Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: John Kelly on April 18, 2006, 03:49:32 pm
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Recent postings regarding the alergy programme on tv and comments on why don't the NCCA etc do more to promote cleaning have got me thinking. First of all the NCCA is a trade association and as such has a duty to its members not the carpet cleaning industry as a whole. If we aren't members we can't harp on about them "not doing enough".
As regards cleaning for health why doesn't someone design a logo which every carpet cleaner can incorporate in their advertising stationery etc.
A circular logo with a legend, say
"A CLEAN CARPET IS A HEALTHY CARPET"
or
"CLEAN CARPETS FOR A HEALTHY HOME"
Something along these lines, if enough of us done this it would have an impact and maybe, maybe, make a few people start to realise that there carpets need cleaning regularly. What do you think.
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Sounds like a good idea John, im sure that if a logo could be designed and enough interest was shown that getting someone in the graphics trade could knock them up so they could be distributed for a few quid plus p&p, if they were seen on enough vans nationally then the message might just start to sink in and would be to everyones advantage,maybe if enough people got together then a small leaflet highlighting the benefits could be produced and distributed for them to stamp their company details on and passed on to potential customers etc, Andy
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Hi John
Nice thinking. I've seen the phrase "The Healthy Option" used when it relates to carpets from the sales side ( could it be a Carpet Foundation idea?)
As for a universally adopted logo, my initial thoughts are concerned with the un-skilled/less knowledgeable CC's out there. They could easily show a logo, perform a service and possibly ADD to the allergen problem eg poor clean and/or overwet/under dryed leading to mould spores creating significant and maybe extra health issues.
As many will be aware, the NCCA are working with BSI to produce a PAS for carpet cleaning. THis will hopefully be used by a very high percentage of UK/Europe trainers and other interested parties as a foundation for training Carpet Cleaners. Something that has been dicussed by many in our industry are topics such as further education training for such topics as cleaning for health. I'm sure it will happen whether generically, as with organisations such as NCCA and IICRC, or in a branded way such as with Allerg-Stop etc.
As for the NCCA, you are quite right when you state that our duty is to our members, but there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Association has brought about many benefits to the WHOLE of our industry. Obviously the message is getting through because there's been a membership growth in excess of 25% in recent years, so things must be moving in the right direction. However, if we were to have even more members, this would allow even more resources to be available to plough back into the industry. The NCCA is a "non-profit making" concern. So after expenses and running costs, profit is re-invested.
Although it is not my reason for joining, especially as the NCCA is not a marketing organisation, just one enquiry from the NCCA Website earlier this year has paid for my NCCA Membership for the next 9 years :)
Safe and happy cleaning :)
Ken
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any one enquiring about starting carpet cleaning on here since the start a couple of years ago has been advised to join NCCA.
i think that goes a long way towards the recent 25% rise in membership of NCCA.
its thanks to the forums, not "they must be heading in the right direction"
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Disgree Craig.....they can go on the courses they don't have to join.
The NCCA training courses are generic therefore can discuss all aspects of cleaning equipment and chemicals ...they are not restricted to one make or brand
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A valid viewpoint craigp.
But I would like to add that people will come to be trained.
They don't have to join afterwards. And if they didn't perceive value in their membership, they wouldn't continue to renew each year.
It has been said by many, both from within and outside of the NCCA, that they feel that the Association is moving in the right direction, it has a clearer view of the road ahead and is achieving goals unimagineable in the past. From recent times you only have to look at Carpex and the Technical Roadshows as being highly visible examples of progress being made. There are other less visible developments and some major works in progress, the most notable being the BSI/PAS Training Initiative.
These internet forums such as Cleanitup have been a revelation to our industry. They are a terrific medium for contact, information, education and commraderey and are helping to bring an industry populated by many one-man bands, who were ploughing their individual furrow, together so that we can all share and benefit from one anothers life and business experiences.
My glass is never half empty, it's half full ;)
Safe and happy cleaning :)
Ken
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If I had paid all of that money to get trained by the NCCA I would pay the extra so I could tell my customers about it, the membership is the cheap bit in comparison to the training and possibly the loss of earnings and may be the stay over.
These forums have been a God send for the NCCA as the numbers had fallen/stagnated before heavy activity on these boards.
The NCCA have now got the momentum to move forward quicker now, I can remember stating this 3 years ago so well done me! ;D
Actually well done boards, or should I say Paul and Matthew.
