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.