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ncca Features:
Drying Times Dry Soil Extraction Good Customer Advice
December 2014 - January 2015
The official journal of the National Carpet Cleaners Association
Contents
Published monthly by:
03 From the Editor - notice of membership renewals 2015/16 04 New NCCA President is elected at the General Meeting this year 04 NCCA achieves ISO 9001:2008 certification 06 Consumer technical enquiries 08 Practice, practice, practice 12 REMEMBER... ‘Big Brother’ may be watching! 14 Dry soil extraction 16 It’s that time of year again! 18 A wake-up call 19 The best way to build your business? 20 The changing face of floor care 21 Damage to wood floors when cleaning soft furnishings 22 Drying times 26 Good customer advice 28 You can never learn too much
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
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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Editor Nicky Law Editor in Chief Keith Robertson Design Editor Nikki Law President/Admin Director Nigel Lay Technical Director Paul Pearce Company Secretary/1st Vice President/ Training Director Glyn Charnock Corporate Director/2nd Vice President Allan Simmons Membership Director Martin Johns Marketing Director Keith Robertson Co-opted Franchise Director Denise Pitt www.facebook.com/NCCAFloorCare www.twitter.com/NCCA_floorcare_
From the Editor - notice of membership renewals 2015/16
M
embership renewal documents for 2015/2016 will be sent on April 1st 2015 and due for payment by May 1st 2015. As stated in The Articles of Association: “Any Member wishing to resign from the Company shall give 60 clear days' notice of his intended resignation in writing to the Secretary and at the expiry of such notice shall cease to be a member, but in default of giving such notice, at least 60 clear days before the expiry of the current year, such member shall be liable to pay the subscription for the ensuing year”. If you are experiencing difficulties or considering not renewing your membership please contact us. We never like to hear that a member has decided they no longer plan to be part of the NCCA, and we would like to work with you to do all we can to assist. This year we introduced a Direct Debit service through a company called GoCardless, this has proven to be very popular with nearly 20% of the membership choosing this method of payment. The advantage of using Direct Debit is that once it has been set up, the facility will remain in place unless it is cancelled, taking the worry out of remembering to pay subscription fees. We will write to you at the end of each membership year reminding you of your renewal and that payments will be deducted automatically via Direct Debit. You can choose to spread the payment of your subscription fees over a number of months (a maximum of six) or in one single payment. If you do not wish to renew your membership for the
coming year, notice must be put in writing to the Company Secretary before the 31st January. Please note, this item is Nicky Law legally enforceable. Newslink Editor At the General Meeting, held on November 29th, it was agreed to increase the membership fees to £225 + VAT, in line with inflation. However, due to the increasing popularity among the members to use Direct Debit, it was proposed and agreed that a reduced fee of £220 + VAT be offered to all members who already use this facility or who sign up by 1st May; it was also agreed that the 1% GoCardless fee could be waived. For any member signing up to Direct Debit after the 1st May, they will still benefit from the reduced fee, but will incur the 1% fee. Other requirements of your renewal are a completed Health & Safety declaration form and proof of insurance; we will again be accepting Public Liability schedules that clearly state that they include either Treatment Risk or Products Liability. To aid in swift processing of your renewal, please make sure you send all the correct required documentation. All members who have not yet completed a full year of membership will still be receiving a subscription invoice sent on April 1st. The fee will have been reduced in respect of how long you have been a member. Payment of this invoice will bring your renewal in line with the rest of the membership and your renewal year will run from April to April from then on.
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New NCCA President is elected at the General Meeting this year At the NCCA General Meeting, on Saturday 29th November, a new NCCA President was elected.
Paul Pearce awarding Nigel Lay the role of NCCA President
Nigel Lay, who has spent several years on the NCCA Board working hard as Events Director (organising the Carpet Cleaners Carnival) as well as working very closely with the NCCA office in an administrative capacity, has now been awarded the much coveted and extremely prestigious position of NCCA President. Congratulations Nigel!
NCCA achieves ISO 9001:2008 certification Achieving ISO 2001:2008 certification was a condition of the NCCA being awarded TrustMark Scheme Operator status (and gaining our own 'Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners' category on the TrustMark website) earlier this year. We are delighted to announce that, following an assessment by an independent organisation in November, the NCCA has now been awarded this much coveted accreditation. ISO 9001:2008 is an internationally recognised prestigious award for quality - a standard by which a company's Quality Management System can be evaluated. Gaining ISO certification is something we are particularly proud of as it demonstrates our commitment to quality, traceability and continual improvement. With only 3% of UK businesses holding this certificate,
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we have been proved to be at the forefront of quality and care in the services we provide to both Association members and to the public. Upon earning the ISO 9001:2008 certification, NCCA President, Nigel Lay, commented “We have worked very hard on gaining accreditation through ISO. We were very keen from the outset to ensure that the ISO framework was used to bring genuine value to the Association, rather than focusing on the accreditation for accreditation's sake. Providing a quality service to our members, the public, and the industry as a whole, is a key priority for the Association. ISO certification is a significant milestone in our commitment to continual improvement and shows just how far we'll go to ensure high standards of service. We are extremely proud of what we have achieved.�
Consumer technical enquiries
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CCA Board Directors are often required to answer a multitude of technical queries from both NCCA members, non-members and the public. Every enquiry gets our full attention and are a joy to receive because they get us thinking. We don't know all the answers but will (hopefully) point everyone in the right direction. Over the years I must have answered more than a thousand technical enquiries by phone, text or e-mail and they come in all shapes and sizes, from shrinking carpets to animal accidents and everything in between. Paul
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With consumer enquiries we always recommend that they use an NCCA member company for professional rectification of the problem and direct them to the NCCA website for a member in their area. However, first of all we usually offer some advice. You may wonder why we give advice in the first place. Well, people ask questions, and unfortunately many really want to try and correct the problem themselves. Most of the time, however, having listened to their issues and provided some advice, we insist on professional cleaning as the only option.
