Unexpected Feedback on Color Repair Class

Our company has sponsored color repair classes every other year or so over the past several years. This particular class is hard to fill, as not many cleaners seem to want to perform this service, or do not believe that they can be successful in doing so.

While I hold the instructor that we used for this last course in high regard, I didn't expect that the responses from these students would be much different.

I was mistaken!!!!

Here are some comments from two of the students who attended the Color Repair Technician class that Jeff Cross taught here on December 2nd and 3rd, 2008:

"Jeff offered the most education and hands on color repair practice in any such workshop that I have ever been involved with. I learned more in two days about color repair than I have in the last fifteen years of attending such classes!"
Frank C

"I had no experience in color repair and wanted to add it as a service to my customers. Jeff Cross made it easy to understand and less intimidating than I thought it would be. It was hands on, which makes it easier for me to go to a customers house with confidence."
Jeff M

The first comment was from a fifteen year veteran of color repair, the other from someone who had never performed the service prior to the class. Both men left with confidence based on Jeff's approach of simplicity, and hours of well supervised, hands on practice.

We'll put some pictures from the class up here soon.

Oh, and we'll not be waiting two or three years to have this class put on here again. Look for Jeff to be back later in 2009.

Avoiding Upholstery Cleaning Problems

A call that I received just yesterday reminded me of how simple it is to avoid costly upholstery cleaning claims, and yet easily we can get into trouble by being careless.

The owner of a cleaning company called to ask how to remove browning from a white cotton sofa that his men cleaned incorrectly. It was his contention that the problem was caused because his technician used a carpet cleaning detergent instead of a more appropriate upholstery cleaning rinse agent.

I contend that what happened was a result of a deeper problem:

The cleaning technician failed to test the fabric.

Readers may object that testing fibers is a difficult and time consuming process with results that are challenging to interpret. Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is that a simple burn test that determines whether or not a textile is made of absorbent, easily damaged natural fibers, or easy to clean synthetic fibers that have low absorbency only takes a few moments, and can easily be interpreted by any cleaning technician.

Such a test only asks the technician to observe if the test sample melts (synthetic) or burns and crumbles (natural or blend of natural and synthetic).

If the technician had that information, which he could have gained in just a minute or so, he would have rightly decided to use a neutral detergent, an acidic rinsing agent, a low wetting tool, and fans to speed dry the fabric (all which were present on the truck.)

The tools and products available to safely clean delicate natural fiber furniture are surprisingly effective and not much more costly than carpet cleaning products. There is no reason not to test to determine which ones are the safest to use on any given fabric.

One last thought: Although browning is usually correctable, this cleaning company will likely pay an expensive claim for this problem, as the customer has become impatient with the repeated visits needed to completely correct a problem that should never have occured in the first place.

Rug Cleaning Class

Last week I attended a Rug Cleaning Technician certification class with eighteen other company owners and employees. Readers of this blog know that I have been enthusiastic about the subject of diversification for some time now, but after having attended the class, I am even more convinced that this is a service more cleaners should consider offering.

Many of your customers own handmade, true oriental area rugs worth thousands of dollars and that, frankly, they feel uncomfortable having just anyone clean. Conversely, there are machine made rugs that are only a fraction of the cost, but that the customer places a high value on. While it may take years of experience to learn the wide variety of imported, hand made rugs, the attendees at this class learned simple and reliable ways to identify high value rugs, as well as "problem rugs" of varying value.

For me, the highlight of the course was the "hands on" training section. We were able to obtain a hand knotted, chinese oriental rug that was made of a blend of wool and silk, and was also saturated in urine. We also had two small, machine tufted Chinese area rugs and a Wilton rug. The students were able to properly identify each rug, qualify the limitations and risks in cleaning the rugs, and then successfully clean the rugs, including complete urine odor removal from the Chinese wool/silk blend rug that was valued at over 5000.00.

Pictures of this class and the procedures used to clean these rugs follow.

Mold Remediation Standards

I was excited to be present when the latest edition of the IICRC S520 Mold Remediation Standards were introduced in Vancouver Washington on October 11th, 2008. Having had the privilege of contributing to the S100 Carpet Cleaning Standards, I had some small understanding of the work that was involved in compiling this vast amount of information from such a wide variety of brilliant and hard working experts in both the research and field work arenas.

The need to continue to update such standards was revealed to me just 45 minutes ago:

I was called by a representative of a restoration company who needed assistance with a job that did not pass final exit testing protocols. When I questioned the procedures that were followed, I found that the company violated very obvious rules as spelled out in the S520 Standards. The representative objected that they had been trained in mold remediation in 2004, but also confessed that they had not updated their training since.

This situation spoke to the need to keep ourselves updated in the fields in which we work, especially in such a high liability field such as mold and microbial remediation.

With guidance based on the current S520 Standards, the contractor is now confident that they will be able to correct the problems, and I don't doubt that the job will pass all needed clearances.

For the full story about the latest edition of the S520 Mold Remediation Standards, go to: http://www.iicrc.org/newsflash.shtml

Severe Animal Odors - When Salvage is No Longer an Option

When is it not worth saving carpet that has been extensively contaminated by urine or other animal discharges?

