newslink
ncca
Features:
Spots and Stains Chinese Silk Carpets ŠStripes by Brintons
November 2011
The official journal of the National Carpet Cleaners Association
Contents
Published monthly by:
03 From the editor
The National Carpet Cleaners Association
03 President’s report 06 Stoneman’s Corner: Restoration and periodic maintenance 09 Another day older 10 IICRC launches new brand 12 Keeping you and your customers safe 15 How dry is dry? How clean is clean? 16 Dealing with spots and stains 19 Shading on carpets 20 Business success - strategic planning 22 Chinese silk carpets and rugs 25 Facebook pages 26 Small business finance 28 Work place driving
62c London Road, Oadby, Leicestershire, LE2 5DH Tel: 0116 271 9550 Fax: 0116 271 9588 E-mail: admin@ncca.co.uk Website: www.ncca.co.uk Editor Nikki Law Editor in Chief Keith Robertson Design Editor Nikki Law President/ Technical Director Paul Pearce Vice President/ Marketing Director Keith Robertson Vice President/ Events Director Nigel Lay Member Liaison Director Glyn Charnock Associate Liaison Director Denise Pitt
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.
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©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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From the editor
A
t an open forum at this year's AGM there was a discussion between the members present about those who choose to leave the Association but fail to notify their intention as this has a financial implication for the Association. It is understandable that some members retire or their business changes or indeed may cease and so each year members are advised in the February and March issues of Newslink, that if they wish to withdraw from the Association, they shall signify their intention to do so in writing to the General Secretary. The Articles of Association clearly state that any member wishing to resign from the Company shall give 60 clear days' notice of his intended resignation in writing to the Secretary prior to the expiry of the current year. However, to date, there are still a small number of members outstanding who have not yet either resigned or renewed their membership for this year. It is important that all members realise that they have a responsibility to abide by the rules of the Association. A review of the annual subscription process highlighted that the cost of administration, largely due to delays in members returning their renewal or the chasing of late payments and required documents, is very high and a poor use of
Association funds. Consequently, the decision was reached that a more rigid policy on renewal submission was to be introduced this year. We are always sorry to hear that a member has decided that they no longer plan to be part of the NCCA. It is our wish that all reputable and established carpet cleaners not only become, but continue as, active members of the only Association that truly represents both the interest of the industry and the public and, as such, we are doing everything we can to help in this difficult economic climate. So, if you are experiencing difficulties before even considering the possibility of not renewing your membership please contact us, explain what the specific issues are and we will work with you to do all we can to assist. Although we are no longer able to offer the services of Premium Credit to spread payment of subscription fees, we are now able to offer a recurring card payment service over four consecutive months should it be required. I am sure you will agree that communication is extremely important and always greatly appreciated.
President’s report
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f we believe the weather forecasts we are in for a tough winter again this year. So the first thing to consider is how you store your equipment overnight. If you are using wet extraction equipment, you will have hand tools, wands, hoses and machines sitting on your van that contain a certain amount of water. If the temperature goes below zero they will freeze. This will damage the pumps and brass fittings. Many of us don't have the luxury of being able to bring equipment in off the van overnight (and some get lazy) so we have to find another way of keeping our equipment free from freezing damage. The first thing to do is make sure there is no water left in any of the above items, next you will need to wrap them all, or at least the vulnerable bits like the triggers etc, in quilts or blankets. The machines
will need to be completely covered. There are certain types of heaters you can use, some of which plug in to the mains, so you will need to be close to your property. There are other heaters that work using the electrical system on your van and, whilst the initial outlay can be expensive, it's a lot cheaper than the downtime of a frozen machine plus parts. Truck-mounters suffer more with this sort of problem and will definitely need some way of keeping the inside of the van at a good temperature. I was recently sorting through my chemicals with a view to replenishing any low stock and realised I had more than enough products on the van. This is usually a good thing, but bearing in mind the impending cold weather I decided to move some of it into my store. Our chemicals don't like extremes of temperature and we are certainly in for changes. Continued on next page Page 3
Continued from previous page There is nothing worse than grabbing a 5 litre container of protector to find that it has separated in the cold and is now useless. Like our machines and wands the last thing you want is for them to freeze on the van overnight. On to a different subject entirely, it was interesting to read Derek's article 'Another Day Older' (I get to proof read all Newslink articles before they are published). It reminded me of how I got involved with the NCCA, and the work involved in being a Director of a trade association. Of course it is all voluntary, but that is part of the fun. You help to make a difference. We all have different skills and we bring these to the table, everyone has the chance to participate on various projects to move the organisation forward. I recently attended a meeting for trade associations and learnt that we are no different than thousands of other organisations when it comes to recruiting board members or even new members. Of course the Director's role can be challenging, as we all run our own businesses, but nobody would
expect you to put in more time than you can afford. Every bit helps and we are always on the lookout for new 'blood', so if you are interested, or know someone who is, please let us know.
NCCA member referral results Since publishing a referral statistics report in last month's Newslink there have been 115 recommendations for full members provided by the NCCA. This number is made up of 63 referrals from the NCCA office, 49 potential customers contacting members direct through the website and 3 referrals to members without an email address, which we have tracked using the office database. If you have not yet supplied us with an email address, but would like to receive notification when your details have been given out, please contact the NCCA office on: 0116 271 9550.
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New NCCA Members FULL MEMBERS Pure Sparkle Solutions (Rusheymead, Leicestershire) Oran Cleaning Service (Birmingham, West Midlands) Abbey Carpet Cleaners (Luton, Bedfordshire) Solihull Carpet Cleaning (Solihull, West Midlands) E & J Carpet Cleaning (Wirral, Merseyside) Fresh Breeze Carpet Cleaning (Erith, Kent) Alchemy Oven & Carpet Cleaning Solutions (Hyde, Greater Manchester) Trayler Contract Cleaning (Bolton, Greater Manchester) Simply Cleaning Ltd (Tottenham, London) REJOINED Sutton Carpet Cleaning (Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands)
IMPROVEMENT TO NCCA SURVEY PADS We have improved the quality of the paper on which the NCCA survey pads are printed. As such we have made a very small increase to the cost of purchase.
Diary Dates 2011/2012 NCCA COURSES Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning 20th - 21st January 2012 23rd - 24th March 2012 Spot and Stain Removal 18th November 2011 Leather Identification and Cleaning 24th November 2011 NCCA courses held at NSPCC Training Centre, Leicester unless otherwise stated. Visit: www.ncca.co.uk for booking forms and further details.
