High up on a hydraulic lift over Fore Street in Portland, Frank Cutrer is seen through a window as he cleans the view for office employees. Cutrer has been cleaning windows for a living for 10 years.

Although he has commercial accounts, 90 percent of Cutrer's business is with luxury residential homes in Portland's West End. He enjoys meeting new people, making his own hours and said he makes about $40,000 per year.

Cutrer uses only biodegradable and safe detergents.

Cutrer uses a lift to reach the high windows on an office/garage complex in the Old Port. Scheduling jobs, working weekends, 60-hour workweeks and inclement weather are some of the drawbacks of the business, he said.

A collection of squeegees and other cleaning tools hang from Cutrer's tool belt.