March 2016

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ncca Features:

Domotex 2016 Technical Enquiries Looking The part

March 2016

The official journal of the National Carpet Cleaners Association

Contents

Published monthly by:

03 CCC 2016 - Put the date in your diary now!

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

04 From the President 06 Technical enquiries... a common thread 08 Surveying the job... a step further!

10 Domotex 2016 - my candy shop tour 14 I’m old enough to know I don’t know enough 16 The importance of looking the part 20 Peculiarities in carpets and rugs 24 Do you want to be rich... or famous?

26 Networking and innovation in The Netherlands 28 Still improving rather than moving - the great home maintenance drive continues 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 Director Dave Wheadon Co-opted Director David Weaver www.facebook.com/nicky.law.315 www.twitter.com/NCCA_floorcare_

CCC 2016 - Put the date in your diary now!

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he 2016 Carpet Cleaners Carnival (CCC) will be taking place on Saturday 10th September, again at Wicksteed Park in Northamptonshire. So… put this date in your diaries now!

Now in its sixth year, this well-established event includes an exhibition featuring the UK's leading providers of equipment and services for the flooring and soft furnishing cleaning industry, together with an excellent seminar programme to run throughout the day.

It offers you the unique opportunity to see the latest equipment and source new products, meet face-to-face with expert suppliers, network with your peers and hear from leading industry thinkers - all in an informal and interactive environment.

However, the CCC is not just all about business.

The event is open to everyone within the cleaning industry, together with their friends and family, and Wicksteed Park is the ideal setting for a great day out!

FREE to visit: Whether you are an NCCA member or a nonmember, a well-established company or a newcomer to the industry, the CCC is FREE for you, your friends, your family and your colleagues to attend. This includes entrance to the seminars… it's ALL FREE! Many of the features within Wicksteed's grounds are also free and there will be free

parking for ALL attendees.

So make sure you don't miss out on this great opportunity.

Where else can you meet new Nicky Law contacts, learn something new Newslink Editor and have some fun, all at such low cost?

Bye bye office fax machine Just to let you all know that the NCCA office has now retired its fax machine.

Although it served us well initially, over time it became increasingly unreliable. We also couldn't help but notice that, over the last few years, most of the faxes we received were junk mail.

So… with the vast majority (over 99%) of NCCA members and other parties now transmitting documentation electronically, we made the decision to finally retire this outmoded method of transmission and have ceremoniously unplugged the machine from the wall.

As such, we would ask that all documentation is now forwarded to the NCCA office by other means, such as via post or email.

There is also a facility for some documentation (such as renewal documents) to be transmitted via the NCCA website.

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From the President

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Nigel Lay

recently logged on to the NCCA Facebook Forum and received one of those annoying local pop-up ads. This particular advert was for a local carpet cleaner, and studying it I noticed that his maximum charge was never more than £10. He cited that he only worked within a ten mile radius and only ever charged for the diesel he used, so in effect he would 'clean your carpets for free'! Of course, how true this actually is will only be discovered when he is already in someone's home. Is this a 'bait and switch' company? Who knows. However, one thing is certain, this is not a business model that any company could sustain. His website was absolutely filled with testimonials from customers' commending his work (I bet he isn't looking to retire any time soon!).

This brings me back to an interesting scenario I had just a few weeks ago. A large and prestigious corporate client, whose carpets I have been annually maintaining for the past four years, first engaged my services having identified that I was a competent professional with accreditations that could be checked and verified. This was important to them as they had just had their carpets cleaned by their own contract cleaners, who assured them that they were suitably qualified but then made a complete mess of the work.

I was asked to complete a demonstration area to see what could be achieved, but I don’t think the Facilities Manager expected good results

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because of his previous experience. However, he was astounded by the outcome of my trial clean, especially as there was no re-wicking of the soiling (something which had happened when the contract cleaners had performed the clean).

Anyway, just four weeks ago I conducted the annual clean on this premises. Unfortunately, a few days later we were deluged with heavy rain and an internal guttering downpipe decided to deposit dirty rainwater that wicked up in a variety of places.

I was asked to go and quote for the work to restore the carpet in the affected areas. I put in a quote of £150 for the work, which was discussed with the Facilities Manager and also the landlord (the building is leased). I then received a phone call from the Facilities Manager to say that the landlord was unhappy with the quote, as he did not believe that the work could be done properly for this cost. He then asked if I would kindly submit another quote for three times the original amount to allow for revisits. This was duly done and I spent an hour and a half on site to complete the restoration work. I also did a couple of small coffee spills as a goodwill gesture, because I was sure that my £300 an hour was more than adequate to sustain my business model whilst also keeping my clients satisfied.

This experience is a perfect example of how a well-trained professional with accreditations who has spent a relatively small amount

Diary Dates 2016

investing in his business through additional training and education - will get a much better return on his efforts than a (probably untrained and unskilled) company quoting much lower prices.

If his prices were indeed real, the gentleman who had placed the aforementioned Facebook advert would probably have to spend the best part of forty five hours running around to achieve the same turnover (but certainly not the same profit margins!). I know which road I would prefer to be on and I hope that you do too.

INCREDIBLE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY! SUCCESSFUL CLEANING BUSINESS FOR SALE (Birstall, Leicestershire) Established repeat client base of over 2000 domestic and commercial clients (primarily top end market).

Fantastic opportunity for person(s) who would like to be their own boss and not be dependent on others for their income!

NCCA COURSES Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning 18th - 19th March 13th - 14th May 8th - 9th July 16th - 17th September 18th - 19th November Advanced Spot & Stain Removal 24th June 27th October (NEW DATE - DATE CHANGED) Health & Safety for the Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner 19th April (NEW DATE - DATE CHANGED) 26th October (NEW DATE - DATE CHANGED) Leather Identification & Cleaning 17th March 17th November 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 10th September IICRC COURSES (TUTOR: PAUL PEARCE) Held at Alltec Network, Hertfordshire Tel: 01763 208222 Carpet Cleaning Technician 12th - 13th April 13th - 14th September 8th - 9th November

Full training in all aspects of cleaning and restoration and a proven marketing package can be included in the sale.

Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning Technician 24th - 25th May 20th - 21st September 15th - 16th November

Some I.T. skills would be an advantage, but all other areas can be taught.

Commercial Carpet Maintenance Technician 17th - 18th May

For more details see page 31 of the Classifieds section in Newslink this month.

IICRC COURSES (TUTOR: ADAM JANKOWSKI) Held at National Flood School, Surrey Tel: 01252 821185

If interested call Gary on: 07745 592132

(Dates to be arranged) IICRC COURSES (TUTOR: ADAM JANKOWSKI) Held at Chemspec Europe Ltd, Yorkshire Tel: 01274 597333 (Dates to be arranged) Visit: www.iicrc.org for further details on all IICRC Training Courses.

Technical enquiries... a common thread

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Glyn Charnock

s part of the NCCA team who answer Do you follow the manufacturers’ technical enquiries from members, instructions on product labels? consumers, the industry, and even nonmember professionals, I get all sorts of weird and wonderful questions. You can only imagine what advice (from the internet!) some people are prepared to follow and then call us when it all goes wrong.

Most of the silly and outrageous things I hear about are perpetrated by consumers. How about rubbing your pigmented So... do you always follow the leather upholstery with manufacturers’ instructions on banana skins to clean it? Can product labels? If the answer is ‘no’, you imagine cleaning a then read on……

Mixing products can have disastrous results cream sofa three weeks Do you ever deliberately mix different after someone has taken this advice seriously? products? Honestly? If the answer is 'yes', then Unfortunately though, not everything I get to you should think about revising your practices. hear about comes from consumers and every Most products have clear instructions on how now and again a trend, or common thread, rears they should be used, including rinsing the its ugly head and sets alarm bells ringing. treated area thoroughly. Failure to rinse Since the start of the new year, one such thoroughly can result in the mixing of products alarming common thread has come to my on a client's property, when the next product is attention through a number of different problems applied, with unknown and unpredictable raised by members, and this is THE MIXING OF results. This could be classed as inadvertent or DIFFERENT PRODUCTS. If you recognise yourself accidental mixing of products - simply a mistake in one of these examples please don't be but, as a professional, still not really excusable in offended, you have provided some information to most cases. possibly prevent other members from repeating I have recently had a couple of technical your mistakes, so thank you. We all need to keep enquiries where problems may have resulted learning, and learning from other peoples’ from insufficient rinsing of product following mistakes is cheaper than learning from our own. spot cleaning. We can never be sure, but if all

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other causes have been eliminated then this will be the most likely one. So rinse, rinse and rinse again when using powerful spot cleaning products. In one instance the technician failed to rinse a low pH oxalic acid-based rust remover from a wool carpet, resulting in multiple call backs. Frustrating and costly for the cleaner, but hopefully not an insurance claim.

Accidental mixing of products is unfortunate and may be occasionally excusable, although your insurance company may beg to differ if a claim arises (after all, you are a professional).

Unfortunately, several of the problems I have encountered recently are the result of deliberate product mixing. Why would you apply a waterbased cleaning product to a water sensitive Sisal carpet before performing a dry compound clean?

I can think of no good reason, and the result was (quite predictably) a patchy loss of colour across the entire carpet - probably impossible to correct and very likely to result in an insurance claim. The technician involved said that this was how the person who had sold him the equipment (which was second-hand) had advised him to use it. In this case, failure to follow the manufacturer's instructions together with product mixing caused a serious problem.

In another instance, in order to clean a cellulosic fibre upholstery fabric with a milk stain, the cleaner applied a high pH cleaner followed by an encapsulation product, agitated it in and then rinsed with an acidic rinse agent. Each product was tested individually, but he didn't test the

products mixed together and, although the resulting problem was most likely to have been caused by over-wetting the fabric (pulling colour through from a liner or the stuffers), mixing incompatible products certainly didn't help. I am unsure why the encapsulation product was added because rinsing it out prevents it working as it should.

I could provide many more examples of how mixing products can, and has, caused problems for cleaning technicians. However, I think I can sum up my point with just one more example of the sort of thing that can happen if you do this. If you consider that the two most common toilet cleaning products - both of which can be found in most homes - are Hypochlorite based (chlorine bleach) and Ammonia based, have you ever thought about what would happen if you mixed the two together? Well, mixing the two can form Hydrochloric Acid (both as a liquid and a gas) and toxic Chlorine gas, and even explosive Hydrazine liquid... not the sort of chemical mix you’d want to be creating in your customers home!

So, unless you are a highly trained chemist who can accurately predict the chemical reactions which will take place when you mix two cleaning products, AND you are able to test the resultant products for cleaning effectiveness and safety (and I guess that is none of you!), then please DO NOT MIX CLEANING PRODUCTS UNLESS ADVISED

BY THE MANUFACTURERS INSTRUCTIONS TO DO SO. Your insurance and, more importantly your reputation, depend on it!

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Surveying the job - a step further!

Derek Bolton (Honorary Member)

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n the last issue of Newslink there were two excellent articles on 'completing a survey', so why now this one?

Well, I just wanted to take things a step further.

I feel that the technician carrying out the survey should actually understand what he/she is looking for and, more importantly, WHY? My experiences would indicate that many technicians don't really understand why they are conducting the survey, but simply go through the motions and think that this is enough. Well… NO it isn't!