Shaun
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I think we are getting away from the just of the thread. I was posting in response to various threads recently about not enough people getting their carpets cleaned. Someone posted saying his customers averaged every 6 years.
If we could all get the message across about cleaning carpets for health regardless of being an NCCA member or not, I believe it would help.
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What about
Healthy Homes have cleaner carpets
every one wants a 'healthy home' so putting that first can grab the attention and the the message would be have your carpets cleaned.
Shaun
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is it not mostly because the public in this country are tight wads!!! ;D
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Probably Craig, however the people most likely to heed the message of clean carpets = healthy carpets are probably those most able to afford to have them cleaned. They just need educating.
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As well as the great British public being tight wads, does anybody know a figure as to how many diy vaxs or bissells are sold to the public, irrispective of whether we as professional people think they work or not.
It's the same in the new Thompson book delivered today, which incidentally i did not go in. You have got all the carpet cleaners adverts, some displaying ncca logos while others show their equipment. Some advertise quick drying and others remarkable stain removal.
And at the back of all the adverts................ Rent a rug doctor and clean all your house carpets and upholstery for under £30. Rug doctor, steaming mad at dirt.
Perhaps this explains our situation a bit better. :'(
Dave
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i think we do lose work to diy, i hear 'vax' mentioned alot by customers, like "i was going to borrowed my friends" "i used to have one and do it myself" etc
which comes back to tight wads ;D as they using vax to save money.
im sure there you guys all got examples like this but any way,.
young single mum called me for quote lounge, just moving in new house, etc.
£35, yes come do it.
turn up she got a silly water vac thingy there and told me it cost her £50 to hire it the weekend, lounge was filthy, came up like new! but her diy machine could not touch it, course she said she would of just used me in hind site,
so she paid £85 when it need only been £35, i felt real sorry for her she kept saying what a tight budget she was on.
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have a look here for response to the properganda regarding hard floors over carpeted:
www.clean-carpet.co.uk
click on dispatches channel 4
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John,
The idea of logo/slogan is good, but logo/slogan should to be backed by some thing, for example it should support some specific types of cleaning, be independent scientific examination and so on. Just my opinion, as from my personal point of view Dry Fusion does not clean carpets but spread dirt all over the place.
I you could have a logo which would support just HWE type of cleaning that would make sense to me.
Who and how is going or prepared to finance this project?
Regards,
Arthur
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Gone off subject but;
DF or Texatherm certainly do not spread dirt 'all over the place' both are approved systems and are also wool safe approved.
Have you used the system or even seen it being used?
Best to reserve judgement until you do
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Arthur, this is just the kind of scenario we wish to avoid. All I was suggesting was a simple logo which everyone could use which would promote the message "clean carpets are healthy". This was just to get it into peoples minds that it was a good thing to have your carpets cleaned. 60% of people don't.
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...DF or Texatherm certainly do not spread dirt 'all over the place' both are approved systems and are also wool safe approved...
Approve by whom and for what reason?
What "wool safe approval" has got to do with healthy cleaning carpets?
...Have you used the system or even seen it being used?
Best to reserve judgement until you do
I have seen DF demo during carpex, they were cleaning the same carpet for two days and every time the bonnet was dirty ;). I do not more evidences then I have seen.
Regards,
Arthur
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Added later:
There is a diference beween having carpets cleaned and having carpets look clean. The HWE actualy cleans carpets the DF and/or Texatherm make carpets look clean and keep wool safe.
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John,
"clean is healthy" no matter what we talk about, whether it carpets, home, food etc. The thing is everybody already knows it...
Why do you think a special logo/slogan would work? Who is going to design it?
Regards,
Arthur
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If we advertise a clean carpet is a healthy carpet then that might well end up helping the likes of Rug Doctor. It makes it sound that you just run around your house with with a wet pick up and job done.
May be worth changing the word clean to something else like sanitized, deep steamed or whatever.
Someone posted a link the other day to the Dyson advert, there were loads of ideas in that ad worth 'borrowing'.
Its all about perception, how many people after seeing the Dyson ad think they are buying a vacuum cleaner that sucks up dust mites and all the other nasties in a carpet? Most of them I should think.
Anyone got any better ideas on the word clean, ideally something that we can do that Joe Public with his Vax and Rug Doctor can't?
