A WOMAN is taking on the challenge of a lifetime by attempting to wipe out the record for the fastest window cleaner in the world...while wearing her high heels.

Sarah Mitchell first came up with her Guinness World Record attempt to surprise her boss at All Clean Services, which has offices in Rochford and Southend.

The sales rep, of Saxon Gardens, Shoebury, wants to take the title from Terry ‘Turbo’ Burrows. Twenty years ago he set his first record on BBC1’s Record Breakers. He has continued to be the man to beat, cleaning three 1.143m high windows in just 9.14 seconds in Blackpool in 2009.

Ms Mitchell, 35, said: “My boss has been a window cleaner for 30 years so I wanted to surprise him. I didn’t realise how big a deal it was so now I have had to tell him I am doing it.

“I am a little nervous because the pressure is on. There are going to be lots of big window cleaning men taking part and I have no experience.

“It is mainly men that do it but there is nothing to say women can’t do it. I am going to show everyone that women in heels can do anything men can do.

“I have been practising cleaning windows at home and at work, but I have never done anything like this. I will try my best but I don’t know how well I will do.”

Competitors will take on the challenge during The Cleaning Show at Excel, east London, which is running until tomorrow.

Ms Mitchell added: “Terry is a legend in the world of window cleaning and his record has stood for over 20 years. I’m looking forward to challenging for his record and seeing how quick I really am.

“I’m determined to give the men a run for their money. It would be amazing to be the World record holder. I’d be proud to bring the title home to Southend.”

The world-record window cleaning challenge is organised and adjudicated on behalf of The Guinness Book of Records by the Federation of Window Cleaners, the national trade association for the window cleaning industry.

Paul Thrupp, executive council member of the federation and an official world record judge, said: “Terry has done amazingly well to hang on to his record for this long but there’s always a chance of an upset.

“Having said that, when you see Terry on video or cleaning live he moves so quickly it’s hard to imagine someone will ever manage a sub-nine second time even if they try and copy his technique. So we’ll have to wait and see if anyone can match him when the competition comes to London.”