The carpet cleaning survey: We all know that we should inspect the security of the fitting, assess the carpet's construction, identify the fibres and check for stains, and we dutifully write it all down on our survey form… job done. BUT… ŸDo you note the moisture absorbency of the various fibres; is this going to be a problem (i.e. shrinkage)? ŸDo you understand fully how the fibres will react with your chosen range of chemicals? ŸDo you select the chemicals to suit the particular carpet, taking into consideration the fibres and construction? ŸDo you need to change/tweak your cleaning procedures?

I would suggest that in some of the more obvious cases most technicians will ask themselves these questions. But, in truth, how many of the answers are left to guesswork?

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One of the reasons I have written this article is because of the technical queries I receive on a regular basis. When asking the respective technician to tell me what type of carpet is involved in his/her query, the answer is quite often either “I don't know” or a distinct silence.

When I ask if they have completed a survey, it's a 50/50 chance that they have (this includes NCCA members as well, believe it or not!). If there has been a problem with their cleaning procedure, and I ask what chemicals have been used, I often have the feeling that I am being told (at least initially) what they think I want to hear has been used and NOT what actually has been used.

However, usually at some point in the ensuing conversation I get to hear the truth and it's at this point that a remedy can be suggested.

The upholstery cleaning survey: With upholstery fabrics it is often difficult to identify all the fibres a particular fabric contains.

This is because there are so many blends. An intimate knowledge of constructions/styles is

useful, of course, and so is an understanding of the fibres that it is usual to find in upholstery fabrics. But, even if you think you have a good understanding, you will still need to be extremely careful when cleaning soft furnishings (as has been documented in Newslink many times before… often by me). There are some pretty tricky fabrics out there!

So, when you are next conducting your survey, ask yourself the following questions... ŸHave you checked for pre-existing damage?

(This is a subject that was covered very well in the last issue of Newslink, so really you should already by doing this). ŸDo you intend to use chemicals that are suitable for soft furnishing fabrics? (You would be surprised how many don't). ŸAre the chemicals you are about to use suitable for the fabric you are intending to clean? ŸHave you considered the absorption rates of the fibres and are you selecting your cleaning chemicals and technique to suit? ŸDo you know the pH value of the chemicals you are about to use? ŸDo you intend to use heat? (If so, it shouldn't be above 40 degrees). ŸDo you intend to minimise the drying time? (If so, what technique are you going to use.

Towels? Air mover?).

One thing you should always do when undertaking an upholstery cleaning survey is check the back of the fabric. You would be surprised how many technicians fail to do this. A look at the reverse of the fabric can often provide

indicators of what could/might go wrong. For example: different levels of fabric/fibres can lead to differential shrinkage, or there could be an indication of possible colour migration to the surface of the fabric, especially if high alkaline chemicals are used and not rinsed/neutralised (oh, and just something to bear in mind… when neutralising, please do consider that certain fibres may be prone to the pH sensitive dye issue). Lastly, are there any issues that you need to discuss with the customer/client relating to a change in the appearance of some of the pile fibres?

Summary: The intention of this article is to remind you that one of the most important attributes for any professional cleaning technician is the ability to 'think things through'.

Over the years I have come across quite a few very good cleaners who, for one second, forgot to do this. One second is all it takes for something to go pear-shaped!

One of the most common causes of problems people experience when cleaning is 'that persistent stain’. We've all been there, the rest of the job looks great except for that darned stain.

So… the next time you experience this, before you pick up that bottle of 'Wizzo' miracle stain remover and start liberally applying it to the offending mark, please consider carefully its suitability and its pH factor.

By the way, if someone actually does come up with a miracle product called 'Wizzo', and it works, I want a percentage of the royalties. I'd settle for 10%… I thought of it first!

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Domotex 2016 - my candy shop tour!

Paul Pearce

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owards the end of January this year I went on my (now biannual) trip to Hannover in Germany to visit probably the biggest rug and carpet fair in the world. This time my wife Sandra came along (most likely for a couple of days break from work). Well‌ little did she know what I had in store for her!

We arrived at our hotel on the morning prior to the opening of the show. This was so we could acclimatise to the local area, not because I didn't want to miss a minute of wandering around the many trade halls (all as big as football pitches!) you understand.

This year was no different to any others; it was busy from the start. We joined the queues and were very quickly at the first stand. It wasn't long before I bumped into some of the designers I work for, who directed us to Hall 17 where all the new concepts in rug creation can be found.

This hall is where you go if you want to check out who makes what for whom, or perhaps you want to have a unique rug made. Mind you, these folk are always so busy that you have to make appointments to see them. Just wandering onto their stand won't guarantee that you will be seen that day.

We spent nearly a whole day in Hall 17; the main reason was to get to see (and feel) the various blends of fibres, patterns, array of

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dyes/colours and the carving and shapes of the rugs that we clean for our clients. I also wanted to discuss the cleanability, or not, of some of these pieces. Much of the time this fell on deaf ears, as you can well imagine. The thought process of some suppliers doesn’t seem to

extend to cleaning (I think that some of them probably believe that if you run a rug upside down in the snow for a bit then this is all that it needs, either that or you are not supposed to walk on them!). Creative designers, such as Sigal

for thinking they were paintings, or in some cases even photographs.

The machine-made items I saw 'were what they were', there is nothing new in the manufacturing process. The wool area was very popular and well

Photographs on this page ŠPaul Pearce

Pictured here (and right) - Some wonderful examples of rug art

& Vidal Sassoon of Rug Art and Thibault Van Renne, are always worth checking in on, and some of the rugs I saw in this hall were works of art that would’ve looked better on the wall. Most of these were constructed with Viscose or similar Cellulosic fibres and you would've been forgiven

promoted, obviously selling its natural beauty and versatility as a fibre. I also spent some time with a family from Australia who make sampling machines for the industry. To date they have Continued on next page

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supplied over three hundred worldwide. They had a machine on site and were showing how versatile it is. Check them out at www.modra.com.au Some of the Asian country exhibitors were displaying an ever increasing use of Polyester in their woven art. These rugs are made to look like like traditional rugs, such as Tabriz, Heriz, Hereke, Bokhara - you name it, they have a rug in Polyester for you! Dare I say it, they sell them as silk-like as well. One thing is for sure‌ they will clean well.