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Paul Pearce Below I have included three enquiries I have personally received (via email), together with my replies. As you will see, some of the emails I receive are quite hard to interpret (Question 2 is a prime example of this). You may not agree with my advice, but often the consumer does not offer any further information so the detective in me has to come into play (thank goodness for CSI!). Question 1: “Could you tell me what would remove a drop of silver nitrate out of a carpet please?” My reply: “Silver nitrate can be used in medicines, hobbies such as photography, and many other things. Many years ago I had my own dark room and so know what silver nitrate can do. The problem is that trying to remove it from soft furnishings is not an easy task. If your carpet is a protein fibre, such as wool or an acid died nylon, then it will be harder to remove as it has an affinity to these items”. I then supplied a simple 'how to' process with the relevant information on it. I also advised that any solutions should be tested in an inconspicuous area, to see the reaction, and specified that the solution should not be over applied because of possible de-lamination of tufted carpets. This consumer reported back to me with a success and a “thank you" and followed this up by calling an NCCA member to carry out an overall clean. Question 2: “I have purchased a Wooltec carpet which is situated throughout each carpeted room downstairs, up the stairs and on the landing. I have the more superior one, which
was laid eighteen months ago and I was very pleased with it to start with. Unfortunately this carpet now has stains all over it, which seem to just appear, and I can't get rid of them. It looks awful! There are only two of us in the house and we are not messy people and take pride in our home. With our previous carpets just a quick spot clean was all that was needed. I have tried the fizzy water and go stargazing which takes the stain out but it comes back again, we would welcome your advice please.” (Yes, I was particularly confused by that last sentence too!). My reply: “First of all, I am struggling to understand the use of 'fizzy water' or actually know what 'stargazing' is in relation to carpet spotting. Could you please explain? Quite often there are a few reasons why a stain returns. The first reason is because the item that caused the stain has not been properly removed and is therefore collecting more soil. Secondly, it could be that the cleaning solution itself is attracting more soil. Thirdly it could be that, if the stain/soil hasn’t been rinsed properly, the product applied can wick/evaporate to the surface bringing with it residues of the staining item. You are also probably wondering why your lifetime stain warranty carpet keeps staining? The truth is that all carpets will get soiled from time to time and they will need professional cleaning to remove embedded soils. This way the stains will be totally removed from the carpet. I hope this makes sense. I am going to send you a Wooltec aftercare guide for your records. You will note that one of the recommendations is that the carpet is professionally cleaned every eighteen to twenty four months”. This consumer explained that 'stargazing' was a
typing error and was advised by the retailer to use 'fizzy water' and thanked me for the detailed info. Question 3: “How do you get graphite/metal shavings from a door lock that was opened for maintenance and consequently dropped metal or graphite filings onto the carpet which I cannot hoover up?” My reply: “It is difficult trying to visualise the situation, because if it is metal shavings then a pair of tweezers might be the best option. However if it is a greasy type soil, and you wish to attempt removal yourself, then I can provide you with information on how to do this that would be close to the process I would use myself (I then adapt the first aid procedures from the NCCA website and make it specific to the situation). Of course the best advice I can give you would be to call in an NCCA professional carpet cleaner to carry out the work, especially if it was caused by a contractor as it could be down to them to foot the bill. Details at http://www.ncca.co.uk/membershipdirectory.php” This consumer came back to me to say how impressed he was with the Association and also the NCCA member who visited his home to rectify the problem. We receive these types of questions on a regular basis from consumers, members, non-member carpet cleaners… even from the States! It is amazing how the web is used for just about everything because most people will use the internet during their breaks at work, or even whilst working, as well as through the night. It is just so easy to get information. With some of the queries I receive, I have to source care leaflets from manufacturers, or maybe even have to source the information myself from scratch, to actually be able to provide a reply. It all takes time but it's worth it. We are here to help.
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Practice, practice, practice
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Keith Robertson
f you have chosen stone polishing as one of the niches for your business, you will have gradually built up experience in how different stones react and how you deal with them. It is also likely that when you started out you were taught a specific method of achieving a high shine. For those of you, who came into the industry from a commercial Italian stone polishers cleaning background, it may have with hand-wheels been that your initial experience was gained from crystallising or vitrifying or possibly from the use of diamond or Some of the large non-woven floor pad systems abrasive coated or impregnated cleaning pads. are beneficial to contract cleaners as they can be Some of you, however, will have been introduced used daily and, over a period of days, different to stone polishing by attending an industry grades can be introduced to gradually improve the training course built around a specific system floors appearance. However, although practical which you then purchased for future use. and cost effective where there is daily access, they Over a period of time, no doubt, you will have are probably not going to provide the result that found there are limits to the overall success of you are required to obtain if you are attempting to the systems you are introduced to. Much of the achieve a finished result in one visit. time they give you the results you expect, but not There are, of course, a number of manufacturers always. and suppliers of different types of pads, so it Along the way you also come to realise that would be logical to experiment to find which work different customers have different expectations, more effectively and suit you. It may be that you and different budgets, and so have to consider find the combined use of coated pads, followed by less time consuming methods which will fit these polishing powders or crystallisation, will achieve situations. what is required. On the other hand you might
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choose a combination of honing and polishing powders on their own to remove small scratches and polish the surface to an acceptable finish. Each different method may work better or more successfully on some floors than others. Some marbles can be notoriously difficult to polish and respond best to specialist machines using diamond discs. Even here there are discussions as to whether the single disc heavy duty machines, normally used in the UK or the US, really produce the same quality of finish as a traditional Italian machine equipped with a hand wheel to ensure perfect levelling. It is logical that there are limitations to most treatment methods and there are both excellent and poor quality products on the market, which is not always reflected in the price you pay. If you haven't yet invested in a complete range of
Crema Marfil flooring
products and equipment it is even more important to get to know what you can achieve on different stones. It would be wise to take before and after photographs and keep a notebook of your results. From time to time you may scratch your head and wonder just why you can't quite obtain the same excellent result on one floor as other previous similar floors where you have been satisfied. For instance, perhaps you’ve come across Crema Marfil that, despite your best efforts, still had a hint of haziness you had not experienced before. One reason could be that the stone was not the 'real deal.' Crema Marfil, marketed as a marble but technically a limestone, is cut out of a range of hills not far from Alicante in Spain. One I was working on had a few tiles that I found difficult to polish to the finish I wanted; it turned out these had been cut in an Italian quarry, sold as Crema Marfil but not genuine Crema Marfil. Since then I have encountered supposed Crema Marfil from Spain, Turkey and China. This can happen time after time. Very often it doesn't matter to the stone finisher, as the final result is quite acceptable, but sometimes it can prove to be quite time wasting. Earlier this year I decided to purchase some 300mm Carrara Continued on next page
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marble tiles for a shower room and, mindful of the issues I have just mentioned, I checked a number of wholesalers until I settled on one in North London who had a good reputation. I considered it worth my while to collect them from London and take them home. It is also not unusual for large stone suppliers to make up their own names for stone. Sometimes this allows them to purchase similar stones from different sources. This may not be noticed when the floor is first laid but can lead to complaints from the customer further down the line. The more you study stone the more you will recognise the differences, which should allow you to explain to the customer that different stone, finished by different producers in different countries, may well not perform equally simply because it has been given a uniform name. Before you start to refinish the floor you should make it very clear that, although you can return the floor to a new condition, this does not mean that it will wear equally in the future. What are the lessons you should learn? ŸFirst, never give up learning about stone. ŸSecond, do not presume that what you have been told is true. ŸThird, do not over promise if you haven't at the very least completed a sample. ŸFourth, practice at home or in the workshop. ŸAsk customers for a spare tile when carrying out the survey. ŸDevelop a relationship with a stone supplier
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which will allow access to waste material which you can take away to practice on. You can never practice too much. To become a ‘specialist’ rather than a ‘general practitioner’ takes practice, practice, practice.
