April 2015

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ncca

April 2015

The official journal of the National Carpet Cleaners Association

Features:

Don’t Slip Up...

Educating The Customer NCCA Member Wins Award

Picture©Brintons Epsom Stripe Duck Egg - Laura Ashley Collection

Contents

Published monthly by:

03 From the Editor - The governmentendorsed ‘find a trader’ scheme 04 From the President - Education, Education, Education 06 The floor I would like to own 09 The popular industry event for carpet cleaning professionals 10 NCCA member wins ‘Good Trader of the Year’ award 12 Time to survey 14 Thanks to the Association...

15 Help to stamp out logo misuse 16 The Exit 20 Don’t slip up 22 Educating the customer 24 A tale of two cleaners 26 Good customer relationships 28 Carpet soiling

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_

The government-endorsed ‘find a trader’ scheme

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ave you thought about joining a recognised 'find a trader' scheme this year? Well, if you have, then why not join TrustMark.

There are now sixty two NCCA members who are TrustMark registered and who are taking advantage of the many benefits that membership of this scheme provides.

TrustMark members are able to use the TrustMark logo on their advertising, promotional materials, website, vehicles and stationary. Their company details, together with email contact and customer feedback forms, are also listed on the TrustMark website and can be found easily under a postcode search within the Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners category. Membership within this category is ONLY available to NCCA MEMBERS and, since its launch in April last year, it has been searched 64,512 times! Put simply, that's 64,512 times that NCCA members' company details have been viewed by consumers looking for a carpet and upholstery cleaner on the TrustMark website.

One of the key advantages of being a TrustMark member is the recognition it provides. TrustMark is the only national 'find a trader' scheme to operate to Government-endorsed standards.

Citizens Advice Bureau have a direct link on their site for consumers to search for TrustMark members, and other supporters of the scheme include Age UK, the Trading Standards Institute, Direct.gov, the Department for Business Innovation & Skills and the Office of Fair Trading.

Set up nine years ago to give homeowners a safe

and easy way to find quality tradesmen for work in and around the home, TrustMark has gone from strength to strength Nicky Law and now has the largest database Newslink Editor of vetted tradesmen in the UK. They are continuously working to raise their profile and last year doubled their marketing and PR budget to further increase consumer awareness.

TrustMark is effectively the best recognition we can get from Government for our industry - the 'Gas Safe' standard for carpet and upholstery cleaners. Other 'find a trader' schemes don't provide any protection for consumers and any untrained, uninsured carpet cleaner can join.

Membership of these schemes can also cost hundreds and hundreds of pounds annually, whereas TrustMark is only £150 + VAT per year… just £3 a week!

Becoming a TrustMark member TrustMark membership is not compulsory.

However, it is an excellent marketing tool which benefits members, the NCCA, and the industry as a whole.

If you would like to become a TrustMark member, don’t hesitate, just ring the NCCA office on: 0116 271 9550. We will check to see if you are eligible to join and, if you are, we will send you the necessary paperwork.

Think about it… how many of your competitors will be able to advertise themselves as 'TrustMark Approved, Working to Government and Industry Approved Standards'?

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From the President Nigel Lay Education, Education, Education

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ow often do we take time to educate ourselves, do we believe that it is important and what value does it have for us?

I pose the question having recently attended The Cleaning Show, at the London Excel Exhibition Centre, in my capacity as President of the NCCA and director of The British Cleaning Council (who organised the show). The NCCA were represented with a trade stand and I was assisted by two other Directors, Paul Pearce and Martin Johns.

We felt it was very important to be present at the show, both to support the cleaning industry as a whole and to represent the field of carpet and upholstery cleaning.

Attendance provided us with the ideal opportunity to promote the importance of professionalism within the flooring and soft furnishing cleaning industry and to educate visitors about the NCCA, together with the benefits of professional training and the advantages of becoming an NCCA member.

During the event we were very busy and had a lot of visitors to the stand. However, when I had the chance, I took a walk around the hall to view the vast array of products on display. Something that particularly caught my eye was a new solution for the elimination of urine odour. Unlike the enzyme-type products that we have used up until now, this is a new biological solution that kills the odour dead without the risks of using enzymes on protein-based fibres like wool. This

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one product alone, which I have purchased and will test extensively, will provide me with an added advantage over my competitors.

There were many other new and interesting products at the show, as well as some old favourites, and on first day of the event the cleaning industry Innovation Awards took place.

For those of you who are interested, the results of these awards are as follows: ŸBest Cleaning Product - Vileda, SpillEx Super Absorbent Pads. ŸBest Floor Cleaning Product - TL Killi's, iMop. ŸBest Outdoor Cleaning Product- Osprey Deepclean, Gumbusters GB1. ŸBest Carpet Cleaning Product - Karcher, CV60/2 RS Step-On Vacuum Cleaner. ŸBest Window Cleaning Product - Unger, nLite HydroPower DI Filter. ŸBest Washroom Hygiene Product - Vectair, V-Air Solid. ŸBest Sustainable Cleaning Product - Wecoline, Full Cycle Wecoline Pads by Americo. ŸBest Management System - ICE, SMARTtrak.

With the OVERALL WINNER being TK Killi's iMop. If you missed the Cleaning Show, or even if you did manage to attend, DO make sure that you come along to the Carpet Cleaners Carnival (CCC) this year. This is another opportunity to get together with other people in your industry.

Held at Wicksteed Park in Kettering, on Saturday 12th September, the CCC will include an exhibition

of major manufacturers and suppliers to the carpet, upholstery and hard floor cleaning industry, together with companies who offer addon services to help you in your business. The event will also feature a number of seminars hosted by industry experts on a variety of subjects, from the technical aspects of cleaning to successfully improving your marketing.

