I Took the Crew Out to Wash Windows Yesterday

Midland, Michigan
April 18, 2017 7:56am CST
Yesterday, Monday was the first time this spring that I took the whole crew out to clean windows at a condo we do twice a year. We've been doing small monthly jobs during the winter, but those don't take very long. I'd hoped to work most of the day yesterday, but about 2pm it began raining lightly and a bit later the guys decided their arms were sore from managing the ladder so we went home for the day. I taught a new guy that we hired last week to clean some windows we could reach and then he continued working on the main level as we all did so he could get a big of practice in before doing second story windows. I wasn't sure whether I could manage working very long yet, but I did work on that one unit with them. Once we finished the main level I had both guys get our extension ladder off the van and carry it to the back of the condo. They both went up it to walk around to the front and wash four windows there before returning to the ladder and moving it to four sets of two windows on the upper back. Maybe I'll think of taking a picture of the back and front so you'd see what I'm talking about. Although both my current guys are taller and can reach the ladder to take it off my van, neither has much experience in moving it around and both need to build up those arm muscles again. The guy I've had for the last year and a half was pretty good with ladders. He always told me he'd never lost a ladder yet, meaning it never slid or fell out of his hands, but I think he was a bit cocky about the idea for he almost lost it at one of our regular customer's home last year when it was falling toward a window. Thankfully, I was outside at the time, saw it and helped to catch it from hitting. Because he felt he was the best with moving them around he never let anyone get much practice in unless we were doing really high windows. He did let them do the work on the ladder because we found out last year that he was afraid of heights after all. So, after helping with the lower section of the first condo, I helped the guys steady the ladder once they stood it up and helped to place it and make sure it wasn't too steep. Then, I stood on the bottom rung so it wouldn't move when one of the guys was doing the work. I've done that many times in the past. After helping out for those first two hours I was bushed, tired out and all the rest. I took a break in the van and thought about continuing after that break, but wasn't sure how I'd do today so instead I let them continue working while I rested. That was the first day I was able to be up and about continually for that long. Last week I helped my sister with her inside windows for an hour and a half and could barely walk after that, so I knew not to overdo it too much. Today, I feel myself again. I'll probably only help out for the two hours if that, but we'll see how it goes. I'm thinking of doing more interviews to see if we can find a guy that has actually worked with ladders before and has a good handle on them. Then one of the other guys can help us gals on the inside when needed. I'm hoping we can finish this job today, but we'll see. See you around later.
12 people like this
13 responses
@amadeo (111948)
• United States
18 Apr 17
whoa!there better take is slow there
2 people like this
• Midland, Michigan
18 Apr 17
Actually, Fredo, I am taking it slow. I used to keep up with the crew before my surgery. I'm walking slower now and taking lots of breaks. Good thing I'm the boss. Today I took my cane even though I've not been using it much since a couple of weeks ago, but it helped me be more stable walking over uneven ground and that meant I wasn't limping when I was done. I managed three hours today with a nice-sized break before the last hour. I need to build up my stamina. The manager of the disability portion where I work is trying to get me back to work on limited hours and job type before my three months is completed. If the surgeon doesn't have a good medical reason for me to continue to be off work I need to be able to do that if needed and I won't be able to sit down anytime I feel the need.
1 person likes this
@amadeo (111948)
• United States
18 Apr 17
@MarshaMusselman Your not hitting anyone there with the cane.(kidding)I understand this very clearly. Your right.Good luck there.
1 person likes this
• Midland, Michigan
18 Apr 17
@amadeo Good one, Fredo. That's the first almost joke I've heard from you here.
@Kandae11 (53679)
18 Apr 17
Sounds like hard work.
2 people like this
• Midland, Michigan
18 Apr 17
What I do isn't so hard assuming I have employees that will listen to me and heed what I say. I enjoy cleaning windows and the money is decent. It's a way for me to get outside a bit more too, although eventually I'm the one doing the insides of homes so I won't get as much sun as the guys outside.
1 person likes this
@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
19 Apr 17
Just be careful not to tire yourself and your knee/leg out too much!
1 person likes this
@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
22 Apr 17
@MarshaMusselman I hope you are able to get to the gym as often as possible. Just be sure not to over stress yourself at work.
1 person likes this
@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
22 Apr 17
@MarshaMusselman I hope you are able to get to the gym as often as possible.
1 person likes this
• Midland, Michigan
21 Apr 17
Oh, my knee isn't the issue ever it's the muscles that have not been doing much these past few months that need to remember how to have more stamina. I didn't work at all yesterday, just drove the crew to the job and I may not work tomorrow although I'll need to train a new guy and make sure everyone stays busy doing the work. I went to planet fitness yesterday for twenty minutes and I'm hopeful that I'll feel like going again tomorrow after doing two little jobs.
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
18 Apr 17
I need all the windows in my house washed inside and out. I also need the front of the house power washed because a greenish tint is sticking to the front of the house. I actually just noticed it yesterday. I would never be able to do what you do. I hope you have success.
1 person likes this
• Midland, Michigan
18 Apr 17
The greenish tint is probably from mowing the grass and it getting blown onto the siding unless it's up higher. When we clean siding we use a sprayer like what people buy for getting rid of bugs outside, and we fill it with a certaini amount of bleach, a lot of water and a cleaner we get from the Lowe's Home Improvement center. That cuts the mildew and everything else nicely. It won't cut rust from a fireplace/chimney though. We wet the siding, spray the cleaner on it let it set a few minutes and then using brushes on poles brush the siding and hose off with a garden hose. We've heard stories about people ruining their insulation when using a power-washer so rather than get sued we do it the harder way.