TrustMark Statistics Great news for TrustMark members! During November the category of Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners on the TrustMark website was searched almost 8000 times. 'Click throughs' to members’ details are now averaging over 5000 per month and, since its launch in April this year, this category has been searched (in total) over 41,000 times! How to apply for TrustMark membership TrustMark membership within the Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners category is ONLY available to NCCA members (to see joining criteria go to ‘Benefits and Schemes’ in the Members’ Area of the NCCA website). If you would like to apply to become a TrustMark member please ring the NCCA office on 0116 271 9550 or email: admin@ncca.co.uk
Member referral report Since publishing a referral statistics report in the last issue of Newslink there have been 107 recommendations for full members provided by the NCCA. This number is made up of 44 referrals from the NCCA office, 62 potential customers contacting members direct through the website and 1 referral to a member without an email address, which has been tracked by the office.
Going Going - Gone! BEFORE
Say e dby goo ains! t to s
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.
Wishing all NCCA Members a happy and profitable New Year! 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
REMEMBER... ‘Big Brother’ may be watching! Derek Bolton (Honorary Member)
No power cords means no installation Here’s how it works...
J
ust before you all get to thinking that I am becoming completely delusional with the title of my article this month, let me explain. Years before the popular TV series ever began, a gentleman called George Orwell wrote an excellent novel called 1984. Big Brother was originally a fictional character within this book the dictator of Oceania, a totalitarian state where the ruling party wielded total power over the inhabitants. In the society that Orwell describes, everyone is under complete surveillance by the authorities, mainly by telescreens, and the people are constantly reminded of this by the phrase 'Big Brother is watching you'. The question is, do you ever feel like Big Brother is watching you? CCTV cameras are everywhere
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these days, there are 650 in the Highcross shopping centre in Leicester alone! Then there's the dashboard cameras becoming very popular in cars, the cyclists head cameras and many more. I remember Paul Pearce telling me of the time he was working in a supermarket and the security man telling him how cameras targeted every cashpoint, to the extent they could listen in to the conversations that were taking place there! On my allotment site we occasionally suffer vandalism both from two-legged creatures and badgers. I am now actually thinking about purchasing an infra-red battery operated camera to see just who, or what, the culprits are. Looking on various internet websites I have already discovered a wide variety of covert cameras that are available at very reasonable prices.
Anyway, I digress. The point I am coming to is that over the years, when stories of dishonesty by Big Brother may also be watching you… while you people in our profession have been passed on to are at work! me. It is true that a picture tells a story, just look at Imagine my dismay when I was told a story the one below. recently (by one of the delegates on a training A few years ago I happened to be vacuuming a course) of an incident that occurred when the lounge carpet, prior to cleaning, when on moving delegate went out for the day with a local carpet a chair I discovered a ten pence piece beneath it. cleaner for some on-the-job experience. Nothing unusual about that Apparently he arrived early and ©Derek Bolton you may say. I totally agree, but was waiting for his mentor to then I found another under the finish getting ready for the day. other chair and yet another Whilst waiting he perused the under the settee. This is when client's extensive DVD collection. the penny (or should I say ten He commented on the collection This is what I found underneath all the upholstery pennies) suddenly dropped… I to his mentor when he arrived, was being checked up on to see if I moved all the items of furniture in the room during the clean! By the end of the job I had quite a collection which I left piled up on a coffee table; I do have to admit to feeling a wee bit peeved at the customers distrust in me. I have heard of some customers who have had a series of security cameras installed throughout their home, so that they can see what is going on (using their mobile phone) when they are away from the house. Think about this…. you could be working away on a customer's carpet or three piece suite oblivious to the fact that they (Big Brother) may be watching what you are up to. It is really sad that some customers have become so distrusting but, having said that, the unfortunate truth is that not all workmen are totally honest. There have been several instances,
who then shockingly confessed that he took (stole) one from every house he went to that had a large collection of DVD's, adding the glib comment “They won't miss just the one”. After hearing this story you can understand why some people would want to install cameras in their home. The NCCA strapline 'Service with Integrity' is as relevant today as it was when it thought of all those years ago back in 1968. You should bear in mind that there could be the cameras in any of the houses you are working in. I am not suggesting for one minute that any of you would even think about stealing items from a client's home. However I have heard tales, over the years, of cleaners who have done other things they really shouldn't have been doing in a customer's home. You may want to spare your blushes.
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Ken Wainwright
uring the last year or so, I have spoken to several colleagues who have been having problems with mud-like streaking when cleaning carpets. One of them, not an NCCA member, couldn't understand why the power of his all-singing, alldancing, fire-breathing truckmount couldn’t remove this mud easily. Dry Soil Extraction, which is an integral part of all of our carpet cleaning systems, is much, much more than just pre-vacuuming a carpet. It is also more than just 'running over the carpet with a hoover'. First the problem. Mr or Mrs Customer will typically vacuum the carpets once, or maybe twice, a week. The visible soil or litter is removed quite quickly; other particulate soils are not visible so no attempt is made to remove them. Whether or not the customer uses the correct type of properly maintained vacuum cleaner is another issue entirely. When the carpet cleaner arrives, he encounters a carpet with several years' worth of deep-down, trodden-in, non-soluble, dry particulate soils. Is a 'quick whizz' with a Dyson enough to remove this? Definitely not! Our front line of attack will be a thorough process of dry soil extraction with a commercial grade
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A good commercial grade vacuum cleaner is needed for thorough dry soil extraction
Photograph ŠSebo UK Ltd
Dry soil extraction
vacuum cleaner, preferably with twin motors. Steady or slow passes both forward and backwards over the same area, executed in EastWest and North-South directions is usually sufficient on most residential carpets. But not always. Parting the carpet pile, and looking down into the foundation/backing, you can often see accumulated soils in high traffic areas. To remove these soils, extra steps may be required. The easiest way to enhance the performance of your vacuum cleaner is simply to use a pile brush. Bear in mind that a scrubbing action is not required or desirable on some carpets; merely
Diary Dates 2015
place the brush head on the carpet and slowly push the brush forward. This action will open the pile and also disturb the impacted soil, making subsequent vacuuming more effective. The next level up is to use a CRB (contra rotating brush) machine. These are typically used for drycompound carpet cleaning. Using a suitable stiffness of brush (I use the softest grade for most applications) simply brush the dry carpet East-West and North-South as and where required. Remember that being dry, there is no lubrication for the carpet yarn, so care must be taken not to damage the pile. The standard, or medium grade of brush, is what I would use on most commercial low profile carpets and I reserve the stiffest grade of all for use on Flotex. Be aware that when dry brushing a carpet, whether by hand or with a machine, significant amounts of dust can be created. You may need to wear a dust mask and the dust can also settle on other furnishings and fittings. Stock items in an office or shop can also be spoiled. Finally, all of the above can be superfluous if you have a pile-lifter. To those amongst us who treat dry soil extraction as being a boring time waster, it is worth remembering that not only can this process remove more soil than the wet extraction part of the system, it also opens and lifts the pile, making our pretreatments more effective. This in turn leads to less water being used for rinsing, leading to quicker drying carpets and less water being carried and 'dumped' from a portable extractor. Rather than wasting it, it can actually save time!