The Carpet Cleaners Carnival is targeted specifically at our core market place and is organised in a family-friendly format. So… make a date in your diary to attend this popular, AND FREE, event! Continue your education, learn something new and find the new product or system that will set you apart from your competitors.

Latest TrustMark Statistics Since its launch in April last year, the category of Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners on the TrustMark website has been searched a total of 64,512 times!

TrustMark membership within the Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners category is ONLY available to NCCA members. So, put simply, that's over 64,512 times NCCA members' company details have been searched by consumers looking for a carpet and upholstery cleaner on the TrustMark website!

How to apply for TrustMark membership 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 117 recommendations for full members provided by the NCCA. This number is made up of 54 referrals from the NCCA office and 59 potential customers contacting members direct through the website, together with 4 referrals to members without an email address (tracked by the NCCA office).

New NCCA Members Pile Up Cleaning Ltd Winteringham, North Lincolnshire Carpet Angels Ringwood, Hampshire Keep Clean Services Hartlepool, Co Durham SWG Cleaning & Maintenance Ltd Warminster, Wiltshire Citrus Property Care Ltd Perth, Perthshire Castell Gwyn Cardiff Owlet Carpet Care Horsforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire Revive Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Weston Super Mare, Somerset

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The floor I would like to own

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Keith Robertson

adore red marble. Every winter for the last ten years I have sat and dreamed and doodled sketches of the extension I might eventually add to my little house. Slowly the project moves forward and I now have architect’s plans and can allow myself to imagine all sorts of details of how I would like to finish and furnish it. One possibility is to have a red marble floor, so I have been going through my files to Beautiful red marble determine which particular marble I might finally choose.

There is quite a choice of reds, or reddish, stones fact a limestone. This material has been compared from a number of European countries and further with the ancient marbles of Rome that are no afield. If you are interested in red stones in general longer available. do have a look at my Pinterest page at: Don't be fooled by the word 'Bordeaux' as this www.pinterest.com/keithrobertson/red-marblerefers to the colour rather than its origin. granite Concentrate instead on the 'Cape Breton' as this is From Alicante in Spain there is a fine grained where the stone comes from. Cape Breton is a light red stone with white veins called Rojo large island on the east of Canada that makes up Alicante Red Marble, while from Greece there is a the northern section of the province of Nova choice of Araxova Marble, Eretria Red Marble, Evia Scotia (Latin for 'New Scotland'). This area holds an Red marble, Kantia Red and Ritsona Red Marble. I interest for me, as the Scottish Highland also looked through and discarded red marbles Clearances led to some 50,000 Scots resettling on from France, Italy, Turkey and China until I came to Cape Breton. Previously both the Portuguese and the one that I really, really liked.

French had a shot at establishing colonies here, It is Cape Breton Bordeaux Marble, a strong red although it is said that John Cabot claimed it for stone which, although marketed as marble, is in England back in 1497.

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The natural resources on the island were recognised and for many years mining, and particularly coal mining, was important. Recent quarrying for stone dates back to the first half of the 18th century when the French established a sandstone quarry on a small island off Port Hood.

Interestingly, thousands of years before this the indigenous Indian inhabitants, the Micmacs, worked prehistoric quarries and quarried rhyolite (a volcanic rock that is as hard as steel) to make tools such as scraping knives and axes as well as spear points, arrowheads, and possibly harpoons, which they are thought to have traded with other tribes.

Geologists have estimated that Cape Breton Bordeaux Marble may be one billion years old.

However, the Kennedys Big Brook Red Marble Mine quarry near River Denys in Inverness

County Cape Breton, which is the source of the stone, is a much more recent development.

It has been known since the 19th century that there were coloured marble deposits in the area and a report produced in the early 1900's noted a prominent red marble outcrop. Sixty years passed before the Nova Scotia Government surveyed and drilled a test hole and, twenty years later, more extensive test drills were carried out which confirmed that there was a major deposit. However, strangely, nothing happened until 2001. Possibly the reason for this was that the traditional methods for quarrying stone were unsuitable for this extremely hard, yet still fragile, material.

By the time Christopher Trider (who had more than twenty one years' experience in project management with the Province of Nova Scotia) teamed up with Richard Sandeson and formed Macleod Resources Ltd, diamond wire-sawing had not only been invented and experimented with at the Carrara quarries from 1968, but had become 'the norm' for marble extraction and was suitable for this stone.

The company were granted permission to start to quarry stone from a virgin forested area covered with maple and birch, where it was Red marble staircase

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estimated that there were over twenty million tons of reserves.

What is even more remarkable is that, in addition to the red Cape Breton Bordeaux, the deposits produce five other unusual high value (possibly unique) marbles, ranging from the deep red of the Cape Breton Bordeaux to an unusual pattern of greys with rose/pink, yellows and hint of blue. The different stones are named Highland Heart, Pynk Floyd, Mountain Rose, Cape Breton Midnight, and Cape Breton Midnight with Dark Eyes.

Most of us, even if we work on stone floors, don't really have a concept of what it is like to operate a stone quarry. It's only if you make the effort to visit a major stone show (like the annual Marmonacc stone show in Verona) that you can examine closely the machinery and equipment used and the huge blocks of stone that are cut from quarries before processing. Even so, what you don't see is the amount of waste produced that requires to be handled. My understanding is that for each load of cut material there will be eight or more loads of waste material. All in all it is an expensive process to produce stone suitable for selling.

This is exactly what the owners of the quarry producing Cape Breton Bordeaux found out.

Within a few years of the start-up they were able to exceed an annual production of 35,000 tonnes of their signature dark red marble. Even so it was necessary to borrow from the Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation and look for a partner willing to invest in the business.