IICRC COURSES (SURREY) Water Restoration Technician 22nd - 24th November 2011 with Adam Jankowski Applied Structural Drying Technician 6th - 9th December with Adam Jankowski Water Restoration Technician 10th - 12th January with Adam Jankowski Fire & Smoke Restoration Technician 31st January - 1st February with Adam Jankowski Odour Control Technician 2nd February with Adam Jankowski Water Restoration Technician 14th - 16th February with Adam Jankowski Held at National Flood School, Farnham, Surrey. Tel: 01252 821185
IICRC COURSES (HERTS) Stone, Masonry and Ceramic Tile Cleaning Technician 28th - 29th November with Keith Robertson Held at Alltec Network, Royston, Hertfordshire. Tel: 01763 208222
NCCA survey pads now retail at: £20.50 for a single pad and £52.50 for three. Visit: www.iicrc.co.uk for further details on IICRC Training Courses Page 5
Keith Robertson
Stoneman’s Corner
Restoration and periodic maintenance
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ome stone floors are simply more difficult to maintain than others. Why? Well, first of all consider the surface texture, meaning the actual finish of the stone rather than what might have been put on the stone. A honed stone, which will have a dull or matte finish, will have a reasonably rough texture compared to a polished stone. A rough texture means there are plenty of places for soil to build up. A stone with a polished finish on the other hand is very smooth, so there are few indentations other than the grout lines to collect dirt, and therefore it stays looking better for longer. Another factor is that some stones such as slate may have also received additional treatment, such as sanded, flamed, bush hammered and brushed stones. Can you imagine how much soil can
lodge into these surfaces? Rough texture means difficult to clean! It is, however, most likely that whatever the texture of the floor it will be extremely soiled before we are ever asked to look at it. If our job is simply to clean the floor, we might choose to deep clean with a slow speed rotary machine and brush or nylon pad followed up with an extractor or we may prefer to use a spinner such as Turbo-Hybrid TH-40 or a Hydro-Force SX-12 utilising the power from a truckmount. As long as you use an appropriate stone cleaning solution either are sufficient to transform the look of a floor, but quite often we may be required to do more than that. What then are the basic steps? First of all we are going to need to ascertain the page 6
type of stone. Next, if sealed, what sort of seal was used and whether it should be stripped and, if so, just how it can be removed. It's not uncommon for a combination of seals to be used; water based emulsions on top of oleo-resinous seals, waxes on top of impregnating seals, you will come across all sorts. Is this important? Yes it is, because each type of stripping agent normally only removes one type of seal. As we have learned from cleaning carpets, take nothing for granted, test, test and test again. Do this at the survey before you price the job. Find out everything before you start and there is a better chance of completing a successful job. Is it worth driving one hundred and twenty miles each way to survey the job before putting in a price? Well, yes, because one job can vary greatly
from the next. Even the amount of seal required to achieve the required result has to be calculated. Why so? Well, the amount of seal required to protect a floor can vary considerably depending on how porous the stone is. As a general rule if the stone has a polished surface it will be less absorbent than if it is non-polished such as honed or flame treated. Impregnating seals are expensive so it is a good idea to check how much seal you are going to use before you price a job. The easiest way to check is to put several drops of water on the surface of the stone and time how long it takes for the water to completely disappear. Simple Formula: very porous - water disappears in under one minute, porous - water takes up to three to four minutes to disappear, slightly porous - it Continued on next page
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Continued from previous page takes more than three to four minutes. Should we seal? In most cases the answer is yes. It's a matter of checking not only the type of stone, the texture, the finish and of course the location. Seals offer, depending on the type of seal, various degrees of protection from spillages. Some seals make little or no visual difference to the stone while others will enhance the stone, darkening the surface and bringing out the natural colours and textures. There are many brands of products on the market; however, they can be broadly divided into two types: Coatings and impregnating (penetrating) sealers. There have been some great debates about the rights and wrongs of different sealers and it would be difficult to enumerate the arguments for and against as there are just so many. Nevertheless, there is one rule that should almost always be obeyed and that is ensure you use a penetrating, breathable product. Impregnators fill the pores and will give a long life and, as mentioned before, some types will leave the stone looking as if it hasn't been sealed should that be a requirement.
There are of course other seals which really only offer a sacrificial protection but they are reasonably cheap to apply and in the case of water based are reasonably easy to remove and are used extensively by daily office cleaners. Basically there are two types of coatings, water based, which are strippable, and spirit based which are permanent. As professionals we should remember that most water based strippable coatings are primarily designed for resilient surfaces and not stone so don't use anything without checking. Even then, you may wish to consider whether you agree or not with what the label says. Just because a label says you can use it on a particular surface doesn't mean it is the best product for that surface any more than believing that just because a manufacturer is a large multinational their products are necessarily superior to those from smaller companies. Finally, some of the permanent coatings are similar and sometimes the same as the spirit based seals, which can be used to seal wood floors. They contain solvent-based polymers and are extremely difficult to remove and generally not recommended.
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Another day older! Derek Bolton
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ŠPhotograph: NCCA Library
A
Suddenly I began to learn what our industry was all s most of you will be aware I am almost about, as the various departmental reports were retired from the physical side of cleaning given. I realised that I wasn't just a lone cleaner, but these days although I do still get the odd part of a National network of likeminded people. I cleaning job to do. also became aware of just how much effort, time Having spent over forty years in the business I and money these have found it very people unselfishly difficult to let go, I gave to the still check my Association week in answering machine and week out, you even though it isn't really have to be in it linked to my old to see! business line Through the NCCA anymore. I still get I have met some up at the same time really nice people, in the morning, the many of whom I same as I always consider friends. It have (I instinctively opened my eyes to know that if I remain opportunities that around the house may otherwise not that I am going to be have become 'in the way'). apparent. I Thankfully I thoroughly enjoyed decided five years Cecil Aigin and Derek Bolton in the early days my time as a ago to take on some Director of the voluntary work one Association, through all the ups and downs, I have day a week. This was one of my better decisions some good memories. and I have met some really lovely people during The page of life has turned once again and I am this time. looking forward to some new fresh challenges in my Another good decision I made many years ago continuing efforts to keep the old grey matter proved to be really life changing in so many ways, ticking over. that was the day I spoke to the CCA's General What prompted me to write this you may ask? Secretary and said I would like to work with the Well I read, and hear, constantly, of cleaners then Management Committee. I received a call bemoaning the NCCA, other embryonic from the President at the time, Bill Day, asking me Associations, and the people who are making the to attend their next meeting at the Post House in effort to run them. Instead of knocking those, who Leicester. really try, why not join them? You may find that I have to say that it was with some trepidation your own perspective and wellbeing in life changes that I went along, almost terrified of sitting at the for the better. same table as Bill Day, Alan Vaughan, Cecil Aigin, If you would like to consider becoming an NCCA Bill Franklin, Malcolm Beese, Nick Heath and a few Director, or helping out in some way, please contact other notables in the Industry. What an eye opener the office on: 0116 271 9550. it was.