There are a few rules of thumb, including:

When over 20% of the carpet is contaminated

When contamination has caused severe color loss

When contamination has caused extensive delamination

When the floor underneath of the carpet is hardwood, and could be refinished to a good appearance and improve the room without carpet

When the cost of the products and labor involved begins to near the value of new carpet, pad, tack strip, and installation

That said, do not think carpet replacement will solve the problem! In cases where carpet has been contaminated so badly that it needs to be replaced, you must assume that the subfloor is also badly contaminated. Sanding and sealing will need to be done at a minimum, and in cases of extensive penetration of urine throughout the subfloor, entire sections of the floor may need to be replaced.

Sub Surface Urine Odor Treatment

With the understanding that the majority of urine residues penetrate through carpet into padding (at least) and through to subfloor (at worst), cleaners and property owners have the challenge of treating a problem that cannot be easily seen.

While the ultimate solution may include removing carpet and cushion, there are times where subsurface treatment can be attempted without disengaging the carpet.

To properly perform subsurface treatments, you must locate the odor source and be confident that the urine contamination is isolated to that area. The use of UV lights and moisture sensors will assist you in this task.

Individuals (whether cleaners or property owners) who are unwilling to use such tools will rarely be successful in subsurface treatment attempts.

For decades, the tool of choice for subsurface treatment has been an injection syringe. Such syringes have larger needles than are used for medical purposes, but still only allow relatively small amounts of odor treatment solutions to be applied. You must aim such needles at a variety of angles and you may only hope that sufficient treatment solution is reaching the affected areas.

More recently, special extraction attachments, such as the Water Claw Spot Lifter, have enable cleaners to flood the area with gallons of deodorizing solution and then extract the excess moisture from carpet and padding. Such a treatment process better assures a sufficient delivery of deodorizer to the source area.

However, just as with the injection syringe, there are concerns that must be addressed:

If you choose to flood a contaminated area over a wood subfloor, especially when on the second floor of a home, or over a furnished basement, you must pull back that portion of the carpet and place plastic under it. Otherwise you might end up flooding through the floor and through the ceiling below.

Such precautions are time consuming, but critical if you choose to use such an "invasive" method of odor treatment.

Surface Treatment of Urine Odors

If you've done a reasonably thorough inspection of most urine odor situations, you'll likely have found that most urine odor contamination problems require more than just a surface spray application or cleaning.

However, once your customer is made aware of the cost involved in either Subsurface Treatments or Total Restoration of urine contamination, some will ask you to "just spray something on the top, because I can't afford to do that."

You must be VERY careful before you give in to this seemingly reasonable request.

If urine contamination has penetrated into carpet backings and cushion, not only will a surface treatment rarely work, more often than not your cleaning will actually make the odor worse! If this happens, your customer will rapidly forget their "reasonable request" and they might actually insist that you now completely treat the carpet at no additional cost, because it "smells worse than ever now!"

This trap reminds me of what happens to cleaners who dry clean furniture because the customer is fearful of the "S" code that insists on dry cleaning. Only when the fabric doesn't clean up well (most often the case) do they THEN want it to be cleaned with water, but of course at no charge.

To avoid this trap, make certain that in your initial inspection that you show your customer the extent of the damage from urine. Remind them that surface treatment and cleaning will likely (not maybe) make the odor worse. Have the will power to refuse to do the job wrong for less money.

Because ultimately you'll be doing the job "right" for free later if you don't!

Finding the Source: The Secret to Urine Decontamination Success

I'm often called or in receipt of emails where I'm asked "Is there a deodorizer that will eliminate urine odor without having to inject into the carpet cushion, flood the carpet, or remove the carpet?" This question is usually followed by this type of statement: "I just want to spray the carpet, and not get involved with all of that. What do you recommend that works?"

My answer, of course, has to be: "Nothing".

The problem with urine odors is not so much their chemical complexity but the relative inaccessibility of the real problem.

Its for that reason that the cleaner who is faced with this issue must carefully inspect the carpet and locate the true source of the odor.

To do this inspection, you need the following tools:

1. Your ears: Ask the customer questions and listen carefully to what they tell you. Has this animal recently been ill, and otherwise has avoided urinating on the carpet? How large was the pet, and how many pets could have been involved? What was the species and gender of the pet? What attempts were made to treat the problem before you were called? (They've always tried something, have no doubt.)

2. Your nose: Where does the odor seem to be the most intense? The customer will not be as sensitive to the problem as will you, because they have acclimated themselves to it.

3. Your eyes: Look for areas that have turned yellow or brown. Urine is sticky, so what looks like a brown drink spill is often urine residues that have attracted soil.

4. UV Light: Use an UV light that is powerful enough to work in the daylight or home lighting. Protect your eyes with amber glasses. Remember that the UV light will reveal other residues and discolorations as well. Urine will usually show light yellow to light green under UV light.

