August 2013

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ncca

Features:

Damage Correction

Carpet Cleaners Carnival

August 2013

The official journal of the National Carpet Cleaners Association

Contents

Published monthly by:

03 From the editor - The Carpet Cleaners Carnival 2013 12 Forgotten spills 14 Guarantees - liability or selling tool?

The National Carpet Cleaners Association, 62c London Road, Oadby, Leicestershire, LE2 5DH. Tel: 0116 271 9550 E-mail: admin@ncca.co.uk Website: www.ncca.co.uk Editor Nikki Law

16 Damage correction

Editor in Chief Keith Robertson

18 How much for fuel?

Design Editor Nikki Law

20 Volatile organic compounds (VOC’s)

President/Technical Director Paul Pearce

22 Tour of the National Trust Conservation Studio, Norfolk 26 Asbestos in domestic buildings 28 Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) protecting your workers

Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Association or it’s officers or members. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the statements within this publication, we cannot accept responsibility for any errors, or omissions, or matters arising from any clerical or printing errors, and whilst every care is taken of manuscripts and photographs submitted to us, we can accept no responsibility for any loss or damage. ©Carpet Cleaners Association Ltd 1994 (Trading as the National Carpet Cleaners Association). No part of this Newsletter may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Carpet Cleaners Association Ltd.

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Vice President/Marketing Director Keith Robertson Vice President/Events Director Nigel Lay Member Liaison Director Glyn Charnock Assistant Membership Director Martin Johns Franchise Liaison Director Denise Pitt Corporate Liaison Director Rob Whitbread Training Director Christian Ramsey Co-opted Director Billy Russell Co-opted Director Allan Simmons

www.facebook.com/NCCAFloorCare www.twitter.com/NCCA_floorcare_

The NCCA Carpet Cleaners Carnival Saturday 14th September 2013 Don’t miss the carpet cleaning event of the year!

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n less than two weeks' time the third annual Carpet Cleaners Carnival will be running in Kettering.

Following the overwhelming success of the inaugural CCC in 2011 and the expanded event last year, we are proud to offer an opportunity for the industry to get together in an informal and familyfriendly, yet still business focused environment.

The Event Organised by the NCCA FREE Entry Open to Everyone Family Friendly Format Networking Opportunities Supplier Exhibition Supplier Demonstrations Hands-on Opportunities Equipment for Sale ‘Other Interest’ Stalls Fun Games and Activities

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The Venue n Ideal Venue for Fun Day Out n Beautiful Grounds and Gardens n FREE Attractions n Discounted Entry to Fair n Camping Facilities On-Site n Easy Access from Motorway n FREE parking

The event will again be held at Wicksteed Park, which has been ideal for the CCC due to its combination of facilities for both business and pleasure along with Nicky Law the central location and easy Newslink Editor motorway access. The newly refurbished Wicksteed Pavilion will host the exhibition and the Association will be arranging activities and entertainment throughout the event. Visitors will also have access to the parklands, fairground and other features/attractions in the 147-acre site.

The Carpet Cleaners Carnival exhibition will feature some of the biggest names in the industry, and a new feature being introduced for the 2013 CCC is the opportunity for exhibitors to demonstrate equipment. Feedback from visitors at the previous events asked to see more working machinery along with the chance of hands-on testing. The Association has responded by arranging several areas within the hall where machine demonstrations will be ongoing and members will have the opportunity to get to grips with equipment, compare machines and test out any items they may be interested in.

The 2013 Carnival will be following our previous concept of an event for carpet cleaners and all Continued on next page

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Continued from previous page the family. Along with the exhibition, the event will feature women's interest and entertainment areas, providing attractions and activities for everyone in attendance. Visitors of all ages can take advantage of the many games and competitions in the entertainment area including a treasure hunt, hoopla, playing-card tombola and character and catchphrase game. There will also be a Magician putting on a number of short shows, a craft area and an opportunity for your kids to have their faces painted.

The Carpet Cleaners Carnival remains completely free to attend including parking, however all

members who will be visiting need to register with the NCCA office in advance to receive the relevant passes and vouchers. Entry also allows access to Wicksteed Park grounds, play area and lakeside, but if any attendees would like to enter the fairground/rides there is a small charge for a wristband. The NCCA has negotiated some substantial discounts for families wanting to make use of the feature attractions at Wicksteed. In order to qualify for the discounts however, preregistration is essential. Please visit: www.ncca.co.uk/ccc.php to confirm your attendance.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Who will be there?

ALLTEC NETWORK Originally established in 1980, Alltec Network has always been a market leader in Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning products, training and support for the smaller 'owner/operator' as well as being dedicated to the growth of the soft furnishing and floor-care industry.

Under new ownership for the past year, their range is wider and more diverse than ever. As well

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as machinery, their products include: carpet cleaning chemicals and protectors, hard floor cleaners and protectors, speciality rug cleaning products, leather care products, safety equipment, spraying equipment and hard floor cleaning accessories and hoses.

Alltec are also able to service a wide range of portables and truck mounts with an expert workshop team, ensuring minimal downtime on your machinery; in addition, free 'over the phone' diagnostics and advice is always available.

It's your one-stop-shop for all your carpet and hard floor cleaning needs!

Tel: 01763 208222 E: info@alltec.co.uk Web: www.alltec.co.uk BNI NETWORKING BNI is the most successful business networking referral organisation in the world.

They have over 13,000 members in the UK and Ireland alone, passing 680,000 referrals worth over ÂŁ300 million every year! It is quite literally the best way to build a better business.

BNI allows only one representative from each trade or profession to join any BNI group. This means you can lock out your competition, ensuring you receive 100% of all new business.

Working together, BNI members achieve incredible results, growing their business in ways they could never accomplish alone.

CHEMSPEC EUROPE LTD Chemspec Europe will be exhibiting at the CCC 2013, loaded with literature and ready to show visitors a selection of their pioneering, problem solving products. Highly experienced technical staff are looking forward to seeing customers and shaking hands with old and new friends.

Chemspec Europe and Dri-Eaz UK recently became part of the same group, so there will also be a selection of Dri-Eaz equipment at the CCC. Chemspec have been manufacturing carpet and upholstery cleaning chemicals since 1968. They love helping to solve industry challenges through

product innovation and they are passionate about supporting customers and the trade associations to which they belong.

Tel: 01274 597333 E: info@chemspec-europe.com Web: www.chemspec-europe.com CHEMSPEC LIMITED Chemspec Limited will be showing various machines and consumables for restoration and maintenance of stone surfaces.

Tel: 01784 259814 E: chemspecltd@hotmail.com CLEANING SYSTEMS UK Cleaning Systems UK have been supplying the trade for almost twenty five years. The company was established by Sandy Pearson back in 1989 to create a 'one-stop shop' for professional cleaners.

