A window washer is a person employed to wash and clean windows. The windows will generally be a wide variety of heights and widths. For this reason, most windows washers are trained to use a variety of specialized equipment, tools and supplies to cleans windows. Generally, an untrained person may be ill-equipped or physically unable to handle, what may be, the very daunting task of cleaning windows. A window washer may be employed for him or herself or work as part of a business.
Often, a window washer will work in commercial cleaning. The duties of this individual is generally to wash the windows of buildings. He or she may also be known as a building cleaner. Commercial window washers may clean the interior and exterior windows of multi-level buildings. For this reason, individuals in this line of work commonly spend long hours on specialized ladders and lifts to accommodate the demanding heights of different commercial buildings.
Some individuals may choose to work in residential cleaning. A window washer who works in this area will generally wash and clean windows of privately owned homes, apartments and condominiums. In addition to windows, the person may wash any attached blinds as well. Other duties may include cleaning light fixtures and replacing light bulbs as needed. Some window washers may clean walls, ceilings and exterior elements of residential dwellings, such as the shutters.
Being a window washer is generally a physically demanding job. There is usually a great deal of kneeling, climbing and reaching done continuously throughout the day, every day. In addition to washing the windows, an individual in this field may prepare special cleaning solutions for the washings. This will typically require the ability to follow sensitive directions precisely to prevent safety hazards. There may also be a great deal of heavy lifting in carrying the different types of equipment from place to place.
An individual wishing to acquire a position as a window washer may inquire of openings with local cleaning services. If a person desires to become the owner of a window washing business, he or she should research the requirements for starting a business in his or her region. Generally, obtaining a license and registering the business will be two of the most essential requirements. The level of education needed to become a window washer is usually a high school diploma, although this may vary according to the area of employment. Other generalized requirements for a person in this profession may include obtaining a driver's license and possessing some entry-level experience in window cleaning.