NCCA COURSES Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning 23rd - 24th January 20th - 21st March 22nd - 23rd May 10th - 11th July 18th - 19th September 20th - 21st November Advanced Spot & Stain Removal 20th February 26th June 9th October Health & Safety for the Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner 19th February 8th October All above 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 and Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning Technician with Paul Pearce 2015 courses to be arranged Held at Alltec Network, Royston, Hertfordshire. Tel: 01763 208222 IICRC COURSES (SURREY) Carpet Cleaning Technician with Adam Jankowski 24th - 25th March 10th - 11th September Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning Technician with Adam Jankowski 31st March - 1st April 25th - 26th November Held at National Flood School, Surrey. Tel: 01252 821185 Visit: www.iicrc.org for further details on all IICRC Training Courses.
It’s that time of year again! Ken Wainwright
T
he run up to Christmas is traditionally the busiest time of year for the majority of us who service the residential sector of our industry. It feels as though every home in the country needs to be spick and span in readiness for visitors over the festive season. The months following the holidays can be a lot quieter. However, there is an area of our businesses that will remain strong, certainly through January. I'm talking about stain removal. With the home being so busy, and people being in the party mood, there always seems to be a lot more spillages through Christmas and the New Year: red wine, white wine, soft drinks, tea, coffee and animal stains to name but a few. Then we have the homeowners who still insist on dressing the bottom of the Christmas tree with brightly coloured crepe paper which duly bleeds its dye into the carpet! You may be well stocked and prepared for the pre-Christmas rush, but are you prepared for the post-Christmas disasters? Many of our suppliers will be closed during the holiday period, some for up to two weeks. Do you have sufficient stock of stain removers to see you through this period? If you use generic products such as Hydrogen Peroxide, is your supply fresh? This is important as, especially after being opened a few times, Hydrogen Peroxide reduces rapidly in its effectiveness. If stain removal isn't a significant part of your business and, especially if you haven't attended a specialist spot and stain treatment and removal course in a while, it may be wise to brush up on your skills before they are needed. Open a bottle
of red wine and pour some onto a preferably wool and nylon carpet sample. Leave it for a few days. You can repeat this exercise with as many staining products as you choose. Any remaining wine should be consumed at your earliest convenience! When you've sobered up, read through your NCCA Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Manual to refresh your memory of stain removal procedures and techniques. Now practice your skills on the samples until you have them perfected. You should now be well prepared and confident in your abilities to deal with most of the disasters that the festive season can throw at you.
Protecting your equipment in the colder weather Now onto a slightly different subject... have you got yourself prepared for winter this year? Freezing nights and frosty conditions can play havoc with our equipment and I have heard many reports from colleagues who have been caught out with frozen water pumps, trigger valves etc. on their cleaning machines. Personally, I have made a habit of draining water pumps, hoses and tool valves at the end of the day during winter; this will reduce the risk of being caught out by the unexpected. It is also wise to watch the weather forecast EVERY day. For very cold weather, either heat
and/or insulate your van well or unload sensitive equipment to a warmer place overnight. If you don't work weekends, remember that Jack Frost often does! It also makes good sense to stock spare valves and quick connectors for your tools. A day or two waiting for spares to arrive through the post could be a day or two's lost earnings. Many of our cleaning solutions and other chemicals are sensitive to freezing conditions too. Expensive carpet protectors, in particular, can be ruined by even a light frost, so check all of your products' labels or contact your supplier for advice.
A wake-up call
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Anthony George (A.G Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning)
moved and removing heavy mattresses from beds ecently, whilst cleaning carpet, I noticed a etc. However, there are some clients who just dark shadow in the corner of my right eye. I don't seem to appreciate the risks to our health was particularly busy with a number of bookings and safety. I have found myself straining to move to go to that week so I dismissed it as something king size beds with heavy mattress, complete with that would probably right itself in a day or two. A side drawers packed with items, and even few days later I woke up and found my eyesight in furniture piled on top of the my right eye had bed just for good measure, deteriorated noticeably. I got plus wardrobes and cabinets myself down A&E where it packed with items. was diagnosed as a detached Even if my detached retina retina and I was booked in was not the result of the for surgery two days later to many times I have strained restore the sight in my right moving such items, I am eye. Continual lifting of heavy furniture sure that if I continue to do The reason I am writing can cause long-term health problems these things I am likely to this article is that I believe injure myself in some other that moving very heavy way (at some point) and could find myself unable furniture, not to mention pulling heavy machines to continue earning a living doing the work I enjoy. up numerous flights of stairs in buildings with no In view of this I have now amended my terms lifts, may have been a contributing factor to my and conditions to state that, whilst I am prepared having had this problem, which has resulted in me to move furniture where required, I will only do being unable to work whilst I wait for my vision to this where units have been emptied, drawers improve after surgery. removed and heavy mattresses removed from Whilst recuperating I have decided to make some long overdue changes to how I want to work beds etc. I also reserve the right to refuse to move items of furniture which are still heavy, or in the future. I want make my business about unstable, if I believe there may still be a risk of cleaning and restoring carpets and upholstery, not injury to myself or damage to the item if moved. risking my health and energy straining to move Going back to the importance of our looking heavy items of furniture. after our eyesight, I now always carry a bottle of The vast majority of the many customers I have eye wash with me as well as making sure I wear worked for over the years have gone out of their protective goggles when using powerful spotters way to make the work easier (and safer) by or solvent chemicals. emptying those drawers and units that need to be
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The best way to build your business?