Their CSUK & Absolute Floorcare divisions are still active out in the field handling over 1,000,000m² of carpet and floor restoration and maintenance per annum. This assures their advice to customers is based on current, practical experience, tested first-hand in live situations.

Nationwide distribution for Chemspec Europe, Prochem, Craftex, HOS Orbot, Cimex, PowrFlite/CFR, Sebo, Wirbel, not to mention extensive ranges of floorcare products, is handled by their 4000sq.ft showroom/warehouse and newly built training facility forty five minutes from Edinburgh.

As sole importers of the Releasit range of low moisture encapsulation cleaning products, Jamie Pearson and Craig Manson will be on hand at the Carnival to discuss all aspects of 'Encap' cleaning.

Not only how it can be used with your existing Continued on next page

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Continued from previous page equipment or specialist units such as the HOS Orbot and Cimex CR48, but how it will improve your results on commercial carpet and more importantly your profits. Make sure to stop by and pick up your free sample pack of the Releasit range from them. If you are around on Friday evening make your way to the Wicksteed camping area and share an informal pre-show Beer and BBQ with the guys, the Kirstys Kids team and other industry professionals.

Tel: 01334 656787.

E: jamie@cleaning-systems-uk.com Web: www.cleaningsystems.co.uk

CLIENT DATABASE MARKETING SOLUTIONS Software developed by marketing award winning carpet cleaners that helps businesses of every size market better, quote clearer and book more.

The developers of this product still run their own carpet cleaning company and, with over twenty three years in the industry, they know the challenges of running a successful business, that's why they developed this software‌ to make it easier.

They've grown and streamlined their own carpet cleaning business into a multi-van operation with admin staff by using the marketing tools built into the software.

Other carpet cleaners could see what a difference it had made to the developers' business, especially in terms of an increase in their return on advertising spend and the reduced administration, and in 2006, in response to the interest the product had created, a decision was made to start selling the software to other

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cleaners. Now, with hundreds of users, there is an edition to suit every size of business, from owneroperators through to multi-van operations with admin office support staff.

So if you want to free up time by reducing and streamlining your administration, and want more money by marketing more effectively, this could be the solution for you.

Tel: 01405 813665 E: allanjnr@getbookedup.com Web: www.getbookedup.com

CROTCHET & CRAFTS Crochet and Crafts are a three-sister team who love to make crochet items and jewellery.

Their beautiful collection of handmade crafts includes crocheted items such as jackets, blankets and hats for babies, as well as headbands, bags, purses, scarves, flower hairclips, keyrings and items for the home such as candle holder covers. They have also just finished making some lovely owl doorstops and hanging hearts from felt and wool.

Their collection also includes a wonderful selection of jewellery including Pandora style bracelets, Shamballa bracelets, glass and natural stone necklaces, earring and bracelet sets, Shamballa watches and even watches on keyrings.

So, if you're stuck on gift ideas, or simply fancy treating yourself to something gorgeous, then come and visit their stand at the CCC this year.

For a sneak preview you can find them on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/elaineashbycrafts

FUN FACES Fun Faces has been established for over twenty years, providing face painting, balloon modelling and temporary tattoos for all events, ranging from small birthday parties to corporate fun days.

In 1995 Fun Faces joined “FACE�, the association of professional face painters and over the past twenty years, company owner, Stephanie Farwell, has won numerous competitions with her artwork, has appeared on TV and has even painted celebrities.

Based in Coalville, Leicestershire, Fun Faces are fully insured and enhanced CRB checked.

All their artists thoroughly enjoy their work and guarantee to provide a memorable experience for any event.

All the products used are FDA approved and cleanliness is always a priority.

Tel: 01530 456 733 or 07946 278 424 E: stephanie.farwell@ntlworld.com Web: www.fun-faces.co.uk HERTS HEALING & CRAFTS Herts Healing has been established for over seven years and offers a range of complementary therapies to suit everyone. Their range of treatments include: Aromatherapy, Bach Flower Remedies, Colour Therapy, Indian Head Massage, Thai Foot Massage, Japanese Face Massage, Reiki,

Therapeutic (Swedish) Massage, Lymphatic Drainage Massage, Massage in Pregnancy and Hopi Ear Candles.

They also produce a range of crafts including lavender bags, matching bottled oil and candle gift sets, cushioned car headrests in 'Liberty' prints and other fabrics (with essential oils to keep you awake on long journeys) and fun lavender mug coasters, ideal for gifts.

The company was founded by Janet Flowers, who is a member of the Complementary Therapists Association. Shortly after moving to Northamptonshire, Janet set up the Shires Group of Holistic Practitioners to raise awareness of therapies and their benefits in the area as well as provide a means of support to other therapists.

See: www.shiresholistics.co.uk Janet is also a member of the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses and has been a member of the Welwyn and Hatfield Complementary Practioners Group.

Herts Healing believe that the time you spend with them is 'Your Time', so why not come and visit them at the Carnival this year for some relaxation and recuperation.

Tel: 01933 398744.

E: janet.flowers@hertshealing.com Web: www.hertshealing.com JOHN MARTIN (MAGICIAN) John, an experienced magician, will be there to entertain you with his excellent magic tricks during a number of shows throughout the day.

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Continued from previous page KIRSTYS KIDS Kirstys Kids goes beyond being a non-profit making charity, it is a fully registered National charity where everyone is an unpaid volunteer. Every cost incurred in respect of travelling expenses, admin, overheads and expenses to run the organisation is met by the volunteers themselves.

Jan and John are the Directors/Chief Executive Officers and have been involved in charity work for many years. Their experience goes back to the early 1980s when Jan founded and developed a woman's refuge which today is a thriving organisation in East Anglia, helping thousands of women and children during times of serious domestic violence, abuse and social problems including drink and drug abuse. She has a wealth of experience.

Since the 1990s John has been involved at the highest level in exposing the atrocious conditions children are subjected to in both Bulgaria and Romanian Institutions, a subject now well documented. His personal visit to Bulgaria in the mid-nineties, involving a mass media campaign over twelve countries, greatly assisted in the eventual closure of substandard orphanages and resulted in better integration of those disadvantaged children into society in safe, controlled and monitored environments.

Using their experience and knowledge, Jan and John have jointly created, developed and nurtured www.kirstyskids.org. The charity is named after their late daughter Kirsty, to highlight her

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significant contribution and selfless determination during her life's work of caring for, personally nursing, and working to alleviate the suffering of the world's children, which included Kirsty operating on her own in Africa.

