ncca October 2014

The official journal of the National Carpet Cleaners Association

newslink

Photograph ©Stripes by Brintons Carpets

Getting New Customers

Features:

Looking The Part

Contents

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18

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From the Editor

Assessment of the sub-floor

Residual soil wicking

Five steps to getting clients

The Woolsafe Educational Conference

Do you look the part?

A guide to customer complaints (part 9)

Cleaning systems, methods

and techniques

Things to look out for when

cleaning upholstery

Health and Safety?

NCCA - The early days

How to sell your commercial business

Published monthly by:The National Carpet Cleaners Association,62c London Road, Oadby, Leicestershire, LE2 5DH.Tel: 0116 271 9550E-mail: admin@ncca.co.ukWebsite: www.ncca.co.uk

Nicky Law

Keith Robertson

Nikki Law

Paul Pearce

Nigel Lay

Glyn Charnock

Martin Johns

Keith Robertson

Allan Simmons

Billy Russell

Denise Pitt

Editor

Editor in Chief

Design Editor

CEO/Technical Director

Vice President/Admin Director

Company Secretary/2nd Vice President/Training Director

Membership Director

Marketing Director

Corporate Director

Events Director

Co-opted Franchise Director

www.facebook.com/NCCAFloorCarewww.twitter.com/NCCA_floorcare_

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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.

From the Editor - TrustMark latest news

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It’s been an excellent six months for our TrustMark members!

TrustMark, a government endorsed consumer confidence referral scheme for tradesmen, operates a framework under which 26 Scheme Operators work in the RMI (repair, maintenance and improvement) sector. Earlier this year 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.

The TrustMark website provides a free search facility to enable consumers to 'find their local firms' using a simple postcode search against selected trades and services.

The category of Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners is on the list of trades whenever a consumer searches the TrustMark website, and members who are accepted for TrustMark have their details available under the postcode search including a link direct to their website, an email contact form, telephone number and even a google maps link to show consumers where they are based. Have a look at:

to see how it all works.Citizens Advice Bureau have a direct link for

consumers to search for TrustMark members, and other supporters of the scheme include Age UK, the Trading Standards Institute, Direct.gov, the Department for Business Innovation & Skills and the Office of Fair Trading.

Latest TrustMark statisticsDuring September 2014 the overall number of tradesman’s details displayed through the TrustMark online database search facilities was 553,978 - an increase of 10% when compared to the same month last year!

The Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners category (which was launched in April this year) has been

www.trustmark.org.uk

searched 26,851 times to date, with 1867 searches in the opening month and over 5000 searches during September.

How to apply for TrustMark membershipTrustMark membership within the Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners category is ONLY available to NCCA members (to see joining criteria go to ‘Benefits and Schemes’ in the Members’ Area of the NCCA website).

If you would like to apply to become a TrustMark member please ring the NCCA office on 0116 271 9550 or email: admin@ncca.co.uk

Nicky LawNewslink Editor

Praise for the Carpet Cleaners Carnival During the last month we received yet more praise for the 2014 Carpet Cleaners Carnival (held in September).

Prochem Europe Ltd, who exhibited this year, wrote to us to express their gratitude on a successful and well run event, saying “Visitors to the Carnival were in their hundreds and our stand was never quiet. There was a huge amount of interest in our new and improved extraction machine (the Endeavor), as well as our Natural range of cleaning solutions and Woolsafe approved products.

The whole event was exceptionally well run with mums, dads, children (and even pets!) visiting the various stands. This event was fantastic for liaising directly with our customers, which is something we like to do whenever possible.

Thank you NCCA for organising such a great day! Same time next year?”

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Assessment of the-sub floor Derek Bolton (Honorary Member)

ften we are

asked to deal

with marks Owhich have appeared on a

carpet a few months after

it is fitted. Sometimes

these marks can be

attributed to

contamination from the

sub-floor.

Some years ago I was

asked to clean some brown

marks on a carpet which

had been installed in a

nursing home. The stains,

which resembled rust

marks, were linear and the

lines formed small squares. The carpet had been

cleaned but the stains had reappeared soon after.

I managed to lift a small section at the edge of the

room and discovered that the fault lay with the

previous flooring, which had not been removed

prior to the carpet being laid.

Previously, vinyl tiles had been fitted throughout

the premises. These had been maintained by

mopping on a regular basis. Some of the cleaning

chemical residues were still present between the

joins in the tiles. When the new carpet was laid

over these tiles it effectively sealed in these

residues and a chemical reaction took place. A

brown treacle-like substance wicked out from

between the tiles and through the carpet. The

carpet throughout had to be lifted and the

problem dealt with before a new carpet was

fitted.

