Metropolitan Window Cleaning Arizona

Unique Homes #1

admin — Mon, 16 May 2011 05:19:07 +0000

One of the fun things about being a window cleaner is being able to see a wide variety of amazing and unique homes on a regular basis. I have decided to periodically share some pictures and info about some these interesting homes so that you can get a little glimpse into some of our favorite windows to clean.

The first home featured in this series we lovingly refer to as “the Butterfly House”.

This 13,000 square foot home in Fountain Hills sits atop a butte overlooking Scottsdale to the East and the Salt River Indian Reservation to the South. This unique home reminds me of beauty and the beast: It is beautiful inside and out with amazing views and a butterfly theme, but it is sure is a beast to clean.

The shear size of the home alone is daunting in itself, but what makes it really difficult to clean is the weird windows. In the picture below you can see a giant iron butterfly adorning the front door. It is not removable, meaning we have to clean the glass behind it through the small openings in the butterfly’s wings. Not fun.

Here you can see the just some of the odd shaped, organic panes in the balcony doors. Once again, not the easiest to windows to squeegee.

Another very unique thing about this home that makes it extremely difficult to clean is the location of the home along with its donut shape which make its inner courtyard prone to very high winds. This, combined with the fact that the fountain and waterfall in the courtyard entrance are in the direct path of the most intense winds, require a monthly visit from us to remove some of the most quickly occurring hard water stains I have ever encountered. In just 30 days time, the dozen or so windows opposite the fountain can accumulate enough hard water to make them impossible to see through.

While annoying, it does provide a steady stream of income for us.

Can my filthy tracks really ever look like new again?

admin — Tue, 03 May 2011 20:04:29 +0000

Arizona windows take quite a beating throughout the year. The glass at least gets rained on a few times a year, keeping them at a certain level of dirtiness. But the tracks, on the other hand, just keep collecting more and more dirt as the days go by. Even when it rains, the dirt on the window just gets pulled down into the tracks, where it accumulates along with dead bugs, spiderwebs and leaves. I’ve even seen a few lizard carcases in tracks before.

All this collecting filth can lead to one disgusting mess, like the tracks on this window that I encountered just last week.

Does this look familiar?

If your windows are plagued by dirty tracks like these, don’t worry! We can take care of that for you.

Using our quick effective methods, we can get any track- inside or out- clean as the day your windows were installed.

Why Window Cleaners Have the Best Job in the World

admin — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 19:36:41 +0000

The other day, one of our professional window cleaners told me, “I have THE Best Job in the World!” And he really meant it too.

It got me thinking: What is so great about being a window cleaner? On the one hand, a window cleaner may have to deal with 110 degree weather, 60 hours of work one week, and 20 hours of work the next, angry customers, mean dogs, cacti, snakes, killer bees, the list could go on and on.

But I suppose that long lists of negative things could be found in any job if looked for.

So why do window cleaners have the best job in the world?

Enjoy the Outdoors. Although it can get uncomfortably hot at times (especially here in Arizona) most of the year it is beautiful. How many people stuck in an office all day wish that they could go outside, if but for 5 minutes of fresh air? Unfortunately too many, I’m sure. The desert landscapes and wildlife can be very refreshing as well (other than a couple of encounters I’ve had with killer bee swarms) Just last week I saw a roadrunner, javelina, and a bobcat, and I didn’t have to go to the zoo.

Physical Activity. All those cushy office jobs have many drawbacks. Think about it. You are sitting down in front of a computer for 40 hours a week, and then spend $50 a month to run on a treadmill at the local gym a couple times a week. America is one of the most obese countries in the world because of the sedentary nature of most of the jobs in the country. As window cleaners, we are constantly on our feet, lifting, climbing, scrubbing… nothing too difficult, but enough to keep in what I call “window cleaning shape” which is to say, better shape than a good majority of Americans, and with out the cost or time it takes to go to the gym.

Variety. Another perk window cleaning has over most office jobs is the variety of people, locations, and activities that we experience every day. We get to see the entire city, from quaint suburbs, to secluded vacation homes, to the largest mountain estates, we see it all. From soccer moms to CEOs we enjoy meeting people from all walks of life. Driving, customer service, cleaning commercial or residential, cleaning inside or outsides, ladder-work, pole-work, rope-work: it never gets monotonous. Can any cubical bound pencil pusher say the same?

Luxury Home Tours. Why are we so fascinated by the “lifestyles of the rich and the famous?” Every year in every big city in America, thousands go on luxury home tours visiting the biggest, coolest homes in the city. I get to go on a luxury home tour every week. Just last Thursday we cleaned windows at a 23,000 square foot home with a indoor basketball court, 80 seat theater room, two bowling lanes, and a show garage with a H1 Hummer, Ferrari, and an Aston Martin. This is the one thing that my mother is jealous about my job.