The Trust known as Kirstys Kids was formally opened in 2010, at a ceremony by MSP Dave Thompson at Craiglea Lochailort, to pay tribute to Kirsty's work and achievements during her young life. kirstyskids.org has: ŸHelped around 150 children in the UK who have short life expectancy or serious life limiting illness. ŸProvided specialist beds for Children's Hospice Scotland. ŸProvided light and sound sensory equipment for assisted needs children. ŸProvided Clown Doctors, specialist psychologists who are trained to get the children who are in despair to learn to cope and laugh. ŸBeen able to send children to special camps where they learn to cope with their situation and share fun times with other children in the same situation.

The charity seeks to improve the lives of children around the world by interacting with Government's at the highest level. A recent example of this is John's trip to Moscow earlier this year. Using a tiny 10hp motorbike, he travelled across the Arctic Circle to within 650 miles of the North Pole unaided, with no supporting vehicles, living a humble minimal

existence at the roadside. The journey, despite warnings from UK government and visa offices, took him 2,500 miles across the northern Caucasus territories of Russia, a dangerous Terrorist channel, eventually entering Moscow. By the time John reached Moscow his journey had become so highly praised by the Russian government's officials that it was publicised on National TV networks across Russia and Germany.

The result of the trip, undertaken at a time when the President had closed the door on Western aid, was an invitation to return with a team of Scottish experts (in our hospice system) to help the Russian authorities build the first children's hospice ever to exist in Russia.

It is hard to imagine a country which does not provide a hospice service for their children and has only one adult hospice, especially a country which has a Capital population alone of some 20 million.

Kirstyskids.org is not directly funding the projects which are undertaken, but is instrumental in helping to change the hearts and minds of governments to resolve the problems where they are identified.

The continued support of the National Carpet Cleaners Association and the industry is vital for the team of volunteers at kirstyskids.org to continue its work. It must be stressed that not one penny donated by the public is ever spent on overheads, wages, salaries or expenses and all costs for leaflets, posters, badges or otherwise are met by good will and sponsorship.

Please visit their website www.kirstyskids.org for a list of things they need to carry on their work.

SEBO UK LTD Made in Germany, SEBO are the world's biggest selling professional upright vacuum cleaners.

Products include: 타SEBO BS 36 & 46 Comfort: twin motor uprights utilising the latest innovations to make the machines easier to use and further improve on their legendary reliability. Built for heavy duty use. 타SEBO DART twin motor uprights: designed to be lightweight and highly manoeuvrable. With the DART UHS polisher head, the DART can be converted into an ultra-high speed polisher which creates a brilliant and hygienic finish on hard floors. 타Professional D8 Cylinder: a high quality, powerful machine, excellent for commercial use, with lots of new technology providing high performance and robustness in a very quiet way. 타SEBO DUO carpet dry cleaning system: easy to use and ideal for maintaining carpets in peak condition.

Tel: 01494 465533.

E: commercial@sebo.co.uk Web: www.sebo.co.uk WOOLSAFE ORGANISATION The NCCA and The WoolSafe Organisation share many of the same goals, principally to improve the standard of professional carpet cleaning in their industry. They have been working together for their mutual benefit for decades with many of their members belonging to both camps. It is therefore with great pleasure that The WoolSafe Organisation Continued on next page

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Continued from previous page will once again be exhibiting at the NCCA Carnival, keen to show visiting carpet cleaners the exciting developments that have been keeping their busy team occupied over the past year.

They say that the Carnival is a great way to meet old, and hopefully make new, friends in an informal setting quite different to the usual trade shows they attend.

These are exciting times for WoolSafe with many new developments coming to fruition. The Carnival will provide an ideal platform for WoolSafe to showcase its award-winning Carpet Stain Cleaning Guide App and introduce a Wool Carpet Aftercare Service that is going to revolutionise the industry in 2014.

Come and see them for a chat at their stand, just inside the entrance, to find out more.

The WoolSafe Organisation is a resource for information and advice about carpet and rug care and a range of carpet care services to carpet owners, carpet suppliers and the providers of carpet care products. WoolSafe provides: 타networks of accredited carpet cleaning companies 타networks of registered carpet inspectors 타advice on how to care for carpets and rugs 타testing and accreditation of wool carpet cleaning and maintenance products Tel: 01943 850817.

E: office@woolsafe.org Web: www.woolsafe.org/uk

Wicksteed Park Barton Road, Kettering NN15 6NJ

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COMPETITION

WIN A PLACE ON OUR TRAINING COURSE!

NNER! STILL NO WI Would you like to train as a floor sanding professional? Well... this is your chance! Simply identify what you think caused the stain (right) on an oak kitchen work top and, on a less serious note, what you think it resembles, AND YOU COULD WIN A PLACE ON OUR FLOOR SANDING COURSE - WORTH £395 + VAT! For your chance to win, email your answers to Terry Guilford at: Terry.guilford@ultimatefloorsanding.com

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Newslink now online only The June issue of Newslink was the last printed edition you will receive. From the July issue onward your monthly publication became online only.

Every month you will receive an email notification informing you that Newslink has been published online. You will be able to view your magazine by clicking on the links within the email and even download your own copy for

your digital library.... freeing up valuable storage space in your office!

So, if your email address changes at any point, please email Nicky immediately on: nicky@ncca.co.uk with your up-to-date details.

PLEASE NOTE: IF WE DO NOT HAVE YOUR CURRENT EMAIL ADDRESS YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE NOTIFICATION EACH MONTH WHEN NEWSLINK HAS BEEN PUBLISHED.

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Forgotten spills

NCCA Library

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ometimes stains that have been hidden by soil are revealed after cleaning.

These stains, which did not immediately cause discolouration, are often from spilled liquid containing colourless sugar that remained on the fibres. After long exposure to the air, they changed to insoluble brown stains. The stains may look like brownish discolourations, but often they remain unnoticed because of the accumulated soil covering them.

Some food and drink stains may inevitably turn even darker from the necessary drying action after a thorough cleaning.

Other kinds of stains can be caused by water soaking through and dissolving materials that cause browning, or dissolving fugitive dyes from the back of the carpet, rug or upholstery. Because

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the fibres act as wicks, moisture will rise to the surface to evaporate, and discolouration will be left. Consumers who try to remove stains by using the wrong cleaning compounds and procedures may only make the stained areas more noticeable.

As professional cleaners we use specialty cleaning and stain removal treatments to improve

the appearance of forgotten drink spills - cola, coffee, tea, alcoholic beverages, soda and others.

Even with the best treatments, some coloured residue or caramelized sugar stain resulting from the prior spillage may remain.

To lessen the possibility of stain damage, immediate action should be taken. It is helpful if your client takes the following steps: 타Thoroughly absorb all moisture and, when possible, put a half-inch thickness of clean,

white absorbent material, such as paper or cloth towelling, over the area and weight it down. 타Keep replacing with fresh absorbent material and repeat as needed.

