About Us: Three Genereations of Window Cleaning Excellence

Pursuing Excellence Over Three Generations

Ed Hansen learned to clean windows to pay for college. After becoming an elementary school teacher, with a ladder atop his wood-sided station wagon he would go to clean windows in the summers. A kind, soft-spoken man with a listening ear enjoyed the work. As word got around, he started adding jobs after his workday ended in the afternoon. Sometimes, he would sometimes take his oldest daughter along. Over the years, the demand for his window cleaning grew to more than he could manage.

So, he decided to approach another elementary teacher, Frank Baldwin who was the father of his oldest daughter’s husband. Frank was interested, so Ed helped him get the necessary equipment, then had Frank come along on his window jobs to train him in the skills he needed. Frank picked it up quickly and soon was cleaning homes that Ed would refer to him. Besides the referrals from Ed, Frank added some local restaurants for monthly window cleaning. The extra income allowed Frank to upgrade from a small camper to a motor home to enjoy with his wife, Ev. And his satisfied customers grew to include the homes of doctors, business owners, and even a gold medal Olympic athlete.

His summers became filled with window jobs. When one of his daughter’s family was visiting, he asked her husband, Larry Barclay, if he would like to come along to help with a window cleaning job. So, he went along, and Frank taught him the basics of window cleaning. When they finished, Frank paid him for his time. A new tradition transpired; Frank would schedule extra window jobs when his daughter’s family would visit, and Larry would work with Frank to help pay for the trips.

Each trip provided different window cleaning situations for Larry to learn more. A new house with French Pane windows had which had been fogged by paint spraying during construction. Frank demonstrated the technique to safely use a razor blade to remove the paint without scratching on one window. He had Larry try it, then trusted him to clean one side of the house. At large custom homes, Larry learned the care necessary to keep interiors and landscaping safe and undamaged. Frank always stressed doing little extra touches to bring value to the homeowners. When he cleaned a crystal light near the entrance of one home, the wife asked to have the rest of the 45 crystal lights on the property cleaned.

When his teenage sons needed work in 2009, Larry started Crystal Gleam for them to earn money and advance their life skills. He imparted the skills and holistic vision their grandfather had taught him. As Frank had done, he trusted them to do the tasks they were given. The fledgling business gained clients in new subdivisions near their home. To advance their skills, he also had them work with another window cleaning company part-time.

In 2016, his younger son, Grant decided to lead the window cleaning business. He tirelessly tested tools, solutions, and equipment to take window cleaning to a level of excellence beyond his grandfather’s. Like Frank, he cleaned mostly on his own. Larry helped on the larger homes. Guiding Crystal Gleam through the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 challenged and refined his perseverance.

Yet as demand for his services grew, he realized he needed limits to stay physically and mentally healthy. He asked his older brother, Bryce, to come part-time during the peak season. He took time to train Bryce in all the new techniques he had developed, and soon they were able handle more customers.

Grant expanded his study beyond window cleaning technique to learn the best business practices to grow Crystal Gleam to a larger business. He found that a quality work environment that supports the business’ staff leads to delivering excellent customer experience. He realized expanding to include more staff would allow him to serve more people. As Grant began to share his vision with Bryce over the Summer of ’24, he decided to join the team.

So, Grant is moving this third-generation owned window cleaning business solidly into a new century dedicated to providing excellent cleaning quality along with exceptional experience to a growing “family” of customers and staff.

Making a cleaner world, one home at a time.

No Obligations

Contact Us Today

Making a cleaner world, one home at a time.

No Obligations

Contact Us Today

About Us: Three Genereations of Window Cleaning Excellence

Pursuing Excellence Over Three Generations

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