Unfortunately there are also many other

problems that can be caused by the sub-floor. The

most common problem is raised floor boards, or

other high spots, resulting in premature wear of

the carpet in the areas in which they are situated.

When cleaning, these high spots can be abraded

by our tools or machines, often compounding the

problem. Likewise, any low spots within the sub-

floor can also cause us problems. Cleaning tools

will glide over these areas leaving dark soiled

patches; these will need to be treated separately.

The moral of this story is to always check the

sub-floor before starting the cleaning process, you

never know what you might find.

Always check the sub-floor before cleaning

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n occasion you may be asked to re-do

another carpet cleaners work if the O initial clean was unsuccessful. A

common problem is soil visibly wicking up to the

surface as the carpet is drying, making the carpet

look worse than before it was cleaned.

Wicking is caused by insufficient vacuuming both

by the consumer and then the carpet cleaner.

Many carpet cleaners assume that because they

have a twin wet extraction machine then a dry

vacuum is not necessary. Well this is a mistake;

more than three quarters of the soil in a carpet is

dry and reacts very well to a thorough vacuuming.

On a cut pile carpet you would normally use an

upright with preferably a twin motor. With loop

pile, especially wool loop, you would use a

cylinder type with a wand as this will reduce down

the amount of fuzzing or felting that could occur

with the mechanical action. Regardless of the type

of vacuum you are using you need to apply slow

overlapping strokes. Pay particular attention to

the embedded soil because this needs to be

removed so as not to cause soil streaking or

residual soil wicking to the top as the carpet dries.

Always make sure the vacuum bags are less than

two thirds full, at all times, as any fuller will

impede the airflow and reduce extraction.

Following the dry vacuum you will need to break

any remaining adhered soil away from the fibres.

All cleaning systems will require some form of

agitation at this stage and some systems will have

agitation automatically integrated into the

cleaning process. For example dry compound, dry

bonnet, thermo pad system, dry foam and

shampoo all use some form of motorised

equipment, such as contra-rotating brushes,

spinning pads and rotary brushes. For wet

extracting, a wand manually pushed and pulled

across the carpet is often used. However, you can

of course use power wands, rotary wands and so

on. Using anything mechanical in this way will

speed up your cleaning program, saving you

energy and allowing you to work to a consistently

high standard throughout the day.

To achieve a good result you will need to vacuum

extensively especially in the main walkways. When

you have finished the actual cleaning you may

wish to complete the job by re-aligning the pile.

You can do this using a power wand.

Residual soil wicking Paul Pearce

Email addresses

The NCCA are increasingly contacting

members via email to circulate relevant

Association information. As such, it is MORE

IMPORTANT THAN EVER that we have your

current email address logged on our database.

If you change your email address at any point

could we ask that you please notify us

immediately so we are able to update your

details. This will ensure that you do not miss

any important information circulated by us.

To inform us of any changes, please email:

admin@ncca.co.uk or phone the NCCA office

on: 0116 271 9550.

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or many years I used to wonder why the

phone wasn't ringing more. After all, F everybody has carpet that needs cleaning at

some time don't they? What could I do to get

people to enquire about getting their carpets

cleaned?

Of course, it's all about getting the right type of

person to call. Maybe you only want high-end

residential customers. Or maybe you only want

large commercial work.

However, getting more clients doesn't have to be

hard. In fact it's a very simple process. There are

really only FIVE steps.

Here's what you need to do…

1. Identify WHO your ideal clients are - for instance,

the ones that you'll enjoy working with the most,

the ones who are the most profitable and the

clients who will not be a 'pain in the backside'.

2. Find out WHERE they are - do they read certain

magazines or newspapers? Do they attend specific

events or seminars? Do they live together in a

particular area? Are they gatherable together in

'one place' so to speak?

3. Get in front of them - once you know who they

are, and where they are to be found, now you can

get in front of them. That might mean setting up a

meeting, writing an article, giving a talk, delivering a

flyer or placing an advert. But you need to get in

front of them.

4. Create attention and interest - your positioning,

value proposition and sales argument need to be

relevant to your ideal client. You must be able to get

their attention and then get them interested and

engaged so you can have a conversation with them.

5. Make an offer - it could be a free trial offer or a

free audit or inspection, or some other 'direct-

response mechanism' that causes them to respond

to you.