5. Moisture Detector: The use of a moisture detector will help to isolate areas of contamination as well.

Once you locate the source of the odor, the use of appropriate subsurface application and extraction equipment will usually do the rest. Or, in more cases than cleaners would like to accept, the carpet will need to be disengaged so that the cleaner can decontaminate the site directly.

In subsequent blogs, I'll address such steps in more detail.

Urine Contamination Systems Indicator Guide Concept

Over 20 years ago, my father was hired to teach group of interior designers how to clean upholstery.

As he recalls: "I knew I was in trouble the moment I saw them. They were wearing the finest garments, bracelets, and several rings.....and that was just the men!"

These individuals were, of course, people who understood fabric, but not the complexities of cleaning the fabric. Nevertheless, they wanted to have a system to care for the furnishings that they sold, so they needed to be trained.

All of the standard (and complex) methods of testing and cleaning that existed at that time were beyond their grasp (or at least their interest), so Lee had to come up with a simpler system of testing, inspection, and cleaning that made sense to such people.

In one evening, he created the Fine Fabric Care Systems Indicator Guide. This guide has been used for decades since as one of the easiest and most reliable ways to test, identify, then easily and safely clean upholstery.

Last month, he challenged me to do the same thing with pet odor treatment systems.

In the field of pet odor control, cleaners sometimes find the array of products, tools, and potential scenarios for treatment to be very confusing. This problem is much the same as upholstery cleaning used to be before the invention of the system indicator guide for upholstery.

The simplest means of narrowing down and defining the processes need to correct pet odor control begin with identifying the three treatment conditions that most often exist:

1. Surface Treatment. Pet damaged carpets that require only surface treatment have little odor, the event that caused the contamination was recent, and only repeated once or twice, if at all.

2. Sub Surface Treatment: Carpets that require sub surface treatment have odor that is more readily identified, the deposits are weeks or perhaps months old, and the animal has "visited" the area several times.

3. Restorative Treatment: Restorative Treatment is needed when the odor becomes overpowering, the animal has continued to contaminate the carpet over several months or years, and this long term, repeated contact has saturated the carpet, cushion and flooring.

In my next blog, I'll discuss the inspection tools needed to determine which contamination level is present, and what will be necessary to restore the carpet and remove the odor.

Browning Correction with Red Dye Removal Products

I was recently sent a cushion asked to correct a browning problem on a cotton fabric. The browning was not severe, but it was widespread, and did not respond to an acid based browning treatment.

I felt that the next logical step would be to try a mild reducing agent. Before I tried this standard procedure, I thought this might be a good time to try something that I'd heard worked, but had never tried myself: Using a red dye stain remover.

I applied a small amount of Pros Choice Red One to the most severely discolored area, and was pleasantly surprised when the brown disappeared after just a few minutes. After I saw how rapidly and completely the product worked, I applied it to the rest of the fabric, and likewise the brown disappeared everywhere.

After the fabric dried completely, a few areas still were light brown, but one more application took care of that small amount of discoloration.

My conclusions are that this product removed browning more easily and quickly than the products most of us use for cellose browning. Also, consider this:

How many of us carry true cellulose browning removal products on our trucks any longer? But most of us carry red dye removers, such as Red One. This means we can get more use out of less products, which keeps things simpler for our staff, and ourselves.

Tolerance of Odors

For the past few years I've been experimenting with a variety of "detergent free cleaners", such as Masterblend Soap Free and Bridgepoint Prolon. In an effort to see how effectively such detergent free and odor free products would work, I limited my use of boosters other than oxidizing boosters that are likewise odorless.

Just a few weeks ago I went to clean some carpet as a favor for a neighbor, and grabbed some "standard traffic lane cleaner" that contained solvents and detergents and used that instead.

As soon as I began to spray the product, I found the odor so objectionable that I barely could complete the job! This was the same product I had used for several years before that had never bothered me. It then dawned on me:

I had "deadened" my perception of that odor in the same way that your customers become likewise "immune" to the odor of urine in their home!

I'm certain you've entered a customer's home and been "hit in the face" with an overpowering odor of urine that the customer is apparently oblivious to. But have you ever considered that you have customers who are "hit in the face" by the odor of some of your cleaning products that you no longer notice?

I am not suggesting that you toss out everything you own that might offend any single customer. I AM suggesting that you have friends or family members who are not involved in your business be present when you use some of your mainstay products and ask them to tell you honestly how the odor affects them.

If you find that you are using some products that seem to make your "test subjects" uncomfortable, consider looking at unscented cleaning products and some of the new deodorizers such as Hydrocide and Anti Allergen Deodorizer. These products are incredibly effective, and when you work, your sensitive customers will be more comfortable and reassured that what you are using is both safe and effective for use in their homes.

Environmental & Health Concerns

I visited Nova Scotia (Canada) a few weeks ago, and found the approach Canada has toward health and the environment to be a few years ahead of “us” here in the US.

For example, they sort their trash into several categories and insist on using only “organic” pesticides and herbicides on residential lawns. When I questioned my hosts about what it was like when they were forced to make the transition from “the old type” of pesticides to the “organic” ones, they confessed that at first it was a problem. The early “organic products” were not very effective, and there was some public resentment for having to make these changes.