IICRC launches new brand
T
he Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) has announced the change of its name to The Clean Trust at the autumn 2011 Meeting and Instructors Symposium. Along with the new name, a new, updated branding campaign will be rolled out in the coming year. “The Clean Trust lets people know exactly what we do, in a business-like, technical, professional way. We train. We set the standards. We certify. We vouch for a technician's ability and professionalism and thereby ease our customer's worries and concerns,” said Paul Pearce, The Clean Trust Chairman “Although the acronym of the IICRC also had a meaning; it wasn't as direct and easy to understand.” The Clean Trust's focus on cleaning, restoration and inspection, its three core areas of expertise, will remain the same as the IICRC. Additionally, the certification and standards on which the IICRC has built its reputation will remain at the core of the organisation. The Clean Trust will continue as an ANSI Standard Development Organisation (SDO) and pursue the development of standards for the industry as a whole, aiming to provide the most up to date education for its registrants. “The leadership discussed, at length, the benefits of a name change and ultimately decided that it was in the best interest of our registrants to move
Organisation changes its name
forward with a new name” continued Mr Pearce. “The name, The Clean Trust, reflects our mission to identify and promote an international standard of care that establishes and maintains the health, safety and welfare of the built environment.” The Clean Trust signifies the expansion and growth of the IICRC. For almost forty years, the IICRC has built a strong reputation within the cleaning, restoration and inspection industry, but there has been an unclaimed opportunity to gain momentum with other audiences, particularly the general public. The change to The Clean Trust name provides additional marketing opportunities for the organisation to continue to propel its growth. Materials with the new name and an updated design will gradually roll out through the next year. Available now for registrants and Certified Firms are new ID cards, a general overview brochure, patches, and stickers. An introductory video will page 10
also be shown during training courses. In the coming months, the organisation will provide updated standards covers, trade show graphics, enewsletter and website. For more information, please contact the IICRC
European Office on +44 (0) 20 8253 4505 or email claire.kelly@admin.co.uk, or visit the current US website (www.iicrc.org) to review the list of frequently asked questions regarding the new brand.
About The Clean Trust The Clean Trust, formally known as The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), is an ANSI-accredited standards setting body for the flooring inspection, floor covering and specialised fabric cleaning and disaster restoration industries. Organised in 1972, The Clean Trust currently represents more than 5,700 Certified Firms and 54,000 Certified Technicians in 22 countries. The Clean Trust, with participation from the entire industry, sets standards for inspection, cleaning and disaster restoration. The Clean Trust does not own schools, employ instructors, produce training materials, or promote specific product brands, cleaning methods or systems. It approves schools and instructors that meet the criteria established by The Clean Trust. The Clean Trust also serves as a consumer referral source for Certified Firms and Inspectors.
Textile Insect Pest Control Technician Training and instruction is now available, to conform to the Control of Pesticides Regulations (COPR) This tailor made course for the textile professional helps you to add this skill to your list of professional services. Pictured is the Varied Carpet Beetle lava (Anthrenus Verbasci)
A fully detailed agenda etc. are available by request for this fully certified training course.
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
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Keeping you and your customers safe
W
orking with chemicals and machinery can present potential hazards to the carpet cleaner on a daily basis. To help you minimise these risks I have compiled a guide to safeguard both you and your customer. Although much of the advice is common sense it can be all too easy to overlook during a busy schedule, sometimes resulting in accidents and health problems. 1. Always open lids on powder substances and detergents slowly and with care in order to minimize airflow rushing in to the container and creating chemical dust entering the respiratory system, or eyes. 2. Do not open powder detergents in draughty or blustery conditions that could enable chemical dust to become air borne and enter the respiratory system, or eyes.
