Elgin pair busy keeping things bright
What's the toughest stain to get out of your windows?
You might be surprised to find that it's calcium and lime left over from water sprinklers, according to Dawn and David Ashley, owners of Morning Star Window Cleaners in Elgin.
The sun only makes these stains worse, causing them to sometimes become part of the glass, Dawn Ashley said.
It sometimes takes heavy chemicals and buffers to attack the stains, which don't always come out completely, the couple says.
"So I think those sprinkler guys are enemies," Dawn said.
The pair, married for 15 years, run Morning Star Window Cleaners out of their west side home.
The company, which has been around for 17 years, started with David Ashley's knowledge of the business.
He learned the craft from his father, George Ashley, who for years ran his own company, Ashley's Window Cleaning, in Elgin.
"He was practically born with a squeegee in his hand," Dawn said of her husband.
The couple attend church each Sunday at the First Baptist Church in Elgin, and it was their faith that inspired them to name their company Morning Star, which in the Bible signified Jesus' birth in Bethlehem.
The Ashleys have entered one of their busiest times of the year, with people rushing to clean their windows now before the deep freeze and upcoming holiday season, Dawn explained.
They also are busy around graduations and Mothers Day.
They also draw business from large chains in Schaumburg and other nearby towns, she said.
Even while running Morning Star with her husband, Dawn has found time for other enterprises, which cater to her own talents.
There's Ashley's Petite Grooming and Boutique, which keeps dogs looking good, and there's also Palace Puppies, which breeds Maltese and Shih Tzu dogs. Dawn runs both companies out of her home.
Though they may be busy a lot of the time, the Ashleys say they wouldn't have it any other way.
"I think we'd much rather work for ourselves than go to work for the man," Dawn said. "I think it's much more fulfilling for our personalities."
• To reach Morning Star Window Cleaning, Palace Puppies or Ashley's Petite Grooming and Boutique, call (847) 488-1060.