Featured Reader: Louis Chavez – Window cleaning for famous people

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We love talking to window cleaners that provide their services to the rich and famous. Today’s interview is with Louis Chavez of All Bright Services from Petaluma, California USA.

Louis has been cleaning windows for 27 years but steady for the last 17 years. He started a janitorial business in his junior year of high school. Years later he decided to shorten those services to mainly window cleaning.

WCM: Commercial or residential?

LC: About 90% Residential and 10% commercial.

WCM: You clean for the rich and famous, how did that happen?

LC: Started out as a subcontractor for a construction company that did maintenance for them on their houses. 

WCM: What’s the best way to get into cleaning for celebrities?

LC: Knowing someone who already works for them? 

WCM: What has been the most unusual celebrities building?

LC: Not a TV star but a world-renowned steel metal sculpture, Robert Ellison. He recently passed away but his home was so unusual I can’t even explain it. 

WCM: I know that normally you cannot say much about your famous customers but what names can you mention of past customers that would give’ the readers a flavor of the types of stars you have cleaned for?

LC: The late Robin Williams. I’ve done some work with George Lucas of Lucas films. Carlos Santana the guitarist.  Joe Montana the 49er football player… people like that.

WCM: What do your regular customers think?

LC: They’ve enjoyed the thought that I’ve come so close to these famous individuals and they feel special that their window washer to these stars is doing there’s too lol. 

WCM: We have interviewed on film in Malibu a window cleaner that cleaned for the stars with Steve Blyth of JRC. We actually stood in Bruce Willis’ beach house. We remember security was tight. Do you find yourself getting padded down a lot lol?

LC: I’ve never been padded down. I guess they feel comfortable with me. They tell me “my house is your house”.

WCM: What tools do you reach for and why?

LC: Depends on the job but first I reach for the WFP. Scrub, rinse, walk way and no ladder work. For squeegee work I exclusively use the Zero Degree from Unger. 

WCM: You cleaned Robin William’s house. This guy has played a large part in all of our childhoods. This was such a sad loss. Did you ever see much of him and his family?

LC: I was at his house once a month and saw him most of the time. Throughout the years I have seen his family quite a bit. 

WCM: What is your fondest memory of this great man?

LC: His appreciation of my work, always thanking me. The joking comments he’d make. Two come to mind. First one: I was using the WFP above his front door. As he was walking out to go to his mother’s memorial service he was able to make a funny. He walked out the door and raised both hands in the air and said ” oh god you’re peeing on me”. He would often tell me how clear the windows were and then would proceed to act out the sound of a bird flying and smashing into the window. 

WCM: Do stars barter with you on price?

LC: Price is never talked about. I just bill them for my service. It’s quite a bit higher than normal. 

WCM: Best advice you were ever given?

LC: Don’t change who you are and what you stand for. 

WCM: Best window cleaning tip?

LC: Do it right the first time.

Below: Louis cleaning windows at the house of the late Robin Williams.

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