Robert Olifent
3. Do not leave lids or caps off chemical detergent containers under any circumstances. 4. Do not leave chemicals or detergents unattended, particularly bearing in mind children and pets. 5. Do not put your nose near neat chemicals in order to identify them (powder or liquid). 6. All products used must be clearly and correctly labelled. 7. Place a padlock on your spotting kit keeping it locked when not in use. 8. Print off floor signs with your details on to warn of slippery floor hazards. 9. Keep a bone spatula handy (or something similar) to work in spotting agents as opposed to using your bare finger. Although your finger may be the ideal spotting tool that you never forget to bring with you, remember that the chemicals you page 12
use are absorbed through the skin. 10. Always wear protective gloves when using chemicals and detergents. Continuous skin exposure to even mild detergents can cause dermatitis in many people. It is worth mentioning that people working in the cleaning industry are statistically at higher risk of dermatological disorders. Solvents are easily absorbed through the skin into the body and could potentially cause long term irreversible damage (particularly petroleum derived solvents). 11. Consider the effects of volatile cleaning substances on both yourself and your clients' health. This includes solvents, solvent based detergents and traffic lane cleaners. Many people, such as the elderly, or people with respiratory problems, may be particularly sensitive to any sort of airborne foreign substances including deodoriser perfumes and sanitisers etc. 12. Always exercise protective measures when dealing with blood, urine, and bodily fluid contaminations, i.e: ! Wear protective gloves. ! Site portable extraction equipment outside, or in areas of good ventilation, in order to prevent bacteria contaminants re-circulating via the vacuum vent. ! On completion of the task, clean and disinfect gloves, machine tank, tools and change any possible infected clothing. ! Dispose of waste water in the appropriate place (toilet) and not into storm drains. ! Wash yourself thoroughly with a bactericidal soap. The HIV virus has a limited life span out of the body, although could be a potential risk when fresh, however many other serious viruses such as Hepatitis can live outside of the body for some time and continue to be infectious. ! Do not eat or drink whilst in the process of dealing with bodily contaminations. ! Consider wearing a respirator filtration mask
to prevent breathing in volatile organic compounds (VOC'S). Change filters on a regular basis. Keep mask in a sealed polythene bag when not in use. Carbon filter cartridges carry on working when exposed in the atmosphere - this in turn reduces their life significantly. ! Treat any infected areas with a bactericide/disinfectant, leaving for fifteen minutes prior to cleaning in order to reduce bacteria and create a safer working environment. 13. On completion of HWE cleaning, get into the habit of cleaning through the waste tank by jetting out the water from the clean tank in and around the waste tank. This simple process will inhibit bacteria build up in the machine, and bad smells, when taken to the following day's job. Additionally it will prevent the distribution of VOC's in to your working environment (client's home) which is to your own benefit as much as your clients. 14. When more thorough cleaning to the waste tank is required, treat it with the same caution that you would exercise when cleaning a public toilet. Bear in Continued on next page
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Continued from previous page mind what has been going through the tank, and take care when touching the ball cage, as often these have very sharp edges which can easily tear through neoprene gloves, causing a nasty cut and high risk of infection. 15. I mentioned the recommendation of wearing gloves a couple of times, but one other thing that may be overlooked is that these gloves themselves can be full of bacteria inside. When we wear protective rubber gloves we sweat and shed our skin into them, this in itself will start to smell relatively quickly as the bacteria builds up. If you have any abrasions, or cuts, on your hands this can quickly become infected by using unclean gloves, and the odour from these bacteria laden gloves can often linger on your hands substantially. Suggestions are as follows:
! Use larger gloves to enable the hands to breathe. ! Wear washable lining gloves underneath the main gloves. ! Turn the gloves inside out after use in order to dry and air them. ! Wash gloves regularly. 16. Ensure that you carry all the relevant COSHH data sheets for the chemicals that you use. 17. Keep a specially marked/sealed container in which to place solvent contaminated cloths/swabs for disposal. Putting these loose in your vehicle leaves occupants of the vehicle open to vapour exposure. Much of the above information is basic common sense; however, it does no harm in reminding each other of good practice and the potential serious consequences of not following simple guidelines to ensure safety.
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How dry is dry? How clean is clean?
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hy is there a great variation in drying times, even when a technician cleans to the same standards and procedures every time? Well, there are several reasons. For example, on a 'good' day the air temperature will be high, the humidity will be low, there will be good ventilation, the carpet may be woven with a wool pile with only light soiling and your HWE machine will be working to its maximum potential as the mains electricity is at its peak of 230 volts (up to a 10% reduction in voltage should be allowed for operational/maintenance needs). In this situation the carpet feels dry in maybe a couple of hours or so after cleaning (however, do remember a wool pile carpet, even after it feels dry to the touch, will take many more hours to be fully dried). The real problems occur when technicians actively promote the drying times they achieve in the above scenario. Life's not always that simple. Some days are cold. Some days are wet. Some days the carpets are disgusting and the voltage is 10% down. You can claim that it will only take a couple of hours or so to dry, but in bad conditions it could be much, much more. You're never around to find out as you've packed up and moved on to your next job, and your customer has grounds for dissatisfaction. All of the above presumes that you are working to the highest standards possible with your equipment. But there is a way with HWE of reducing the time it takes for a carpet to dry. All you need to do is move the wand more quickly when rinsing. This technique will result in a reduced drying time as less water is applied, however the carpet will still appear to be clean. The problem is
Ken Wainwright
that in reality the quality of the clean does suffer. Unfortunately, the degree of soil recovery will be lower. Residual soiling will at best lead to a reduced time between cleaning. At worst you could receive a complaint of a poor appearance or possibly even a soil wicking problem. So what should we do about reducing drying times? Well, the first thing you can do is to make extra drying passes with the wand. Not just a quick once over pass, but slightly slower so that your equipment is given enough time to do its job effectively. Multiple drying passes are frequently required. The next thing is to create the best drying conditions possible. A warm environment and ventilation are essential. Turbo fans are a great benefit too. If appropriate, a cotton bonnet on a suitable rotary machine will remove more moisture. You could also groom the carpet against the pile direction. This will leave the pile more erect and open, allowing easier and more rapid evaporation. Just remember you should always work to the highest standards possible, and if this means slightly extended drying times you will just have to accept it. Your system to dry the carpets quickly should be implemented on top of, not instead of, a quality cleaning-regime. So what do YOU tell your customer is a realistic drying time? If you can be honest with yourself, you can then be honest with your customers. Experience will tell you what's appropriate to you and your equipment. There's absolutely no point in promising and delivering short drying times if the carpet isn't properly cleaned. page 15
Dealing with spots and stains
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omething that a cleaning technician will frequently come across is the use of proprietary brand product, or even washing up liquid, in a far too concentrated form, when a customer has attempted to remove a stain in a state of panic. I would suggest that there are some technicians who also subscribe to the 'three glugs' school of chemical application as well. Put out a spotting kit on a training course and it's the 'fly's around the jam pot' syndrome, everyone wants to see which chemicals are carried by other technicians. I have to admit I have been equally guilty of doing this. The trick is not to duplicate the chemical in your own kit per se, by all means purchase these chemicals but certainly do not use them until you are familiar with just how they work. This means carrying out some experiments on samples, NOT on a customer's carpet or furniture. It is quickly learned that dry solvents react best with oily spots, that alkaline spotting agents work