If you work through this process you will see

significant results. Unfortunately some carpet

cleaners don't do this. Instead they have no idea of

who they are trying to attract or where they can be

found.

Remember, we're also in the marketing business

not JUST the cleaning business.

David CokerFive steps to getting clients

New NCCA Members

Topcat Carpet CleaningStonehouse, South Lanarkshire

Healthy Home Carpet CleanersSheffield, South Yorkshire

P K Cleaning ServicesSwinton, Greater Manchester

Member referral report

Since publishing a referral statistics report in

the June issue of Newslink there have been

90 recommendations for full members

provided by the NCCA. This number is made

up of 26 referrals from the NCCA office, 61

potential customers contacting members

direct through the website and 3 referrals to

members without an email address, which

have been tracked by the office.

newslink page 8

he Woolsafe Educational

Conference took place on

Thursday 16th and Friday 17th TOctober and saw a varied group of

Woolsafe stakeholders from all over

the world congregate at the Museum

of Carpet in Kidderminster (well worth

a visit if you are ever in the area).

The delegates included Woolsafe

service providers and registered

inspectors, product manufacturers

and licensees, carpet manufacturers,

insurance claims handlers and retail

buying group representatives. With

people from the US, Australia and

Ireland, it was truly an international

gathering and the best attended conference so far.

The first day involved a series of workshops and

seminars held at the Museum of Carpet and

included some very interesting and informative

speakers.

The day started a little late due to the projector

not recognising the presenters' computers, and the

unscheduled interlude was made entertaining by

some ad hoc presentations from a number of

people including Patrick Burgess, the Australian

Woolsafe Director. The day was saved by Adam

Jankowski and his IT expertise.

Ruth (Rug Lady) Travis, Woolsafe North America

Director, gave an interesting and informative

presentation on urine contamination, with some

excellent tips on its treatment.

Dr Agnes Zsednai, Woolsafe MD, talked about

GreenSeal and ENCO environmental evaluation and

introduced some innovative new green

accreditation initiatives from Woolsafe. Aimed at

the carpet cleaning products sector for all fibre

types, these initiatives will provide the industry

with products which are both genuinely

environmentally responsible and, most importantly

from our point of view, effective.

Agnes was followed by a passionate presentation

on modern marketing by Mike Philbin, Woolsafe

Service Provider from NuLife Floorcare.

The next presentation was Mould Awareness and

Remediation by Adam Jankowski, which took place

after an excellent buffet lunch. I think Adam's

presentation was deliberately placed after lunch so

that some of his photos didn't put people off their

food! It was fascinating stuff, keeping everyone

Glyn CharnockThe Woolsafe Educational Conference 2014

Ruth Travis presents her seminar on urine contamination

Ph

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newslinkpage 9

awake after lunch and delegates received a

Certificate of Mould Awareness for attending. It

certainly made a lot of the carpet cleaners in the

audience think about how they deal with jobs

where mould is present.

Allan Simmons, Woolsafe Service Provider from

Get Booked Up, gave a presentation on how CRM

software can improve and automate your business

systems; again, great information for anyone

running a carpet and upholstery cleaning business.

Finally, there was a presentation on Wool Owners

Warranty from Mike Dobson, General Manager of

Gaskell Wool Rich and Mr Tomkinson carpet

manufacturers. There was a great exchange of

information and ideas on how to push the WOW

programme forwards and I am sure the programme

will flourish in the forthcoming months.

Unfortunately I had to leave at the end of the

presentations (having been away from home since

Monday lunchtime I had lots to catch upon) but

most of the delegates met again later for the

Woolsafe banquet at The Granary Hotel just outside

Kidderminster. Having eaten there the night before I

am sure everyone had an excellent meal and, given

the characters and personalities at the conference, I

am sure the company was excellent too... all backed

up with magic from Allan Simmons.

I also missed out on the second day of the

conference, a guided tour of the Museum of Carpet

including a loom run and live demonstrations and

tours of the Brintons Carpets facilities and factory.

Despite missing the second day of the conference,

it was well worth the time and travel to attend the

event. As always, the event truly lived up to its

name, The Woolsafe EDUCATIONAL Conference.

It is with great regret that we inform the

membership of the death of Haig Abadjian on

Monday 6th October 2014.