Does anyone know what psi a Rug Doctor & Vax run at, a quick Google didn't reveal any specs!! The portable users could then create an ad similar to the one truckmounters use " 20X more powerful than a Rug Doctor" etc.
Sorry if I've gone off topic a bit.
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I agree with Gary about borrowing info from the Dyson advert, as it's spot on and gives the customers something to think about.
To a certain extent i also agree with Arthur as well. Dry fusions is okay with a maintenance clean, but i would'nt hold much hope of this system cleaning an absolutely stinking carpet., and yes i have seen the system in action. This system is a low cost one and easy enough for people to get hold of when starting up inbusiness. If the product was that successful, then every carpet cleaner would use it.
Prochem also classed this method of cleaning as maintenance with hwe used for restoration, but when questioned, agreed that hwe is universal and could be used across the board, whether maintenance or restoration.
Also i did a job for a customer who had a clean with dry fusion. She had to sign a waver first of all. Whl'st she was initially happy, after i cleaned it using hwe using my then portable, she was more than impressed with this method. This is not an isolated case neither as a customer had me clean her carpets, yet funnily enough her brother in law does dry fusion cleaning. Funy how she never got him to do it for her :o
Dave
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Woolsafe Approve Texatherm cleaning solution which has a built in sanitiser which funnily enough will make for a healthier carpet after cleaning.
Dry Fusion solutions are also approved by wool safe and they use a solution which is called bactoshield, same applies as above.
As they have woolsafe approval this means they can be used on wool and wool mix fibres with no risk.
As for the systems both are approved by manufacturers for use on their carpets although some do do approve them for use on loop pile.Personally i have never had a problem on any carpet when using the systems including cleaning of silk and oriental rugs.
Texatherm is with out doubt the best system I have used for Flotex.
As for cleaning trashed carpets, I've cleaned hundreds using both systems and if used correctly work fine.They are not just for maintenance cleaning as has been suggested.The system to my knowledge is succesful but not to every ones liking as you found out, same as the CFR system which some condem with out really investigating properly.
Arthur surely you had something better to do that watch DF clean the same patch of carpet for 2 days ;D
Dave;perhaps your client doesn't like he brother in law or he has the system but does not operate it properly could be a whole load of reasons why she doesn't use him including quite possibly she doesn't like the system of cleaning itself which is fair enough.
INCIDENTLY, why on earth would your other customer be asked to sign a waiver before DF is carried out, did you ask her? Both systems are safer to use than just about any other, was it a loop pile by any chance? In which case she still went ahead despite being told the risks.Seems strange to me ???
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...Arthur surely you had something better to do that watch DF clean the same patch of carpet for 2 days ;D...
I like your since of humour, woodman, but the point is even funnier after two days the bonnets were still dirty, so decided to consider buying CFR machine ;D. Soon I am going to attend a hand on course where various carpet cleaning equipment should be demonstrated, after then I am going to make my choice on what machine to buy.
Regards,
Arthur
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Back to the subject how to get an organized / stronger message across: "A CLEAN CARPET IS A HEALTHY HOME" or similar
ANY IDEAS FOR A GOOD SLOGAN, PLEASE POST IT HERE
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"Soon I am going to attend a hand on course where various carpet cleaning equipment should be demonstrated".
Details please, Arthur
Freddie
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I should post details after the course.
Regards,
Arthur
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Woodman - Ive used Texatherm on flotex and its really hard on the machine or am I doing it wrong??
For what its worth none of us can ever get a carpet clean only looking clean because we clean from the top down. Emersion cleaning is the way to go but thats for certain rugs only.
Try the white towel test. Theres always dirt left behind.
Mark
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Woodman
The customer who had to sign a waver before her carpet was cleaned, had a wool mix 60:40 carpet, and was apparantly asked to sign in case of colour loss.
I think myself that this type of cleaning does have it's place, but only light maitenance where speed is of the essence and obviously quick dry times. If you were working on office carpets, then equipment is light to carry into the work place, and of course it is a cheap way of getting into this business. But with office carpets with specific stains such as toner, and restaurant or pub carpets caked in grease, your system wouldn't cut the mustard. Now a tm and you are hitting the right note.
Another minus point would be the difficulty in finding customers who are willing to have their carpets cleaned frequently. A lot of offices, hotels, airports etc use hwe, whether the portable type or the wheeled type the cleaner pushes along which is easier and more cost effective.