Derek Bolton
with protein spots and that tannin removers (acidic) are good when dealing with sugar etc. The tendency is to be heavy handed in the application, I suspect due to the impatience of the technician. The application of too much chemical, a too concentrated solution, plus the possibility of over aggressive agitation, or excessive heat, will invariably lead to damage of the fibres or textile, maybe even setting the stain rather than the intended speeding up of the spot or stain removal. Over application of a dry solvent spotter quite often leads to the softening of the latex in the backing construction, which in turn will result in the delaminating of the secondary backing of a tufted carpet, bubbles on stuck down installations, decomposing of rubber or foam secondary backings, texture changes on upholstery fabrics, oily residual deposits left behind and not to mention the volatile fumes. The procedure for dry solvent usage is to apply the dry solvent to a towel, or Q-Tip if dealing with a page 16
small spot, and then apply the towel or Q-Tip rather than pour the solvent directly onto the spot or stain. More application of a detergent solution, shampoo or other pre-spray than is necessary will leave sticky residues that contribute directly to the rapid resoiling after cleaning. The correct amount of detergent is designed to emulsify and suspend the majority of soiling within the carpet fibres or textiles. If insufficient is applied then all of the soil will not be suspended and some will remain after the cleaning process. If over applied, all of the soil will be suspended and the detergent is left and in turn will find its way onto the fibre surface. It can be very difficult to rinse out completely, this in turn results in call backs to deal with the isolated resoiling problem. The original attempt to speed up the job has now severely extended the time and it is beginning to cost the company concerned both in monetary terms and loss of confidence by the customer. The
answer, therefore, is to read the label instructions, mix and apply as instructed, no more and no less. The NCCA training courses teach the principles of pH, and the importance of neutralisation. This is not only to maintain the chemical balance of the textiles being worked upon, but to ensure that the spot or stain being treated is not made more difficult by using too strong or too much of an alkaline or acidic spotter. Neutralising spots and stains by applying a small amount of spotting chemical twice is better and safer than overapplying once Some spotting chemicals incorporate the use of heat to transfer soft drink dye stains to a 'host' absorbent pad. This procedure is most definitely the one that should be experimented with prior to using on-site. The chemical applied is a complex penetrative and suspending surfactant designed to surround the dye ready for the absorption procedure. Heat, using an iron over a damp Continued on next page
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Continued from previous page absorbent towel, is introduced as a catalyst for the chemical reaction. It is wise to remember that most dyes used in soft furnishings today are heatset during the manufacturing process, likewise if enough heat is applied to the soft drink dyes those too will become fixed in the same way. Excessive heat can also remove some of the original dye from around the stain edges leaving a lighter or even white ring around it. This stain belongs to the technician. The answer is patience. Use the lowest setting on the steam iron; just apply for a few seconds at a time without using any pressure on the iron. This procedure can be repeated several times. Do not allow the carpet to become hot, remember some fibres have lower melting points than others do. The transfer of dye to the absorbent towel may have ceased. Do not add more chemical, increase the heat, apply pressure with the iron or extend the time. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then
start again and you will often get more of the dye out. Other points to remember are that too much agitation can cause distortion or fuzzing of the textile surface. Agitation and excessive heat will 'felt' wool fibres. In conclusion Inspect thoroughly the item to be worked on prior to carrying out the work. Match the customer's expectations with reality. Submit a report in writing at this time - essential! Read labels, use chemicals as directed, take notice of, and adhere to, all safety aspects of using that particular chemical. Rinse out thoroughly one chemical before trying another, do not indulge in over application, and control the amount of chemical used. Rinse out the area following treatment, some chemicals if left behind will continue to work long after you have left. The next NCCA Spot and Stain Removal course is to be held on 18th November.
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Shading on carpets
A
NCCA Library
carpet or rug may seem to change colour in certain areas. When you look at the carpet from one angle, these areas will appear to be lighter than the rest of the carpet. Viewed from the other side, these spots appear darker. This condition is called shading. Carpet pile has a natural slope in one direction. As long as the tufts slant in the same direction, the carpet has uniform colour throughout. However, some of the tufts may slant against this normal pile lay, causing a variation in the way light is reflected from the napped surface. Changes in the lay of the pile usually develop gradually in traffic areas or in front of frequently used articles of furniture. However, shading may also occur in areas of less traffic and under furniture. It can even be present in brand new carpets! Shading occurs most frequently on dense, deep, velvety, cut-pile carpets.
Many Chinese and dense-pile Indian rugs will show some pile distortion after use or the first cleaning. Although it can affect multi-coloured or printeddesign carpet, the problem is most obvious on solid coloured carpets. In some cases, shading becomes more apparent after the carpet is cleaned, which may lead your client to believe the shaded appearance developed during the cleaning process. However, this phenomenon does not occur overnight, it develops gradually over time. The shading was probably not visible before cleaning because of the lighting, the placement of furniture, or uniform soiling over the entire surface. Little can be done to prevent or correct shading; it is an inherent characteristic of certain types of carpet, which can be slowed by vacuuming, or brushing the pile in one direction during daily or weekly maintenance. page 19
Article reproduced with kind permission of Flexpress
Business success - strategic planning
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any of us look at some of the world's most famous successful business entrepreneurs and ask ourselves 'how did they do it?' But the answer is relatively simple - they had a good strategy. Although simply having a strategy is not good enough; it has to be the right one for your business and one that differentiates your company from your competitors. The key to a successful
strategy is planning, with the key factors being: clearly defining the vision for your business, establishing a mission, and setting realistic objectives. Don't forget what drives the majority of these entrepreneurs is sheer hard work, not always innovative ideas. They are dedicated to the success of their business or brand, often to the detriment of their own personal life. Now we wouldn't suggest you go that far, but do be aware a hardpage 20
working attitude is, more often than not, essential. You can't sit back and expect the money to make itself! The insider knowledge these people gain is through working in their industry and learning all they can. Once you have a business strategy in place, then comes the action. As the saying goes, planning without action is futile, action without planning is fatal. Business entrepreneurs act boldly and take calculated risks in order to achieve success. An excellent example of this is Bill Gates, who admits he is not particularly innovative. Instead, he has the ability to utilise the ideas of others to make huge profits. He says, “At Microsoft there are lots of brilliant ideas but the image is that they all come from the top - I'm afraid that's not quite right.� Neither the BASIC programming language nor the Altair 8800 components used for his first PC were
his original creation. Similarly his product DOS was originally QDOS, which he bought and adjusted to his own purpose. Gates had the foresight to improve existing ideas and technology, which required a strong strategy. He was dedicated to his mission: a computer on every desk and in every home, which was achieved by offering an accessible PC operating system and marketing to everyone rather than computer engineers. As we all know, this afforded him great success. Successful business entrepreneurs may not always have innovative ideas, but they have the ingenuity to find a product or service that works and are committed to making it work harder. Through careful planning, a tailor made strategy and determined hard work to set about its implementation, you too can enjoy extraordinary business success.
