top window washer

  • By Tami Lange Mosser
  • February 18, 2014
  • 404
                        
There’s more than one way to clean a window and no one knows that better than Micah Johnson. Johnson, an Orrville resident, decided about a year and a half ago that it was time for a job change. He’d been installing satellite dish systems, but was looking for a new challenge. His friend, Steve Ball, had a window cleaning business in nearby Smithville, so he made the change. And in the short time he has been washing windows, Johnson has become one of the best at what he does, earning the International Window Cleaning Association’s Window Cleaner of the Year award. This places him at the top of his field, as he bested cleaners from 354 companies in 11 countries. “It’s different,” Johnson said of his job. “It’s got a lot of different challenges.” SBS Window Cleaning has clients through northeast Ohio, Johnson said, including many commercial and industrial buildings. Fortunately, the tallest is just seven stories, meaning Johnson doesn’t have to spend too much time “on a drop,” suspended in mid-air to clean. Working at higher levels, four stories and up, means taking your equipment with you, Johnson said, so those windows are done with cleaning solutions. And washers never work alone at those heights, but always have a partner. “I never thought I’d be hanging off the side of the building,” Johnson said. “I never intended for that to happen.” Where the work is the most gratifying in on the lower levels, where SBS employs green technology, according to Johnson. There, he said, the cleaning is pretty simple. What does it take to get those windows clean? “Water,” Johnson said, “and nothing else.” At lower levels, Johnson said, cleaners use poles that spray purified water. He said he tells clients, “All we’re doing is cleaning their windows and watering their flowers.” And scrubbing, a lot of scrubbing. Beyond that, Johnson said, he has gone to training seminars to learn how to remove scratches, which involves a dry grinding and buffing system. In more urban areas, graffiti has gone high-tech, with tagging done with acid etching. In this area, scratching it just a by-product of the environment. “Scratch removal is tough,” Johnson said. “There’s an art to that.” In addition to scratch removal, John has taken advantage of training opportunities to advance his knowledge of everything from on-the-job safety to health information privacy laws, which is especially beneficial when cleaning the windows of a health care facility. He takes advantage of every available class and training, he said, because “I get bored easy. I was raised on video games. I have to challenge myself or I’ll go crazy.” Even though he has been with the company a very short time, Johnson was an obvious choice when it came time for Ball to nominate an employee for the honor. “More than a hard worker, Micah always shows a willingness to learn. From sales work to glass scratch removal, he's been willing to learn new skills,” said Ball. More than scratches and dirt, Johnson said he often battles the elements. While SBS cleaners will go out whenever the job demands, Johnson said that temperature below 20 degrees are challenging. “It’s miserable,” he said. “Your rags freeze. Your water freezes. It’s miserable.” On the other hand, heat isn’t a picnic, either. Spring and summer are the busy seasons for the company, when Johnson said he might find himself out 10 to 12 hours a day. Still, he said, it’’s work he enjoys and, Ball said, work Johnson is good at. Ball noted that in addition to his regular workload, Johnson helped to develop the company residential pressure washing and soft washing processes. “Patient and easygoing,” Ball said, “Micah has been an outstanding addition to the crew.” Even with his contributions, Johnson admitted he was a bit surprised to be nominated, let alone win. “It’s cool,” he said. “I’ll add it to my resume.”


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