Small Business Spotlight: Amazing Products to Try and the Stories Behind Them
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
Why We Champion Small Businesses
Championing small businesses isn't just something we do, it's who we are. We're a small business ourselves, so we know what goes into it. A lot of the small-business-made products we carry were made by people who were actually out in the field and got frustrated with what was available or just wanted to make their job more efficient. When you buy these products, you're not just getting equipment built by people who understand the job, you're supporting the entrepreneurs who care enough to improve it.
The Products
From soaps to screen washers to blade holders, these are some of our favorite small-business-made products on our shelves right now:
Ladder Helmet
by S&S Innovations
What it does: If you're using a stack ladder with a metallic v-groove top, the Ladder Helmet is the fix for those moments when you're worried about scratching up a nice surface. It slips right on and protects whatever your ladder is leaning against.
How it came to be: The original idea for the Ladder Helmet (along with about a dozen other ideas) came to Alex Spencer throughout his 17 years of window cleaning. When it came time to actually build it, he brought in his buddy Dave, who knew his way around CAD, and S&S Innovations was born.
Alex and Dave of S&S Innovations
Via Instagram
More from the maker: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
"Our goal is to create a spectrum of tools and innovations that make the window and gutter cleaning industries safer, faster, and more efficient."
Space Cowboy Window Soap
What it does: Space Cowboy is not only a great soap tested for the perfect evaporation time, glide and foam consistency, but what really sets them apart is their fun branding and how much they actually engage with their customers. They have lots of fun swag and have had tons of giveaways to go along with it.
How it came to be: Joe Liu spent 15 years in the corporate world before learning to clean windows and starting a window cleaning business. After trying just about every soap on the market, he kept running into the same problem, they were either too pricey or just didn't do the job like he wanted. So he went deep on the science, tested a ton of variations, and eventually created what he believes is the perfect soap at a price that actually makes sense. Oh, and he made sure it had a cool, fun look too.
Joe Lui, founder of Space Cowboy
Photo via American Window Cleaner Magazine
More from the maker: Website | Instagram
"Other meaningful goals we have are to give back to the window cleaning community and be able to help others grow."
Squeegee Life Towel
What it does: The waffle texture of these 22” x 16” microfiber towels works like a sponge, soaking up a ton of water so you can zip along edges and frames without constantly wringing out your towel.
The Ledger
by Companion Tools
What it does: The Ledger is a squeegee handle with an extended neck that gives you the reach and angle for deep-set windows. The single product created decades ago has a couple variations, including double bend, swivel and various sizes.
How it came to be: Jerry Rigdon was a window cleaner who kept running into the same headache, deep-set windows and obstructions that made him drag out a ladder just to get a decent angle on the glass. So he and his family decided to fix it themselves. Jerry experimented with different angles and handle lengths until he landed on what became the Ledger.
The Original Mag Scrubber
by Apex Supply Co.
What it does: The magnetic head keeps your steel wool locked in place, and the swivel lets it move naturally with the glass. It gives you more reach than holding steel wool by hand, making corners and awkward spots a lot easier to tackle, and it attaches to a pole when you need even more extension.
How it came to be: Michael Kolesky was out cleaning windows using a magnetic tool clip on the outside of his tool pouch that kept his steel wool held in place on the inside. This turned into a lightbulb moment for the idea of a magnetic scrubber. Michael designs and makes the Mag Scrubber, making it a truly handmade solution to a problem he stumbled onto on the job.
Michael Kolesky, founder of Apex Supply Co.
Via Facebook
More from the maker: Website | Instagram | Facebook
"That’s the joy of doing what we do, it’s so fulfilling."
Aztec Innovation Screen Washer
by Aztec Innovation
What it does: The Aztec Screen Washer is a portable, hose-fed tool that makes cleaning screens quick and easy. You just pass each screen through the machine while the four fixed brushes and water flow do the cleaning.
How it came to be: Jared Martinez is a professional window cleaner out of New Mexico who was fed up with how hard it was to get screens actually clean. He tried mopping them and dry brushing them, but nothing worked great and sometimes left things looking worse than before. So he combined what did work, water and brushes, into one tool. Jared went through a bunch of materials trying to get it right, pvc pipe, sheet metal and steel. He then landed on aluminum. Light, strong, and rust-proof.
Jared Martinez with his family
Photo by Kim Jew
More from the maker: Website
"I designed this with the idea that products from the United States used to be made with handcrafted quality that would last."
Crazy Larry’s Window Cleaning Concentrate
What it does: Crazy Larry's is a professional-grade concentrate built for mop-and-squeegee cleaning, and it's earned a solid reputation in the industry for good reason. It produces a high-density foam that lets your squeegee glide smoothly across the glass, and it's formulated to stay wet longer, which is a big deal on hot, sunny days when soap dries out fast and leaves streaks. It's also highly concentrated, so a single ounce per gallon goes a long way. And for anyone mindful of what they're putting out there, it's scent-free, biodegradable, and safe on all glass types including tempered, tinted, and UV-coated.
More from the maker: Website | Instagram | Youtube
Gutter Stick
What it does: The Gutter Stick is a clog-prevention tool for gutters that is placed directly into the downspout opening inside the gutter. The porous body lets water keep draining even when the gutter is packed with leaves and pine needles, and there's a built-in weight so it stays put no matter how hard it rains.
How it came to be: Creator of Gutter Stick, Steve Noonan was painting a home for his painting business when he noticed a clogged rain gutter. The downspout had a strainer in it to block debris, which was now covered with leaves, blocking the downspout. Steve had a lightbulb moment where he realized that the strainer was doing a good job of keeping debris out, but didn’t have enough surface area to not get coated in leaves. After four years of trial and error with various prototypes, The Gutter Stick was made.
Steve Noonan, creator of Gutter Stick
Via Facebook
More from the maker: Website | Instagram | Facebook
"We need to support innovation."
Syntha Blade Holder
by Syntha Products
What it does: The Syntha Blade Holder is a magnetic holder that keeps your 2.5-inch razor blades right where you need them. Able to be mounted on a belt or on a wrist strap, a central magnet holds blades securely in place, and a built-in safety lip covers the edge so you're not reaching in blind and nicking yourself.
More from the maker: Facebook | TikTok | Youtube
Blindmaid
What it does: Anyone who's tried to clean blinds outside knows the struggle, you get them off the window and then what? You're either rigging something to hang them on or laying them on the ground, neither of which works great. The Mobile CleanRack and DryRack LadderRacks solve that. Both attach to the top of a sectional ladder and give you a solid place to work. The CleanRack holds blinds while you spray and scrub, and the DryRack keeps them hanging while they dry or get repaired.
More from the maker: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Support Small, Clean Big
Every time you choose one of these products you're supporting a real person's business, their employees, and their community. We're proud to carry each of these brands, and we hope you'll give them a try.
Shop all of these products here.
Have a small business product you think we should carry? We'd love to hear about it. Contact Us.
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