The Chinese area was a lot bigger this year. They are producing everything from underlays to copies of 90 line superwash rugs. The quality of the superwash isn't the same as in the 70's, or at least from the items on display it didn't seem like it, but they did look pretty good (and I don't think the reduced quality would be something that the average customer would notice). Just talking to the folk in this area was worthwhile. They want to help, and they promise you they can deliver, which I'm sure they can.

My favourite area was the hand-knotted rugs.

There were three halls dedicated to these wonderful works of art. Turkey, Morocco, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Ukraine, India, and pretty much anyone who produces hand-knotted rugs, was represented in these halls. You could touch them (the rugs), ask questions about them and buy them if you wanted to. Many of these rugs are one-offs and the fibres are generally

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wool (not just from sheep) and silk. I have to say that there were some absolutely phenomenal items on display - large 20-30 meter pieces, right down to table-top size. There has been a trend for a while to create distressed rugs and, although this

One of the distressed rugs on display

Photographs ŠPaul Pearce

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is not a new technique, it seems that a few of the suppliers at the show had been working solely with this type of process. There were some rugs that had been made to look old and then dipped in colour to give them a blue, red, green or yellow rinse - not my type of finish, but they sell lots of them so I suppose the market is trending in them at the moment. It was definitely worth looking at because, at some point, I may end up cleaning one

(I'm not sure how fast that colour rinse will be).

Some suppliers had also made use of damaged rugs by cutting out the bad bits and linking the remaining good bits together with other pieces to create a new rug.

and laminate areas, the machinery and tools, and the garden furniture, because I felt that my time was better spent in my particular areas of interest... and to be honest there was still more than enough to keep me occupied!

If you get the chance, pop along to Domotex 2017 (14th-17th January), you won't be disappointed.

New NCCA Members D C Property Maintenance St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex The rug repairers hard at work

Eco-Solutions Thirsk, North Yorkshire Domestic & Commercial Cleaning (DCC) Chatham, Kent Wealden Carpet Cleaning Tenterden, Kent Sancare Dubai, United Arab Emirates Valentina Cleaning & Maintenance Services Ltd Wimbledon, London

This time around I managed to meet up with some rug repairers actually demonstrating their craft. These guys just keep their heads down and work really hard. They seemed to have plenty of cups of coffee by their side. I don't think this was to keep them awake, mind you, it was probably just a social thing.

The show was open for four days, but I only did three this time. I cut out the resilient floor, wood

Carroll's Carpet & Upholstery Ashton in Makerfield, Wigan, Lancashire Bliss and Son Pro Cleaning St Judes, Plymouth, Devon Missed A Bit Carpet Care Penge, London Regional City Cleaners Ltd Bramhope, Leeds, West Yorkshire

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I'm old enough to know I don't know enough

J

ust a few short decades ago (about the time I started my journey into carpet cleaning), the rinse extraction method had just taken over from the traditional shampoo systems. This development alone made professional carpet cleaning in the residential marketplace much more viable.

Then Chemspec invented the Traffic Lane Cleaner, which was later developed into the wallto-wall pre-spray.

Another significant development in the early eighties was to come from Ron Tilley of Prochem.

Ron was the UK pioneer of technician training. He was also perhaps one of the biggest influences on my business life, so thank you Ron. Towards the end of the last century a new detergent-free cleaning solution (Microsplitters) took a foothold in the marketplace and, following this, we have since seen further detergent-free technologies developed.

During this same period of time we have also seen our portable rinse extraction machines become ever more powerful. They started with water pumps of around 40psi. The specification quickly grew through to 50, 60, 100, 120, 150, 200, 300… right up to today where we have water pumps capable of 800psi, and even 1200psi on specialist machines.

Vacuum power has taken a similar path. From single two-stage vacs of about 700watts, growing almost year on year through to 1100watts and

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Ken Wainwright

then to 1200 and 1500watt three-stage 5.7” vacs.

Then doubling up - in some cases to machines with triple 1500watt three-stage vacs, then onto even more powerful and efficient designs of 6.6” and, recently, onto the newest 8.4” 'Wind Tunnel' vacuums that provide performance close to that of an entry-level, petrol powered truckmount.

The reason I am recalling a little history is because it's a way of illustrating the changes that continually take place within our industry.

Change is a constant in today's world. Stand still and you will flounder.

The same applies to our skills. None of the equipment mentioned above is of any use if your knowledge and skills are not up to date.

Carpet cleaning is a skill to be learned, nurtured and developed. Much of what we knew in 1980, and then in 1990, and on into the 21st century may now be irrelevant.

I have, for many years, had a personal business development plan to improve my skills and knowledge, every year, by attending at least one training course. But during the last four years I became so narrowly focussed on doing the same thing time after time that I didn't take, or make, the time to improve my knowledge.

Well... thank you NCCA! Earlier this month our association hosted an IICRC Commercial Carpet Maintenance Technician training course, presented by one of the world's leading tutors, Paul Pearce.

Photographs ŠKen Wainwright

Fortunately help was at hand. Paul led us through the whole process, simplifying what was complex and, on many occasions, recalling on his own experiences to vividly illustrate a scenario, issue or problem.

My sincerest thanks to Paul. I now have a much clearer picture in my mind about the way forward for my business. Cleaning commercial carpets does require more effort, organisation and planning than domestic cleaning, but the fulfilment and financial rewards can be so much greater.

More than ever, the two days spent on this NCCA-hosted training course has made me realise that 'I know enough to know that I don't know enough'.

NCCA Member Referral Report The cleaning of commercial carpets is a world away from the day-to-day lounge, dining room and hall/stairs/landing cleaning that many of us are accustomed to. For a start, selling and marketing to the commercial sector is different.