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In 2011, a year after they had announced signing a deal with Saudi Arabian company (Shairco Group) to distribute across the MENA region, they believed that they had made an agreement with EABG (Emirates Associated Business Group) to invest and become their new strategic partner. Unfortunately, it seems that the agreement wasn't finalised and it was announced on the 28th February 2012 that the company had gone into receivership with debts of more than two million dollars.

Three years have passed tying up the legalities and the quarry has just gone on the market. Have any of you quietly won the lottery and are looking for a new challenge? If so, this could be it. Six fabulous stones that you could sell anywhere in the world along with the opportunity to live in a beautiful location. What else could a newfound millionaire ask for?

Alexander Graham Bell, considered to be the inventor of the telephone, said "I have travelled around the globe. I have seen the Canadian and American Rockies, the Andes, the Alps and the Highlands of Scotland, but for simple beauty Cape Breton outrivals them all."

If you have won the lottery, and are tempted to buy the quarry, could you do it fairly quickly? This might well be the year I build my extension and there is little likelihood of my getting the floor of my dreams unless you, or someone else, reopens the quarry. Just a thought... no pressure.

In the meantime if you are not in a position to purchase the quarry, but are interested in stone and stone finishing in general, why not visit the Natural Stone Show at Excel 28th to 30th April 2015: www.stoneshow.co.uk

The popular industry event for carpet cleaning professionals 7) You will have the chance to meet ancillary companies who can help you in your business.

Held on September 12th - again at the popular day- 8) You can grab a bargain!

9) There will be seminars running throughout the out destination, Wicksteed Park in Kettering - CCC day on a variety of subjects, all hosted by industry 2015 is already set to be a must-attend event. experts... offering real value to your business!

Open to everyone and FREE to attend, the 2015 Carnival will include an exhibition populated by top 10) If you are looking to extend the range of services you offer, or are simply looking to expand trade suppliers and manufacturers, together with on the skills you already have, you will learn seminars hosted by something new. well-respected 11) It's a family-friendly event and there will be experts in the plenty to entertain children, partners and friends industry. should they wish to come with you.

Visitors to the show 12) Wicksteed Park is an excellent venue. As well as can expect to find being centrally located, it offers everything a family innovative products could need to enjoy a great day out. and information designed to assist in lowering For more information, or to register your interest costs and improving standards as well as helping in the Carnival this year, please call the NCCA them in the day-to-day running of their business. office on: 0116 271 9550 or log on to our Here are the Top-12 reasons why the Carpet Cleaners Carnival 2015 is a ‘must-attend' event for Facebook Event Page at: www.facebook.com/events/362754503922598/?re you this year: 1) It's FREE for ALL attendees and their friends and f_dashboard_filter=upcoming and click on 'Going'.

Are you coming to the Carpet Cleaners Carnival (CCC) this year?

family.

2) It provides an ideal opportunity to network with like-minded people.

3) It is approved as an IICRC continuing education credit (CEC).

4) It features an exhibition populated by some of the biggest names in the industry.

5) You will have the chance to see all types of machinery in action.

6) There will be new product launches and you will be amongst the first to see them.

We look forward to seeing you there!

EXHIBITING AT CCC 2015 If you would like to exhibit at this year’s event, please call NCCA Corporate Director, Allan Simmons, on: 01405 813665 or email: allanjnr@getbookedup.com to book your space.

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NCCA member wins ‘Good Trader of the Year’ award t's always good news when someone wins an award and it's great to be able to report that Wigan-based NCCA member company, Manor House Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning, has won a top notch award in their home town.

Manor House Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning - run by father and son team Bob and Ben McWilliam has been awarded 'Good Trader of the Year', a prize given out by the Trading Standards Good Trader Scheme. There was tough competition and, in taking the top prize, they beat over 200 other businesses!

The firm have been members of the NCCA from small beginnings in 2006; they have developed the business and now enjoy an excellent reputation beyond Wigan.

The father and son team are overjoyed to win the award and say "We are over the moon to have been named 'Good Trader of the Year'. It's good to know that our customers think so much of us and

Father and son team Bob and Ben McWilliam

have taken the trouble to tell the Wigan Good Traders organisation. All the hard work is worth it when you win something like this. It all seems such a long time ago since NCCA course tutors, Paul Pearce and Pawlo (Pav) Woloszyn, were passing on their skills to two people that had never cleaned a carpet before in their lives. Thank you Paul and Pav”.

NCCA consumer leaflet The NCCA consumer leaflet is available from the NCCA office for all members to purchase.

Aimed at the customer, it includes details on the Association, members, surveying and cleaning and includes a section on how to tackle stains and spillages, encouraging your customer to retain the leaflet for future reference. There is also a space on the back where you can place your own company details, ensuring that your customer will have your particulars readily available should they want their carpets and upholstery cleaned again in the future.

For further information, or to place your order, please call the NCCA office on: 0116 271 9550.

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Photograph ©Bob and Ben McWilliam

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Time to survey

Ken Wainwright

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efore we start ANY work of ANY type on ANY carpet, we should all be carrying out a comprehensive survey. Information gathered will include: the fibre types of both face and backing/foundation yarns, dye stability tests as appropriate, standard and type of fitting, any damage, the nature of problematic soils and stains, plus any of 1001 variables that may come to light during the inspection and testing procedure. Once the information is obtained it should then be recorded on a survey sheet with any issues clearly noted.

I actually choose to take the survey process one step further. During the dry soil extraction procedure (aka vacuuming) it is necessary to look at every square inch of the carpet as you go and I use this as an opportunity for a final thorough inspection, the last chance to pick up on any issues that may have initially been missed, before committing to my intended cleaning process.

Once the pre-clean inspection is completed, a copy of the survey form should be passed to your customer and any issues discussed thoroughly.