It is important to inform your regular and prospective clients of how to deal with any stains and spillages prior to a professional clean. It will make your job so much easier and guarantee a more successful result.

New NCCA Members Copper Beech Cleaning Ltd Cheddar, Somerset A Plus Services Stockport, Cheshire Kingdom Carpet Care Kirkcaldy, Fife A Brighter Home Kings Langley, Hertfordshire Green and Dry Carterton, Oxfordshire

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Guarantees - liability or selling tool?

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've never been afraid of receiving a complaint.

This is because I have good procedures in place to ensure that the situation never escalates. In fact, if it is dealt with properly, something that starts as a complaint can actually enhance your status with your customer by increasing their trust in your services.

I've recently been on the other side of the equation, however, and my experience was not a good one. My van needed some bodywork repaired and a few areas of paintwork 'touched up'. I took it to a specialist who was recommended to me and when I picked it up three days later, I was frankly shocked by what I saw. There were at least three runs of paint on the bodywork, one of them about eighteen inches long. Also he'd sprayed over rust on a wheel arch. And there was paint on the trim.

The workshop was closed when I collected the van on a Friday evening so he'd left the key in a hidden place for me. It gave me the weekend to reflect on the quality of the work. I began to realize how we Brits hate to complain and the effect that the thought of complaining has on a customer. I laid awake at night wondering how he would respond if I voiced my concerns about the quality of his workmanship... Would I have to argue with him? Would he try to justify his bad work? I even wondered if I should just pay him anyway, but then obviously never use him again. And I realized that our customers must sometimes go through the same thing when they have concerns about our cleaning.

There's a wonderful scene in Fawlty Towers where two elderly ladies are complaining about the

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David Coker

food but when Basil asks how things are they pretend everything's fine. Instead they say to each other that they “will just not come back here again�. And that's the worst situation for your carpet cleaning business.

In order to avoid this scenario you need to do something that will allow the customer to feel at ease if they need to make a complaint. So, what would help to achieve this? Well, how about a strong 'guarantee' of your workmanship, actively promoted in advance? This should enable your customer to feel that they can voice their concerns if they are not happy with the job that you have done.

Some tradesmen are wary of guaranteeing their work, but I feel that if you cannot strongly and fairly guarantee your carpet cleaning, then it might be time to find other work to do.

And don't forget that a guarantee is also an excellent selling tool, it's not just a statement of policy. Prospects need to feel that they can trust you to look after their best interests and, of course, most buying decisions are based on emotion.

People will perk up and pay attention to a guarantee. Its power should never be underestimated. Tom Monaghan of Domino's Pizza built his fortune-building USP on one: "...delivery in 30 minutes or less."

For you to get real benefit from having a guarantee, you need to use it as a marketing tool of course. If you don't advertise your guarantee, you have the liability of one without the benefit (because you would always put something right anyway, wouldn't you?).

Diary Dates 2013 And it matters how guarantees are worded.

“Satisfaction guaranteed” is OK but you can make it sound much more exciting than that… and you should!

How about a 100% No-Risk Iron-Clad Money Back Guarantee? And then explain exactly what that means… that they have no fear of complaining!

Why not add a multiple guarantee, say a Thirty Day Spot Removal Guarantee? Or a Seven Day Spillage Guarantee? If they have a spillage in the next seven days, you will return and spot clean it free of charge. And why not preface all that by saying “I'm very serious about my guarantees” and mean it.

All of these things put the prospects mind at rest.

After all, you would want to correct any problems anyway, wouldn't you… if something were to go wrong? It's an opportunity for your customers to see how good your complaints department is. But tell them in advance with a strong guarantee.

And if you’ve cheerfully corrected any concerns, you will likely have a customer for life.

Member referral report Since publishing a referral statistics report in last month's Newslink there have been 73 recommendations for full members provided by the NCCA. This number is made up of 33 referrals from the NCCA office, 37 potential customers contacting members direct through the website and 3 referrals to members without an email address, which have been tracked by the office.

NCCA COURSES Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning 27th - 28th September 22nd -23rd November Spot & Stain Removal 25th October Health & Safety 19th September Carpet Cleaners Carnival 14th September (Wicksteed Park, Northamptonshire) NCCA courses held at NSPCC Training Centre, Leicester unless otherwise stated.

Visit: www.ncca.co.uk for booking forms and further details.

IICRC COURSES (HERTFORDSHIRE) Carpet Cleaning Technician with Paul Pearce 29th - 30th October Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning Technician with Paul Pearce 12th - 13th November Held at Alltec Network, Royston, Hertfordshire. Tel: 01763 208222

IICRC COURSES (SURREY) Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning Technician with Adam Jankowski 6th - 7th November Applied Structural Drying Technician with Adam Jankowski 3rd - 5th December Held at National Flood School, Surrey.

Tel: 01252 821185 Visit: www.iicrc.org for further details on all IICRC Training Courses.

Damage correction Derek Bolton

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s you become more established in the cleaning profession, and hopefully build yourself a reputation (a good one of course), you may be asked to correct problems that were caused by other less experienced cleaners or even other contractors outside our trade. This damage can be extremely varied and complex.

The most natural reaction, when contacted by an often overwrought panicky member of the public with a problem of this type, is to immediately think that it's a great opportunity to gain a new customer and prove your worth. But before you rush ahead in an attempt to 'save the day', which we have all done in our cleaning career I am sure, you should assess the situation carefully. If it all goes 'pear shaped' then the customer's grateful attitude will soon change, so tread carefully and take the necessary steps to protect the reputation of yourself and your business.

Examples of this type of damage, which I have come across over the years, has been: 1. Damage to carpet caused by the cleaning company over-wetting, plus the use of high alkaline chemicals, resulting in severe cellulosic browning - one carpet, in particular, which was left so alkaline (pH 12) that the owners feet (they weren't wearing shoes because of their lovely newly cleaned carpet) were coming out in a rash and shedding skin.

2. Carpet shrinkage due to a painter taking off a radiator and not reinstalling it correctly thereby flooding the carpet at one end.

3. Carpet damaged by a fireplace installer. Soot had fallen whilst fitting a new fireplace and the workman had tried to remove the marks with a wire brush‌ on a 100% Polypropylene pile carpet‌ melted fibres.

WHOOPS! 4. Damage to furnishing fabrics caused by poor cleaning techniques, cellulosic browning or an over application of a post protective treatment resulting in sticky residues (a couple of such cases leading to children coming out in an allergic rash).

These are just a selection 'off the top of my head', unfortunately there are many others.

If you are ever asked to correct these sorts of

problems, you should recommend that the customer contact the contractor who originally caused the situation and request that they correct it. If they are unable to offer any ideas then it is they who should contact you to see if you can do anything for them.

The usual survey plus qualification should then take place with no guarantees given; this way the responsibility still lies with the original contractor.