True Appreciation. One of my favorite parts of my job is that people pay me for a service that they truly appreciate and enjoy. I can put in a few hours of honest hard work to give a real service with visible results, and my customers couldn’t be happier to pay me for it. How many jobs are out there in which the person performing the work is given immediate direct appreciation and is paid with a genuine smile on the customers face? I don’t know, but I don’t want to go looking for another one that does.

I like the one I got.

Why is Glass so Difficult to Clean?

admin — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 23:31:01 +0000

How many products on the market are there for cleaning glass? A lot: Windex, Sparkle, Easy-Off, Glass Gleam, and even Holy Cow Glass Cleaner, just to name a few. There are also countless homemade solutions usually involving vinegar, ammonia, or dish soap.

How many of them actually work? It depends on who you ask, but I am willing to bet you wouldn’t be reading this if you found any of them to be satisfactory.

Today’s glass is much more difficult to clean that the glass of old.

I'm sure that Windex would work just fine on this window!

Modern architectural glass is made by a floating molten glass on a super smooth bed of molten metal (tin), refining and enhancing the characteristics that make glass so difficult to clean:

Transparency
Reflectivity
Smoothness

Because glass is so transparent and smooth, when it is clean, it is a beautiful thing. If it is back-lit, you can hardly tell the glass is even there. If the glass is front lit, it can give a perfect reflection of whatever it is facing.

Contrarily, because glass is so transparent and smooth, any debris on the glass, no matter how small, can disrupt the light passing through it or reflecting off of it so that in the right light (in this case we might call it the wrong light), you can see every flaw on the glass. Where once was an invisible window, now stands a wall of dust and fingerprints. Where once was seen a beautiful reflection, now shows a dim, cloudy version of the world.

So why is glass so difficult to clean? Methods used to clean things other than glass (and many methods used to clean glass for that matter) leave behind minute residues of soap, mineral deposits, and other chemicals that are never perceived by human senses because these objects are not as transparent, reflective, and smooth as glass and therefore much more forgiving when it comes to visual cleanliness.

Thats why when you run your dishwasher, the wooden serving spoon looks great while your favorite wine glass looks horrible. Both are the same amount of clean, but you would think twice about letting a guest use the hard water encrusted glass.

In order to truly clean anything, all foreign material or debris must be completely removed from the object being cleaned. Since this is impossible to do, we have certain amounts of dirt/foreign material that are acceptable for different objects. Think of the different standards of clean you have for the toilet, your mouth, your clothes, the floor, your dishes, and your windows. Of any object in your home, windows have the highest standard of clean. Would you touch your clean window glass with your freshly cleaned hands or a clean cloth right out of the dryer? Even clean, filtered water will leave spots on your windows when it dries!

Cleaning windows is one of the most difficult tasks any homeowner faces in the upkeep of their home. Glass is unforgiving when trying to clean it. However, if the proper methods are employed correctly it is possible to have clean, beautiful, windows again.

Window Cleaning or Window Washing?

admin — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:56:16 +0000

Words are a funny thing. They are just symbols of real things. But every time they are used the real thing behind the symbol is often subject to change depending on opinion, interpretation, or even popularity.

So now to the Great Window Cleaning (or is it Washing?) Debate:

Do you need window cleaning or window washing?
Is it a window cleaner or a window washer?
Should you wash your windows or clean them?

Is this guy window cleaning, or window washing?

When I was a newbie just learning my trade, the man who gave me my start in the business insisted that it was window cleaning, and not window washing. I didn’t care too much either way, I just wanted to get the job done. So instead of getting an earful every time I called it “window washing”, I learned quickly that it was “window cleaning” with never an explanation why.

Since then, not only have I on occasion called it window washing myself, but have heard many customers call it that as well, and have even run into several professional “window washing” companies.

So which is it?

Window Washing

For starters, “Window Washing” does have a nice ring to it with that double-w alliteration. Not that “window cleaning” is dificult to say, but “window washing” does roll off the tongue a little nicer.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines wash as:

a: to cleanse by or as if by the action of liquid (as water) b: to remove (as dirt) by rubbing or drenching with liquid

“Window Washing” also scores some points with the connotation it has of using water. I have never seen or heard of a window being cleaned without the use of water.

Window Cleaning

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines clean as:

to make clean: as (1): to rid of dirt, impurities, or extraneous matter (2): to rid of corruption

At first glance, it seems that either way could be just as valid. You might even give “wash” the upper hand because of the connotation of cleansing by water, which is a more descriptive than just “clean” because it does not necessarily include water in the definition.

However, have you ever tried to hose your windows off to “wash” them? Indeed, you may have washed away the dirt and grime, but as soon as the water dries, what do you see? Water spots.