I think with this system as well, they have tried to portray it as something spectacular with the other bits and pieces, but at the end of the day it's just a flor scrubber with a pad moving dirt from one place and depositing it in another place. Dirt should be extracted out. I bet you don't wash your hair and leave the shampoo in there.
Regarding the other customers brother in law, he had decided to take redundancy and bought into this system, but he was having trouble keeping customers because of his results. Whether his technique was bad or the process, i can't answer this.
Dave
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Sorry Dave your comments show you simply do not understand how either of the systems work ::)
I think I mentioned that I had cleaned all manner of carpets with the system and as both, especially Tex, were in fact designed for office cleaning then I think had they not worked both would be out of business by now instead of being the recommended system for Interface tiles.
Both systems are also non-residual so no problem there either, in fact a properly cleaned tex/df cleaned carpet will remain cleaner longer than a HWE cleaned carpet,so frequency goes down not up.
Who ever got your client to sign the waiver was obviously an amateur as he would have known that there would have been no risk of colour loss cleaning that carpet. As for the brother in law, you got it in one, he was having trouble because of his results in other words he didn't know how to operate the system, makes you wonder how he ever managed to get hold of one in the first place...I don't blame the lady for moving on.
I use both LM and HWE systems and much prefer LM which I use on both domestic and commercial carpets. I use both LM & CFR on upholstery cleans combined.
Hi Mark, don't know what your doing wrong can only think you are not lubricating the floor enough... and do not over the wring the pad, the results I have had have been quite spectacular on occasion.
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Not sureof the details as I only skimed the Headline but the daily mail had an article saying that babies were less likely to develop Asthma in homes with dirty carpets ;D ;D ;D
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Ian,
i read this article and was amazed that it was asserting that a dusty home can actually help asthma sufferers :o
I've had someone question me already today about this >:(
Surely that's not good for business :-\
regards
steve
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Lads
I mentioned something similar in an earlier post stating that today, people live in clean, double glazed and centrally heated houses, the perfect breeding ground for bacteria of different kinds and a lot of todays children are playing on their computer games rather than outside like people of my age did. They are therefore not building up a resistance to various bacterias by getting dirty.
People who live on the streets have a higher resistance to colds than we would. I remember a while back, one of my kids was bad and i asked my gp if it was contact with the dogs, to which he replied it was good for them.
We need to return to the old days of the outside bog, draugyhty windows, no carpets or possibly lino and getting up on a freezing cold morning waiting for dad to light the coal fire, before having some porridge from the big pot on the stove that lasted a week......... Happy days :o
I wonder how many people has asthma bak then?
Dave
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Hate to disappoint you Spot, but I was Born in the mid 40s, was raised in a 4 bed house with no heating in the bedrooms. We did have a proper bathroom, which was usually freezing.
My father and older brother were chronic asthmatics, which I believe was genetic, rather than environmental.
Nobody lived in a cooler, fresher indoor environment, but the asthma was still there . What we did have, as did all kids in that era, was runny noses, which may have been responsible for defending a % of people from allergy related problems.
Todays drier and warmer indoor atmosphere must be stopping the mucus formation which probably protected our 'tubes' to some extent.
There is no doubt that there has been an increase in the number of asthmatics and related problems in recent years and in addition to a cooler environment I suspect the introduction of water into the atmosphere would prove beneficial.
Not a plug.........but I've been an advocate of Water filtration Vacuuming and this, if used daily introduces water into the atmosphere through the exhaust.
As the exhaust air is hot and laden with CLEAN particles of water it enhances the air quality.
just a thought
rob m
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Therapist
I agree that some Asthma is genetic as well as it's related symptom of Exzma and that moisture in the atmosphere is a good thing.
My nephew is now 25 years of age and has grown out of his symptons. As a baby and a small child he would frequently be in an oxygen tent at our local hospital and was on ventylin medication.
In desperation, my father, his grandfather had read about a trial piece of equipment that had been developed in Israil and had had a write up in the Daily Mirror. After writing to the paper he was put in touch with the manufacturer and one was purchased at a cost of i think around £300 - £400 which would have been in 1984/85.
The machine was called a rhinotherm or some similar name and i think was made by the Weismann institute., and after warming it up, you held this device to the end of your nose, and it fired water vapour up your nose. I can't remember whether it had to be distilled water, but it seemed to work.
I know that when our gas fire is on or the central heating, we usually leave a dish of water out to keep the atmosphere from becoming dry.
Dave