If you decide to attempt any remedial correction process on the instructions of the owner, then the problem, and any liability, will highly likely become yours.

If your attempts fail and the customer tries to take the original contractor to court at a later date, the fact that you undertook any remedial processes on the damaged item will more than likely release the original contractor from any responsibility to replace the item!

In Summary, make sure you stick to the following procedures: 1. Recommend that the customer contact the contractor who caused the damage to correct the problem.

2. If you feel that you can deal with this satisfactorily yourself, then ask the customer to inform the

contractor that you would be willing to carry out remedial work (no guarantee) on receiving written instructions from the contractor, specifying your terms and conditions, i.e. that you will be paid regardless of the results.

3. Quote and charge enough money to take into account the additional time and skill required to correct the problem.

Following these procedures should ensure that you avoid receiving any blame for the problem and will probably even gain you a new customer once the issue is resolved. It's a 'win win' situation.

How much for fuel?

E

Ken Wainwright

arlier this year at an industry event, I had the opportunity to spend some time with NCCA Director Nigel Lay. We spoke about many things, one of them being our vehicles.

Nigel told me that his van always seemed to be running a bit 'rough' and no amount of attention from the dealer appeared to ease the situation. In desperation, he had turned to premium grade fuels after recalling stories of how they were supposed to improve performance and mpg and even help an engine run better. He said that this did actually cure all of his problems, plus the claims of better mpg were true for him too.

Luckily with my own van I've never had any issues. The engine has always been ‘a goodun’ and I've always been happy with the mpg from regular diesel, regardless of brand. I always fill my tank when refuelling and always record the mileage. EVERY tankful! I can report that I consistently achieve 34 to 36mpg, month after month, year after year…

So, how much does our fuel really cost? I decided to carry out my own research. I filled my tank with a premium branded Super Diesel and the first tankful achieved 38.4mpg. I've never achieved that figure before, even as a 'one off' when travelling to Cornwall with motorway virtually door to door. I was really chuffed. And over the period of this tankful the engine seemed to be running sweeter than ever, with sharper response and a cleaner pick-up. The second tankful duplicated the same results.

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I have now completed some simple costings of my own. The fuel prices I have used are for the 14th June. As fuel prices are volatile, the day-to-day changes would invalidate my calculations, hence the specific date. ŸPremium brand Super Diesel - 1.47.9p ŸPremium brand Regular Diesel - 1.39.9p ŸSupermarket Regular Diesel - 1.36.9p As for the actual costs, the best way for me to compare them was to use cost per mile. ŸPremium brand Super Diesel 17.47p per mile ŸPremium brand Regular Diesel 18.23p per mile ŸSupermarket Regular Diesel 17.84p per mile My conclusion is that the most expensive diesel fuel is not only the best for performance, but also best for economy and cost too. A triple whammy for my driving experience, the environment and my pocket... or is it?

The NCCA has recently negotiated a low cost fuel deal with MF Oils. I'm sure you've all read about it in Newslink. On this scheme, I can purchase fuel from the same supermarket I usually use with a discount from pump prices which is averaging at 3p per litre saving for me. If I factor this into my findings as above, my fuel costs now work out at 17.45p per mile, fractionally less than the previous best figure.

It looks like the hard work put in by the Board of Directors has come up trumps once again and is saving us more than ever on our fuel.

Volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) Terry Guilford (The Ultimate Floor Sanding Co.)

T

here are two VOC directives which exist in Europe today. In 2007 the Solvent Emission Directive (1999), to limit the amount of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCS) used in many products, came into force. Then in 2010 the Products Directive (2004) aimed at decorative paints (including floor finishes) - also became operational.

So, is this legislation just 'big brother' flexing his muscles or is there a point to it? Well yes, in fact, on this occasion there is. As well as protecting public health it's also there to protect the health of the planet, but for the purposes of this article I am going to focus purely on how it directly effects our industry and those that work within it.

Starting with the negative side of things, the more recently developed, less harmful, waterbased finishes now used in our industry are more expensive to manufacture than their longer standing solvent-based counterparts (because they contain more ingredients and have to be produced in a much cleaner environment) and the research and development costs of creating these

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products has to be recouped of course. Floor sanding with water-based products also demands a far higher standard of work by the technician (even higher for wax oil) and the site conditions have to be more precise than when using solventbased products. So… it's a bit more work and a bit more expensive; bad news for some but perhaps not such bad news for those already achieving a high standard of workmanship.

On the ‘plus’ side, one of the main benefits of the new(ish) legislation is in the improved health of those using the products, although some of the

old-school floor sanders even fail to see this as a 'plus side', referring to it as “European interference”. When the legislation was introduced, rather than embracing the new products and learning to use them, they decided they could fight the change by disparaging them to their clients, telling them that they were not as good as the old solvent-based products. In the early days of water-based development there was an element of truth in this, as manufacturers struggled to get their products to perform with fewer solvents. However, nowadays the products are extremely good (in fact better than their solvent-based counterparts) when applied by a competent contractor, yet still there are those who don't want to make the change. These people are flouting the law, because although a homeowner can make the decision to use solvent-based products in their own home, a professional cannot. Yes, solventbased lacquers are easier to use and cheaper, but isn't health more important?

So, here we get down to the nitty gritty… are there actually genuine health benefits to the end user? Well, as a contractor, and prior to changing

over to water-based and wax oil products, I constantly suffered from colds and flu, but when I made the change it was like flicking a switch on in my body and I became much less susceptible to these infections. Discussions with my GP at that time revealed that I wasn't alone in suffering health problems from using solvents. He had several patients using them in their work who had had to give up their jobs and others who were suffering serious long term lung damage. A small amount of internet research also shows that health problems are not only confined to lung issues but include skin damage, vital organ damage, issues with fertility and birth defects and even psychological problems (“yes dear, that does explain it”).

Coming straight after the asbestos article, maybe you think “Terry is on a rant” and maybe you are right. However, there is one major difference here. Unlike the asbestos issue, in this case there are no cover-ups and no instances of 'profit before people'. Both the legislators and the manufacturers have done their bit here, so now it's up to you. It's your choice and your future… you decide.

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In the last issue of Newslink we relayed the events of the NCCA tour of Blickling Hall in Norfolk at the end of June. In this edition we are covering the excellent tour of the National Trust Textile Conservation Studio (situated near Blickling) which took place on the same day. See below.

Tour of the National Trust Conservation Studio, Norfolk On arrival at the conservation studio we were met in the entrance hall by the manager, a lovely lady called Ksynia, who said that she had been very much looking forward to meeting us all.

A published author, who was previously a Senior Textile Conservator at the Victoria and Albert museum, Ksynia is now an advisor for the National Trust and manages a group of ten conservationists, four of whom we met on the day.

