[Karl Wildey]

So is carpet cleaning bad for your health or just the way we carry it out?

John Bolton has suffer heart problems.
Derek Bolton has a hip problem.
Paul is now quitting due to bad back,
I have had a hernia op recently and have spent 5 weeks sitting on my backside.

Anyone else out there who is currently ill?

A friend had a hernia op which he blamed on lifting carpet cleaning machines, something he no longer does (he subs me in). You never met a carpet fitter with a good back and knees. So is the same for us lot.

If we all suffer the same problems doing the same job, then there is a connection. So, can we avoid the long term problems, if we are aware of them?

Anyone else suffering?

[strakercleaning]

I am losing my hair waiting for cheques 

[mark_roberts]

Dried skin on fingers, sore back if clean two suites in one day or lift machine wrongly.

Yes its physical but not sure if the people you mentioned have suffered as a direct result from cleaning carpets.

I know a guy who sat behind a desk all his workng life and bent over to pick up a paper and put his back out so badly he can hardly walk.

Use proper technique, dont over work yourself, use better machines, ramps etc but if its going to happen its going to happen.

Mark

[Phil Marlor]

I am convinced Carpet Cleaning has ruined my knees, they are a lot worse now than before I started CC.

This is I think is because I kneel when cleaning Stairs.
I have been wearing knee pads for the last 2 years but previously kneeling on damp carpet is very bad so Iam told.

Phil

[Derek]

Hi Karl

Thanks for your concern but Carpet Cleaning has nothing to do with my requiring a new hip to match the other I already
have.

Sadly in my mispent youth I was into Judo bigtime and it was throwing and being thrown about that has taken its toll.
I can pinpoint the actual day I damaged my knee, which was the cause of my problems. It was at Lilleshall Hall in Shropshire during a contest course  my knee gave way when I had a sixteen stone guy on my back just going over my shoulder.

My sin was not taking it easy ...never was a virtue of mine.

So...carry on cleaning!

Cheers
Derek

[Barry Pearce]

Derek
Nice to know you are still in the the land of the active, if only just.
Barry

[Dynafoam]

Karl,

Carpet cleaning, like other occupations can be bad for your health.

On he other hand, I have been told by two cardiologists that to survive a heart attack of the severity and duration of mine requires a very strong heart.

One said that having an occupation that entails a large amount of cardio-vascular exercise had prepared the heart well for its' survival.

Considering that a little over 30% of my heart muscle is now "dead", my recovery has been good.

So it seems that I am not to be a martyr to my profession after all and, like Derek, have to lay the blame at other abuses and carnal pleasures.

[Dave_Lee]

Since us CCs, day in day out, carry out repetative physical routines, we are all at the mercy of an occasional repetative strain injury. Its part and parcel of the business. If we were employees during these episodes we wouldnt work we would take a sickee, but as we are not, we carry on and make it worse or injure some other body part, that we have been unaturally using through compensating the original problem. These kind of health problems, inform us that all is not well, and thats fine, its the hidden problems that may be going on unoticed that we need to watch out for.
Last year I spent a night in hospital with chest pains - not a heart problem - the only thing they found was that I had mild anemia and an abnormally high liver enzyme count. It was just a one off as tests since have been okay. So what caused a sudden surge in liver enzymes etc. I walk, run and keep fit, I know my body, and the only absolute only thing I can put it down to is the materials I am using in my work or perhaps a particular concentration of them prior to the problems I had that day.
Dave.

[brucie]

Had a pacemaker fitted on Friday,at the ripe old age of 41!

[Ken Wainwright]

I've posted about this before.

Yesterday I was in hospital with a camera up my bum,  for what is now a 3 yearly monitoring visit following bowel cancer. AOK.

When I consider that I've always led a fairly healthy lifestyle, I'm not old enough to smoke, a very very light drinker, a good balanced diet, not overweight etc. etc. then I am quite baffled as to why I was ill. I'm the only person in my family to have had cancer so what are the possibilities? The only conclusion I can come to is that the chemicals we use are the cause 

OK  knowledge and recent developments/legislation has replaced some of the known carcinogenic products available in the past, but there are still risks out there, some are known and surely there must be some unknown. Chemspec are honest enough to label some of their products as carcinogenic when their competitors have what we presume to be similar formulations and do not warn as such. I now presume ALL CLEANING PRODUCTS TO BE CARCINOGENIC and exercise caution as appropriate. But even so, I still regard that my working activities put me at a greater risk.

SAFE and happy cleaning
Ken

[Martin S]

Good luck to you Ken.

Glad you're still in the clear. 

Regards

Martin S

[woodman]

Hi Ken,glad to hear your well;

Last Friday (April 1st) my dad was given the all clear for the same after having part of the bowel removed in October 2004.

He went straight down the travel agents with my mum and booked business class to Australia to visit my sister in Perth for 2 months. Collected by limousine they travelled to Heathrow and flew out TODAY

How that for decisive action all done and dusted in a matter of a few days.

Good luck to 'em, certainly puts a whole new perspective on things.

[richie]

I suffer from Asthma,  I was only diagnosed with it about 4 years ago.  I started using a certain brand of chemical and noticed that it really aggravated my asthma more than the previous brand of chemical.   I now use SOLUTIONS chemical and dont have to worry about them at all.   So not only can you obtain the highest possible standard by using Solutions chemical you can also rest assured that if you or your customers have asthma the chemicals from solution will not be a threat.

Richie.

[strakercleaning]

Strangley enough, my back and neck used to be quite succeptible when i was a waged CC.
Since running my own little concern, the problem has gone 
Just shows that it need not be a problem if worked correctly. Plan work according to your physical limits and you will not suffer.
LIVE LONG AND PROSPER

[jcbdfa]

invest in a ramp and use it especially when putting the mc back after a hard day. cc is hard tiring work esp coimmercial.

[Glynn]

Hey Richie
I thought your asthma was a result of syphoning petrol on pub car parks.....




























only jesting.

[richie]

LOL Glynn,

How are you mate?  Hows things going up there in sunny leyland.   Talking of sunny,  when is the next SUNNY DAY OUT?

Richie.

[Glynn]

Its very busy up in "sunny leyland" ricardo,
going to try for end may (ish)
if thats OK with the nations CCs.


Glynn

[Derek]

Hi

You talk about chemicals...what about fibres?

Many of the dyes used are carcinogens....what happens when we spray chemicals on them?

Could there be a reaction that could affect the carpet cleaning technician?

I have asked the questions before ... a resounding SILENCE!!!

Derek

[John_Flynn]

I have got a knackered Back, not sure wether to put it down to Carpet Cleaning or having 3 (No Fault) motor accidents in 19 months. I have also got Siatica too.