Haig, together with his company, Abadjian

Ltd, joined the

NCCA in 1968. He

immediately

played an active

and enthusiastic

part on Council

and the Technical

and Training

Committee. His

specialised

knowledge in the

chemical processing, cleaning and restoration

of oriental rugs provided him with expertise

in stain removal and he was an invaluable

member of the Technical & Training team for

many years.

He frequently provided his extensive

premises in Wealdstone for training courses

and was always happy to conduct delegates

through the various processes carried out by

his company.

Haig received the Alan Vaughan Award for

outstanding service to the NCCA in 1991.

Until his retirement, Haig continued to

provide technical advice on oriental rugs to

members and he and his wife Ann were

regular attendees at annual conferences.

We send our sincere condolences to his wife

Ann, his son Nicolas and daughter Marianne.

Obituary - Haig Abadjian

Haig Abadjian

newslink page 10

Peter Collins (Honorary Member)Do you look the part?

o you remember

when you took

your NCCA Dinduction course to become

a member of the

Association? Initially the

course tutor will have taken

you through how to appear

professional and look the

part.

Well, the reason I'm

writing this article is that,

over the years, standards in

dress code and general

appearance really have

dropped, not only within our own industry but

many others too.

It's important to bear in mind that your

appearance could be the 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.

After all, if you and your equipment are not clean,

what will reassure your prospect that you are

capable of cleaning his/her soft furnishings to a

reasonable standard?

So, take a good look at yourself. Are your

working clothes smart enough? Are they clean

and ironed? How is your personal hygiene? It's

always a good idea to carry some deodorant,

mouth wash, a spare uniform and a clean pair of

shoes to keep you fresh throughout the working

day.

Also, in terms of workwear, please remember

that a pair of blue jeans can cause permanent dye

transfer when in direct contact with damp carpet

or fabric. They also stay wet for longer than a

smart pair of uniform trousers.

Equipment:

A clean well maintained van and equipment is also

essential as, again, if the van and equipment are

dirty the prospect's confidence in you and your

company will definitely take a nosedive. The worst

enemy of any machine or equipment is the

operator, the next is soiling. Any carpet/upholstery

cleaning machine, regardless of manufacturer or

type, works on the same principle of picking up,

transporting and temporarily storing soil and small

page 11 newslink

NCCA membership ID cardsforeign objects, so it is imperative that you

regularly clean the machine to avoid dirt and germ

transfer from one client’s home to the next.

Looking after your machinery both inside and out

will also ensure that it lasts longer.

A machine which breaks down whilst you are

undertaking a job is definitely NOT a good way of

inspiring confidence in a prospect, so make sure

that mechanical maintenance is regularly

undertaken too. 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 to your machine

without assistance. Calling for assistance may

make you look less competent than you are in the

eyes of some people. If all else fails you should

always make sure you have spare equipment on

your van to back you up.

At the end of every working day, machines and

equipment should be thoroughly cleaned,

polished and checked for mechanical faults, so

you are able to begin the next working day with

confidence. Every week a thorough check should

be carried out on all your machines and

equipment - a practice which can help solve

problems before they happen! Maintenance

doesn't take long and really is worth it.

Just remember, we are in the business of selling

cleanliness, and a prospect will see you and your

machinery as a unit. So, you may have an

excellent website and a brilliant marketing plan

but it won't work if you don't look the part.

WITH THE NCCA SHOPIMPROVE YOUR IMAGEIMPROVE YOUR IMAGE

Are you making the most of your membership?

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

stickers?

To see all the NCCA items for sale, log on to the Members' Area of the NCCA website at: www.ncca.co.uk

Have you got an NCCA membership

Identification card? This card will enable you to

introduce yourself to clients, and is a

considerable asset, particularly when calling at

secure premises such as banks, stores, etc.

It is FREE to NCCA members and their

technicians and should be renewed annually.

If you would like to order an ID card you must

supply a photograph, with a forward facing

head-and-shoulders shot (we can crop out any

background if necessary), either by post or

electronically. You must clearly indicate the

name to be displayed on each card requested.

To order your ID card send your request,

together with photograph, to:

admin@ncca.co.uk or by post to the NCCA

office.

A guide to customer complaints (part nine)Lewis Scroby (NCCA Standards and Fair Trading)

newslink page 12

NCCA Standards and Fair Trading Officer,

Lewis Scroby, continues his series on dealing

with customer complaints. This month's

article focuses on dealing with difficult

customers.

common occurrence when disputes arise A with difficult customers is that the member

expected there would be a problem. There have

been several complaints reported to the office that

came as no surprise to the member because they

'had a bad feeling about this customer' from the

start. It is an unfortunate fact of life that some

people will try to get something for nothing and we

are quite aware that there are what can be

considered 'professional complainers' out there.