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hat would you say is the best way to build your brand, retain your clients, get repeat business and generate referrals? Arguably it could be said that a regular newsletter to existing clients would be it. Often a carpet cleaner will spend £30 - £50 or even more to 'buy' a new customer. How so? Well, the cost of a new customer is the cost of an advert or flyer, for example, divided by the number of jobs done. So an advert that costs £100 and brings in three jobs has cost you around £33 for each new customer. If your newly acquired customers are happy with the work you have done, stopping there and not following this up with continued contact afterwards would simply be 'leaving money on the table'. After all, you have invested money to acquire your new customers so it makes sense for you to look after those investments. So… what is the cost of designing and sending a regular newsletter? Well, let's suppose that you send an A4 double-sided newsletter (that you print yourself) to your client base every month. The cost per issue including a current 2nd class stamp would be around 60p per customer (or £7.20 per year). That's considerably LESS than the cost of acquisition. In fact, you could send a newsletter in this way every month for about FIVE years to equal
David Coker
the cost of acquiring the customer in the first place. What's more, if your minimum charge was a modest £72, you could send them a newsletter for TEN years and still break even, even if they only used you again ONCE at the end of that ten years. And just imagine what would happen in the meantime... 1) Each contact in your client base would have been reminded over 100 times about your service. No more would customers say “I need my carpet cleaning again but I just can't remember the name of the company I used”. 2) If your newsletter is interesting and of value to your customers, they may pass it along to friends or relatives. In fact, just seeing your newsletter can prompt friends to ask what it's all about, perhaps leading to a conversation about the need for having their carpets cleaned. And, of course, your name will be on hand to pass on. 3) A regular newsletter has the potential to affect how clients and prospects think about your business (i.e. an expert). And that's very powerful! 4) Newsletters also get in 'under the radar'. They are not perceived as a 'sales pitch' and can therefore be used to educate and inform your customers about other services without the usual resistance to a ‘sales message’. That's why I currently send a monthly newsletter to around 750 of my clients every year. It works!
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The changing face of floor care
Terry Guilford (The Ultimate Floor Sanding Co.)
W
hen I started my career in floor care you had two options, 1) take a punt on some equipment, advertise and chance your arm or, 2) buy a franchise. If you took the first option you would probably have made a lot of expensive mistakes and a few enemies; if you took the latter you would have made fewer mistakes and only one enemy, your bank manager. Nowadays, thanks to the huge amount of training courses out there, you can have the best of both worlds, all the help and advice of a franchise and all the freedom that comes with being an independent. So what should you do with that freedom? Well again, in the bad old days, a carpet cleaner just cleaned carpets, a floor sander just sanded wooden floors... and the stone cleaning guy? Well they were rarer than unicorn do dah anyway. When I branched out from carpet cleaning I honestly thought that it would be an uphill battle to convince clients (whose carpets I had cleaned) that I could now fit and sand their wooden floors. What took me by complete surprise was the fact that clients trusted ME (it is difficult to believe isn't it?!); they bought into the fact that I was quality
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focused and assumed that if I said I could do it, then I could! Since starting our UK floor sanding network I have spoken to many carpet cleaners about the opportunities out there; many have rebranded as floor care experts and are really feeling the benefits‌ in other words my experience wasn't a one off, the client buys YOU not the machines or brand. By carefully choosing who you do business with you can benefit from a mass of expertise accumulated over many years. The best suppliers work closely with their customers, which means it's rare your problem has never been seen by them before. There is no longer any reason to take a chance on your machine choice (nothing worse than making a large capital outlay only to find
you've bought 'a lemon'). A quality supplier wants your long term business not just a quick buck, so it's in his interest that your business succeeds. A good friend of mine has an expression for this mutually beneficial relationship, he calls it ‘Progress Through Partnership’ and he has it on his business card. The opportunities with wood flooring are huge and growing. Over 10,000 square metres of wood flooring is fitted in the UK EVERY DAY! As most of this flooring is pre-finished, the client has no experience of floor sanding until their floor is worn, scratched or just tired looking; so who are they going to ask about maintaining it... the guy who maintains all their other floor surfaces, that's who! A very successful carpet cleaner recently told me “I am fed up with cleaning clients' carpets and having to say I can't do the £500 worth of floor sanding they require when they ask me about it”. If the thought of floor sanding scares the hell out of you, what about learning how to maintain wood flooring using the tools you already have? Just like every other floor surface, wood benefits from regular maintenance and this market is woefully under-served. So, whatever branch of floor care you are currently skilled in, if you want to progress your business there has never been a better time to diversify. There are opportunities out there not just in wood but also stone and vinyl. January and February are great months to broaden your horizons, so why not book yourself on a training course.
Damage to wood floors when cleaning soft furnishings Over recent years, with the addition of wood and laminate flooring to peoples' homes, an increasing number of claims have arisen in the following areas: 1. Overspray damage - caused by insufficient covering of the floor around the item being cleaned, allowing overspray of either water or chemicals to settle. To avoid this, always use a protective drop sheet. 2. Container damage - damage occurring when bottles containing chemical products, or buckets containing products/water, have been placed directly onto the floor and the product has dripped down the sides of the container. Some form of protection for cleaning products to stand on should always be used. 3. Scratched laminate - damage occurring when furniture is moved to enable cleaning to be carried out. Ensure that furniture is moved with care, lifting instead of dragging where possible. 4. Heat damage - wood flooring can easily be damaged by the heat generated by cleaning machines. On good quality floors the heat can damage the sealant/varnish and on cheap laminates the heat can cause the veneer to bubble and warp. Some form of protection for the machine to stand on should always be used.
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Drying times
Glyn Charnock
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t the NCCA General Meeting, on Saturday 29th November, I gave a presentation on Reducing Drying Times. There was a lively and wide ranging discussion on the subject and I thought those members who were unable to attend might like a summary of the presentation and discussion. There are many reasons why keeping drying times to a minimum is so important: 1) CUSTOMER SATISFACTION - Clients with carpets or upholstery that stays wet for too long won't be happy or recommend you. 2) PROFESSIONALISM - How professional do you appear if you leave items wet for too long?
carpet, the cleaner it will be... provided you have rinsed it sufficiently. So how do we achieve rapid drying times? Drying is the process of evaporation, defined as 'The change of state of a substance from a liquid to a gas'. Molecules of water are in constant motion so they have kinetic energy (movement energy). The average kinetic energy of the molecules is the temperature of the liquid. The faster they are moving, the hotter it is. These molecules are constantly bumping in to each other, exchanging energy. When a molecule gains enough energy it will 'escape' from the surface of the water and become a gas.