So is the large amount of paperwork required, the sheer size of the premises to be cleaned, the system(s) used and the planning and forethought required. To some, the concept of cleaning commercial carpets can be quite daunting.

Since publishing a referral statistics report in the last issue of Newslink there have been 87 recommendations for full members provided by the NCCA. This number is made up of 23 referrals from the NCCA office and 64 potential customers contacting members directly through the NCCA website.

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The importance of looking the part NCCA Library

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ppearances are extremely important, and your company 'looking the part' can be a major factor in obtaining and retaining a customer. Below are three areas you should be focusing on: 1) Your personal appearance Unfortunately, over the years, standards in dress code and general appearance really have dropped, not only within the cleaning industry but many others too.

It is important to bear in mind that your appearance could be the Always make sure you have some toiletries on your van so you can freshen up throughout the day deciding factor in whether you gain or retain a job. If you are scruffy and have poor personal hygiene it may be enough to tip the balance and have your potential customer choosing another company over yours. you fresh throughout the working day.

Also, in terms of workwear, please remember After all, if you are not even clean and tidy, what will reassure your prospect that you are capable of that a pair of blue jeans can cause permanent dye transfer when in direct contact with damp cleaning his/her soft furnishings to a reasonable standard? carpet or fabric‌ NOT something that will So, take a good look at yourself. Are your impress your customer! working clothes smart enough? Are they clean and 2) Your equipment ironed? How is your personal hygiene? It is always Well-maintained equipment is essential because, a good idea to carry some deodorant, mouthwash, as with your personal appearance, if it does not look clean and tidy the prospect's confidence in a spare uniform and a clean pair of shoes to keep

you and your company will definitely take a nosedive. It is therefore imperative that you regularly clean your machinery to keep it looking good and, don't forget, frequent cleaning will also help to avoid dirt and germ transfer from one client's home to the next.

You should also make sure that you carry out regular mechanical maintenance‌ equipment which breaks down whilst you are undertaking a job is definitely NOT a good way of inspiring

confidence in a prospect! Listen to the rhythm of your machine. By listening you can tell if something is starting to go wrong long before it actually breaks down. But, just in case something does go wrong, you should always have the tools to be able to make minor running repairs without any additional help. Calling for assistance may make you look less competent Continued on next page

any other organisations, it's a good idea to display these logos too. than you are in the eyes of some people. If all Once you have sorted out what will prove to be else fails you should always make sure you have one of your main promotional tools, the next spare equipment on your vehicle to back you up. thing you need to do is to keep it clean. A dirty At the end of every working day machines and vehicle is NOT equipment a good should be advertisement cleaned, for a cleaning polished and business. Also, checked for keep the mechanical inside tidy at faults, so you all times; don't are able to forget that begin the next when you working day open the with doors you are confidence.

Always keep the inside of exposing the Every week a you vehicle clean and tidy interior to the more thorough check should be carried out - a practice which can world. If it's a mess then it reflects badly on your help to solve many problems before they happen. company.

Very importantly, keep your vehicle serviced.

Maintenance doesn't take long and really is Ringing your customer because you've broken worth it. down, and won't be able to undertake their 3) Your vehicle Your company vehicle is much more than simply a cleaning at the time agreed, is definitely not the best way to inspire confidence. gas guzzler to get from A to B‌ it's a moving Summary advertisement for your company.

Just remember‌ you are in the business of selling It should be sign-written in such a way that it cleanliness and a prospect will see you, your promotes your business to good effect wherever machinery and your vehicle as a unit. You may it travels. Your vehicle should boldly display your have an excellent website and a brilliant company name and logo and state what you do. marketing plan but, bear in mind, these won't It should (equally boldly) display your contact work if you don't 'look the part'. details and, if you are a member of the NCCA or

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Advertise with us!

R

MAKE AN IMPACT AND GET NOTICED IN 2016 ADVERTISING STRAIGHT TO THE PEOPLE THAT COUNT!

Newslink is circulated to OVER 600 CARPET, UPHOLSTERY AND HARD FLOOR CARE BUSINESSES every month, together with over 100 industry related companies. It is also forwarded to new start-ups who contact the NCCA. Advertising in Newslink will take your products and services straight to the people that count!

Whether you wish to pre-book in advance for a specific month/s, or block-book for the entire year, now is the time to do it. And don't forget, when booking a whole year you will receive an incredible 40% DISCOUNT! So avoid further delay and BOOK NOW. For further information call Nicky on: 0116 271 9550.

Peculiarities in carpets and rugs

T

Cecil Aigin (Honorary Member)

his is a subject that should never Chenille carpet be far from a carpet cleaner's thoughts. It is 'the unusual' that may catch us out, lead to extra work, claims and unhappy customers.

The following details are by no means comprehensive but, hopefully, I have included those pitfalls that may be most commonly encountered.

Machine made carpets: Having retired from the industry some fifteen years ago, I am unfamiliar with some of the characteristics present in current In Chenille carpet the surface tufts carpet types. However, are braided there are still some together (like a caterpillar) older carpets in use which could cause will wick up to the carpet surface. various problems for Certain old Chenille carpets which are the unsuspecting still in use could also create difficulties carpet cleaner. within the cleaning process. In the I will not dwell on the construction of this carpet the surface much discussed hazard tufts are braided together (like a of colour-run in patterned carpets; NCCA courses caterpillar) and then attached to the backing with will have covered this topic copiously. However, fine cotton threads, which may have perished. there are other causes of staining from Even a gentle degree of agitation could fracture potentially loose dyes that we should be aware the threads and cause the surface tufts to break of. For example, certain older plain carpets of loose.