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Chinese silk carpets and rugs
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t is thought that carpet weaving in China began 2000 years ago during the West Han Dynasty; although it is possible it may have started earlier than that. The dragon carpets of the 17th and 18th centuries were especially magnificent; this was possibly the peak of Chinese knotting art. However, unfortunately very few pieces produced before the Qing Dynasty (1644 ad to 1911) have survived. One of the most beautiful silk carpets ever created was woven at Zhenping, the Nanyang Prefecture in central China. The density of knots is 1,000,000 knots per square foot (1000 lines per foot); it was listed in The Guinness Book of Records in 1998. The process of creating a Chinese silk rug, or
Peter Collins
carpet, starts with a designer creating a preliminary sketch similar in size to the work that is to be copied from it. After the design is completed, it is enlarged to be the blueprint and marked with colours in different columns for the weavers to follow. To weave a silk carpet the warps are fixed on a loom, which is a frame consisting of four bars, they are then looped tightly between the top and bottom bars. The heddles (part of the loom, through which each thread in the warp passes, to separate the warp threads for the passage of the weft) are bound between another horizontal bar and the warps. After the foundation is woven by plain silk thread the knotted weaving can start. The silk yarn is tied around the two adjoining warp page 22
yarns to create a knot. The two principle knots used are Turkish (Ghiordes) knots and the Persian (Senneh) knot. When a row of knots are finished, the silk yarn is cut and the weft yarns are woven through the space between the front and back warps. A comb is used to strike the knots and wefts against the warps so that the warps and wefts are symmetrical and weaving can start. Chinese silk carpets are woven from high quality silk, are hand knotted with a high density of knots and are of superb quality, graceful and varying in design. They have a shiny smooth surface and are soft, yet durable, in texture. Due to these features they are often chosen for home decoration and, in some cases, are collectors' items. There are several different basic layouts used in the creation of Chinese silk carpets, which include: ALLOVER: Carpets of this layout have no central
design and the designs spread throughout the whole of the carpet separately or connected. There may be one same design or several designs appearing repeatedly throughout the whole carpet. MEDALLION: This design will include a large centre piece called a medallion. The shape of the medallion is usually circular, oval, octagonal, hexagonal or similar to a star. This kind of carpet is always symmetrical in layout. ONE SIDED: The designs are woven in only one direction; therefore the carpet can only be properly viewed from one side. The design on one sided carpets will usually depict images of people, animals and scenery. Since one sided carpets should not be viewed upside down, they are often used as tapestries. Continued on next page
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Continued from previous page There are many styles of Chinese silk carpet. Typical Chinese designs include a dragon or phoenix design or a Buddhist and Taoist symbol composition. Incidentally every oriental rug, whatever its construction, or whether it's made of wool, cotton, silk or any other material, tells a story. You might not be able to see it straight away but with practice you will. So, what determines a good quality Chinese silk carpet? The most important criteria are the knot density, the quality of silk, the workmanship, the harmony of colours and the balance of the pattern. There are various tests to determine the quality of a Chinese silk carpet or rug: Rub the surface: You can determine real silk from artificial silk by vigorously rubbing the pile with your open palm. The real silk carpet feels warm, while the artificial one stays cool to the touch. Burn test: You should know this one, however just to refresh your memory, the ash from real silk
should be black and crispy and smell like burning hair (you're burning protein). If the material is cellulose (rayon) the ash should be soft and chalky and the smell should be like burning paper (most paper is made of cellulose). Dissolve the yarn: This is probably the most accurate test, as it chemically differentiates protein from cellulose or petrochemicals. One such test, at room temperature, is to mix a solution of 16 grams copper sulphate into 150cc of water, add 8 to 10 grams of glycerine and then caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) until a clear solution is obtained. This solution will dissolve a small sample of natural silk but leave cotton, rayon and nylon unchanged. A word of warning: if performing this test, do it outside and do not let anyone, especially children or pets, near you whilst mixing the chemicals or carrying out the test. Do not mix these chemicals in your client's property in any instance, never smoke while near the chemicals and remember to wear your PPE.
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Facebook pages
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www.sitewizard.co.uk
ave you launched your Facebook page yet? If not don't worry there is still plenty of time. With more than 750 million active users Facebook is a brilliant way for any business that sells to consumers to advertise. Even better than that, to create a page for your business it's free. Make sure that you do not set up a personal page for your business as you will be limited to 5,000 friends and it will not get listed in Google, you must make sure that once you have a personal profile that you then create a page. Once you have done this you can upload images and information about your business. Anyone who requests you as a friend accept them and redirect them to like your Facebook page. I am now 'friends' with over 200 people that I have never met on Facebook. Everyone who likes your page will receive the posts from your wall in their newsfeed. If you are launching a new product line then mention it on your page. If you should decide to get your Facebook customised then you can have it branded to match your website to see an example visit our newly launched page: www.facebook.com/SiteWizard.co.uk any new likes
will also be welcomed! It is cheaper than you might think to get your page customised so if you are interested please drop me us line. As you will see, if you have not already 'liked' us you will land on our Welcome page; once you have 'liked' a page when you return you will land on the wall of that page. An interesting fact that I read on Facebook's website is that customised Facebook pages grow 38% faster than standard ones. Lots of companies run competitions on their pages that drive traffic to their website, if you
happen to sell online this could result in more sales within your online shop. For more information about getting launched on Facebook talk to us on: 01622 200045 or visit: www.SiteWizard.co.uk/ncca and fill out one of our contact forms and we will call you back. page 25
Small business Finance
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mall business must be able to access alternatives to bank funding in order to thrive, a not-for-profit business support and lobby group is arguing. The Forum of Private Business is calling on the Government to allow non-mainstream financial bodies to compete with leading banks by giving private lenders similar tax breaks to those planned for venture capitalists taking equity stakes. The call comes after the Chancellor George Osborne announced outline plans for a new 'credit easing' scheme at the recent Conservative Party conference, which it is hoped would present SMEs with a viable alternative to more traditional borrowing methods. However, the ill-defined scheme is at best a medium-term solution. At worst it is reminiscent of the kind of risky trading that sparked the credit crunch in the first place. While it is making the right noises, there are
Phil McCabe (Forum of Private Business) doubts as to the form credit easing will take and how it will work to free up affordable finance for small firms on the ground. Even if there are protections against the sort of mixed debt trading that led to the credit crisis three years ago the strategy will require the creation of small business bond markets almost from scratch, which will take time. Greater incentives are required to provide a range of funding options that businesses will need if they are to create the jobs being lost in the public sector and drive economic growth. Against this background, the Forum gave a cautious welcome to the launch of a new lender, Shawcross Bank, set up to lend solely to small businesses and with a pledge to lend ÂŁ250 million in its first year. However, it has warned that much more needs to be done to truly improve the commercial finance landscape for small firms. While the Forum believes any new source of page 26
finance is welcome, with access to credit still a serious barrier to business for many, £250 million is a relatively small amount in the light of the major banks' combined Project Merlin target of lending £75 billion per year. In addition, Shawcross has no branch infrastructure and is purely lending against properties - a form of asset finance that has its place but should be underpinned by strong relationship banking. The Forum believes that traditional small business banking services need to be improved in parallel to the kind of asset-based lending provided by Shawbrook. In addition to improving competition between leading banks and allowing genuine alternatives to compete with or compliment traditional lending, there is a pressing need to address the overcentralised, tick-box nature of the banking system where decisions are made more on what sector a firm is in than its individual merits or potential, and to restore local decision-making powers to branch managers who truly know the businesses in their areas.