If you do not bring an issue to the attention of your customer you could leave yourself open to complaints and/or proceedings after the event.

Just remember that it is very hard to prove an inherent problem retrospectively.

Failure to complete a pre-clean survey, and the issues that can arise from this, was brought to my attention again recently when reading a conversational thread on one of our industry's internet forums.

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A pre-clean survey is a very important part of the job

A cleaner had received a call after an, otherwise good, job had been completed informing him that the carpet had shrunk. Naturally a call-back was required and this was duly performed.

The carpet concerned is a wool blend, tufted into polypropylene, on gripper and underlay. From the picture taken during the call-back, and shown on the forum, the carpet appears to be adequately fitted. However, around a door frame's mouldings, a small piece of carpet approximately 4� x 1� is missing. The doorway and skirting areas are not shrunk. To the trained carpet cleaner, this is consistent with the carpet fitter having cut a straight line along the doorway threshold to the end of the carpet, not allowing for fitting around the mouldings. It would be reasonable to expect that the job was originally completed by loosely inserting a filler into the empty void.

The carpet cleaner involved is now faced with a frustrating and annoying complaint resulting from a problem he feels was pre-existing. However, unfortunately, he had not recorded it or brought it to the attention of the owner prior to cleaning.

The customer now has a report from a 'carpet specialist' that states that the carpet has shrunk because “it has been wet cleaned and it should not have been cleaned in this way” and consequently it will need to be replaced. Interestingly, I noted that the carpet 'specialist' was not referred to as a carpet or cleaning inspector or expert, or indeed an expert in any related field. The saga and legal consultations are ongoing.

As we know, this is all grief that none of us wants.

Time and costs, on both sides, could so easily have been avoided quite simply by carrying out a proper pre-clean inspection. This task is made much easier if a proper document is used.

The NCCA has, in fact, made the process of surveying easier for all of us by offering a preprinted duplicate form for us to complete whilst inspecting, measuring and quoting for any work... just tick the relevant boxes. The form also has the option to be used as an invoice, so all your paperwork can be completed on one simple form.

A little time spent at the beginning of every job and few pence for a piece of paper can save so much hassle and grief later on!

NCCA survey forms Using NCCA survey forms will: ŸAllow you to record vital information including any previous damage or inherent problems. ŸProvide you with an evidence trail in the possible event of a later problem or dispute.

NCCA survey forms are available for members to purchase and come in pads of 100 with a carbonated sheet. For further information, or to place your order, please call the NCCA office on: 0116 271 9550.

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.

NCCA on Facebook Did you know that the NCCA have two Facebook sites?

1) Industry-facing site - go to: www.facebook.com/nicky.law.315 (includes a private Group exclusively for NCCA members - a place where over 110 people are already sharing ideas, advice, opinions and daily stories).

2) Consumer-facing site - go to: www.facebook.com/NCCAcarpetcleaning (contains useful information on flooring and soft furnishing cleaning which is ideal for sharing with your customers and others within your industry).

So pop on, have a look, and if you see something you like… just share it!

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Thanks to the Association...

James Shepherd (Carmarthenshire Carpet Care)

little while back I had a referral enquiry to attend a retirement complex to quote for cleaning.

Despite the notices of 'no cold callers' and a key-card entry system it had not deterred hawkers of goods and services that were not called for and so, not surprisingly, the warden viewed all new visitors with suspicion.

I politely explained that I was there to conduct a free survey and offer some 'no obligation' advice and that I would only return upon request.

Having completed the survey I was fortunately asked to return to do the work. At this point the elderly client explained that if it had not been for the referral they would not have known where to look and that using the internet was “more trouble than it was worth�.

This started me thinking and, after having a chat with the knowledgeable and helpful staff at the NCCA office, a plan of action took place.

With the agreement and help of the warden I arranged a community meeting to talk about the cleaning and care of soft furnishings within the home, inviting anyone who would benefit from, or be interested in, attending.

On the day there was an excellent turnout. Our

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Setting up for the day

talk included information on the methods used in carpet and upholstery cleaning and the benefits of using an accredited professional, providing us with the ideal opportunity to discuss, in depth, the NCCA. Information on the Association was handed out and many myths and worries about carpet cleaning were put to rest. Demonstrations of spot and stain treatments followed and everyone in attendance received a free eco spotter to take home with them. Overall, it was an afternoon very well spent.

I would personally like to thank all those involved for their help and support in providing the information and the table stands used at the meeting, and for the enthusiasm they showed in assisting a local community.

Photograph ŠJames Shepherd

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Diary Dates 2015

Help to stamp out logo misuse The NCCA logo and the name NATIONAL CARPET CLEANERS ASSOCIATION are officially registered trademarks.

We need your help to ensure that only bone fide members of the Association use the coveted name and logo and to safeguard our good name from use by unscrupulous individuals or companies.

If you become aware of an individual or company using our name and/or logo, and you have reason to believe that they are not members of the NCCA, please send us any evidence you can, together with any other information that might help us when we take a particular case to Trading Standards.

We accept as evidence the appearance of our name or logo on websites or any printed material. In the case of official publications we would need to know the date and name of the journal/directory in which misuse occurred.

It is in everyone's interest to help us stamp out the illegal use of our name and logo, so please be vigilant. We assure you that, with the right evidence, we will press Trading Standards to prosecute offenders.

One trader has already been successfully prosecuted for making a false statement by means of a leaflet bearing the NCCA logo. His County Council Trading Standards brought the prosecution and the company was fined and ordered to pay costs towards the prosecution.

The company was further ordered to pay compensation to an aggrieved customer.

NCCA COURSES Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning 22nd - 23rd May 10th - 11th July 18th - 19th September 20th - 21st November Advanced Spot & Stain Removal 26th June 9th October Health & Safety for the Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner 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.