We were told that, although employed by the National Trust, the studio does take in outside work and that this was the largest independent conservation studio in the country. Ksynia spends

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All photographs Š Glyn Charnock

Glyn and Maureen Charnock

her valuable time assessing textiles that are in need of conservation, such as clothing, curtains, carpets and tapestries from all over the country, as well as looking after all the textiles on the Blickling Estate.

Fellow NCCA Director, Keith Robertson, was the

first to make an impression when he demonstrated his impressive knowledge of Scottish carpet manufacturing history in the first few minutes of the tour. His knowledge and insights made the tour even more interesting, but I think all of the members present had a contribution to make and the studio staff were interested in our perspective as professional cleaners.

The conservators log every fifteen minutes of their time to ensure the client is only charged for the actual time spent on each item, so all the staff leaving their usual work to talk to us cost the studio quite a bit when you work it out. Again, as with Blickling Hall, the tour overran.

Booked for an hour, we arrived at 2.30pm and finally left as the staff were covering their work up ready to go home at 5pm!

We began the tour in the cleaning room where a tapestry was laid across a large table. Ksynia told us the studio is all about conserving the history of items. This is very different to restoration, which is attempting to bring them back to their original condition. Conservation is

all about stabilising the item in its current condition, as any previous repairs are part of the items history and should not be removed.

However, there is one big exception to this rule repairs undertaken in the post-war years by untrained conservators using harmful glues.

These glues are removed from items using some fairly nasty chemicals, but the studio is set up to deal with products like this, with fume hoods, extraction systems and solvent recovery systems.

Ksynia explained how a vast table in the middle of the room (on which they had placed a tapestry for our interest) could be removed and the room configured as a wash-pit with sloping floor and drainage channels.

However, they do send some delicate tapestries to De Wets in Belgium to be washed, as they have a safe suction system. Ksynia told us that De Wets are always saying the English have the dirtiest tapestries in Europe.

One of the teams' conservators explained how they cleaned the tapestry, how the repairs were being done and some of the problems they face, Continued on next page

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such as brown dyes with Iron Mordents in them as this oxidises and rots the wool leaving bare patches.

Upstairs there were two separate tapestries which had been mounted on a roller system for the conservators to work on a section at a time.

We were told some of the history of each tapestry and how they were stabilising the structures to allow them to be put back on display whilst minimising future deterioration.

Repairs are made through a linen cloth at the back of the tapestry to support damaged areas and enable it to be safely re-hung. Larger missing areas are often replaced with fairly plain stabilising repairs which blend into the tapestry having minimal visual impact for anyone looking at it - rather than trying to replicate the original.

It was genuinely awe inspiring to see the painstaking processes undertaken to stabilise and preserve the most historic irreplaceable carpets, tapestries and fabrics in the country. One estimate for the conservation of a 9m by 6m carpet was for over 1500 hours of work costing over £73000.

An example of the lengths taken to preserve items was the process for deep vacuuming a carpet. The carpet was marked out in 30cm squares, and each square was vacuumed using a hand tool at different suction levels for differing lengths of time. The vacuums used have variable suction and had filters fitted to enable the assessment of the soil removed. A log was

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produced for future cleans outlining a cleaning schedule of vacuuming each 30cm square for twelve minutes with 400 millibars of suction. A bit more detailed than our usual 'vac in two directions' approach!

We saw a number of other items being worked upon in different areas of the studio, and it was all fascinating stuff, from a Cantonniére (Pelmet) from the James 2nd bed at Knole, a 1680s Italian cut velvet with silk trimmings, used as the bed head (estimated cost of conservation for the whole bed and associated furniture, £800,000!) to a gold fabric wedding outfit made for a gentleman - breaches, doublet and gloves adorned with hundreds of delicate silk ribbons.

The degree of dedication and knowledge demonstrated by the conservators at the studio is amazing, but they also recognised the level of knowledge and expertise of the NCCA members on the tour.

We all had such an excellent day that we are now looking at booking another tour at the Conservation Studio for next July, maybe with a different National Trust property to visit, possibly Felbrigg Hall. So, watch this space!

Maureen and I would like to thank the members who came along, Robin and Vikki Wilmot for their feedback and kind words and we wish Martin and Maggie Lightbown all the best for a very long and happy retirement! Our “respect” to Peter Jones for walking the nine miles from Aylsham to Wroxham the following day - apparently the train ride back was much needed!

Steve Scotter (Hydro Dynamix)

Asbestos in domestic buildings

C

arpet cleaning technicians carrying out their daily work in domestic properties should not normally come into contact with asbestos or Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM's).

However, should carpet cleaners be called to a fire or flood damaged building or a property undergoing repair/refurbishment , there could be asbestos present.

Asbestos may

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be existent in a property in sheet form around a consumer electrical unit, concrete sheeting, pipe and loft insulation, or in ACM's such as artex or textured plaster finishes, thermoplastic floor tiles, toilet seats and acoustic ceiling tiles. However, asbestos and ACM's were not used in building

construction or repairs from 1999 onwards.

Before entering a damaged property it is important to know if there is asbestos present, whether it has been affected by the building damage, or works, or if fibres may be present in the air. Fire, flood and other building damage can disturb asbestos fibres.

Technicians that enter damaged properties must be trained in asbestos awareness and re-trained every twelve months to keep them up-to-date; this is a legal requirement. Training must include carrying out risk assessments and implementing control measures. When approaching a damaged building, technicians should wear the correct PPE and carry out an asbestos risk assessment. Any

disturbed materials that could be asbestos or ACM's must be tested before work can take place.

There are three different colours of asbestos fibres and these are: blue, brown and white, the colours can change due to environmental conditions or building damage that's taken place. It can only be identified under a microscope by a qualified competent person.

Asbestos fibres can cause lung cancer if they are inhaled. Current HSE advice is that all types of asbestos are hazardous.

Steve Scotter was a carpet cleaner and a member of the National Carpet Cleaners Association for many years. He now works for NCCA Corporate Member, Hydro-Dynamix Ltd, as a NEBOSH qualified Health and Safety Manager.

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Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) protecting your workers Ashley Sheppard and Phil Crosbie (Eversheds LLP)

H

and-arm vibration (HAV) is vibration transmitted from work processes into workers' hands and arms. It can be caused by operating hand-held power tools - such as pressurecleaners - and can be a significant cause of ill health and lost time across the industry. The problem experienced by many employers is that HAV syndrome is often spotted too late and the symptoms are usually the first time the employer becomes aware of the risk.

Prolonged and regular exposure to HAV can affect an operator's health, resulting in painful disorders of the nerves, blood supply, joints and muscles of the hands and arms. The risk of developing or exacerbating HAV syndrome increases with every daily exposure and symptoms vary widely between individuals.

