Cyber Monday.

Retail here in the UK, Black Friday was used for stores wanting to get rid of stock with the added benefit of receiving a much needed winter cash injection. Black Friday was given the name as the colour for when the stores ledger moved out from the red into the black.

So then should you use this as a marketing tool in your window cleaning business? Window Cleaning Magazine thinks not.

The problem with these stores offering Black Friday deals, especially the smaller ones that jump onto the bandwagon, is that they will attract the ‘bargain hunter’. Bargain hunting shoppers are an astute bunch and will hold out for these bargains if they smell blood. The result is, a lot of stock sold at a heavily discounted value and poor sales for the rest of the year. Even now some stores are considering spreading their discounts throughout the year.

We believe that you should avoid discounting your business services or products. As a business, discounting will certainly attract the wrong type of customer, the bargain hunter, the customer that wants to save £2 on their window cleaning. This is not the right customer for your business. This is a business model that may slow down your business growth, and have you working double time on top.

So what can you do? If discounting is a form of enticement you feel is right for your business, then it should be structured where the discount brings in value rather than less value.

A firm favorite idea for us, is the concept of adding value to your window cleaning service instead. This could be as simple as saying; “We provide a window cleaning service with the latest window cleaning water fed poles. We clean your frames free of charge at the same time as your windows on every visit”.

Think business smart, because de-valuing your service is not smart business.

Jeff Cooper of C-Thru Window Cleaning that services the Malibu area of California USA needed an additional vehicle in his growing company.

Jeff has been referred to as the “Window Cleaner to the Stars” by WCMTV and cleans for many famous people in the entertainment industry. You can watch that video here https://youtu.be/ZQOqPTkXtfs

This is not Jeff’s first custom creation; he built out a window cleaning van a few years back. Working with J.Racenstein he outfitted his Ford Transit Connect van for Pure Water Delivery with an on-demand RO/DI Pure Water system. While happy with that van the on-demand pure water creation sometimes struggled to produce enough flow when two operators were cleaning.

In answer to that J.Racenstein suggested that Jeff should look at a tank-based system for his next work vehicle with about 50 gallons of RO Water as a buffer to his Water Fed Pole cleaners.

With this information and Jeff’s desire for a vehicle that could also transport his family, mixed with always liking Ford trucks, he elected to order up a custom F150 four-door four-wheel-drive pickup and had it delivered with a foldable hard cover over the bed.

Jeff then went to J.Racenstein looking for a way to put in a pure water system under the bed. But he quickly discovered that the off the shelf systems did not fit his needs and so he elected to go custom once again.

Together Jeff and J.Racenstein kicked around some ideas and came up with a list of requirements

1) An electric rewind reel and 300 feet of delivery hose for the first operator.

Jeff had an electric reel installed into his van a couple years ago and it really made a difference in rewinding the hose from the houses that often ran downhill towards the beach in Malibu.

2) A manual supply reel with 100 feet of deliver.

3 ) Storage for traditional tools and the second operator hose.

4) Independent controls for each operator.

His choice of vehicle did, however, offer a challenge to J Racenstein because of the high reach over point of the bed and Jeff wanted everything to be hidden under the bed cover.

In answer to this a 4′ x 4′ slide out platform was specified to hold the 2 reels and allow for his storage areas. This platform needed to extend all the way out over the tailgate to
offer easy reach for allowing access to the working part of the system and supplies.

The RO/DI system filter and tank were designed to take only 53×18 inches of space on a fixed platform tucked up against the back of the bed.

Each operator is served by a 5gpm delivery pump and managed by a Spring Ltd high amperage controller offering individual flow rates. Each pump could draw over 20 amps… the new controllers from Spring were flown in for Jeff’s project.

Jeff uses his vehicle for many tasks, sales calls, haul his family around on the weekends and cleaning windows. Jeff really likes this low profile when motoring around Malibu and servicing his customers. Is it a window cleaning truck or not?

After all when all closed up his truck is just another Custom Ford Pickup Truck in Malibu.

IWCA Convention