post supportMIKE

Window cleaning for YOU
17 November 2008

I worked as window cleaner for two years before retiring to take up my current job. During this time I worked in some of the most expensive houses in Hobart with their fussy owners. I was recently asked what the best way to clean windows is. Here are my two options for the home punter.

Option 1. Buy good gear from a cleaning shop (Tas Cleaning Supplies OR Hunters). You'll need a minimum of a squeegie and an applicator (about $50-$80 for both) a bucket of warm water and with quality detergent (add a dash of ammonia for extra kick).
Method: Use the applicator to apply your detergent solution in a swirling motion rather than make straight up, criss-cross up and down lines. Same goes when you squeegie it off. If possible try to clean the window with one fluid swirling motion. It takes practice but this way you’ll avoid streaks.

Option 2. Windex and Newspaper
Method: Spray on Windex. Wipe off with Newspaper.

Notes: Remember that even though Option 1 is more expensive it yields the best result. Futhermore the gear will last for many cleans and replacement parts are easily available. Finally don't ever use cheap cleaning products (Chickenfeed) they are cheap rubbish. I know I worked there and have tried most of their products. They yield a bad final result.

4 comments  

tags shameless self promotion, thinking, windows

No computer... what to do
30 December 2007

It's been strangely nice not having a computer for a bit. For those who don't realise I rely heavily on it to organise and get most of my work done it. Having it out of action forced me to take a break over a few weeks. I didn't enjoy seeing all the work build up mind you. This month didn't look that busy on iCal.


During my "break" I went back and cleaned a few windows for my old work to get a little more cash rolling in as MTS isn't the best paying job in the world. I really enjoyed seeing people houses as I cleaned. Check out this rubber duckie collection.

As always cleaning windows at Christmas resulted in physical exhaustion so I turned into a couch potato and then watched the first couple of days of the Boxing day test.

0 comments  

tags christian, ministry, windows

Retirement
31 December 2006

I have officially retired from window cleaning. It has been my working life since I finished my teaching degree in October 2004. My last day was on Friday where I finished battling a 2 story high atrium of death including my favorite glass roof.

I want to give a big shout out to my boss Paul for his generosity and Christian servitude. For those who don’t know, my boss and all the people in our company are Christians. Paul has been a excellent boss and a great friend for the last couple of years.

I want to thank all the blokes I’ve worked with and help train including...









Caleb and Pryderi (sorry no pics of them)

Also to Derek and Aaron and the “Grubber” who taught me much about how not to window clean… but I digress.


Do I have any regrets you ask? Haven’t you wasted the last two years of your life? No dear reader I have not. I have been working in active ministry and have been able to do far more than I could have done working as a teacher. I have had a relaxing relatively stress free two years in which to recover my sanity and refocus my Christian life.

Here are some pics from my final few days working.



Things I did do… or the toll

• 1 lost pole $200
• 1 lost squeegie $50
• 1 damaged TV aerial (no charge)
• 1 smashed pot (no charge)

supportMIKE is enjoying retirement.

2 comments  

tags friends, shameless self promotion, windows

Pictures and where I have been
17 December 2006

I have been a busy chicken working the windows of Hobart over four days a week. This is usually around the 40 plus hours bracket. Christmas is a crazy time for window cleaning.

Christine and I have been managing do a few things but not as many as we would have liked. There is so much to show her and see but we both get pretty tired especially me.

Please keep praying for us as we approach our holiday and mission trip in Sydney from the 1st of January. We'll be working for a week with under privileged Aboriginal children in Northern New South Wales. In the mean time enjoy the pics.

5 comments  

tags christine, update, wedding, windows

How to be a good window cleaner
30 November 2006

... like me.

• Always look like you know what you are doing even if you don’t.
• Have confidence in your self and your skill (but not arrogance).
• Introduce yourself and be friendly but don’t talk any more than you have to. You are there to work. If you shut up and listen you may just learn something.
• Learn “patter” (the art of engaging a customer to allow them to relax). Questions about children, the weather always work well. Complement them on their house and how nice it is. Avoid conversations that might bog you down. If another visitor arrives fade into the background you are there to clean windows.
• Have a neat and tidy appearance (shave everyday).
• Smell nice and have clean clothes.
• Keep your tools neat clean and tidy and in good repair.
• Change your water in your bucket regularly. Dirty water is just rank.
  
• Leave things exactly how you found them (eg trinkets and blinds in place)
• If a customer asks “can you...?” the answer is always yes. Worry about how you will do it later.