1 person likes this
• United States
18 Apr 17
@MarshaMusselman I think my son plans to get it power washed. I saw a note about it on his kitchen counter a couple days ago.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246884)
• United States
18 Apr 17
Wow, that's hard work. I hope you finish the job today!
1 person likes this
• Midland, Michigan
18 Apr 17
We made great progress especially since one person has only been with us two days and one gal had an appointment this morning and didn't join us until after lunch. They could have continued until it was done but the window frames on these condos oxidizes with time and the sun and the water became too dirty. We'll be finishing up tomorrow morning instead and that should go fairly quickly. I did much better today since I remembered my cane for the uneven ground. I worked two hours and took a long break and then another hour. If I can't manage this when I can sit whenever I want then it will be that much harder to get back into the swing of things at my 'real job' cashiering.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246884)
• United States
18 Apr 17
@MarshaMusselman Glad you were able to do so much! I'm sure the weather was conducive, too.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
18 Apr 17
We need to get our windows washed too. I go the inside hubby does the outside as I'm not getting on a ladder to wash anything if I can help it.
1 person likes this
• Midland, Michigan
18 Apr 17
If your hubby is in his sixties or older, you may want to consider being outside with him one of these years to make sure his ladder stays steady. As we get older our balance changes and most of us don't want to admit it or don't realize it until we fall. I know there's some men that still get on a six foot ladder when they're in their eighties, but I wouldn't recommend it as I've heard stories of falls when they're doing the same thing they've done for many years.
1 person likes this
• Midland, Michigan
23 Apr 17
@fishtiger58 As we get older we can get hurt if we even only miss one step going down. I fell off one once but I was only in my fortiesso I didn't break anything. Then I missed the last two steps as I thought I was on the last one. So like I suggested, one of these years you may want to be out there with him, but he may not like the idea so you have to figure that one out.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 17
@MarshaMusselman He recently turned 60 but thankfully he only needs to be on about the 3rd step of the ladder. I sure don't want him to fall
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (137215)
• Philippines
18 Apr 17
I think you are so stressed out.
1 person likes this
• Midland, Michigan
18 Apr 17
Nah, not stressed out at all. Actually, I'm more stressed out that we've not started doing them before now, but the weather wasn't that great anyway.
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (137215)
• Philippines
19 Apr 17
@MarshaMusselman I agree. We better start doing it than nothing at all, right? I hope you can still enjoy your work despite the bad weather.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
18 Apr 17
Wow that's a lot of work, how many rooms does your condos have? You gotta have a least a dozen if the building is big.
1 person likes this
• Midland, Michigan
18 Apr 17
I don't live at the condo. Their are ten buildings with four condos per building. The outer part of each building only has a single level whereas the two in the center are two story. I forgot to take my pictures, but will try again tomorrow. Each of the two-story condo's have a bedroom in the front and two in the back upstairs and then sliders where their dining area is and three windows side by side where their living room is. The lower level condos have either one or two bedrooms on each, and each bedroom has two windows. Some have an extra room with windows in the basement too. And, the lower level ones also have a slider and either two kitchen windows or one single over the staircase. Some of the condo owners had a room built on off the living room and most of those have additional windows all the way around the room. I don't live there, I just do their windows twice yearly and have been since before 2004.
@marlina (154166)
• Canada
18 Apr 17
Just be very careful not to overdo anything.
• Midland, Michigan
18 Apr 17
That's why I quit working after two hours yesterday and after three today. Today, I worked two and took a break for almost an hour and then another hour and then I was done. I was going to try another hour toward the end of the day but our water got yucky so we called it a day. I was pretty sore even just walking last night, but today I was much better. I think that's because I used my cane walking between condos and such.
@LadyDuck (458233)
• Switzerland
18 Apr 17
Be careful Marsha, do not stay too much on your knee, I know you have a lot of work to be done, but you had surgery not long time ago.
1 person likes this
• Midland, Michigan
18 Apr 17
I'm taking it slow, Anna, you can be sure of that. I did a lot better today because I remembered to take my cane and it helped me more stable on the uneven ground. I know I need to watch and not overdo it, but on the other hand I need to build my stamina for standing up again or I won't be able to work my job by June.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458233)
• Switzerland
19 Apr 17
@MarshaMusselman I know, you need the right balance not to overdo, but to exercise to be ready for June. Using the cane is a good idea.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (48997)
• United States
22 Apr 17
How long have you been a window washer ?
1 person likes this
• Midland, Michigan
22 Apr 17
My husband started the business in the early nineties, but I only began helping him out once my girls were a bit older maybe five years after that or so. I just went for fun pretty much or if they had a larger job possibly although I can only remember helping,but I don't remember doing the actual work back then. Sometime before he got hurt I began helping out a lot more. He was hurt in 2008, once that happened I've been running the business ever since. He can no longer climb ladders so we've had to hire that part out. I've gotten on a few roofs, but I don't do that anymore. Not since I turned sixty anyway.
@amnabas (13742)
• Karachi, Pakistan
18 Apr 17
I hope you get it done sooner.
1 person likes this
• Midland, Michigan
18 Apr 17
We could have had it done today, had I been able to work along side them the whole time and had both of them been trained already. As it was we made great progress. All the ladder work got completed today and we only have three buildings to finish and only the main floor windows. That shouldn't take more than a couple of hours tomorrow and then we can work on a house if they'll be home.
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
18 Apr 17
Hope you have a good day, remember not to overdo it.
1 person likes this