The forecast is not good. A recent study from the Bank of England predicted that lending costs for most SMEs will rise, particularly for firms with an annual turnover below £1million. Conversely, the bank said larger firms with a turnover exceeding £25m may see borrowing costs fall. The Forum believes that providing better relationship banking is how to ease the punitive risk criteria we have seen in recent years, and subsequently bring down lending costs. Clearly, more competition between leading banks and allowing alternative funders to compete in the finance markets they dominate - including via substantial tax breaks for private lenders - would help to address the perception of small businesses as risky propositions and subsequently bring down lending costs. All eyes will be on the Government when it finally reveals the details of its credit easing scheme this autumn, and equally on the UK's leading banks to see if they are willing and able to improve the levels of service they deliver to their small business customers.
Work place driving
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Gillian Harkess (Eversheds LLP)
riving is the most dangerous work activity that most UK workers will engage in. Recent statistics indicate twenty people every week in the UK are killed in accidents involving someone who was driving or using the road for work. Under health and safety legislation an employer has the responsibility to ensure the safety of workers in all work activities, including time spent by employees on the road. Failure to do so could result in the company being prosecuted under Health and Safety legislation. Where a death occurs involving someone driving for work, the company employing the driver could also be investigated for a Corporate Manslaughter offence. The Corporate Manslaughter Act makes it easier to prosecute companies in cases where gross failures in the management of health and safety have lead to the death of an employee. Penalties under the legislation include an unlimited fine. Furthermore, under the Health and Safety at Work
Act 1974 senior employees (such as managers or directors) face personal fines and imprisonment if their negligence, consent or connivance resulted in a health and safety offence occurring. The company could also be issued with a large fine if convicted. Police investigations will increasingly look at the role of the employer when investigating incidents where workplace driving is involved. It is essential that Companies are aware of their health and safety responsibilities relating to employees who spend time on the road. Conducting driving checks To avoid prosecution, companies are advised to have a system for gathering, recording and analysing information about employees who drive as part of their employment. Employers owe the same duty of care to staff who drive their own vehicles for work as they do to those in companyowned, leased or hired ones. Organisations are advised to consider the following checks as part of their assessments of employee safety on the road: page 28
Drivers Licence All drivers must have a valid, in date, drivers licence. Companies are recommended to pay particular attention to foreign licences, which may be subject to additional requirements to be valid in the UK. It is best practice for companies to periodically review all licences held by employees to ensure their records are up to date. Insurance cover for Business Use It is essential that any driver who uses his or her own vehicle during employment (excluding commuting) has appropriate motor insurance cover. Companies should review insurance documents of all employees who drive as part of their employment, in order to satisfy themselves that the vehicles are insured for business use. MOT Certificate Any vehicle which is aged three years or older must pass an MOT annually and the vehicle owner must possess a valid MOT certificate. Companies should ensure that employees who drive their own vehicles as part of their employment have a valid MOT
certificate and keep a record of all checks which they have made. Conclusion There will always be risks associated with driving. Although these cannot be completely controlled an employer has a responsibility to take all reasonable steps to manage these risks down to as low a level as reasonably possible, in the same way as they would in the workplace. As well as the checks outlined above, you should also consider driving schedules and distances, overnight stay policy and the use of mobile phones as a minimum. If companies do not have adequate systems in place to ensure that employees are safe while on the road, and senior management are involved in employee safety, then if a fatality occurs, an organisation could be prosecuted for both corporate manslaughter and failure to comply with general health and safety law. Ensure your company is not exposed to risk of prosecution by reviewing your system for workplace driving today.