3) PREVENTION OF BROWNING/WICKING - Leaving cellulosic fibres over-wet can cause cellulosic browning and stains can wick back on some carpets. 4) HEALTH AND SAFETY - Wet carpets are a slip hazard, especially on stairs and adjacent to hard floors. Reducing drying times shortens the hazard duration. 5) INDOOR AIR QUALITY - Keeping moisture levels in clients' homes down when cleaning helps maintain indoor air quality. 6) MOULD PREVENTION - Mould spores will germinate in damp conditions in twelve to twenty four hours so if drying times are greater than twelve hours mould growth will occur. 7) DRYER IS CLEANER - Finally, is the water left in a carpet any cleaner than that in the extraction tank of your machine? No. The dryer you leave a
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As molecules with high energy escape, the average energy of the liquid reduces so the temperature of the liquid falls. This is why water cools a surface as it evaporates. The molecules trying to escape from the water to become a gas exert pressure against the liquid/gas interface, known as the Vapour Pressure (VP). The hotter the liquid, the greater the VP and
the faster the liquid will evaporate. The graph of VP against temperature for water looks like this;
When the temperature of the water reaches 100°C, the VP is equal to air pressure, around 760 mmHg (Torr), so water becomes a gas in the body of liquid, forming bubbles, so the water boils. Realistically, we are only dealing with room temperatures of 10°C (empty house no heating in winter) to 25°C (heating wound up just for us to clean or high summer). Within this range of temperatures, the relationship between VP and temperature is roughly linear - double the temperature and you double the VP so double the rate of evaporation. So if a carpet takes 10 hours to dry at 10°C it will take 5 hours to dry at 20°C. Simple really. So all we need to do to dry carpets is heat things up, right? Well not quite. Humidity, ventilation, air movement, surface area and fibre type all affect the evaporation rate and hence the drying time just as much as the temperature.
Humidity is the amount of water present as a gas in air. It is expressed as Relative Humidity (RH). This is the percentage of the total amount of water air can hold at a given temperature. If RH reaches 100% outside, it rains. Water returns to liquid form in the air and falls as raindrops. If RH reaches 100% indoors, water returns to liquid form as fast as it evaporates, so nothing will dry and evaporation stops. At 10°C, 1 cubic meter of air can hold 9.4 grams (9.4 millilitres) of water (not much when you think about it). At 20°C 1m³ of air can hold 17.3 grams of water, almost double. So temperature and RH are directly linked. If air contains 5 g/m³ water, at 10°C it has a RH of about 55%. If the same air is heated to 20°C, the RH falls to about 33%, increasing the rate of evaporation of any liquid water in the room by 40%, even if the water in the carpet doesn't warm up at all. If the water increases in temperature as well (which it will if the air in the room is heated), this increase in water temperature will double the VP, halving the drying time, plus 40% for RH 40% x 50% = 20%, so actual drying time will decrease by 50% plus 20% = 70%. So, a carpet which would take 10 hours to dry at 10°C will take just 3 hours to dry at 20°C. We can reduce RH using dehumidifiers to remove water vapour from the air but this takes time so isn't the best method of drying carpets and upholstery. Ventilation is a balancing act between temperature and RH. If we introduce fresh air from outside we are likely to reduce the temperature in the room, reducing evaporation Continued on next page
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Continued from previous page
rate, but we also reduce RH, increasing evaporation rate. So, if it is raining outside, (RH is 100%), keeping the windows shut and warming the room will speed drying more than opening the windows. Air movement has a number of effects on evaporation rate. Firstly, it reduces air pressure, increasing evaporation rate as the air isn't pressing on the water as hard, allowing more water molecules to escape from the liquid surface. It also removes the escaping water molecules, keeping RH at the surface of the liquid down and allowing more molecules to escape. This is something we can do really quickly so is a more effective means of drying carpets quickly than dehumidifiers. The greater the surface area of the water, the more likely it is for molecules to escape. In a carpet, the surface area is increased as the water coats the fibres, but only the tips of the fibres allow evaporation, as the RH between the fibres reaches 100% pretty quickly. If we can disturb the carpet fibres and release the saturated air between the fibres, for example by brushing the carpet, drying will speed up. Grooming doesn't just make the carpet look better, it speeds drying. Finally, fibre type affects drying rates. Natural fibres absorb water into the structure of the fibre. To get this water out, it has to travel through the fibre to the tips to escape, so drying is slow. With synthetic fibres the water sits on the surface of the fibre more, so can climb to the tips of the fibres and evaporate more readily.
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At the General Meeting, we then put the theory in to practice. We talked about how to reduce the amount of water we put into the carpet in the first place, including pre-spray quantities and rinse pressures, followed by how to get it back out again, including hose length, vacuum motor
Wet underlay following a particularly poor DIY clean, exactly the sort of thing we want to avoid!
configuration in machines, choice of wand, wanding techniques and much more. Then we discussed post-clean methods for speeding drying including air movers of different types and kit like air cushions. We also performed a test with three wands, a standard wand, one with glides fitted, and an Evolution wand. Using the same technique (one wet pass followed by two dry passes), there was a difference in moisture content which was obvious just by touching the carpet, but we were a little more scientific and used a moisture meter. We repeated the measurements after lunch and the results were interesting, but you had to be there. I'm not going to tell you what we found, that's what you miss when you don't go to the NCCA General Meeting!
Good customer advice
I
Cecil Aigin (Honorary Member)
appropriate matting next to interior doorways will n our work as cleaners of carpets and reduce the chance of soil being tracked from one upholstery, and possibly office cleaning and fire area to another. and flood restoration, an important aspect of our 3) In offices a high level of staining is caused by service is to provide good sound advice to our spillages from over-filled mugs and clients. cups which are carried dripping to Manufacturers of carpets and desks, particularly when the upholstery frequently provide care Matting placed member of staff stops for a chat on pamphlets with their products but inside and outside the way. Recommend the use of these may not reach the consumer entrance areas can trays and saucers and under-filled and, if they do, they will probably help to control soiling containers. be filed away and forgotten. 4) In the home, small side tables Our client's attention should be placed near to settees and chairs drawn to the fact that keeping soil will make it unnecessary to balance matter outside of the home and food and drink on ones knees and workplace will inevitably serve to should reduce the possibility of maintain floor coverings in a staining. Suggest the use of halfcleaner condition and extend their filled bowls for crisps and nuts. life. 5) Emphasise the need for the correct and Here are a few common soiling problems, and immediate procedure in dealing with spillages of general suggestions on how to avoid these issues, liquids and sticky foods. All too often the desire to which can be recommended to your client save the feelings of a guest, who has spilt a glass of (however, bear in mind that ALL installations will red wine, results in a permanent stain. require a detailed study prior to cleaning and you may find that, in some situations, the provision of a 6) Animal stains should be treated as a matter of more specific and detailed list of recommendations urgency using appropriate spotting materials and procedures. is required): 7) Attention should also be paid to the condition of 1) Soiling/dust control mats should be placed the installation. Recommend that carpets that are outside and directly inside the entrance doors of both domestic and commercial buildings to prevent inadequately anchored be re-fitted by a professional fitter. Similarly, carpets possessing soil matter being carried into the building from 'fullness and rucking' should be re-stretched to outside. avoid the delamination of secondary backings and 2) Abrasive and sticky substances from spillages premature wear. occurring inside a building can be carried by foot The owner of an item of furniture or floor traffic to other areas of flooring causing premature covering, which retains a good condition and wear and soiling. The strategic placement of
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NCCA Corporate Members + Allied Insurance Services Ltd: 0844 8156211 (I) + Alltec Network: 01763 208222 (C/M/F/T) + Amtech UK: 01444 232211 (C/M)
appearance for long periods, is more likely to spend money on its maintenance than on a carpet that 'uglies out' soon after purchase and cleaning. NCCA members are committed to carry out a comprehensive and professional service. The provision of sound advice, tactfully delivered, is a major element of that commitment and will pay dividends in enhancing the image of the member and the long term relationship with a client.