CARPET CLEANERS CARNIVAL (CCC) 2015 Wicksteed Park, Kettering, Northamptonshire 12th September IICRC COURSES (TUTOR: PAUL PEARCE) Held at Alltec Network, Hertfordshire. Tel: 01763 208222 Carpet Cleaning Technician 9th - 10th June 15th - 16th September Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning Technician 16th - 17th June 22nd - 23rd September Commercial Carpet Maintenance Technician 14th - 15th May IICRC COURSES (TUTOR: ADAM JANKOWSKI) Held at National Flood School, Surrey. Tel: 01252 821185 Carpet Cleaning Technician 10th - 11th September Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning Technician 25th - 26th November IICRC COURSES (TUTOR: ADAM JANKOWSKI) Held at Chemspec Europe Ltd, Yorkshire. Tel: 01274 597333 Carpet Cleaning Technician 23rd - 24th September Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning Technician 29th - 30th September Visit: www.iicrc.org for further details on all IICRC Training Courses.

The Exit

Cecil Aigin (Honorary Member)

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t some point in time we will inevitably decide that we need to hang up our wands and brooms and retire from the joys of carpet cleaning.

It's a difficult decision; there is so much to be considered. First and foremost the question we must all ask of ourselves is, “Do we really want to retire”?

There are pressures that strike from all different quarters. From close family and friends, “don't you think that you've had enough?

You're not as young as you used to be” and from a little further afield, “what, and you're still working at your age”?

Hopefully, our health and strength holds up so that our only reason for retirement is because we personally wish to do so and, when that desire arrives, we make a positive decision and do it. It is far better to retire out of choice than force of circumstances.

“Ah, very easily said but not so easily done” many of us will say, and I couldn't agree more, but the question of retirement will be reached at some time in the future and planning for the situation cannot start early enough.

I have entitled this article 'The Exit' because, when we make this important decision, we must

have a carefully prepared door to leave by.

Our business must be so organised that it will be readily attractive to a prospective buyer who would be able to take over the reins and continue running the operation successfully. There should be no in-built complications that a new owner would find difficult to cope with.

Put yourself in the position of a prospective buyer, maybe someone who has been made redundant and has a sum of money available to invest in a small business venture, but with no

previous experience in the carpet cleaning industry. They would need to be convinced that the business is viable and capable of making them a good return on their investment. As a prospective purchaser they would need to be assured that there is a reliable and steady flow of new work and that a good relationship has been established with old clients.

Keep a well-presented file containing testimonials, records, and photos of memorable places of work. Keep records of your advertising

with information regarding the success of your various campaigns.

Guarantee an adequate period of training and support for your purchaser and, needless to say, introduce all the benefits of membership of the NCCA that will be essential to someone new to the industry.

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be confident that their venture into 'the strange new world of carpet cleaning' will prove to be a sound proposition.

Your equipment should be in pristine condition and health and safety and service records readily available.

On the first day of retirement we are faced with at least two major changes in our life. The financial consideration is obviously at the top of the list. The regular income from our work has ceased, we are now living on savings and investments. But, hopefully, our hard work over very many years of dedication to the care of our client's carpets and upholstery has paid dividends and, together with the proceeds of the sale of our business, we have been able to provide for our future.

The other major change in our life is that we are no longer working. We have time on our hands and what are we going to do with it? Before I

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retired, following almost forty five years in the industry, I was of course conscious of the impending financial change in my life and, equally, I was aware that I would need to be able to occupy my time with worthwhile pursuits.

Forward planning for leisure is at least as important as forward financial planning. One cannot leave it until the time comes.

Golfers can spend more time on the golf course, but even that extra activity will not fill in all our new found spare time. Not even increased shopping with the family can fill the void.

Consequently, as soon as possible, re-assess your leisure activities, your hobbies and interests and develop new outlets for your time following retirement.

Retirement should provide a new lease of life, a time to enjoy the fruits of our hard work over many years. However, we can only achieve this by early planning. Start now!!!

Don’t slip up

I

Derek Bolton (Honorary Member)

decided to write this article after seeing a comment made on one of the internet forums which referred to a member of the public tripping over a hose. I don't want to discuss this particular case as its ongoing, but it did remind me that we do have a responsibility to protect ourselves, our customers, and anyone else in the Moving from a wet carpet onto a hard surface can present a trip hazard building where we are working.

In this day and age, where claiming hard floor surface, and wires trailing from carpet compensation for a 'perceived' or ‘actual’ wrong cleaning machinery, are two prime examples of seems to have become a National pastime, we the hazards that can occur whilst you are working. must be constantly aware.

An effective cleaning regime requires a good So, what must you do? management system to help you identify problem areas, decide what to do, act on decisions made, ŸYou must ensure that your employees and anyone else who could be affected by your work and check that the steps have been effective. are kept safe from harm.

Good communication between yourself and your employees, as well as the building's ŸYou must also, before carrying out any work, assess the risk from slips and trips and take occupants, is also very important. If you employ reasonable precautions. staff (full or part time), effective training and What you should know supervision is essential to ensure that cleaning is Slips and trips remain the single most common undertaken to the correct standard. Cleaners need cause of major injury in UK workplaces. to be informed of their duties and why the The process of cleaning can create slip and trip cleaning needs to be undertaken in a particular risks for anyone entering the area being cleaned, way or at a particular time. Lack of understanding including yourself and your employees (if you can lead to inappropriate shortcuts. have them). Moving from a wet carpet onto a I have had a few slippery experiences myself in

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my time, usually when stepping from a wet carpet onto a hard floor surface. The worst floors to begin a skating career on are the ceramic tiles sometimes found in kitchens and conservatories. A pirouette, followed by some very strange contortions whilst trying to maintain an upright stance, can't be a pretty sight for the poor customer I'm sure!