Wilton weave possess dyed warps and wefts and Tufted carpets may also present problems, also dyed selvedge markers. Over wetting of the resulting from deterioration in secondary and backing fibres may cause a release of dye which foam backings. Foam backings may be, or be on

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the point of, disintegrating. Secondary hessian or synthetic backings may have delaminated and be the cause of 'rucking' in the carpet surface, in addition to the opening of seams.

In all of the above cases, a careful inspection of the carpet backings and seams and the integrity of the surface fibres should be made prior to the cleaning process.

Handmade carpets and rugs: The possibility of colour migration in this category is always present, and careful checks of all colours should be made. There is the added hazard of

dyes that have been applied during the life of the item in order to disguise wear, and also to modify an existing colour.

Many oriental rugs will have been subjected to 'chemical washing' in order to add lustre to the wool pile. The chemical treatment frequently modifies colours but the change may only be superficial, particularly in a well-worn item. So, always check the colours below the tuft surface and also on the backing. In certain cases the original colour may also exist in sections on the carpet surface, but your client may not be aware of this condition until the soiling has been removed.

There is also a phenomenon Dye bleed (also known as 'Abrash' which can pictured above) is quite common in handmade occur in oriental carpets and carpets and rugs rugs. This exists as a variation in dye shade in stripes across the width of the item. The stripes, or bands, may be of varying dimensions and are caused by differing dye stuffs (used in the original dyeing of the fibres) fading at different rates. In certain cases the variation in shade will be Continued on next page

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known to your client but, where the colour change is minor, a degree of soiling may have disguised its development and it may only become apparent Chemical following washed rug cleaning.

Certain rugs containing wool warps and wefts may suffer from distortion and 'coggling'. The condition may be more pronounced following a cleaning process. In general, this condition is caused by the use of warps of varying wool types so that there is a variation in tensioning when wet. Inspect the colour of the wool fringes and if there is a variation in colour across the width, take even greater caution in cleaning.

Silk rugs present problems all of their own. In addition to the enhanced value of this type of rug, the condition of the pile surface is of great importance and every care must be taken to maintain the smooth and lustrous finish.

Prior to cleaning, all of the items above should be carefully inspected for the conditions mentioned and also for existing damage and deterioration. Check the condition of fringes and side cords, look out for existing damage and old

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repairs, and do not proceed if it is considered that even the most careful processing may cause further damage and deterioration.

Itemise every point of concern and indicate these in writing to your client. It may well be that a decision not to undertake the work will be the best course of action. But, should it be decided to proceed, first obtain a clear Rug displaying Abrash

and concise 'owners risk' document from your client.

It is imperative that you request your client to provide a valuation of an oriental rug prior to an agreement to proceed with any work. Make certain that the declared value falls within your goods in-trust and process insurance cover.

Should the value of an item exceed your existing cover, consult your insurer prior to receiving the item.

Do you want to be rich… or famous?

David Coker

T

hose of us in the carpet and upholstery cleaning business are not really in that business at all of course. We're in the same business as every other small business owner… the MONEY business. If income does not exceed expenses, well, we don't have a business! At least not in the long term.

I find that many carpet cleaners simply do not know the cost of being in business and as a result are slowly going broke.

Let me explain… If it costs you £40,000 per year to run your business and the wand is only going over the carpet for twenty hours per week (4 hours a day) then you have 960 billable hours.

(20 x 48 working weeks = 960). Dividing the £40k by 960 gives you a 'break-even' figure of over £40 per billable hour. This is an 'on the job' figure.

In fact, if you want to pay yourself just £20k each year… then the billable hour cost to just pay your wages is over £20 an hour alone, assuming again that the wand is only moving across the carpet for four hours a day (measure it - it might surprise you).

Why then do so many carpet cleaners insist on being a hero by taking on work that they perhaps

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would be better off giving a miss? For instance, spending hours cleaning filthy carpets that really should be replaced, or trying to remove stains that the homeowner would be quite happy to live with, or cleaning cheap rugs that would be more cost effective to replace.

I've read recently about a number of carpet cleaners who will attempt ANY job whatsoever regardless of whether it proves profitable. They say that they love a challenge! Of course, it's great when a customer tells you that you've removed a stain or cleaned an item that a previous cleaner couldn't. And I'm guessing that these cleaners hope that the customer will appreciate them for the professional that they are, and they imagine that they will be the talk of all the customer's friends and neighbours. And I do realise that there

ARE times when it CAN be good business to please a customer in this way. However, for much of the time, all its doing is eating into profit.

I clearly remember in the 1980's getting a call about removing fake blood (used by actors apparently) on a carpet. I responded that I would do the job at the end of the working day. The distance to travel was over thirty miles… but I wanted to be the 'hero' by removing the stain. It was the early days of red stain removal and I had just been trained in a new product virtually guaranteed to remove the American drink 'KoolAid', which was a problem across the pond.

I worked on the stains (plural) for well over an hour and could not remove them at all. As such, I felt I couldn't charge for what I had done. The homeowner clearly felt sorry for me and gave me a fiver.

But even if I had been able to remove the stain, what reasonably could I have charged? If you consider that the travel time was over two hours, plus nearly an hour attempting stain removal… that's over three hours plus petrol!

I've never forgotten this. Nowadays I'm not interested in small stain removal (alone) or problem cheap rugs, or even problem carpets.

There's more than enough well-paying 'normal' carpet cleaning out there. I don't care whether a homeowner will think that, as a professional carpet cleaner, I should be able to clean anything and will think less of me (more than likely they're not thinking of me at all!)

I realise that I'm in the MONEY business and it's a lot cheaper to be rich than famous.

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 Call 03330 145 045, or email info@thomsonlocal.com quoting “Scheme 1” in the subject line TrustMark (Ring NCCA Office) 0116 271 9550

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)

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Networking and innovation in The Netherlands

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Photographs ŠISSA Interclean

T

he RAI has published its latest update and guidance on what to expect from the ISSA/Interclean Amsterdam 2016 show. Taking place from 10th - 13th May 2016, the show is dedicated to the theme 'Networking and Innovation' and will include some exciting new features and innovations in the way the exhibition itself is staged.

