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John Kelly

  • Posts: 4461
Cleaning for health
« on: April 18, 2006, 03:49:32 pm »
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.

stains-away

Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2006, 04:11:01 pm »
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

Ken Wainwright

  • Posts: 2107
Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #2 on: April 18, 2006, 05:34:32 pm »
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
Veni, vidi vici, Vaxi
I came, I saw, I conquered, I cleaned up!

craigp

Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2006, 07:20:05 pm »
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"

Derek

Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2006, 07:44:37 pm »
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

Ken Wainwright

  • Posts: 2107
Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #5 on: April 18, 2006, 07:56:46 pm »
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
Veni, vidi vici, Vaxi
I came, I saw, I conquered, I cleaned up!

Shaun_Ashmore

  • Posts: 11382
Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #6 on: April 18, 2006, 09:20:14 pm »
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

John Kelly

  • Posts: 4461
Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #7 on: April 18, 2006, 09:41:56 pm »
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.

Shaun_Ashmore

  • Posts: 11382
Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #8 on: April 18, 2006, 09:42:33 pm »
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

craigp

Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #9 on: April 18, 2006, 09:45:28 pm »
is it not mostly because the public in this country are tight wads!!! ;D

John Kelly

  • Posts: 4461
Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #10 on: April 18, 2006, 09:52:26 pm »
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.

Spot On cleaning

  • Posts: 478
Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #11 on: April 18, 2006, 10:16:08 pm »

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

craigp

Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #12 on: April 18, 2006, 10:54:30 pm »
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.

woodman

  • Posts: 1069
Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #13 on: April 19, 2006, 09:30:06 am »
have a look here for response to the properganda regarding hard floors over carpeted:

www.clean-carpet.co.uk

click on dispatches channel 4

Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #14 on: April 19, 2006, 10:22:56 am »
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

woodman

  • Posts: 1069
Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #15 on: April 19, 2006, 10:28:40 am »
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

John Kelly

  • Posts: 4461
Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #16 on: April 19, 2006, 10:35:33 am »
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.

Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #17 on: April 19, 2006, 10:37:55 am »
...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

------------------------------------------

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. 


Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #18 on: April 19, 2006, 10:51:28 am »
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

garyj

Re: Cleaning for health
« Reply #19 on: April 19, 2006, 11:09:36 am »
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.