Now, my 'old' mate the 'Old Man of Essex' is a careful sort of fella and takes great steps to protect his customers. Like myself he puts out safety notices, informs his customers verbally AND provides a safety information sheet prior to cleaning, BUT‌ the unexpected can still happen! Picture if you will a telephone ringing and a female customer rushing to answer it, totally ignoring the hazard signs and everything she had been told! Of course she fell and hurt herself. Dutifully the 'old Man' ran her down to A&E, called her husband and, once he had arrived, went to finish off the job in hand.

Unfortunately he later received a rather aggressive call from the husband accusing him of causing the injury. That was, or course, until he discovered that his dear wife had received information that she chose to ignore (the subsequent apology was gladly accepted by the way).

That's just the slip and fall element of cleaning hazards. Don't forget that you also need to keep children away from unattended electrical equipment and chemicals. I say 'unattended' as

you may be working at the far end of a room away from your chemicals and equipment.

Watch out for any security issues too. If you leave your machine outside and run the hoses through the door whilst you are working alone, then you may not hear or see an opportunistic thief slipping in to help themselves.

While we are talking about 'outside', DO make sure that any hoses running across pathways have a suitable ramp in place PLUS the relevant warning signs.

What does the law say?

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSW Act) requires employers to ensure the health and safety of all employees and anyone who may be affected by their work, so far as is reasonably practicable. This includes taking steps to control slip and trip risks.

Employees have a duty not to put themselves, or others, in danger and must use any safety equipment provided.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to assess risks (including slip and trip risks) and, where necessary, take action to address them.

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require floors to be suitable, in good condition, and free from obstructions.

People should be able to move around safely.

REMEMBER: The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 has far reaching powers that could, if someone is seriously hurt or worse, lead to an unlimited fine being imposed and/or a prison sentence if you are found guilty.

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Educating the customer

Terry Guilford (The Ultimate Floor Sanding Co.)

L

ove 'em or hate 'em internet forums are a great source of inspiration for writers, especially when they are suffering from 'post Paddy's day' brain, and I am glad to say that my friends at Floormasters didn't disappoint.

Poor old Charlie is in a bit of a fluster. You see he's been losing 'bids' (he's American) to the cheap competition and he thinks it's because he is educating the customer too much, too early. So here's the dilemma… you need to impress the customer with your knowledge but if you give too much away the information you’ve provided could be fed to the competition, the result being that you obviously lose out. So, taking this into consideration, how should you deal with a customer when it comes to quoting?

Firstly, let me tell you that I am not a sales guru.

Far from it. As a pure salesman I am terrible but, when I am selling something I am passionate about, I do ok. So, already, here is the first simple truth; people need to believe that someone they employ to do work in their home has a genuine interest in what they are doing, and they are instinctively aware that someone who is just 'going through the motions' probably isn't going to do as good a job. The second key to successful sales is to be 'likeable' (I struggle with this one).

The client is far more likely to 'buy' from someone

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they get on with. After all, you may be in their home for several days... would you want someone you didn't like in your house for that length of time?

Very often the combination of the two traits mentioned above is enough to win you any work you quote for but, if you really want to impress your clients (AND do a good job when they give you the work of course), then read on.

The thread on the forum was full of really good stuff on this (yep, honestly) and just about all of it I would agree with. There was one common theme, and it was this… you need to find out what the client's key buying points are. To do this you need to either ask direct questions or raise issues in their mind. This is important because quite often, until you do this, the client hasn't even thought about what it is they actually

expect and in all probability no one will have ever done this type of work for them before.

Generally people love to talk about their life, their children etc., so start with that. You are, after all, building up a picture of how they use the space they live in. So, in the case of wood floor sanding, a busy housewife with children would obviously want as little dust as possible.

(Who would want dust?). Then, of course, they will also want you to use a safe product (after all, who wants a dangerous product used in their home?). In the instance of wood floor finishing they will want something that's (do I even need to say it?) easy to maintain and very tough.

The upshot is that most people want pretty much the same thing. What does change, however, is the emphasis or priority they put on each requirement. A retired couple still want a tough product but may be able to maintain a gloss finish for example.

So now you are already more professional in the client's eyes, just by asking questions, and the cool thing is that each answer they give you is your opportunity to illustrate just how perfect your service is for their needs. Understanding a client's needs is very important, if you are unclear ask again in a different way and then make sure your solutions are relevant and understood.

Sometimes, and this is the bit that's up for debate, it may be better not to be too specific about the product you are intending to use. This is because it could present an opportunity for the competition to either disparage it or say they can buy it cheaper (and therefore can do the job

cheaper). If you feel that this might happen then just inform your client of the product's generic make-up (i.e. a two-component water-based finish). However, if you are fortunate enough to have access to a unique product with a good online reputation you may feel you want to make the client aware of this but, as I've said, this is not without risk.

So far we haven't done anything particularly clever or skilful, but the customer now knows that A) they like us, B) we care about what we do and C) we are trying to find out what their needs are in order to offer good solutions. So, are there any clever bits? Well, the bit that not everyone understands is that each wood is different, the best product for oak is not necessarily the best product for merbau. You can choose to share this knowledge if you think it will clinch the deal, or you can choose to withhold it if you think it's going to be used against you. In my opinion if you get A, B and C right then the shared knowledge won't be used against you in the majority of cases, whereas hiding it may appear suspicious.

So, in summary, I personally believe that educating the customer is important. If you are a price-driven bottom-feeder you don't need to explain or justify your price. However, if you are doing quality work with quality products, you need the customer to understand the difference between you and your competitors and to achieve this you have to educate them. If they like and trust you they will believe your price is the right one.