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. CLEANING EQUIPMENT AND VAN 2 Dryfusion carpet cleaning machines, 2 Drizair 110 dehumidifiers, 2 turbo dryers, 1 Dri-eaz fogging machine, 2 Dryfusion stair tools with pads, 1 Advance Dryfoam rotary upholstery cleaner, plus 1 large sign-written white Fiat Ducato Turbo Diesel van (less than 5 years old - mileage 41,000). Total cost: £13,500 ONO. Phone Mike on: 01443 492455 or mob: 07881 807436. VAN & TRUCKMOUNT Hydramaster Boxxer 318 with only 600 hours on the clock, in excellent condition comes with all attachments and chemicals and Ford Transit 51 reg service history and 60,000 miles ply lined and racking for chemical storage in excellent condition. £9000 + vat call 07970 835686 for more 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 - £300.00. Chemspec pile lifter hoover - £800.00. contact aquadriinfo@btconnect.com for further information or contact andy on: 07970 544806 CARPET, UPHOLSTERY, PATIO AND PATHCLEANING BUSINESS FOR SALE The sale includes full training and ongoing support. Twenty five years of customer base and goodwill of the north London and Hertfordshire area. Interactive website, plus a VW transporter van, fully wrapped with a comprehensive equipment list. This includes an Ashbys Enforcer 600 psi (only 6months old) and an Ashbys Ninja 500 psi (only 6 months old). For full equipment list and business details, please contact Nicky on: 07774438007 or 0208 807 3722. Please visit: www.therightclean.co.uk PROCHEM VACUUM HOSE Prochem: 100ft Vacuum hose, 75ft Solution hose for Truck Mount Machine. £100 + VAT. Tel Aastra Clean: 01454 626259. VAN & TRUCKMOUNT Blue Line ThermalWave HP II - 50hp and Citroen Relay LWB Van. True Twin Wand Operation Truck Mount Cleaning. Asking Price: £17,995 + VAT. Call 0118 931 0516 for more details. Or Visit: www.truckmount.info MACHINERY FOR SALE Gloria 5 litre stainless steal pump-up sprayer: £67.50. No VAT.Please call Steve on 07973-264783 or alternatively email: s.matczak@btinternet.com TRUCKMOUNT AND VAN FOR SALE Baneclean Truck Mount and van for sale. Due to retirement I will consider offers in region of £3500. For further details of this bargain contact Derek at Aquamaster on 01845 537640, 07976 218304 or email at derek@aquamasteryorkshire.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 - £300.00 plus delivery charge if applicable. Ashbys V2 steam mate with hose attachments all in good condition - £100.00 plus delivery charge if applicable. Ashbys stainless steel chewing gum floor wand in good condition - £50.00 plus delivery charge if applicable. Ashbys stainless steel 4'' stair hand tool in good condition - £50.00 plus delivery charge if applicable. Please phone Pete Collins on 07885804560. BUSINESS FOR SALE Reputable working carpet, upholstery and hard floor cleaning company servicing both Domestic and Commercial Clients. Currently based in Northumberland but can easily be re-located. To be sold as a complete package, which includes VW Caddy van, Steempro 2000 Powerplus HWE machine with all extras, Sebo vacuum, Numatic wet and dry vac, professional spotting kit, Rondo-Matic sprayer, cleaning chemicals and many other accessories. The sale also includes a branded uniform, website and domain names. Owner operator retiring on medical grounds. Sale price £25,000. Please call 01434 679 303 or e-mail: info@fibrescarpetcare.co.uk for more information. PROCHEM TRUCKMOUNT AND VAN Excellent opportunity to upgrade to a quality truckmount without the big price tag. 2003 LWB Transit in very good condition with FSH, long MOT, 125K miles on the clock. Prochem Performer dual wand truckmount, with fresh water tanks, auto pump-out and all usual accessories. £5000 + vat ONO. Ring David on 01428 722551 TEXATHERM EQUIPMENT 1 x EMV201 Twin 3 Texatherm / Extraction machine, 2 x 10 meter x 38mm Superflex solution recovery hose, 1 x S/Steel twin jet wand, 1 x S/Steel Upholstery tool + 2 meters whip & S/Steep connector, 1 x TC170 Rotary Machine, 1 x Tc170 Drive Board, 15 x Thermal Pads for Texathurm system ( retail for £21.00 each ), 1 x S/Steel 5ltr Sprayer with lance Vinton 8002. Can also offer training and support to purchaser and can arrange ongoing training with manufacturer. All equipment purchased earlier this year, hardly used and in excellent condition. Ideal for use in domestic and commercial situations. Reason for sale: alternative full-time employment. Total cost new: approximately £6882.00 inc VAT. Equipment is practically new, so looking to recover as much of original value as possible. This is a great opportunity to get a discount on some excellent equipment. Please call me any time on 07850 881135 or email on mikefolkes@hotmail.co.uk
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. page 30
NCCA Shop The NCCA has a number of items to order by members. Below are some of the more popular items purchased. For a full list of merchandise please visit the website on: www.ncca.co.uk. Orders may be placed online, or you can contact the NCCA office on: 0116 271 9550. + PAS86 Code of Practice £40.00 each + Carpet Care Survey Forms (Pad of 100) £19.50 each or £50 for 3
NCCA Associate Members + Alltec Network: 01763 208222 (C/M/F/T) + Amtech UK: 0845 130 4755 (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 UK: 01482 872770 (C/M/Fr) + Chemspec Europe Ltd: 01274 597333 (C/M/T/D/F)
+ NCCA Lapel Pin Badge £3.00 each
+ Cleanerswarehouse Ltd: 01772 434333 (T/C/R/M)
+ Large NCCA Van Sticker (21x7 inches approx) Pack of 2 for £17.63
+ Cleaning Systems UK: 01334 656787 (C/M/T/F)
+ Small NCCA Van/Machine Sticker (12x3 inches approx) £2.50 each + Promotional Leaflet 10p each (under 500), 8.5p each (500 and over) + NCCA Tie £12.93 each All prices include VAT and Postage and packaging. A receipt invoice will be sent by the office. Please allow 21 days for delivery. Goods will not be sent until payment is received.
+ Cleaning Support Ltd: 0844 8482371 (C/M/W) + Cleansmart Ltd: 0115 8240034 (T/C/R/M/K) + Cleantec Innovation Ltd: 0870 733 7733 (T/C/W/M) + Dri-Eaz: 01908 611211 (C/M/T) + Dry Fusion UK Ltd: 01772 433711 (C/M/T/W/Fr) + Forum of Private Business: 01565 634467 + 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) + LTT Leathercare: 01423 881027 (T) + McGregor Lloyd (insurance brokers): 0121 706 0616 (I)
NCCA Member Benefits
+ Nu Life Stone Care Ltd: 0161 480 7284 (M/C)
+ Amicus Legal Ltd (free legal helpline): 01206 366500
+ Prochem Europe Ltd: 0208 974 1515 (C/F/M/T)
+ SiteWizard (website creation) 08450 608860 + EMJ Management Ltd (workwear clothing and accessories): 02392 434650 + Brian James (Marketing Consultant): 08450 608860 + Thompson Local (Ask for Corporate Advertsing Department) 01252 390385 + Yellow Pages (Ask for Corporate Advertising Department) 0808 100 7890 + Adalante Merchant Services 01628 820500 + Payatrader www.payatrader.com
+ Rainbow International: 01623 422488 (M/C/Fr) + Restoration Express: 01252 726106 (M/C/T/A) + ServiceMaster Ltd: 0116 275 9000 (M/C/Fr) + Sebo UK Ltd: 01494 465533 (M) + Stainshield Ltd: 01372 841467 (C) + Textile Cleaning Solutions: 01934 521155 (M/C) + The Big Clean: 0208 3934778 (M,C,W,K) + Truvox International Ltd: 02380 702200 (M) + Vitec Global: 02392 666053 (C) + Woodbridge Comercial Ltd: 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
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