+ Ashby's Cleaning Equipment: 01795 436999 (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) + 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)
NCCA Member Benefits
+ Crisp & Brite: 01509 881137 (C/M) + Dri-Eaz Products Ltd: 01908 611211 (C/M/T)
Adelante Merchant Services: 01628 820500
+ Dry Fusion UK Ltd: 01772 433711 (C/M/T/W/Fr)
BeValued - Home Options (specialist claims management - insurance work): Call Shaun Mulvey on 01323 418432
+ Get Booked Up Software: 01405 813665
Control Account PLC: 01527 882901 Hibu (previously Yell): ask for Corporate Advertising Department: 0808 100 7890 HMCA (free legal & counselling helpline): 0117 934 2600 HMCA (medical health cover): 01423 866985 Payatrader: 01296 660177 SiteWizard (website creation): 08450 608860
+ Furniture Clinic Ltd: 01207 279964 (C/Tr) + 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) + Hydro Dynamix: 01622 664993 (Fr/T) + LTT Leathercare: 01423 881027 (T/Tr) + 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)
Thompson Local: ask forCorporate Advertsing Department: 01252 390385
+ Prochem Europe Ltd: 0208 974 1515 (C/F/M/T)
TrustMark (NCCA Office): 0116 271 9550
+ Rainbow International: 01623 422488 (M/C/Fr) + Restoration Express: 01252 726106 (M/C/T/A)
Corporate Member Benefits
+ Robert Saunders Marketing Mentor: 08450 537129 (K) + Sebo UK Ltd: 01494 465533 (M)
20% off RESEARCH and CITRUS products for all NCCA members at Cleaners Warehouse! Go to www.cleanerswarehouse.co.uk (A registration page has been set up on the site for NCCA members)
+ ServiceMaster Ltd: 0116 275 9000 (M/C/Fr) + Stainshield Ltd: 01372 841467 Š + 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 + Vaclensa: 0161 728 1800 (M) + Worldwide Cleaning Support: 01279 422220 (C/M)
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.
You can never learn too much Ray Austin (Ray and Jackie Austin)
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Photographs ©Jackie Austin
M
y wife Jackie and I recently attended a rug cleaning course at the premises of one of NCCA's Corporate Member companies. I had previously undergone training in rug cleaning some years ago but unfortunately Jackie hadn't come with me, which looking back I regretted. That's how I ended up doing another similar course… because I know from experience that when Jackie and I do our training together we each pick up on different ideas and information which, when combined, is extremely beneficial to our business. The two-day, hands-on course we attended was instructed by Paul Pearce and covered rug identification and cleaning as well as the different types of problems encountered with rugs. The day started with an introduction, including the history of rugs, countries of origin, designs and styles, constructions, dyeing techniques, fibre identification (including burn and chemical tests) and foundations and backings. Next we moved on to pre-clean inspections, obviously a hugely important part of any cleaning process. Paul brought along loads of sample rugs and we looked at identification, specific conditions to inspect and document, how to perform a colour-fastness test, condition reports and how to brief your customer with what you have found during your inspection. We then moved onto the cleaning process. Firstly we looked at the many challenges that rug
cleaning can present to us, such as shading, yellowing, streaking, colour bleed/dye migration, fungal/insect damage, browning, delamination, water damage and mould contamination. We then focussed on the various methods of cleaning, including dry soil removal techniques (beating), on-location versus in-plant procedures, specific methods such as submersion cleaning (portable rug washing kit), how to use spotting treatments for stains and how to clean rug fringes. Lastly we covered drying methods and then took at a look at the ‘finishing’ process, which included grooming, protector application, final
Why not write for Newslink? Contributions to Newslink from readers are always welcome, as are suggestions and new ideas. So.... if you fancy expanding your repertoire, why not put 'pen to paper' and add 'author of published article' to your skillset. Don't worry if you feel your writing skills are not up to the job, as all articles undergo an editing process before they are included. What we need from you is the knowledge and stories you undoubtedly have. Contributions can be regular, or simply a one-off, it's entirely up to you. We endeavour to publish all editorial received and all contributions will, of course, display your name as the author. If you feel you'd like to send something in, or have an idea, don't be shy, just give Nicky in the office a ring on 0116 271 9550 or email: nicky@ncca.co.uk We look forward to hearing from you. inspection, wrapping, storage and delivery. Some people do not give due consideration to things like grooming, wrapping and careful storage, preferring to rush things through at the end of the process. However, these things are all actually a very important part of the whole rug cleaning operation. I’d like to finish up by saying what an excellent day Jackie and I had. The course provided us with lots of valuable information and ideas and we were well looked after. It was also great to meet up with fellow professionals and bounce ideas off each other‌ DEFINITELY recommended.
Email addresses The NCCA are increasingly contacting members via email to circulate relevant Association information. As such, it is MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER that we have your current email address logged on our database. If you change your email address at any point, could we ask that you please notify us immediately so we are able to update your details. This will ensure that you do not miss any important information circulated by us. To inform us of any changes, please email: admin@ncca.co.uk or phone the NCCA office on: 0116 271 9550.