However, over the next few years the products improved and now people can know they are protecting their property while protecting their environment.

How does this story influence our industry?

A Canadian entrepreneur had wanted to develop a product that could work as an effective antimicrobial for restoration and remediation purposes, but without the associated health and safety hazards that some such products might present. When I was first introduced to his product, "Benefect Botanical Disinfectant", I was skeptical. The "Green Revolution" has given us some good cleaning products, but it has also given us some marginal performers.

However, since Canada is ahead of us in this regard, the Benefect is already a "finished product" that has been "through the paces" up north. Of course, a product cannot receive an EPA registration if it doesn't work.

There is nothing "marginal" about Benefect. We've tested the product extensively and have been, quite frankly, impressed rather than just satisfied with the results. Of course, our tests aren't as important as our customers needs and feedback.

I fully expected that some of the restorer's who had more of a "green mentality" would like the product, and a few others would keep a gallon of it around for their customers who might be apprehensive about the "chemicals" the restorer is using in their home or facility.

What I could not have expected were the amount of restorers who have completely switched over to this product. From what I've been told, these people have found that its simpler to use this type of product exclusively, because such a product reassures both their customers and their employees.

If you'd like to know more about "Benefect", visit our website at: www.pembertons.com

Microfiber Upholstery Cleaning

I've been surprised to find out that many cleaners are wary of, or actually refuse to clean microfiber upholstery. It seems this fear arises from the delicate appearance of the material, as well as its tendency to darken and flatten when it becomes wet.

Cleaners should realize that most microfiber upholstery is made from polyester, with a smaller percentage made from nylon. So while this material may look like "suede" or "Nubuck" leather, its actually a fairly easy and safe to clean synthetic product. What gives microfibers their "delicate look" is the fact the the "denier" or thickness of the fibers are finer than silk, and thus give a "natural/delicate" appearance to the material.

To safely and effectively clean microfibers, simply remember that this highly adsorbent (as opposed to absorbent) material will hold high volumes of fluid spills and body oils, and thus needs thorough preconditioning and dwell time before extraction. Hot water extraction can be augmented by towel extraction with the assistance of a hand buffer, such as are used for car detailing.

Care should be taken to not allow hot fittings or the metal parts of cleaning tool orifices to come into direct contact with the material for extended periods of time, and for vacuum adjustment valves to be opened when truck mount cleaning machines are being used.

Finishing of microfibers should be done with a clean, lint free towel.

Microfibers can be confused with "suede" or "nubuck leather", and there is a possibility that rayon microfibers (such as are used in garments) might be used for upholstery cleaning one day. To prevent damaging such materials, it is important that materials that appear to be microfibers be tested before cleaning.

Profitable Upholstery Cleaning

The energy crunch of 2008 has caused many truck mount oriented carpet cleaners to rethink using their truck mount for upholstery cleaning use. When one considers that such equipment uses between 1.5 and 3 gallons of gasoline per hour, it makes sense to reduce one's fuel costs from 6.00 - 18.00 per hour (or more) to 0 by using an electric powered portable machine and the customers electricity.

However, those veterans who remember using such portable equipment in the past are rightly concerned that there might be a higher labor cost or less soil removal that would more than negate the energy savings.

Those fears arise from the fact that the "upholstery cleaning equipment" that was used in the 80's and early 90's was deliberately "underpowered". In those days, low pressure solution pumps were used with tools that had very fine jets. This slow pressure, low flow cleaning was need to prevent overwetting.

Many of these same machines also had very small vacuum motors, as most of the power was diverted to heat exchangers or the technology needed to create a machine that could handle both solvents or water based detergents.

Those days are long gone.

Now, because of the "Dry Tools" now available, such as the Drimaster, HyDry, or Hydrokinetic Upholstery Tools, cleaners are no longer forced to use underpowered equipment. In fact, these "Dry" or "Redirected Flow" tools work best with higher water pressures and water flow.

I have had great success with the Kleenrite Sphere with this type of tool and system of cleaning. The Sphere that I use has a 200 PSI Pump, a Three Stage Vacuum Motor, and a 1750 Watt heater. With it I can achieve performance nearing that of a truck mount, use the Dry Tools that prevent bleeding, browning, and shrinkage, and the low pH preconditioners and rinses that also give maximum performance with minimal risk.

Such equipment and tools together cost less than 2000.00, and rapidly pay for themselves in their energy efficiency, fast productivity, and great results.

Profitable Upholstery Cleaning

There are many ways to make your upholstery cleaning service more profitable: Increasing your price, adding on upholstery protector, time saving techniques, etc.
In this entry, I'd like to discuss and idea that should help you save labor and fuel costs cleaning upholstery.

The past several years has seen an incredible growth in the percentage of cleaners who use truck mounted carpet cleaning machines to clean upholstery. The advent of "dry tools" has helped make upholstery cleaning safer than ever, and the ease of set up and quickness of cleaning that tools afford has made us very comfortable in using our truck mounts in this fashion.