• If you use the toilet for heavens sake put the lid down.
• Always be polite.
• If a customer watches you allow them to see you being meticulous in your cleaning. Leave the work area cleaner than when you found it.
• Look for opportunities to talk about being a Christian. For example talk up the boss because he’s a Christian.
• Never admit how much experience unless you are asked.
• Never get flustered and swear (or at least don’t allow the customer to see you do this).
• Always keep the volume of you radio/i-pod at a level where you are aware of your surroundings and can hear is customer speaks to you.
• When quoting never apologise for a high price. Don’t look nervous when you give the price. Be confident, as if you charge that much every day. Your work is worth good money if you do a good job.
• When quoting if a customer seems overly fussy or fastidious charge them extra. That way you can take the extra time to make them happy.
  
• Have a good supply of clean rags so you don’t run out.

3 comments  

tags windows

Update
15 June 2006

What a week. I worked my little backside off. It was stressful but I have survived two weeks running the business while my boss was away. This week I spent working on my own. Today I finished two fairly large houses ($200 and a $100 house) in the eight hours I worked. The views also were quite nice.

My mental state recently has been surprisingly good however I’m entering a danger period. Being worn out run down and stressed always leaves me more susceptible to getting depressed.

I wasn't going to blog tonight and now I've done three posts... it think that's what you call addiction. Tomorrow I intend to TRY and take it easy.

2 comments  

tags thinking, update, windows

How much is too much?

I’m outside a HUGE house located in one of Hobart’s most exclusive suburbs to quote for a window clean. The house is positively intimidating. I feel like a booger on a freshly ironed clean white hanky. I take a deep breath and begin my calculations.

The house is spotless, from the immaculately kept garden to the recently renovated everything. I continue my walk ascending several levels with smaller entertainment and living areas. Just as I think I’m about lost I reach the Mother of all entertainment areas with a 25m swimming pool. This is easily one of the biggest jobs/houses I’ve ever seen.

(not actual house but about same size)

I charge the most amount I can then add a little extra just because I can. Perfectly calmly I knock on the door. I used to worry about telling customers big quotes. Not anymore. I’m a hardened professional.

“Hi” I say smiling. “That will be $630 to do the inside and out,” I say casually. To lessen the blow I break it into two small bite sized chunks for easy digestion. “It’ll be $420 dollars for the house area and another $210 if you’d like the pool entertainment area done as well.” The ladies perfectly plucked eyebrows don’t even move.
“We’ll have the house area done for a start and maybe the whole lot in another six months,” She says shortly with out even a blink “When can you do it?”
Damn I should have charged $700.

0 comments  

tags pictures, rant, thinking, windows

The Robin Hood… Window cleaner

Well sort of… I take more from the rich and less from the poor.

We use a secret formula to calculate how much to charge people to have their windows cleaned. It is roughly based on a square meter of glass. I add up the total amount of glass then multiply by “x”. Built into this though is a degree of variability for what “x” is.

This means I can be flexible in how much I charge. If I perceive a customer is “freaking loaded” then I use the high figure. If they aren’t then I use the low figure. Similarly if they drive me up the wall and follow me around I charge them more. If they are nice and leave me in peace I use the low figure. If I don’t want a job or it looks like I’ll probably die trying to complete it I use the high figure.

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tags rant, thinking, windows

Awkward... (Part 2)
14 June 2006

“Can I help you?” she asks. What the heck does she think I’m there for? I’m wearing steel caps and a belt fuller of tools than Inspector Gadget.
“Ummm” I stutter tongue tied... “I’m here to pick up money.” I vague out.
She looks at me blankly…
“Sorry for the windows.” I say snapping back to attention. Get a grip man.
“Sure she says I’ll just grab it.
“Have you had a busy day?” She asks. Now I’m really rattled I just want to escape and she’s engaging me in conversation.
“Um… yeah not too bad,” I squeak. Yeah man real smooth.
“Thanks” she says smiling and handing me the money. I can’t even look her in the eye.
“Arr… Have a good morning” I say. “I mean um… evening… er” I splutter out.

It’s about 2pm in the afternoon. You idiot.

4 comments  

tags rant, shameless self promotion, stupid award, windows

Awkward... (Part 1)
13 June 2006

I find it easy to talking to most people. It's not that I'm up myself it's just a gift that God has given me. It probably had a bit to do with growing up with Dad working as a minister.

In any case I'm cleaning the windows of a shop in Sandy bay. This shop sells racey undies negligees etc. Now being a bloke and walking into a shop like that, feels about as comfortable as a dream where everyone is staring at you wearing only your undies.

I walk in to collect the money for the windows and there’s a really good looking girl behind the counter. Almost perfect features, maybe a bit too much makeup. Up until this point I've been cool, calm and collected but it’s too much. Just the girl OR just the shop on their own and I would have been fine, but both… I’ve cracked.

(To be continued...)

4 comments  

tags rant, shameless self promotion, stupid award, windows

Day off well sort of
12 June 2006

I don't really like public holidays. Let me explain why. I work three days a week (Monday to Wednesday) This means that when there is public holiday on a Monday all our work falls a day behind (yes window don’t stop getting dirty on public holidays). This in turn means that I get to Wednesday night and I still have to work another day. *sigh* Consequently it feels like a four day working week.