Some members have unfortunately been

'trapped' by customers in the past. If you do end up

in a situation whereby a customer is being

unreasonable and appears to be looking to gain

something (a refund/free clean, new carpet, etc.)

your procedures for dealing with this should be

exactly the same as a standard or justified

complaint. You may disagree with everything they

are saying, but remaining professional is the best

way to ensure the matter doesn't escalate and can

be quickly and properly dealt with.

Remain calm and listen to their claim (no matter

how ridiculous - believe me, we've heard them all),

respond accordingly, ask for a written report if it

will help. Don't argue or rise to aggressive levels of

communication, even if the customer does. Focus

on procedure, you'll be amazed how easy it is to

respond to even a completely unjustified complaint

when your answers are part of a set process. This

also allows you to be reassuring without committing

to meet their potentially exaggerated expectations

for a resolution.

The fact you have procedures in place can assist in

general. Informing your customer that you take

complaints very seriously and follow a specific

investigation process may put some people off

pressing their baseless claims. Involving the

Association can have a similar effect with would-be

complainers. If they are informed their grievance can

be passed to a professional organisation who will

arrange a thorough review if they can provide a full

written report, those that can't justify their position

can be instantly put off.

One of the benefits in this industry is you get the

opportunity to review the situation, and also the

customer, before committing to the job. Another

reason pre-clean surveys and on-site quoting are

important is you can determine what (and who) you

are dealing with before the work has started and you

are stuck with the contract. If you have a concern

about a customer or the potential for a complaint to

arise, there is always the option to walk away.

Many of the most experienced cleaners are sure

they have avoided complaints by simply turning

down the opportunity to do a job due to a gut

feeling that the customer will not be satisfied or is

looking for an opportunity to 'try it on'. Tell-tale signs

in their initial enquiries can sometimes help in

identifying the potential of this happening (if their

first question is regarding your insurance cover

rather than your service for instance).

If you get the inkling that a customer might be a

Diary Dates 2014/15

NCCA COURSESCarpet & Upholstery Cleaning 21st - 22nd November 201423rd - 24th January 201520th - 21st March 201522nd - 23rd May 201510th - 11th July 201518th - 19th September 201520th - 21st November 2015

Advanced Spot & Stain Removal20th February 201526th June 20159th October 2015

Health & Safety for the Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner19th February 20158th October 2015

All above courses held at NSPCC Training Centre, Leicester unless otherwise stated. Visit:www.ncca.co.uk for booking forms and further details.

IICRC COURSES (HERTFORDSHIRE)Carpet Cleaning Technician with Paul Pearce25th - 26th November 2014

Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning Technician withPaul Pearce2nd - 3rd December 2014

Held at Alltec Network, Royston, Hertfordshire. Tel: 01763 208222

IICRC COURSES (SURREY)Carpet Cleaning Technician with Adam Jankowski24th - 25th March 201510th - 11th September 2015

Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning Technician withAdam Jankowski31st March - 1st April 201525th - 26th November 2015

Held at National Flood School, Surrey. Tel: 01252 821185

Visit: www.iicrc.org for further details on allIICRC Training Courses.

problem, you can ensure the potential for making a

complaint is minimised by following standard

procedures. Complete a written survey, provide

terms and conditions, have them sign to confirm

they understand anything you have brought to their

attention and carry out all your cleaning processes to

the NCCA standard. These are things that members

should be doing on every job, but have often been

lacking when complaints are brought to our

attention.

Customers aren't the only concern of course.

Sometimes you'll see an item and know instantly

that there is a major risk in cleaning it. Although we

know a lot of you want to tackle everything you

come across and have worked many miracles in your

time, there will be some things that are beyond

saving and some customers that are at the ready

when things don't go your way.

If you are confident you can get a result, by all

means go ahead but make sure you properly prepare

and cover yourself. Carry out a full survey and pass

the results to the customer in writing - ensuring that

they are well aware of the risks and potential

consequences (consider a liability waiver if it would

provide more peace of mind), follow best practice,

take care in what you're doing, inspect before and

after and communicate with the customer

throughout. Many of these are, again, things that

should be fairly standard practice on every job.

If it goes well then that’s great, if not there should

be no reason for recourse from the customer. We've

even found that clients are highly appreciative of the

warnings and can learn a lot from the pre-clean

processes and survey reports.