While you may be able to “wash” the dishes, “wash” your car, “wash” your clothes, and “wash” your face, glass is held to a different standard. You “wash” these things to remove dust, dirt, bacteria, and to even make them smell good. Glass, on the other hand, must look perfect. The thing that makes glass glass- its smoothness and transparency- are the things that make it so difficult to look clean. The way light passes through glass, you can see every speck of dirt, smudge, and imperfection, so that methods used to “wash” other items do not work on glass.

For this reason, I believe “clean” is a much better word for glass. To clean glass is to remove all impurities from it. To wash glass is to clean it with water. Glass cannot be cleaned with water because the impurities inherent in water can be seen after it dries on the glass. This is why professional window cleaners use squeegees. Squeegees make it possible for water, and all the impurities in it, to be completely removed from the glass so that it does look perfect.

Conclusion

Whether you like “window washing” or “window cleaning”, I suppose either one could work. But for a purist like me, “window cleaning” is the only way to go. Two things really put the nail in the coffin for me. First, Americans are searching for “window cleaning” at twice the rate of “window washing” Google. And if you still aren’t convinced, call up a window washer, get your windows washed, and what do you say?

“It sure is nice to have clean windows!”

Arizona Window Cleaning

admin — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 14:27:40 +0000

Are you ready to to spend hours upon hours in the hot sun, climbing dangerous ladders, trying to clean your windows only to find that you have replaced the dust with streaks?

We didn’t think so!

Metropolitan Window Cleaning has been cleaning windows since 1986. In 2001 we expanded to Arizona because of the great demand for professional, affordable window cleaners to help residents of Arizona enjoy their amazing desert views.

Fabulous Windows. Fabulous Price.

For years Metropolitan Window Cleaning has been one of Arizona‘s most trusted windows cleaners. We send only experienced, professional, English speaking technicians to your home. Using our superior window cleaners, you will have crystal clear, streak free, fabulous windows.

And without the hassle, danger, and time it would take to clean your windowsyourself, you will love the fabulous price.

Make the Change Today

Whether you are ready to experience clean windows for the first time ever, or if you are ready to have them professionally cleaned by a company you can trust. You know what you can expect from us: Fabulous Windows. Fabulous Price.

Arizona: Call today to get a FREE window cleaning estimate!

(480) 425-7111

Metropolitan Window Cleaning Phoenix
3104 E Camelback Rd
#181
Phoenix, AZ 85016

Why I Want Tax Cuts for the Rich

admin — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 16:03:19 +0000

The rich. Who needs ‘em…

I do.

Lets face it. Window cleaning is somewhat of a luxury item. I asked my parents who live in a nice 2,000 sq ft home in a nice neighborhood in Chandler, AZ if they would ever pay $90 to have their windows cleaned, and they didn’t have to hesitate about it. No Way! Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of people who think that spending $150 a month on window cleaning is a necessity, but considering most of our customers live in million dollar homes in Paradise Valley or Scottsdale, I would say window cleaning is a luxury item.

Window cleaning would not exists if it weren’t for the rich. In fact, the more money a person has, the more likely that person is to give money to me to clean their windows. Its as plain as day.

Which is why my blood boils when bonehead “experts” say stuff like: “Give the rich a tax cut and they will save the money rather than spend it,” inferring that if taxes are raised -since the rich would be saving less- they must be spending more. The “experts” conclusion must be then: “In order for the economy to get better, people must spend more. When taxes are raised, people save less. If people save less, they must be spending more. Therefore, in order for the economy to improve, taxes must be raised.”

It is true, that when people have more money they will save more (as if saving is a bad thing?) But it is also true that when they have more money, they will spend more money. Its so simple. If i make $30,000 a year I might spend $28,000 and save $2,000. But if I make $100,000 i might spend $70,000 and save $30,000. I saved more, but I spent more too. Have more. Save more. Spend more.

Too many “experts” have it wrong. They say raising taxes helps the economy. Raising taxes helps the poor and middle class. Lowering taxes causes the rich hoard more of their money. Well, the “experts” don’t know jack.

Let the rich keep more of the money they earned (heck, let everyone keep more) and I guarantee the window cleaning industry will immediately see a spike in business.

Rich people like clean windows. And more importantly, rich people like to give me money to keep their windows clean.

So please… Give the rich their tax cuts.

First Post

admin — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:33:24 +0000

Ok. I’ve done it.

Metropolitan Window Cleaning has now entered the world of blogging.

There were many reasons why I decided to take the plunge: having an easier way to add content to our site, wanting a place to document stories, photos and tips, filling a void in the window cleaning blogosphere, and of course hopes of boosting our website’s visibility and reputation. But mainly, I just wanted be useful and entertaining to anyone interested in window cleaning.

The window cleaning industry is a very interesting, filled with exciting views and dangerous heights, cut-throat competition, very cool upscale properties, clients that range from busy mom to eccentric multi-millionaires, and of course the colorful characters at the heart of it all – the window cleaners themselves.

I am confident that there will be no end to the amount of interesting and useful content that I can add to this blog .