For employers, vigilance is key; which is often difficult where employees work in disparate locations or without regular access to management. Problems are also experienced where employees use their own work equipment, which has not been assessed for HAV risks. Once the damage is done it is permanent and if employers fail to identify the symptoms early,

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harm will likely increase.

The good news is that HAVS is entirely preventable and there are simple and costeffective ways to eliminate its risk in the workplace and avoid putting workers in danger of harm.

The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, came into force on 6 July 2005 and aims to protect workers from risks to health from vibration by focussing on the elimination or control of vibration exposure.

The regulations introduce action and limit values for hand-arm and whole-body vibration. Any exposure above the 'action value' requires an

employee to introduce protective measures; there should be no exposure above the 'limit value'. The daily vibration exposure for each employee is measured by assessing the Anti-vibration gloves can help in the level of avoidance of HAVS vibration of tools being used and the exposure time for each tool (i.e. total 'finger-ontrigger time', rather than how long the employee was working on a particular task). This can only be achieved by an employer where they know what an employee does each day and what tools that person has access to.

HSE research during the 1990s estimated that around five million British workers were exposed to HAVS in the workplace. Approximately 1.7 million were believed to be exposed at levels above the regulated exposure action value, with around 900,000 of these exposed above the current exposure limit.

In the same way as a more typical work injury, reporting the HAVS diagnosis of an employee to the HSE will often lead to a visit and an investigation. An employer will be required to show that it did everything 'reasonably practicable' to reduce the risk from HAVS. But what is reasonably practicable?

Firstly, there is a requirement to conduct a

vibration risk assessment for each work activity and assess likely exposure. These risk assessments must also be fluid and subject to review periodically and when circumstances during employment change. Consideration should be given to situations where multiple tools are used as this will affect levels of exposure.

Where the daily exposure action value is likely to be exceeded, the employer must ensure that exposed employees have suitable health surveillance and provide information, instruction and proper training on any hand-held vibrating equipment that is to be used in the employee's working day.

The most efficient and effective way of controlling exposure to HAV is to look for new or alternative work methods which eliminate or reduce exposure to vibration. Regular maintenance of equipment, or the purchase of new equipment, may also help in reducing exposure levels.

Awareness of HAV risks has never been greater within the health and safety sphere but more needs to be done to eliminate vibration-related health issues from the workplace. To this end, a practical understanding of how tools and consumables behave in practice and what effect this has on your own workforce is helpful to you so that your employees are safe and you keep on the right side of the law.

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Items for sale BUSINESS FOR SALE Small, long-established, reputable NCCA Registered, working carpet, upholstery and soft furnishings cleaning company. Essex based. Owner Operator retiring. To be sold as a complete package only. Mobile HWE and dry cleaning system. Domestic and commercial clients.

Genuine interested parties only please to call 07903 497298 and leave details.

BUSINESS FOR SALE Small, well established carpet, hard floor and upholstery cleaning business (London and Kent borders). Package includes: 57 plate Vauxhall Vivaro LWB Van with 53k miles on the clock, Prochem Blazer GT Truck Mount machine with only 270hrs on the clock, established interactive website (which had SEO programme last year), chemicals, turbo drier, 250 feet of solution and suction hose and van mounted hose reels, together with a property maintenance company name, website and promotional materials. Contact telephone number 020 8309 6517.

Sale price: £18,000 O.N.O. VACANCY & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Experienced full time Carpet and Floor Care Technician required. Own van and equipment an advantage but not essential. Good business incentive package (profit share or buy in). Area coverage M4 corridor from Bristol to London. Apply by email to glynn.norcutt@gnccontractservices.com with full CV, etc.) or telephone: 01672 871882 or mobile: 07831 172743.

CITROEN RELAY HDi LWB HR (WITH 12-MONTHS MOT) + TRUCK MOUNTED CARPET CLEANING MACHINE VAN: Year-56plate. Miles-38453. TAX-End March 2013.

MOT Due-August 2013. Serviced March 2012.

TRUCK MOUNT: Chemspec 860 High Heat. Hours2537.5hrs. This was Chemspec's largest and most powerful petrol truck mount. The same was used as their demonstrator mounted on a trailer. It is designed as a dual wand system so a 2man team can work continuously at impressive distances if required, but equally can be run as a simple wand system. The machine is mounted on the vehicle complete with: large waste tank, large capacity clean water tank, retractable hose reel for easy filling, fuel tank, chemical shelf, 5 x 50' extraction hoses on van mounted reel for easy set up, 5 x 50' solution hoses on van mounted reel for easy set up, 3 x large carpet wands, 1 x Hand Tool, 2 x yellow/black hose pavement ramps, chemical tanks. We have it set up so you can have up to 4 different chemicals ready to go and can simply be switched from one to the other without moving/switching tanks. We have also invested and have installed an Eberspacher cab heater (http://www.eberspacher.com/products/air-heating/) which allows the back of the vehicle to be kept warm overnight during the winter months if the vehicle can't be garaged. This runs independently from the engine. Cost: £10,750+VAT. Contact Peter Booth on: 01553 762762.

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EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Prochem 250 ft vacuum hoses for truck mount £150.00. Chemspec hose reel for truck mount plastic £200. Prochem sadle tank for truckmount 227 litre/60 gallons - £250.00.

Contact aquadriinfo@btconnect.com for further information or contact Andy on: 07970 544806.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Mobile container/bin (red) - comes with lid. Heavy duty container on wheels. L55” x W32” x H31”, ideal hose and other carpet clng equipment storage. List price: £199 - selling for £75. Whole room drier/air mover. List price: £534 - selling for £175 (no VAT). Contact: Chis on: 02380 898 212 or email:mncrostance@googlemail.com or phone Chris on: 07970 040729.

TRUCKMOUNT Banclene truck mount complete with base unit, stainless steel 80 gallon recovery tank, 100 gallon solution tank, 150 feet of Vaccuum/solution hoses, floor, stair and various upholstery hand tools, inline heater and misc parts etc..The van has been sold seperately. Selling due to retirement and will consider the highest offer. Call Derek at Aquamaster on 01845 537640 - mobile 07976 218304 or email derek @aquamaster-yorkshire.co.uk CLEANING AND RESTORATION MACHINERY EQUIPMENT - ACCESSORIES Dri-Eaz Dehumidifier 1200 as New Boxed £450.00. DriEaz Sahara Pro TurboDryer - New Boxed £150.00. DriEaz Dri X Airchanger Dehumidifier New Boxed. Normal Price £1900.00. Our Price £500.00. Plus much more. For a complete list please telephone: 07580 182 325 or Email: info@restoration-direct.co.uk MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT 3 Ozone plates 4'' x 6'' to fit Jetazone 600 ozone generator - £15.00 for the 3, plus £5.00 p & p.