Next month the final article in this series provides a

summary of previous articles, advice and

recommendations.

Cleaning systems,methods and techniquesDerek Bolton (Honorary Member)

am sure that we all wish to do the best job

we can for our customers and we all know, of I course, that this is the best way to keep

them. They, hopefully, will then be out there

spreading the word to their friends and family

about the excellent service we provide. This

unpaid army of salespeople is a tremendous asset

to any business and should be carefully nurtured.

However it never hurts to ask ourselves, from

time to time, if we in fact are providing the best

service we can. I remember distinctly, some years

ago, my old mate 'the Old Man of Essex' writing

an article for Newslink along the lines of 'How

clean is clean?' He was discussing the perception

of cleanliness; we all have our own ideas, but do

our perceptions conform to those of our

customers?

Over the years I have witnessed varying degrees

of 'clean' in work undertaken by other cleaning

contractors. In some cases, surprisingly, the

customer has been happy with the clean when

they really shouldn't have been. A classic case was

when I visited a customer to treat a new carpet

(which had been fitted that morning) with a

protector. I duly carried out the work and was

then asked if I would also apply protector to the

carpet in the next room, which had been cleaned

by another cleaner earlier that day. The

appearance was awful so I asked if they were

happy with the clean. The customer's answer was,

surprisingly, 'yes'! I will be honest here, I made

some lame excuse as to why I couldn't treat it and

left. Obviously it was lost revenue, but if I had

gone ahead with the work I could envisage big

trouble for me at a later date. The

aforementioned carpet had been bonnet

cleaned… badly! It was sticky to the touch and,

quite frankly, still soiled. I left the customer none

the wiser since they were happy with it.

NCCA courses, along with other training schools,

explain the uses of different cleaning techniques,

highlighting the benefits and limitations of each

system. The instructors will guide you as to how,

when and where to use the various systems to

achieve a satisfactory result that will, hopefully, be

acceptable to your clientele.

What I am trying to say is, whether its machines

or chemicals, all systems have their uses and each

can perform very well in the areas for which they

are suited. It's up to us to determine their

suitability in each situation, and that's where our

professionalism comes in.

There are substrates out there where the

amount of moisture that comes into contact with

them should kept to a minimum, hence the use of

Dry Powder compound cleaning or Low Moisture

cleaning using rotary style equipment. Techniques

using extraction machines can be adjusted to allow

them to be used with reduced moisture.

Sometimes by carefully using a combination of

different styles of cleaning machinery we can

produce excellent results without causing any

secondary damage… it just takes a little thought

that's all.

Think also about the type of soiling that you are

encountering. For instance, how deep has the soil

penetrated into the fibres and, dare I say, into the

backings (think oil/grease)? Ask yourself if a low

moisture technique or dry compound will deal with

this effectively over a period of time. Maybe it is so

bad that even an extraction clean may not deal

with it efficiently without resulting in wick back.

When cleaning upholstery there are some

excellent really low moisture hand-tools now

available that will eliminate many of the associated

risks that we might encounter. So a combination of

the right tools, the appropriate cleaning chemical/s

AND the right technique should result in an

excellent job.

One other thing is to make sure that you fully

understand how the hand and floor tools work and

how you can use their respective performances to

your advantage. Likewise with cleaning chemicals,

they each have their own unique characteristics

that can either work for you or against you. It is

obviously in your interest to learn how they can

best work FOR you.

newslink page 16

hen cleaning upholstery

be aware that there may Wbe potential problems lurking

within, ready to catch you out.

Things to look out for are:

1. MANUFACTURERS INK MARKS -

These marks may be felt marker

pen or even biro ink, which has

been placed within the interior of

upholstered furnishings as a guide

for the assembly or cutting

processes. Unfortunately they

often suddenly blossom out of the

fabric during the cleaning process.

2. INSUFFICIENT HEM MATERIAL -

Have a look to see if there has

been sufficient material folded back in the hem

of each seam. If there is insufficient material this

could result in fraying, splitting and weak and

gaping seams following the cleaning process.

3. PAPER OR CARD INSERTS - These can often be

found within the valance/pleats of the suite and

can buckle under wet conditions, so keeping

these areas of the suite as dry as possible is

always recommended.

4. BUTTONS - Keep buttons as dry as possible and

towel them off to inhibit the likelihood of rust

staining coming through from hidden metal

button caps.