A big ‘thank-you’ to Charlie in Arizona for the inspiration.

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A tale of two cleaners

David Coker

(with no apologies to Charles Dickens) Two carpet cleaners live in the same town.

Cleaner A is like many carpet cleaners. He struggles to make any decent money, rarely takes a holiday but is happy to have a job. He likes cleaning carpets but wishes that his customers weren't just interested in 'low prices' and that they appreciated what he did for them.

Cleaner B loves his work. He earns more in a Cleaner A is often few days than forced to rush his work and many other doesn’t have much job satisfaction business owners earn in a week. His customers value his skill and advice and pay him what he is worth.

So, what's the difference between these two carpet cleaners?

1) Cleaner A is a low price cleaner. He takes on any prospect and fails to have an ideal customer in mind.

Cleaner B is a premium price cleaner. He targets a very specific type of customer, one who wants

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high quality work and is prepared to pay a premium price. He gets prospects to qualify themselves before he'll work with them. He disqualifies those who don't meet his criteria.

2) Cleaner A is in a very crowded marketplace at the bottom. It's where all the other cheap cleaners are. He advertises his cheap price and offers to match any competing cleaners' prices. He's constantly frustrated that there are so many who advertise prices cheaper than him and he wonders how they can do a good job for the prices they’re quoting.

Cleaner B has very little competition because he is a premium price cleaner. He doesn't care at all about low price cleaners. He knows that his customers are put off by their low prices.

3) Cleaner A 'knows' that his customers won't pay any more than he is currently charging and if he raises his prices he will lose all his customers.

Cleaner B knows that there are always people who want, and will pay for, Mercedes cars and Gucci handbags. He seeks out only people who value the cleaning of their carpets in the same way.

4) Cleaner A often works with customers who are loyal only to price and will move to a new cleaner (which they often do!) if they are considerably cheaper. He finds that he has to rush through jobs to make any money. As a result of attracting low price shoppers he is constantly dealing with complainers and those who want to knock his price down even lower.

Cleaner B doesn't deal with price shoppers at all.

5) Cleaner A is often trying to clean carpets that really should be replaced and don't respond all that well to cleaning. He is often trying to make cheap polypropylene carpets regain a new look.

He doesn't have much job satisfaction.

Cleaner B usually cleans 'clean' carpets that don't look visibly dirty. He often works on high quality carpets that look great after cleaning. He loves his job.

6) Cleaner A is viewed as 'just the cleaner' and treated as such.

Cleaner B is viewed as a trusted adviser whose expertise is valued and sought after.

7) Cleaner A is overly concerned with 'branding' and image-type advertising. He hopes that his prospects will be impressed enough to buy. That's if they remember him at all. Of course he doesn't really know.

Cleaner B recognises that prospects are not at all

concerned about this type of thing, in fact they only think about his business in terms of what it can do for them.

8) Cleaner A constantly seeks new customers. He fails to nurture relationships with his existing client base. He is always looking for the 'one thing' that will bring in a flood of new enquiries.

Cleaner B recognises that ‘the money’ is in his database of clients and nurtures his past customers. He knows the lifetime value of his clients. He realises that the back-end, when he sells to them again and when they refer, is much more profitable. He tracks all his enquiries so he doesn't waste money. He knows exactly how much it costs to get a new customer by all the different sources.

9) Cleaner A only quotes over the phone. He feels it's much quicker to price this way. After all, he's only trying to convince his prospects that he's cheaper than the rest.

Cleaner B visits every new prospect. He realises that body language is a large part of communication and that an in-home audit is an opportunity for 'theatre' and persuasion. He knows that homeowners who are premium buyers are more concerned with the type of person they will be working with rather than the price.

10) Cleaner A doesn't have a selling process. He just 'wings it'.

Cleaner B has a choreographed selling process including testimonials and a strong guarantee.

Continued on next page

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Continued from previous page

He has already prepared to overcome common objections. He knows that ‘a close' is not something whipped out at the end of a sales call but rather is a 'logical conclusion'.

11) Cleaner A doesn't see the need to educate his prospects. He thinks if he just advertises a cheap price, people will beat a path to his door.

He speaks in terms of “we're the best”!

Competitors charging more are viewed as 'ripping the customer off'.

Cleaner B constantly educates prospects and his customers and has a clear unique selling proposition. ... And finally, Cleaner B has good profit.

He's able to use this for better Cleaner B makes a good profit without having to rush his work educating of his clients and better marketing. He's able to afford to send a regular newsletter which builds trust and loyalty. He knows that he is primarily a marketer of carpet cleaning. He is able to replace his cleaning machinery and vehicles on a regular basis.

Cleaner A doesn't realise that his business depends on margins and profit. He thinks of himself as just a carpet cleaner. He is slowly going broke. He just doesn't know it... yet.

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Good customer relationships Many people gain business from marketing and advertising. If your business is new then a certain amount of this type of promotion is essential. However, if you have been established for, a while a far more prolific way to gain business is to receive repeat, referral and recommendation work.

Clearly, with this strategy, success comes to those who provide quality cleaning and service, but it also comes from a deeper, perhaps intangible relationship with your customer.

If you make them feel at ease they are likely to return again and again. Even if they are unhappy with the results of a particular clean they will be able to address any issue and continue to use your services because they feel comfortable with you.

What you should be aiming for is to have customers who are delighted with your work, happy with the value you offer and feel so secure with you as a person that, in the unfortunate event of problematic clean, they are willing to discuss problems with you and continue to employ you!

NCCA Shop Are you making the most of your NCCA membership?

Have you got an NCCA tie, badge, leaflets, survey forms or van stickers?

To see all the NCCA items for sale, log on to the Members' Area of the NCCA website.