However, there are two inefficiencies inherent in this method that should be addressed: Labor and Fuel Costs.

If you have two people on the job cleaning carpet, one can stay busy pulling hoses, moving furniture, spotting, grooming, etc. However, when furniture is to be cleaned, one man invariably is standing around while another does most of the work. If this is the case in your company, consider using "dual wand upholstery cleaning". A truck mounted machine does not have to be a dual wand machine to be able to handle dual upholstery tools, as such tools require far less water volume and vacuum power per tool.

Simply purchase a "Y" for the vacuum hoses and a "Splitter" for the solution lines, and now you can have both employees cleaning. If there are multiple piece of upholstery, one the lighter furniture can be moved to another area to keep the operators out of each others way. If it is only one piece, such as a sofa, one operator can clean the cushions, and the other the body.

Try this method. It saves time, and since the work is done in half the time with the same gasoline or diesel powered machine, it saves fuel.

In my next blog entry, I'll discuss the use of portable equipment to clean upholstery, and how it can be done more efficiently than in the past.

Area Rug Opportunities, Part II

In my last post I discussed the growing opportunity in cleaning area rugs, especially as it parallels the growth of hard floor surfaces in homes.

Once you decide that you would like to expand your services into this growing market, you now have to mak this decision:

Will I clean area rugs in place, in the home, just like I clean wall to wall carpet?

Or will I set up a small in plant operation with the understanding it will require an investment in overhead, specialty equipment and tools, and training?

It would be unfair to suggest that cleaners are not able to "do something" to area rugs in homes; its been done for years. However, every time that a delicate area rug is cleaned in this fashion, the cleaner is either undercleaning the rug or taking a considerable risk in damaging the rug, or the flooring below it.

Area rugs are best cleaned in an environment that can allow for better dry soil removal, more complete flushing of the rug itelf, and more controlled drying than can possibly be done in the home. The advantages of cleaning rugs in this fashion are many, and the ability to charge a fair price for this far better service is not difficult.

Area Rugs and Hard Surface Cleaning

The trend of putting ceramic tile and hardwood flooring into homes continues to grow with no end yet in sight. Carpet cleaners who have not kept up with this trend have found less and less wall to wall carpet to clean in such homes, though there are those who have are profiting by diversfying into hard surface cleaning in their customers homes.

There is another opportunity that now presents itself in such homes:

Cleaning of area rugs.

Few who have moved to hard floor surfaces find that they like "bare floors". It doesn't take long for them to get some type of area rug to create a less stark appearance in the room, as well as providing some cushion and warmth underfoot. The dominance of area rugs has become such that those who have attended large floor covering shows have been stunned at the large amount of "area rug only" displays that they are finding.

How comfortable are you with cleaning area rugs? Are you able to test and identify expensive (and potentially easy to damage) natural fiber products versus inexpensive synthetic imitations? Can you solve the heavy urine odor and staining problems many of these rugs are exposed to?

In my next blog entry, I'll discuss the opportunities that are opening up for cleaners in this field that was once large, became small, and is growing exponentially right now.

Mold Inspection: Scams or Expedient Behavior?

I had the opportunity to view a video clip last week that should be of interest to all cleaners and restorers who have anything to do with the mold remediation industry:

http://video.knbc.com/player/?id=199430

A few points to note:

There are a few things that might not be obvious at first regarding the "set up":

Cosmetics were used to simulate the mold, but the "homeowner" did lie when she said that she cleaned the substance off and it came back again. She also made at least one other deceptive comment when she mentioned she'd been coughing a lot.

Those "set up" comments were, of course, dishonest, but they did serve to reveal the fact that none of the cleaner/restorers shown insisted on independant, third party testing. In the narrow confines of an edited news presentation, its difficult to know what other things were said and done to bring the company representative to their conclusions, but the bottom line is that testing should have been insisted on, rather than dismissed as unnecessarily expensive.

These individuals were likely not "scam artists". Instead, they appear to have belonged to a much larger group of business people who, when given the opportunity, take the easy way out to get the "easy sale". This self serving behavior put each of them in a very bad position in the public eye, and they only have themselves to blame.

Another type of Bait and Switch

Last week I reviewed the most commonly understood method of "bait and switch" advertising done by carpet cleaners.

There is, however, another sort of marketing misrepresentation going on in our industry, and I feel it is as damaging as the more conventional low price bait and switch tactics that we are more familiar with.

When a cleaner sells their service as a very high price, and sells the higher price as being of more value because of extra steps that are provided, or extra services that are rendered, but the cleaner does not deliver the promised services, that too is a type of "bait and switch", is it not?

Let's look at this scenario:

"Rolls Royce Carpet Cleaning" sells carpet cleaning at a premium price by promising that the following steps will be taken:

Prevacuuming
Preconditioning
Prescrubbing with a rotary scrubber or counter rotating brush machine
Hot water extraction with soft water
Corners and edges cleaned with a special hand tool
Carpet Groomed
Speed Drying

All too often cleaners who sell the benefits of such multistep cleanings end up only providing 2 or at most 3 of these steps.

