Unless you're starting your business off with some good savings behind you, you'll not be able to afford a Water-Fed-Pole system and will have to use a set of ladders and traditional window cleaning methods.

If ever you don't feel comfortable doing a particular window don't do it. Cleaning windows is a genuinely dangerous occupation and it isn't worth taking a fall for a few pennies. I've heard window cleaning is the most dangerous job in the UK! Whether this is true or not there are several window cleaning related deaths every year. Don't add yourself to this list by being a reckless practitioner of our trade.

The Do's and Dont's

Don't Place the ladder at a stupidly shallow angle because you're just asking for it to slip out on you. Where possible have somebody foot your ladder or use a ladder stopper.

Don't lean your ladders on gutters but rather place the top of the ladders under them. Plastic guttering can be damaged by leaning your ladder against it. Also, the plastic surface is quite slippery and makes the ladder not as stable. Note: The old fashioned metal guttering is far sturdier.

Sometimes you may find you have to lean a ladder on a gutter. For example you may need to get on a flat roof and there is guttering round every side of it. Just make sure of one thing, don't lean the edges of your ladder (the part that is in contact with the gutter) onto the plastic support brackets as illustrated in the picture to the left. There's a good chance that unless you weigh as much as a stick insect they'll snap.

Do avoid leaning your ladder on window sills because not only is it dangerous but it can damage the sill. Place the top of the ladder just under the sill instead.

Leaning

When you're on your ladder don't lean really far across trying to a reach a window, go down your ladder and move it across to where you are trying to reach. You should have three points of contact on the ladder at all times. That means two feet and one hand.

Uneven Ground

Be careful about the ground you place your ladder upon. Don't place a ladder on a patch of ground where somebody has just knocked over a giant box of ball bearings for example.

Leaving A Ladder

It's a bad idea to leave a ladder standing up against a wall while you're not using it. The wind may suddenly pick up and blow it over onto a little kids head. A more likely scenario is that the little kid while engaged in rambunctious play accidentally knocks it over onto his Dad's brand new Porsche.

It's a better idea when you're not using the ladder to lay it down somewhere on the ground out of the way.

Ladder Safety Products

Two good ladder safety products that might be worth investing in are the Rojak Ladder Stopper and Ladder Mitts.