5. TIGHTLY TENSIONED MATERIAL - This can

appear in main wear or body contact areas.

These areas often warrant more vigorous

cleaning but are likely to be weak and prone to

splitting. You will need to question if the fabric can

take it.

6. FOAM INTERIOR BREAKDOWN OR POWDERING -

Cleaning the affected areas with suction systems

can often pull yellow powder through the fabric

causing pronounced yellow discolouration.

7. INSECURE FABRIC PANELS - If these are flimsily

stapled onto a weak sub-frame interior it can cause

problems when cleaning. Too much pressure when

using a hand tool, or perhaps fabric contraction

during cleaning, can be enough to pop the staples

out and damage the suite.

8. UNSTABLE DYES - These can be found in deep

dyed materials. Fading/loss of colour after cleaning

or a spot removal process can occur.

Things to look out for when cleaning upholstery NCCA Library

newslink page 18

would like to talk about one

of the sacred cows of

modern life and question Iwhether it:

a) has a genuine function, and

b) if it does, if it is now more

about making money than

fulfilling its function.

The 'industry' I refer to is

Health and Safety. I have written

many times on my support for

the European legislation on

Volatile Organic Compounds

(VOC’s) and, having felt the

benefits personally, I am still in

favour of this type of progress. What I am

specifically referring to is the fact that an industry

has 'invented itself' that is making life difficult for

small companies, adding to costs and in extreme

cases making things more dangerous.

In Ireland we have a scheme known as Safe Pass,

a laudable idea launched in the year 2000, just

before the construction boom. It costs around €100

for a one-day course and aims to cover the basics of

working on building sites (excavation, PPE working

at heights etc). Once the course is taken and the

exam passed (not sure if anyone has ever failed)

you get a little plastic card valid for four years which

no one ever asks for (great for applying filler

though!). When you apply to do the Safe Pass

course they ask for your PPS number which is our

version of a social security number…. WHY? If it's

about safety then this shouldn't be relevant. After

all it could put some people off taking the course,

the very people who need it in fact! If it's about tax

collection, then of course it's very necessary. After

the four years you do exactly the same course

again (after giving your PPS number thus

confirming you are still in construction)…. what do

you mean that sounds cynical?

So moving on from Safe Pass, let's talk about

Method Statements and Safety Statements that

are beloved by administrators everywhere. There

are many companies willing to help you prepare

these for a fee or you can go on to the HSE website

where there is help as well as examples and

templates. So, again, perhaps a sound idea in that

it makes you think about what you do and how you

do it. But is it really about safety and, if it is, then

why, despite them being made a condition of

employment, have we (on many occasions) not

Health and Safety? Terry Guilford (The Ultimate Floor Sanding Co.)

page 19 newslink

actually been asked for them when we turn up?

So, what about the experts in Health and Safety,

the local officers that travel to sites looking for

serious problems? A few years ago a friend of

mine was on a building site laying wooden floors.

One of his employees was using a chop saw to cut

the flooring to length when he was approached by

a twenty-something young lady who was a local

safety officer. He was instructed that he should be

wearing gloves while using a chop saw. He pointed

out that doing so would make the job MORE

dangerous as gloves would mean he would lose

his feel for the piece he was cutting and it would

therefore be MORE liable to slip and cause injury

(a fact that any carpenter will confirm). Quite what

a piece of wool was going to achieve when faced

with a tungsten carbide blade spinning at several

hundred rpm is beyond me. Anyway, he was told

to wear gloves or get off site and, being a practical

sort, he wore the gloves. If it were me (being a

thick cantankerous sort) I would have walked off

site and left the Health and Safety officer to sort

out the unhappy client herself.

A short while after this incident I was working on

a large site that had two flooring contractors on it,

us and another company. Human nature dictated

that one of our lads wanted to see the quality of

the work the other company was carrying out. He

came back and reported that they had a table saw

running in a very narrow hallway lit by 110 volt

emergency lighting. The saw was running

continuously as it had no on/off switch but, worse

still, it also had no blade guard! As this was so

dangerous we reported it to the site manager...

who did NOTHING. Later that day a young man

lost a finger.

I started this article by asking if the health and

safety industry has a genuine function and I think

every reasonable person would agree that it has

an extremely important function. This is why we

must ask the question, has the

industry become more about

making money and ticking

boxes (careful how you lift

those boxes) than fulfilling its

function? In my opinion the

reality is that the legislation,

which COULD actually have a

big impact on life quality, is not

enforced because it doesn't

make money for anyone.