When someone pays a very high price for such a service, and when the results end up not being any better than a more moderately priced company, they will eventually find themselves going back to lower priced cleaners, and likely resenting the price that they paid for the service that was ultimately less than what was promised.

In these tough economic times, consumers will look for value in their purchases of services, and will quickly drop service providers who they feel aren't delivering value to them.

Carpet Cleaning Bait and Switch Tactics

For over 30 years the cleaning industry has been beset by cleaners who use pricing strategies that border on "Bait & Switch Advertising".

Its a common practice to advertise low room pricing (often less than 10.00 a room), but to put in the fine print that this low price only covers "maintenance cleaning" or "good for carpets that are cleaned on a yearly basis". If the cleaning company will actually clean a light or moderately soiled carpet for this price, its likely not very good for the company, and I doubt there will be a very good result, but one cannot categorically state that this method of advertising is in itself unethical.

However, in most cases, the low "maintenance cleaning" is a "bait". The "switch" occurs when the small print offer of "free demonstration of our deep scrub method" comes into play.

In this scenario, the cleaner gives this "free demonstration" in the middle of a moderate to highly soiled traffic area, and they often are using a cleaning agent in this presentation FOR THE FIRST TIME. Now there is a very clean patch present that the "maintenance method" cannot match.

The customer has unwittingly fallen into a trap where they must now pay for the "deep scrub method". How much? Sometimes its only another 20 cents a square foot, which in of itself is not a high cleaning charge; but it is far higher than the customer expected when they hired the cleaner. However it is often 50 cents a square foot or more. And sometimes the pressure for protector, sanitizer, and anything else they can "push" are added on top until the bill is several hundred dollars more.

A cynical cleaner often snickers and says: "Well, those people who fall for such things deserve what they get!" That feeling is understandable when the cleaner has dealt with price objections all day and is tired of explaining their position. But the fact is very often it is our senior citizens who are being victimized.

Our seniors grew up in a different time, have a value system that sometimes cannot comprehend such underhanded techniques, and sadly are not always in possession of the mental faculties they once had.

Taking advantage of this generation who worked our country out of the depression and World War II is despicable, and needs to be countered at every turn.

How are cleaners to combat such tactics? One easy way is to keep all such coupons that are mailed or published in various "coupon magazines" at hand, and to have you or your office personnel add up the "add ons" that your prospective customer will have thrown at them, so that they can tell what the true cost of such cleaning would be. Compare it with yours, and your price will likely be lower.

In my next Blog post I'll talk about another, far less obvious, type of Bait and Switch marketing being done in our industry.

Unexpected High Performance from "Portable" HWE

I don't often deliver machines to clients any longer, and I confess I miss those times when I spent so much "one on one" time at our customers' locations.

Yesterday I decided that I wanted to deliver a machine a customer of ours had ordered, as Scott (the customer) had requested that we make some changes on his standard order to enhance the performance of this machine, and I wanted to see it in action.

The machine is a Masterblend Truck Force, which is a triple vacuum, 400 PSI portable unit with automatic fill and discharge features. What Scott wanted customized was a change from 1.5" vacuum hose to 2" vacuum hose, and from an 1.5" wand to a 2" wand (tube diameter). When I arrived at Scott's home, it was rainy and humid, which of course is not good drying conditions.

What impressed me was that after we cleaned moderately soiled, cut pile carpet with this system, at 50' away in humid conditions, that the carpet dried in an hour and a half! What remarkable results!

Had the carpet been more heavily soiled, I don't doubt that the drying time would have been longer. But to have a unit that can be used a such distances and more and with such great results in cleaning and drying addresses many important needs for cleaners:

1. Such equipment would provide a legitimate "back up machine" for a truck mount without having to tie up a van as well. This unit works comparably to small entry level truck mounts at half the price.

2. This type of machine could do limited access commercial work, or remote areas of commercial jobs that might otherwise be difficult to do with a truck mount system. A large job could have upper floors done with this unit while the truck mount worked at the lower level or levels.

3. An "electric truck mount" for cleaners who are concerned with rising gasoline costs. Some cleaners take units such as the Truck Force, and use a small generator to run the electric power on jobs that have low power resources, and use electric on jobs where such sources are more easily found. In ways it might remind you of a hybrid car that uses the battery power for some purposes, and gasoline for others.

I will keep you posted as I have more experience with this energy saving, high performance, system.

Marketing

As this winter moves slowly toward springtime, I have gotten several calls and visits from cleaners who are looking for ways to "get more business". While we should all look for ways to build our business throughout the year, this season's gloomy weather, and the economic gloomy forecast, has created periods of slow or no business that create real worries among the newer members of the cleaning industry.

Just today I was visited by a concerned business owner who wanted to know what sort of postcards or mailings that he could do to help to build his fledgling business. While I advised him that such mailings can be helpful, I began to suggest that he make calls on a variety of businesses to either ask for business, or to build a referral network.

I could see by his expression that he didn't want to make such calls. The more that I explained the benefits involved in this direct, "belly to belly" selling technique, the more he "shut me out", and he simply created one excuse after another as to why he could not or would not make such calls.