I took it easy most of today as it was a public holiday. Slept in as best I could (6:30am). My body isn't used to Mondays mornings like this. My day was very productive I sorted through a 200ish email contacts. I’m sending it to ask them to supportMIKE. I moved many of them from my old Hotmail address to my new Gmail one (no easy task). Anyway my monster group email is almost ready to rip and I’m waiting on permission from the Crossroads elders.

I also wrote a longish paper on my experiences and thoughts from seven years of work with under privileged Aboriginal Australians. I my blog it in several parts (as it’s long). Some other blog posts I’m planning for the future include my run down on NT prophecy and more thoughts on the Holy Spirit and what speaking in tongues are. Peace out

1 comments  

tags ministry, ministry tips, update, windows

Productive
09 June 2006

Today has been a busy day. I have formatted 3 different bulletin styles for Xrds. I reckon they look pretty cool. We'll see which one gets the nod. I also have a heap of sorting out to do with the last issue of Gurge which I got back from the printers this arvo. I also uploaded and linked up all the latest talks for the website. I also had time for a nice long black at retro cafe.

The evening I spent hanging out with my mate Mike Scaife and his wife Clare having dinner. Mike works cleaning windows with our company and I taught him how to window clean. They have a beautiful baby girl only 4 weeks old. She's pretty cool as most babies are.

The stress and cold from earlier in the week have caught up with me. Pray that this doesn't drag my mind down into the murkey depths.

0 comments  

tags friends, ministry, windows

Window cleaning FAQ #1
08 June 2006

It’s a chilly Hobart morning and my hands feel like they’ve been in the deep freeze over night. I’m working on windows of Chickenfeed (ironically my old place of work). I like cleaning these windows they’re easy and you always get a great result.

“So what do you put in the water?” the lady asks uncertainly. Maybe she feels a little intimidated by the black beanie atop my six foot muscular frame.

I take a deep breath. If had a dollar for every person that asked me this I would have been able to retire from this job long ago. In fact I could move to Jamaica and spend the rest of my days sipping pina-coladas served to me by bikini babes on the beach...

“It’s just dishwashing liquid and little bit of ammonia.” I reply as politely as one can, when they have answered the same question a thousand times.

“When I clean mine at home they always have smears,” she replies looking unconvinced by my explanation. Again I’ve had this conversation a thousand times. “That’s because you aren’t a professional,” I reply cheekily with a slight twinkle in the eye. “I mean if you could do as good a job as me, I’d be out of business.”

She looks at my bucket of soapy water a half smile begins to creep over the sleep lines in her face. “Actually" I say my brain clicking into gear, "it’s probably got more to do with the right tools and good technique both of which I have in abundance”.

I give her a business card hopefully we’ll meet again.

0 comments  

tags rant, shameless self promotion, windows

Window cleaning FAQ #3
07 June 2006

That last post my prompt you to wonder why is it that I work as window cleaner?
After all Jolly you do have two University Degrees and are a fully qualified teacher.

I finished my teaching degree on Uni in 2004. This was a difficult year for me as I had some difficult circumstances arise. Suffice to say I struggled through and managed to graduate. I decide to get a part time job to get me though Summer and into 2005. I sort of stumbled into window cleaning. My boss was awesome (a Christian elder of Hope Christian Centre) and the work wasn’t too bad. I decided to stick with it for a year part-time in a sort of tent making form of paid ministry. I’m still going.

I currently work Monday to Wednesday every week. I then take Thursdays off as my Sabbath before going hardcore on church work on Friday to Sunday. But why not teaching you ask? Isn’t it a waste we need more male teachers blah blah...

It’s simple. Full time teaching would have required all of my time. This practically meant I would have to give up much of the ministry I so love at Crossroads. I made the decision to stick with ministry and make working fulltime for church my goal. This was to happen last year but I decided to push tent making out to another year while I could still hack it. And work hard at growing and maturing as a Christian.

I’m also keen to work with University age students before I get older, uncool and loose touch with much of youth culture. Teaching is something I can come back to when I need to settle down get married and have kids etc. For now I’m making the most of the single life working hard in ministry.

3 comments  

tags friends, linkage, ministry, rant, thinking, update, windows

Da Boss

Work is finally finished for the week. With my boss on holidays I’ve been Mr. responsible. As I predicted here I did get stressed to the max. For those who care here’s a brief run down.