Chemspec stainless steel 4 jet floor wand in good condition - £100.00 plus delivery charge if applicable.

Please phone Pete Collins on 07885 804560.

BUSINESS FOR SALE Well established (November 2000) Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning business. Selling due to retirement.

Centrally located covering Nottingham, Derby and Leicester (all within 20 miles). The business includes 04 reg'd Transit Van, taxed Feb 2014, MOT Aug 2014, Triple Vacuum Alltec Advance 0-600psi machine capable also of Tile and Grout cleaning, spare machine - Alltec Pro Plus, Rotovac, wand, carpet and upholstery hand tools, chemicals, hoses, air mover, plus numerous marketing materials, (Joe Polish, Pirahna Marketing) existing website and large customer database. If interested please contact Colin Wakefield at Breedon Carpet Care on 01332 865565 or 07811 963317.

NCCA Corporate Members EQUIPMENT FOR SALE - ÂŁ2950 Top of the range Ashbys Ninja adjustable up to 400psi with inbuilt heater and Hot Solvent Functionality. 2 x25m vacuum hoses, 1 x silencer hose, 1 x wand, 1 x upholstery tool, 1 x dry cleaning solvent tool. Sebo Duo agitator, Sebo Vacuum BS36, 1.5hp blower dryer, Truvox high speed buffer, Prochem Stain Removal kit, 2 x 6 litres pressure sprayers, 1 x 1 litre upholstery / spot sprayer, vinyl mat for Ninja, and 1 terrapaulin sheet, Huge array of chemicals including: Prochem Power Burst, Defoamer, Prochem Pre Spray Gold, Prochem Natural Carpet Cleaner, Ashby's supreme Anti Grease, Prochem Browning prescription, Prochem Fabric and Fibre Rinse, Ashby's Extra Fresh, Prochem Odour Fresh. Box of other bits including shoe covers; brushes, polystyrene pads, measuring jugs, dry compound.

All in excellent condition. Selling as my second business is consuming all of my time. Contact Richard 07903 841534.

The Association advises that all goods are checked to be in a satisfactory condition, and comply to electrical and health and safety standards, etc. It is recommended that equipment serial numbers should be checked to ensure the seller is the legitimate owner. The Association accepts no responsibility or liability arising from any transaction or dispute between the buyer and seller.

+ Allied Insurance Services Ltd: 0844 8156211 (I) + Alltec Network: 01763 208222 (C/M/F/T) + Amtech UK: 01444 232211 (C/M) + Ashby's Cleaning Equipment: 01322 227806 (C/M/E) + Asset Finance Solutions UK Ltd: 01254 584404 (FI) + Bio Productions Ltd (inc. Stapro): 01444 244000 (C) + Camberford Law (insurance brokers): 0208 315 5000 (I) + Chemdry Franchising Ltd: 01482 872770 (C/M/Fr) + Chemspec Europe Ltd: 01274 597333 (C/M/T/D/F) + Cleanerswarehouse Ltd: 01772 434333 (T/C/R/M) + Cleaning Systems UK: 01334 656787 (C/M/T/F) + Cleanpro Software Solutions Ltd: 01582 518467 + Cleansmart Ltd: 0115 8240034 (T/C/R/M/K) + Cleantec Innovation Ltd: 0870 733 7733 (T/C/W/M) + Columbus Cleaning Machines Ltd: 01772 426527 (M) + Dri-Eaz Products Ltd: 01908 611211 (C/M/T) + Dry Fusion UK Ltd: 01772 433711 (C/M/T/W/Fr) + Forum of Private Business: 01565 634467 + Get Booked Up Software: 01405 813665 + Gleaming Insurance (insurance brokers): 0845 4740068 (I) + Hi-Tec Cleaning Group: 02866 341416 (C/E/F/M/T) + Host Von Schrader Ltd: 0151 347 1900 (M/C)

NCCA Member Benefits Adelante Merchant Services: 01628 820500 BeValued - Home Options (specialist claims management - insurance work): Call Shaun Mulvey on 01323 418432 Control Account PLC: 01527 882901 EMJ Management Ltd (workwear clothing and accessories): 02392 434650 Hibu (previously Yell) - ask for Corporate Advertising Department: 0808 100 7890 HMCA (free legal and counselling helpline): 0117 934 2600 HMCA (medical health cover): 01423 866985 MF Oils (fuel discounts): Call Jake on 01202 339197 Payatrader: 01296 660177

+ Hydro Dynamix: 01622 664993 (Fr)T) + Mailboxes Etc: 01628 633336 + McGregor Lloyd (insurance brokers): 0121 706 0616 (I) + NSL Restormate: 01670 590099: (M/C/Tr) + Nu Life Stone Care Ltd: 0161 480 7284 (M/C) + Oates Laboratories (Europe): 01772 433711 (C) + Prochem Europe Ltd: 0208 974 1515 (C/F/M/T) + Rainbow International: 01623 422488 (M/C/Fr) + Restoration Express: 01252 726106 (M/C/T/A) + Robert Saunders Marketing Mentor: 08450 537129 (K) + Sebo UK Ltd: 01494 465533 (M) + ServiceMaster Ltd: 0116 275 9000 (M/C/Fr) + Stainshield Ltd: 01372 841467 (C) + Textile Cleaning Solutions: 01934 521155 (M/C) + The Big Clean: 0208 3934778 (M,C,W,K) + The Ultimate Floor Sanding Co.: 00353 91846488 (M/C/Fr) + The WoolSafe Organisation: 01943 850817

SiteWizard (website creation): 08450 608860

+ Truvox International Ltd: 02380 702200 (M)

Thompson Local - ask forCorporate Advertsing Department: 01252 390385

+ Worldwide Cleaning Support: 01279 422220 (C/M)

TrustMark (Diversity): 0115 9673767

C - Chemicals / M - Machinery / W - Wholesalers / Fr - Franchises / I - Insurance / K - Marketing / T - Technical Services / F - Fire Retardents / A - Auxiliary Services (Restoration Cleaners) / E Supply/Repair of Curtains and Blinds / Fi - Finance / Tr - Training.

Going Going - Gone & see come n actio ne in at dye go .4 o n and rs on st leane rpet c a C e 3 1 h t val 20 carni

BEFORE

AFTER

Dye Gone offers a unique new package and application device to remove the severest of dye stains including: coffee, tea, wine, hair dyes, paints, candle colours etc.

No need to mix - just spray - wait and the stain is gone.* *pre-test carefully and rinse out after stain is removed with cold water after use.

Chemspec Europe, Tong Park, Otley Road, Baildon, West Yorkshire, BD17 7QD. Tel: 01274 597333 Fax: 01274 597444 E-mail: info@chemspec-europe.com Website: www.chemspec-europe.com