The fact remains: In a service business there is no substitute for direct, face to face visits. Such "cold calls" are very difficult to do for most, which is all the more reason why cleaners should do it!

Few cleaners have the will and discipline needed to make such calls. That means you have few competitors to worry about when competing in such a fashion.

Is it easy to do? No. But remember, one definition of a successful person is this:

"Successful people do the things failures don't like to do."

Make one more sales call today; chances are, none of your competitors will be there.

Thermal Energy Drying Class Today

The office has just closed for the weekend, and its giving me time to reflect on a powerful presentation that I sat in on today.

John Otero from TES Drying Systems shared his experiences and those of leading restorers nationwide with Thermal Energy Drying. When first introduced just two years ago, there was a great deal of interest, and controversy, regarding this revolutionary way of drying.

Yet, as I listened to John and both the scientific data as well as real world experiences that he shared, I realized its not really "revolutionary". Drying with heat is something we've done in our homes for years. When we use a clothes dryer, we use heat to remove moisture from our garments, and we exhaust the humid air outside of the home, rather than to attempt to dehumidify it.

How simple!

I've been receiving some great pictures from clients who are realizing the benefits of drying with controlled, directed heat. I'll post some here soon.

Success with Green/Natural Cleaning Positioning

In the past few weeks I've spoken to several hundred cleaners on two separate occasions regarding my feelings about positioning your company as one who offers the use of "Green" or "Natural" cleaning products when performing your cleaning services.

I've been surprised and pleased at how many companies have taken hold of this concept. Those individuals who have called me have told me that current customers and new prospects are appreciative of the care they are showing for both the environment and (more importantly) their family members and pets by promising to use such products in their home.

There is likely no better time of year than now to try new approaches and to reposition yourself in your marketplace. There are so many high quality products that are "environmentally and human friendly" that it will not be difficult for you to offer such services, and many such products truly do clean effectively if used properly.

Note: Do not use fear tactics, with warnings that create anxiety and confusion. Leave that type of "marketing" to your more callous and less imaginative competitors. Today's consumer is suspicious and resentful of such tactics.

Instead, simply assure your customers that you are a good citizen of the world and the community, and that everything you use in their home is safe for them, their family, their pets, and the environment in which they live.

Is Your Service "Worth It"?

Most marketing programs designed for the cleaning industry at the end of the last century (seems odd to read that, doesn't it?) focus on helping cleaners convince prospects to pay a higher price for cleaning services than they expect to pay.

These programs have often helped cleaners who would otherwise not survive in the competitive world of cleaning. With higher prices, these cleaners have met professional and personal financial goals and many have become leaders in their market places.

I've noticed, however, that some cleaners have learned to "market" a higher price, but are not DELIVERING a higher value. This short sighted practice results in declining repeat business, and little, if any referral business.

How can you be sure you are not "overselling and "underdelivering"? Here are a few points to consider:

Do you list several "cleaning steps" that might not truly be beneficial to your customer, or should be expected without "selling them" ("soil level testing", "demonstration of (add on service), etc).

Do you list cleaning steps in your sales material, but fail to do them?

Look for an article exploring this trend and how it can hurt your business in an upcoming article in Cleanfax Magazine.

Carpet Repair & Restretching at Winterfest

It was great to see the crowds of people who visited Mark Violand and David Behr to see their demonstrations of carpet repairs and restretching. Based on the number of those individuals who bought the needed tools and/or signed up for our Carpet Repair and Reinstallation Class in August, I think I can safely say that part of our program was a "hit".

Never depend on a carpet installer to be a carpet repair person for your customer. A good carpet installer is simply too busy putting in new carpet to do what he'd likely consider "nuisance work".

You,as a professional cleaner, need to offer this very valuable (and profitable) service to your customers. It isn't difficult, and you will be an invaluable resource to your customer if you'll just invest the time and (little bit of) money needed to be trained and equipped to offer tis service.

Testing The Cleaning Industry Needs

The past year and a half has been filled with controversy and debate regarding the failings of the CRI Seal of Approval Program. While it was understood that the purpose of this program was to create a useful way to measure the performance of cleaning equipment, chemicals, and systems, the results of these tests have been questioned, if not completely rejected by, most independant industry observers.

Some findings of the study may yet have merit: As an example, it was found that the way airflow was either enhanced or restricted by extraction wand designs had more influence in the final test results than the water pressure, heat, and vacuum power that the extractor produced.

It has been proposed that wands themselves be tested, and as long as the test protocols are sensible, such tests would be welcomed.

Other needed tests include:

What products and processes work best on such oil loving fibers as polyester and olefin.

What differences in resoiling exist when extraction solutions contain alkaline detergents, acid rinses, or pure water alone.

How well fluorochemical treatments bond when applied after the use of either of the above extraction/rinsing methods.

I'm very interested in some "real world" tests that will be conducted later this month at an informal meeting of carpet cleaners, including recognized industry leaders, known by its participants as "Mikefest". While these tests are not being conducted in a test laboratory, the amount of care being shown in setting up the test variables and procedures is impressive.