Already confirmed to fill more of the RAI's exhibition halls than ever before, the show is using an 'expanding floorplan' to meet demand from interested exhibitors.

Solely based on those bookings made to date, the 2016 will be the largest ever cleaning & hygiene industry show held in Amsterdam surpassing even 2014's Silver Jubilee event - and therefore the world.

The 2016 show will feature over 700 exhibitors from over 40 countries, showcasing their products and solutions in a total floor area of approximately 60,000sq.m. The RAI also reports that more live demonstrations are to be given across the show floor than ever before, including in the Outdoor Cleaning Show and High Pressure Demonstration Area where visitors will be encouraged to 'try-it-yourself' with many of the products on display.

In addition to this increased number of exhibition stands and ever closer interaction between exhibitor and visitor, the 2016 show promises visitors even greater opportunity for network gatherings and learning opportunities.

The RAI reports that it has received strong interest from exhibitors across a broad spectrum of cleaning products and solutions. However, the 'Washroom' section of the exhibition is one which has seen particularly rapid take-up of the available space. This area is completely dedicated to sanitary hygiene and covers 12,000sq.m in Halls 10 and 11, with 170+ exhibitors representing all the leading hygiene brands already confirmed.

The manufacturers of specialised products for steam cleaning are conveniently located together

NCCA Corporate Members + Allied Insurance Services Ltd: 0844 8156211 (I)

in Hall 11, providing visitors with a complete market overview.

The show's events programme includes initiatives such as seminars on cutting-edge subjects like 'The Rise of the Robots', and topical industry issues such as 'Whether to Rent or Buy'.

Particularly popular innovations from the previous edition of the show in 2014 - such as the Women's Forum and the meeting of the

+ Alltec Network Ltd: 01763 208222 (C/M/F/T) + Amtech UK: 01444 232211 (C/M) + Ashby's Cleaning Equipment: 01795 436999 (C/M/E) + 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: 01244 289256 (M/C)

associations that represent the global cleaning industry - also return.

In addition to being a physical event, the show will serve as a virtual platform where suppliers and buyers can connect and interact. To achieve this, the RAI has made a substantial investment in the creation of an online community, in upgraded online lead generation systems, as well as in indoor way-finding and matchmaking tools. One key innovation here is a new, dedicated contentbased portal where visitors can fully prepare for their visit online and schedule appointments to visit a particular exhibitor. www.issainterclean.com Article reproduced with kind permission of the Cleanzine - www.thecleanzine.com

+ LTT Leathercare: 01423 881027 (T/Tr) + 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) + Print & Deliver Ltd: 01628 633336 + Prochem Europe Ltd: 0208 974 1515 (C/F/M/T) + Rainbow International: 01623 422488 (M/C/Fr) + Restoration Express: 01252 726106 (M/C/T/A) + Robert Saunders Marketing Mentor: 08450 537129 (K) + Safeclean: 01235 444700 (Tr) + 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 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.

Still improving rather than moving - the great home maintenance drive continues

T

he focus on home maintenance and improvement is continuing apace according to TrustMark.

The Government-endorsed scheme for tradespeople recently announced that it has recorded another bumper year of helping homeowners.

More than 8.1 million search results were provided to homeowners who used TrustMark's website (www.trustmark.org.uk) and telephone helpline to find local firms and expert tradespeople to carry out their home improvements and repairs - an increase of 12% compared to the same period in 2014 and up 55% since 2013.

Searches for interior designers and bedroom and kitchen specialists saw the biggest rises last year and have been among the most soughtafter trades out of the 38 licensed trades offered

by TrustMark. TrustMark is the only Government-backed quality scheme that covers all trades to do work in and around the home, from aerial installers to flood recovery specialists.

Carpenters and joiners, followed closely by painters and decorators, have also seen increasing demand, indicating a continuing trend to improve rather than move.

There was a 29% increase in search results provided for TrustMark-registered electricians, a

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21% increase for plumbers and heating engineers, and similar demands for handymen. Search results provided for carpet and upholstery cleaners leapt by 58% in 2015.

Following the major storms at the start of 2014, TrustMark-registered roofers and tree surgeons saw their busiest months during January and February. Unsurprisingly, homeowners began to focus on their gardens when the weather recovered, with fence installers, garden landscapers and drive and patio contractors all seeing a significant increase on their searches during the spring and summer.

Simon Ayers, Chief Executive of TrustMark, said: “Homeowners are increasingly understanding the

importance of only using professional firms to do their home improvements and repair work, particularly at a time when people are concerned about their finances. TrustMark provides homeowners with extra security, the reassurances they are looking for and the confidence that they are working with tradespeople who are the best in the business.

We continue to work closely with our approved scheme operators and TrustMark-registered firms, as well as with influential consumer organisations such as Age UK, Citizens Advice and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute.

Together we are all signposting the public to TrustMark. By providing advice and a free list of reputable firms, we can guide people through finding the right tradespeople for jobs in their homes and be a trusted avenue for support as and when needed�.

All TrustMark firms work to Governmentendorsed standards and are uniquely checked for three cornerstones of quality - their trading practices, customer service and their technical competence. TrustMark continues to expand its database of over 13,000 individual firms in the UK, providing national coverage across the many licenced trades which are searchable on its database.

For further information and to stay up-to-date with developments at TrustMark, visit www.trustmark.org.uk (Information issued on behalf of TrustMark)

ABOUT TRUSTMARK TrustMark is a quality mark which operates a framework under which 30 Scheme Operators work in the RMI (repair, maintenance and improvement) sector, including trade associations, local government trading standards teams, and independent Scheme Operators.

These schemes are approved to carry the TrustMark logo and recruit reputable and trustworthy tradesmen.