Monday 5:30am start 2 degrees
Tuesday 7am start 2 degrees
Wednesday 7:30am 1 degree

Highlights
The window falling out of my bosses car (brr it was 2 degrees remember)
The window falling out of my bosses car again (brr it was still 2 degrees)
Finally fixing the window of my bosses car.
Swearing under my breath more than I have in a long time.
Earning a truckload of money… for my boss.
Shocking a number of customers by telling them that a) I’d been to Uni and b) I was turning 26 this year. For some reason they thought I was “a lot younger”. Hmm I guess I should take it as a complement.

0 comments  

tags rant, shameless self promotion, update, windows

This weekends achievements
04 June 2006

* Written letters to some Aboriginal kids in Mclean and Ballina.
* Almost finishing a difficult evangelistic talk on Hebrews.
* Entertaining Mel and Christian for dinner and a movie.
* Cooking a lush veggie curry see picture.
* Cleaning the bathroom, kitchen and vacuuming the whole house.
* Doing a stack of washing.
* Meeting my mate Mike S for lunch, chewing the fat and talking premium sound gear.
* Meeting JK and reading more Dirty Don (that’s Carson to you).
* Attending my mates 25th Birthday party and dinner.
* Finishing watching the entire series of John Safran’s Music Jamboree.
* Reorganizing my MSN contacts list.
* Organizing the women’s conference talks for download.
* Attending a most encouraging combined Pentecost meeting @ Kingston Reformed church.
* Last but not least wasting far too much time fiddling more with my blog and posting on others’.

This coming week I’ll be...
* Running my bosses business for him.
* Getting up at 4:30am to run my bosses business for him.
* Getting stressed to the max running my bosses business for him.

4 comments  

tags christian, ministry, pictures, update, windows

My boots... a little experiment
03 June 2006

I just got my blunnie work boots back from being re-glued. In celebration I have just cleaned them... but with a twist I cleaned the left boot with Nikwax and the Right boot with Sno Seal to see which sealing agent is best and most effective. Which will be better?

Now if I had written this on a piece of paper I would surely have lost into a black hole that exsists somewhere in my room. But if I blog about it I'll never forget.

4 comments  

tags pictures, review, windows

Sunrise

I promised Bron I'd upload these. It was one degree on Wednesday morning when I started work. I took these snaps with my little camera from my bedroom window just b4 I started work.

17 comments  

tags friends, pictures, windows

Window Cleaning FAQ #2
02 June 2006

"How tall are you?" Asks a short round lady. I can tell she's a bank teller by her uniform and the embroidered logo.
"Um six foot four and a bit." I reply, using imperial measurement which based on my perception of her age she'll understand.

"Wow that must be a really helpful in being able to reach up to the top of windows."
Um yes... the fact that I have a good reach hasn't escaped me. (Why is it that people feel they need to point out the bleeding obvious. I don't mean to be rude infact I welcome the chance for conversation but bleeding heck it's like they think I live in some deluded fairy land where I'm totally oblivious to being tall).

"Yes." I say.

"Do you play any sports?" she continues.
"I've been known to play quite a few." I find these conversations quite boring mostly because I've answered them so many times. I decide to mix things up.

"I used to play cricket. I raced mountain bikes for while but I gave it up cause I was busy with church stuff." She looks a little surprised and confused. "Yeah I'm a Christian.” I add pushing my point home.
"Being a Christian was more important to me than any of the sports that I played," I finish casually.
"Fair enough" she says. I can see the conversation is dying and I don't want her to think I'm some kind of ascetic.
"I played mixed netball most recently but a girl broke two of my ribs," I offer.
"I thought it was a non-contact sport?” she says sounding surprised.
"So did I. I stopped playing a little while after that when my mate who ran the team moved away."

"Have a good day" she says, suddenly realizing she’s putting my work schedule behind. She’s not getting away quite yet.
"I’m Mike," I offer my hand, "Thanks for chatting."
She smiles "I’m Enid".

2 comments  

tags friends, rant, thinking, windows

Mike battles the atrium of death
30 May 2006

It's a seven o’clock start. JH and I begin with a few shops including Retro café (one of my favorite hang outs).

It’s twelve when we arrive at atrium of death. “Can you just do the roof as well?” she asks looking at the atrium roof about five meters above us. “inside and out?”
Every part of my body is screaming “No!” in a very strong language that isn’t suitable to publish.

Over four hours later we leave with just 170 bucks. That’s really bad money. As a window cleaner you want to earn about 40 plus dollars/hour. We’ve walked away with about half that. I really wanted to charge more (and I reckon I could have gotten away with it) but I'm too nice.

“The bloke across the road was after a quote,” says the nice old lady handing me the cheque. I trudge wearily over to his house I’m in no mood for cheap quotes. a quick walk-around reveals a big job. I’ve run out of patience and I quote the highest price I’m able to based on our formula, $460 to do inside and out. If we get this job at least we’ll be making money. We head home it’s just hit five and I haven’t had lunch. Just another day at the office.

8 comments  

tags friends, pictures, rant, windows