I'll share the results of these tests here once they are made public.

Winterfest 2008 Pictures - Facility

These pictures were taken during Winterfest on January 26, 2008. These start during exhibit set-up from 7:00 in the morning at the Boston Spectrum facility. Watch as the seats fill by 8:30AM! In following posts, I will be releasing more photos from Winterfest 2008.

Winterfest 2008 Pictures - Food

More pictures taken at Winterfest on January 26, 2008. These food pictures show the breakfast & break area as well as the delicious catered lunch. In following posts, I will be releasing more photos from Winterfest.

Winterfest 2008 Wrap Up

We wrapped up Winterfest 2008 last Saturday, and nearly a week later we are still getting calls thanking us for our efforts, but more importantly, asking important questions about the material that was presented and the products that were exhibited and demonstrated.

If you didn’t have a chance to attend, you missed out on hearing presentations about today’s economic trends, “green cleaning” protocols, cleaning for allergy sufferers, new advances in antimicrobial and promicrobial treatments, and advanced techniques for monitoring restoration jobs.

In one room, there were vendors introducing truck mounts, drying equipment, and specialty cleaning and restoration products that have never been seen anywhere previously.

One attendee was so excited about what he was seeing that he text messaged a friendly competitor and insisted that he come over right away.

That late arrival, on the insistence of his competitor/friend, was a grand prize winner!!!!!!

If you missed out on Winterfest 2008, and would like to know more about the subjects covered, I am adding pictures and information daily as I can.

I plan to show you the exhibits & exhibitors, as well as the speakers & share some notes on their presentations. I also intend to show the winners of more than $12,000. worth of prizes!

Winterfest 2008 Pictures - Exhibits

Some interesting pictures that we snapped at Winterfest on January 26, 2008. These pictures are of the exhibits, exhibitors and our customers & guests. The exhibits were jammed all day. In upcoming posts, I will be putting more photos up from Winterfest 2008.

Winterfest 2008 Pictures - Speakers

These pictures were taken at Winterfest on January 26, 2008. These pictures are only of the speakers and in the following days, I will be releasing more photos from Winterfest. Today's photos are all the speakers from Winterfest.

Green or Clean?

How good do "green" products work? The sellers of "green" as well as "nearly green" products (my term for products that are more human safe than most cleaners, but may not be as environmentally safe as a "green product") assure us that their products are as good as the more conventional products we currently use.

In my experience, most green/nearly green products do work well on lightly or moderately soiled carpet. Our concerns begin when we are called upon to clean a heavily soiled carpet that is likely close to being permanently damaged and perhaps needs to be replaced instead of cleaned.

Will the green/nearly green products work? Perhaps not, but unless a side by side comparison is made, we can't be sure our "heavy duty/nuclear bomb" type products would restore the carpet either.

What choices do we have when faced with the dilemma?

1. Attempt to use our green/nearly green products. If we have hot cleaning solution and soft water, the carpet just might clean up surprisingly well!
2. Boost our green/nearly green products. Non chlorine bleaches, also known as oxidizing agents (Bridgepoint Boost All, Prochem Oxy Plus, Masterblend Accelerator), can greatly enhance cleaning by breaking down protein, tannin, and even oily soils. Such products are not always considered "green", but do boost cleaning without the need for solvents.
3. Resort to using "the good old stuff" that has worked for years, then advising our customer that if the carpet is maintained on a regular basis, we can keep it clean with products that are far more human and environmentally friendly.

You need to make your choices based on your own standard of cleaning and safety, your customers needs and expectations, and, of course, each individual situation.

Introduction

Having just completed another of our annual “Winterfest” gatherings with our clients and friends, I reflected on the questions and concerns that our guests shared with me, and decided that a Blog of my thoughts and experiences regarding industry issues would be a good way for me to stay in touch with all of you, and also to get feedback from you regarding burning questions of the day.

As 2008 begins, I’m hearing concerns from people just like you about the economy, the environment, the cleaning products and machines that we use, and the “politics” of our industry. I hope you’ll find what I have to share of value to you, and I’ll look forward to getting feedback from you with questions of your own.

My thought for today is this:

“Feeling safe with carpet is more important than feeling dry carpet”

I never thought I’d utter those words. For the last several years, my mantra was: “It’s the drying time stupid!” It seemed (and still seems) that the next question anyone gets about carpet cleaning, after “how much”, is “How long will it take to dry?”

That question helped to start a very successful cleaning franchise, and had much to do with the tendency of carpet cleaners to move from “mid range” truck mounts to “super truck mounts” (some of which cost 100K and more!).

What I think we over looked was why people wanted fast drying. Certainly they liked the convenience, but at a deeper level, they were worried that “wet carpet” had “bad chemicals” in it that would burn or sicken them, their children, or their pets. And, sadly, sometimes this was true.

What consumers are looking for today, in 2008, are carpets that dry quickly, dry soft to the touch, and that they feel assured are not contaminated with harmful chemicals.

In my next blog entry I’ll discuss what choices you have in products and procedures to help your customers feel more reassured about your cleaning process.