In April 2014 the NCCA was awarded Scheme Operator status for the Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning category on the TrustMark website and, since then, there has been a steady increase in the number of NCCA members who have become TrustMark registered. TrustMark membership within the Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners category is ONLY available to NCCA members, and all registered firms within this category have to meet strict criteria in order to join.

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.

To see information on the joining criteria go to 'Benefits and Schemes' in the members' area of the NCCA website.

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.

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CLASSIFIEDS EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Chemspec hose reel for truck mount (plastic) £200. Contact aquadriinfo@btconnect.com for further information or contact Andy on: 07970 544806.

CARPET CLEANING MACHINE FOR SALE Prochem Steempro 2000 Powermax - twin vacuums, 150 p.s.i. solution pump, serviced regularly.

Vacuums have been replaced regularly. Comes with 25ft vacuum and solution hoses, also a twin jet swan-neck wand. Price £695.00. Call Steve on 07973 264783 (Farnborough, Hants).

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Due to retirement the following items for sale; 2 Sebo vacuum cleaners and bags; Sebo Duo; stainless steel spray can; 2 black fans; Ashbys Power Brush (hardly used/as new condition); Ashbys V2 water heater (almost as new); carpet dryer with stand; 74 feet one and a half inch vacuum hose, 26 feet water hose, 64 feet 1 inch hose (all hoses unused/new and good quality), 2 new hose bags; large range of unopened chemicals; brushes; plastic sheets and towelling; numerous miscellaneous items. Contact Philip on 01865 882345 (Oxford) or Email: philip8823@gmail.com 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 07716 475415 to discuss further.

RETIREMENT BUSINESS SALE (POA) Easy hours. Highly profitable. Long established.

Large scope for expansion. Fully equipped (truck mount). Low overheads. Includes stock for 6 months. Loyal customer base. Many maintenance contracts. Passive monthly income. Marketing programme. Relocatable on south coast (Solent area). NCCA registered. Established website.

Equipment included for carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning and hard floors. Full training supplied. The complete package… Phone Ken on 01329 316078 for more info (answer phone, I will call you back).

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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 x 25m 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, Pre Spray Gold, Natural Carpet Cleaner, Fabric & Fibre Rinse, Browning Prescription and Odour Fresh; along with Ashby's: Supreme Anti Grease and Extra 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 - SHADOWING OPPORTUNITY Manchester based technician looking for opportunity to shadow another carpet technician. Already familiar with all cleaning aspects and done over 30 jobs in past year. Just looking to gain more confidence in the process. Compensation for your time will be provided. Contact Kamila Logozny on 0161 4084457.

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.

CARPET CLEANING EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Host freestyle machine for sale, complete with 3 sets of brushes. Machine is approximately 10 years old but little used - £1500 o.n.o.

There are also (as nearing retirement) various other bits and pieces as for sale. Contact Stephen on 07766 327327 (Essex).

TOOLS 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 CLEANING AND RESTORATION EQUIPMENT 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: 078818 074346 or email: mjames1963@sky.com EQUIPMENT FOR SALE s/hand Extracta Scrubba Deluxe. Heavy duty motor. Height and handle adjustment. 13" cleaning width, twin brushes (requires Extracta cleaning machine to couple to, or can also be connected to TruckMount). Ideal for large areas.

Surplus to requirements. £375. Buyer collects or we could meet. Call Tim Stockdale on 01904 413612.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY SOUTH GLOS/NORTH BRISTOL Quality carpet and upholstery cleaning company (currently mostly domestic) require a trained assistant/partner to help expand the business on a profit sharing or partnership basis. Call Robin (evenings) 07545458299.

SUCCESSFUL CLEANING BUSINESS FOR SALE (Birstall, Leicestershire) Our well-established and very successful business is now being sold. We have a local repeat client base of over 2000 mostly domestic (and some commercial) clients and an excellent yearly turnover. I have been working in the business for 2-3 days a week during the past 2 years and have taken £30-35k each year! If you were to add promotion to commercial businesses to the current marketing package, plus create an online presence, you could increase that income to £75k a year (for a 5-day week) quite quickly. This is a fantastic opportunity for local person(s) who would like to be their own boss and not be dependent on others for their income! Full training in all aspects of cleaning and restoration and a proven marketing package can be included in the sale. Some I.T. skills would be an advantage, but all other areas can be taught. Handover of the business is anticipated to be March 2016. Please call Gary on: 07745 592132 for further details.

BUSINESS FOR SALE Established London based hotel and commercial carpet, upholstery and curtain cleaning business for sale. Impressive list of long established clients together with highly skilled long serving operators and an extensive range of equipment.

Year ending October 2015 200k plus turnover with excellent profits. Sale due to retirement. For further information call Mark on 07825 661980 or email markpetchy1@gmail.com EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Texatherm system with HT030S digital tank, and 50 pads, plus minitex & 7 minitex pads, plus 4 x 5ltrs of new solutions. Tank is like new. The TC170 machine is in excellent condition with a brand new power cord, just looks battered a bit! Airflex Mini hot water extraction machine in excellent condition, good quality wand and hand tool. Sebo BS36 vacuum cleaner. Sebo agitator (virtually new), and air dryer, red and white buckets, plus lots of solutions etc.

Victor Lynx 20" buffer in excellent condition (without the vacuum). Numatic twin speed rotary as new, only used once (such a waste!). Old Victor 400 rpm rotary with solution tank - quite old and battered. Lots of brand new floor pads still in boxes (various sizes and colours). Lots of unopened floor strippers and floor cleaners (a variety of makes).

Possibly a B & G cold fogging machine (also like new). Sale due to retirement. Please phone Jacqueline Cobban on: 07563 672882.

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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Going Going - Gone!

BEFORE

Say e dby goo ains! t to s

AFTER

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

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

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