NCCA Corporate Members + Allied Insurance Services Ltd: 0844 8156211 (I) + Alltec Network: 01763 208222 (C/M/F/T) + Amtech UK: 01444 232211 (C/M)

NCCA Member Benefits Adelante Merchant Services 01628 820500 BeValued - Home Options (specialist claims management - insurance work) Call Shaun Mulvey on 01323 418432 Control Account PLC 01527 882901 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 Thompson Local Ask for Corporate Advertsing Department: 01252 390385 TrustMark (Ring NCCA Office) 0116 271 9550

+ 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) + Crisp & Brite: 01509 881137 (C/M) + Dri-Eaz Products Ltd: 01908 611211 (C/M/T) + Dry Fusion UK Ltd: 01772 433711 (C/M/T/W/Fr) + Furniture Clinic Ltd: 01207 279964 (C/Tr) + Get Booked Up Software: 01405 813665 + Gleaming Insurance (insurance brokers): 0845 4740068 (I) + Hi-Tec Cleaning Group: 02866 341416 (C/E/F/M/T) + Host Von Schrader Ltd: 0151 347 1900 (M/C) + 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) + Prochem Europe Ltd: 0208 974 1515 (C/F/M/T) + Rainbow International: 01623 422488 (M/C/Fr)

Corporate Member Benefits 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)

+ Restoration Express: 01252 726106 (M/C/T/A) + Robert Saunders Marketing Mentor: 08450 537129 (K) + Sebo UK Ltd: 01494 465533 (M) + ServiceMaster Ltd: 0116 275 9000 (M/C/Fr) + Stainshield Ltd: 01372 841467 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.

Carpet soiling

NCCA Library

T

he soiling of floorcoverings is an inevitable fact of life. Whatever the environment, floorcovering materials are affected by both contact and airborne soiling. Soiling cannot always be identified easily and, with a pile material like a carpet, hidden soiling can be much greater than the visible soil.

Categories of soiling Soil within carpet is categorised as either 'airborne' or 'contact'. Airborne soil is only a minor source of contamination estimated to represent 15% of total soil. Much more important is contact soiling. The majority of contact soiling is foot borne which represents some 80% of soiling by weight. The remaining 5% is caused by spillage and internal soiling distributed within the building.

Types of soiling Dry solids: These vary from dust to granular material and include debris such as fragments of paper, fibres etc. This material can normally be removed by vacuum cleaning.

Sticky materials: These include particulates containing oil, grease or other sticky substances

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which are more difficult to remove and will require periodic professional cleaning.

Wet soil: This is usually associated with entrances and is a combination of dry solids and sticky materials. It is mostly carried into the building on shoe soles on wet days. Because it is borne by the water into the pile, it becomes firmly attached to the fibres and is difficult to remove.

Stains: These represent a small proportion of soiling, but can be highly coloured so that carpets become 'dyed' as well as soiled. Stains should be dealt with promptly.

Intensity of soiling Soiling occurs unevenly over the whole surface of a carpet, the intensity of soiling being directly related to the degree of use. Where foot traffic is

funnelled into lanes, soiling will be heavy.

Protected areas, such as under furniture, will receive little or no foot traffic. Foot traffic, the main form of use on any carpet, can be roughly divided into three categories: 1) Heavy traffic commercial environment: This includes shops, hotels foyers, restaurants, banks, busy corridors, and parts of open plan offices, where there is continuous heavy traffic.

Heavy traffic domestic environment: This includes landings and hallways, and any carpeted rooms in which an entrance is situated.

2) Medium traffic commercial environment: This includes small offices, conference rooms, and less well-used corridors, where there is either continuous moderate traffic or heavy traffic only at peak periods.

Medium traffic - domestic environment: This includes seating areas in main rooms (such as sitting or dining rooms) where there is intermittent heavy traffic.

3) Light traffic commercial environment: This includes hotel bedrooms, private offices, and boardrooms, where the traffic frequency is never high, even at peak periods.

Light traffic domestic environment: This includes bedrooms and other less frequently used rooms.

It is up to you, as the cleaning technician, to educate your clients on the different types and levels of soiling and the detrimental effect it can have on their carpets. Once you have done this they will understand the need for frequent cleaning and may be more open to the idea of a planned maintenance programme.

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CLASSIFIEDS 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 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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

CLASSIFIEDS 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

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.

JOB VACANCY (CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING TECHNICIAN) We are looking for an experienced, full time, Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Technician to work for an independent specialist business in Norwich, Norfolk.

Please contact Danny on 07716475415 to discuss further.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Victor Sprite 12" Rotory Machine. Used once. Was £855 - Accept £450. Collect from Coventry. Tel 02476 620444.

TRUCKMOUNT FOR SALE 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@aquamaster-yorkshire.co.uk 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.

WANTED Extracta Scrubba powerbrush (the mid-range model) in good condition and working order. Please call Steve on 0797 121 2720, or 01626 830 121.

VAN & TRUCK MOUNT + EQUIPMENT FOR SALE 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 CLEANING & RESTORATION EQUIPMENT FOR SALE 2 turbo dryers, 1 whole room dryer, 2 Dry Fusion machines with pads, 1 hard floor buffing machine, 2 dehumidifiers (Dri-Eaz). Offers accepted around £2000. Ring Mike James on: 078818074346 or email: mjames1963@sky.com

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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WHAT IS T.I.G? . A newly formulated tar, ink and grease

remover. . For oily stains other solvents can't remove. . Fast and effective on stains such as: NAIL VARNISH, PERMANENT MARKER PEN, BIRO etc. . For most textiles, carpets, hard surfaces and leather.

PLEASE CONTACT US FOR MORE DETAILS

Pre-test carefully according to industry standards before use.

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