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Items for sale BUSINESS FOR SALE Small, long-established, reputable 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. 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. BUSINESS FOR SALE Small long-established reputable NCCA registered working business, specialising carpet, upholstery and hard floor cleaning. Northumberland based owner/operator retiring. To be sold as a complete package only. Sign written 55 plate Iveco Daily van with fitted Prochem Blazer Truck Mount. High pressure and extraction hose reels complete with hoses, including wands, hard floor surface spinner 3 turbo dryers fans, 4 dehumidifiers, MMs Plus, Sebo vac and duo, Rotary scrubber, plus lots of other equipment and chemicals. Plus a fully SEO website. Genuine interested parties only please. Call 01670 787185. EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Ashbys Sensei Carpet cleaning machine with dry cleaning facility, comes with dry clean hose and curtain hand tool and hose bag - £800.00. Dry fusion rotary machine with drive board - £600.00. Power flite 500psi twin vac carpet cleaning machine, only used as back up, two years old £1400.00. Esprit Von Schrader upholstery machine still under warranty only used 5 times - £2500.00. Ashbys power brush - £300.00. Ashbys spotting machine with hose and hand tool - £300.00. Ashbys V2 steam attachment only used twice - £300.00. All Items plus VAT. If interested please call Peter on 07866 905 424, or 0208 850 2085, or Email: peterscarpetcare@aol.co.uk Buyer collects from south east London.
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TRUCKMOUNT Banclene truckmount 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 separately. Selling due to retirement and will consider the highest offer. Call Derek at Aquamaster on 01845 537640 - mobile 07976 218304 or email: derek@aquamasteryorkshire.co.uk COMMERCIAL VACUUM CLEANER Sebo BS 36 Comfort commercial vacuum cleaner for sale. Excellent condition apart from a few scratches - hardly used. Includes three attachments: dusting brush, upholstery tool & crevice tool - hardly used. Also 9 new waste bags and instructions. Excellent buy for £175.00 ono. Collection only. Contact Andrew on 07730 203008. EQUIPMENT FOR SALE - IDEAL FOR NEW BUSINESS Everything you need to start carpet cleaning, including: Ashbys Ninja adjustable up to 400psi with Dry Cleaning Functionality built in, 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. 1 x 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. Selling for £1950. Contact Richard on 07903 841534. EQUIPMENT FOR SALE 3 Ozone plates 4'' x 6'' to fit Jetazone 600 ozone generator - £15.00 for the 3, plus £5.00 p & p. Please phone Pete Collins on 07885 804560.
Items for sale EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Airflex Storm 800psi, Solution hose 25ft(high pressure), 25ft x 1.5" vacuum hose with 1.5" cuff fitted at each end, Westpak 4" stainless steel hand/detailer tool with splash guard, 6" stair tool, Upholstery Pro Sapphire Hand Tool, HOST Reliant agitator, Sebo BS36 upright vacuum cleaner, Dri-Eaz Air Mover Sahara E 3 speed, Magma heater 1313, Assorted horse hair brushes, Furniture Foam Snap Blocks x 360, Orion 6L Sprayer with nozzle set, 10 Litre Bucket x 2, Carpet Sliders x 8, pH Test Paper, Corner guard, Hose hook, Pumptec Powersprayer BOM, Mesh hose bag. Assorted cleaning chemicals some opened. Bereavement forces sale. Cost: £4500 ONO (Bought as new in 2013 for £7500). All items used a maximum of 5 times so in 'as new' condition. Please contact Jamie Edmonds at: Jledmunds@hotmail.co.uk. Tel: 07795 546037. Items located in North Cornwall. VAN & TRUCK MOUNT + EQUIPMENT VAN: Fiat Ducato 35 Multijet LWB / Only 3,200 Miles / Taxed April 2015 / Ply Lined / Linex Coated / Shelving. TRUCK MOUNT: Phoenix 570i / Only 91 Hours / LPG Gas Conversion / All Tanks Hoses & Reels / Water Softener/Filter. EQUIPMENT: Evolution Wand / Pre Sprayer / Carpet Rack / Stair Tool / Upholstery Tool / Ramp / Von Schrader Esprit Dry Cleaner. Genuine enquiries only please. Mobile: 07775 507227. Email: re_nulife@btinternet.com 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. MACHINERY FOR SALE CFR Paramount 1000 PSI machine - delivering 1000 pressure per square inch. 95 litre recycling tank, great for commercial and domestic work £600.00 o.n.o. Contact davidkendall40@aol.com for further information or phone David on 07768 667824 or 01277 824546.
TOOL AND CHEMICALS FOR SALE One 5.4kg tub of host powder (unopened). Retails at around £29 - only £12. Also Kleenrite curtain cleaning tool - £25.00. Contact Lester Gale (oxfordshire) 07949 207777. FREE CLEANFAX MAGAZINES Andrew Hoyland, of carpet cleaning company Freshclean in Cheshire, is offering 75 FREE Cleanfax magazines (ranging from 1998 up to 2005) to anyone who can come and pick them up. They are a few years old but still full of very useful information for carpet cleaners. He lives in Lowton near Warrington. If interested please call Andrew on: 07973 399903 or email: hoylandandrew@hotmail.co.uk EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Victor Sprite 12" Rotory Machine. Used once. Was £855 - Accept £450. Collect from Coventry. Tel 02476 620444. EQUIPMENT FOR SALE HOST freestyle (dry carpet cleaning system) VGC £1800... NO OFFERS. ASHBY'S NINJA 2X3 VAC 130psi (water heater needs fixing). Also included: 2 jet wands, separate v2 steam kit, 2x hoses, 2x bags, 2x carpet rakes, Kleenrite upholstery tool, Prochem power brush, 2x stair tools, 1x curtain tool. Excellent back-up machine, all can be used again after servicing - £950 o.n.o. TURBO air mover Sahara Pro £85 o.n.o. Dowding & Plummer contrator400 carpet/floor scrubber/polisher (slow speed - 105 rpm approx.) including buckets with stand and mops and pads (also including a wet/dry vac). All can be used again after servicing - £450. Call Jon on 07736 512527 up to 8pm. Based in West Midlands.
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.
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49 Christmas related words have all been hidden in the grid below. You can find the words by looking diagonally, forward, backward, up, and down. See if you can find them.
Christmas Word search
Find these words BLITZER CANDLES CARDS CEDAR CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS TREE CROWDS DECORATIONS DONKEY ELVES EXCITED FAMILY REUNION FESTIVAL FROSTY GIFT BOXES GIFTS GINGERBREADMAN
GOLD GOODWILL HOLY ICICLES LIGHTS MERRY MIRACLE NOEL NORTH POLE PARADES PINE POINSETTIA PRESENTS RED GREEN REINDEER RIBBON RUDOLPH
SACRED SALES SLED SLEIGH SNOWBALLS SPIRIT ST NICK STAR STICKERS STOCKING STUFFERS STOCKINGS TOYS TRAFFIC WASSAILING WRAPPING PAPER