A 25-year-old window cleaner from Nottinghamshire has been cleaning up road signs for free in his spare time in a bid to improve safety and make the area look nicer.
Liam Wildish started scrubbing signs in Maidstone just six weeks ago after he launched his new window cleaning business in the town.
Already he has become a local figure - people beep and wave as they drive past and his Facebook posts are inundated with strangers saying they spotted him.
He said: "Some of the signs in Maidstone are in terrible condition so when I pass them I pull up and give them a clean up.
"It's nothing crazy but I like to think it makes a difference to the appearance of the area and hopefully improves road safety during these long winter nights."
The young man from Nottinghamshire has made himself noticeable, always dressed in a red cap and his bright blue company jacket when washing signs.
When he arrived in Maidstone he knew no one and had to build a new client base from scratch.
At 21 he set up a window cleaning company in Retford, Nottinghamshire and ran it for three years, but a shoulder injury meant he had to sell it on.
His new business Clean Scene was born after the young man moved to Maidstone to live with his girlfriend Tamzin Court, 21, who he met online.
After just six weeks running the company Liam said by cleaning the road signs he was giving back to those in the community who have helped him.
As well as keeping motorists safe and the roads looking clean, the acts of service are to show himself as a trustworthy and skilled window cleaner and promote his business.
The window cleaner films himself using a tripod, or gets Tamzin to record his work, and a lot of the content is shared on TikTok and Maidstone community pages.
He said: “It’s a community give-back and a little bit of PR for my business as well, so it kind of works hand in hand.
“As a window cleaner I work within the community, this gives back to the community and builds up a good rapport with the business simultaneously. It's a bit of a win win for everybody.
“It’s gone really well, I was quite shocked to how well it performed.
“My family’s from Nottinghamshire but I moved down here earlier in the year and started a new life after I met my girlfriend online, she’s from here.
“I didn’t know anyone in the area when I moved down here, so the few clients I did get really helped me through word-of-mouth.
“I went out to do the sign cleaning to say a thank you to everyone whose helped me out, because it’s hard times to build a business right now, given the circumstances we’re in.
"The support from the community has been really great.
“I do my best to be as friendly as possible and provide the best service as possible, couple with sound cleaning, and I really feel the community has got behind me by recommending me to their friends and giving positive feedback.
“It’s helped to push the business and establish it in the area, even as new as it is.
“I’m not new to the trade and industry but I am new to the Maidstone area."
After working as a door-to-door window cleaning salesman Liam set up his own window cleaning business in Retford, Nottingham when he was 21.
He knew how to do the sales side, but taught himself how to clean the windows in order to set up the company by watching YouTube videos.
He ran it for three years but after an injury and shoulder reconstruction he had to take time off and sell the business.
The new company, Clean Scene, opened its doors just six weeks ago in Maidstone.
Liam loves the quiet reflectiveness of the work.
He said: “I like working for myself, I’m on my own a lot and I spend a lot of time thinking and manifesting my next moves.
“It’s great for me to stick my headphones in, listen to a podcast and just work away.
“But I am also quite a chatty person, and I like the personal side of having all the customers.
“There’s an important trust element to window cleaning, particularly when a lot of my clients are out at work throughout the day.
“They need to trust me, and know it’s okay to leave the gate unlocked for me to come and clean their windows.
“I like meeting everyone on a personal level, it’s rewarding.
“When you’re on a four weekly or eight weekly rotation you come back and see the same people, or stop over for a quick coffee to say hello.
“People wave at me or beep their horns, or comment on my videos to say they saw me out.
“It just goes to show it goes a long way if you do something for free.
“At the moment the business is very new, so I’ve got more time than I have money.
“If you haven’t got enough money to spend expanding your business and getting the word out there, then why not spend the time?
“Do something for the community, get a bit of recognition and a good rapport, and before you know it you’ve got an established business.”
Next Liam wants to look into organising litter picks with youth clubs, and on Friday (NOV 25) he’s going to meet with a Parish council and clean some of their signs.
He said: “I want to work with youth clubs, and other people who really intend to do well within the community, similar to what I do."