However, making it law to

attend courses is easy for

administrators to do AND

generates revenue.

newslink page 20

t is hard to believe that

forty five years ago, before

our association came into Ibeing, it was a very rare event

for carpet cleaners to meet and

exchange ideas. But that was

exactly the situation until our

founder, the late George

Holloway, took steps in 1968 to

create what was to become the

Carpet Cleaners Association.

George was the managing

director of Holloway

Equipment, a company

specialising in the manufacture

of machinery for carpet and

upholstery cleaning. The

company originated the

Holloway Power Brush which might well have

been the forerunner of other similar power

vacuums.

George Holloway was a man of vision and he

was aware of the shortcomings of the carpet

cleaning industry. In the 'old days', prior to the

setting up of our association, there was a

complete absence of dialogue and cooperation

between carpet cleaners. There was reluctance for

carpet cleaners to meet together and discuss their

operation in case a competitor learnt something

from them.

Consequently George made it his aim in life to

create a platform where carpet cleaners could

meet and exchange ideas. He knew that in so

doing the industry would grow and develop a high

level of professionalism. In order to achieve this,

he brought carpet cleaners together at a forum in

West London and introduced the concept of an

association. Those present were invited to offer

their services in forming a committee which could

move forward and take the first steps to the

inauguration of a representative group in our

industry.

I was appointed honorary secretary of the

founding committee which included George

Holloway, Bill Franklin, Alan Vaughan, Brian Smith,

Doug Turnbull, Ron Woolfe, Fred Duncombe, Ray

Cecil Aigin (Honorary Member)NCCA - The early days

Haig Abadjian demonstrating at an early Stain Removal course

Ph

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page 21 newslink

Denham and Phil Garner. The original committee

was subsequently supported by Haig Abadjian,

David Benardout, Harry Fitchett, Bill and Ian Day,

Nick Heath, Bill Lakin, Paul Pearce, Derek Bolton,

Chris Taylor, Ron Bates, John Durham, Ken

Moorhouse and many others.

I regret that the

passage of time

has caused the

names of many

colleagues to slip

my memory, but I

remember their

friendship and the

great contribution

they all made in

the early days of

the NCCA.

Regrettably

several of those

named, and other members, are no longer with us

and we are sad at their passing.

A very reluctant George Holloway was elected

first president. His wish was that the CCA should

be controlled by professional carpet cleaners and

not by manufacturing interests. He relinquished

the presidency at an early date in favour of the

late Bill Franklin.

From those early days the then 'Carpet Cleaners

Association' was created. (The title was changed to

the 'National Carpet Cleaners Association' at a

later date in order to reflect the nationwide

representation of our membership).

Early committee meetings were held at the

home of Valery and Doug Turnbull, near Bedford,

and subsequently at the offices of Patent Steam

Carpet Beating Co. near to the City of London.

High on the list of priorities of the founding

committee was the appointment of honorary

officers and sub committees to generate

membership,

training,

standards and

promotion.

Technical

training courses

were held at the

works of Abadjian

Ltd in

Wealdstone,

Franklins of

Sheffield, Thames

Carpet Cleaners in

Henley on

Thames, Patent Steam in Birmingham, Bill and Ian

Day in Macclesfield and at hotels in Nottingham

and Leicester.

I have one vivid memory of a carpet cleaning

course when a member of the training team was

demonstrating a foam shampooing machine. He

forgot to switch on the vacuum and before long he

had generated a blanket of foam which reached

above his ankles.

The category of 'Corporate' Membership

(previously 'Associate' Membership prior to the

membership restructure last year) was established

David Benardout dealing with stain removal

Continued on next page

newslink page 22

from the very early days and

enabled manufacturers of

products and machinery to play

a major role in the future of the

association.

Promotion and public

relations were also on the list of

priorities and a council member

was appointed to take care of

those important activities. At a

later date a PR specialist, Jay

Grenby, was appointed who

successfully promoted the

activities of the NCCA to home

editors, the carpet and trade

industries and, whenever possible, the national

press.

The first Annual Conference was held in 1968. It

was a one day event and took place at a west

London Hotel. This was to be followed by full

weekends incorporating exhibitions of machinery

and products by corporate members, a

programme for ladies and a dinner dance.

Continued from previous page

The very first conference in 1968. Againstthe right wall from the left are: George Holloway,

Member of the press, Cecil Aigin, Doug Turnbull, Alan Vaughan

A later confernce

Ph

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©C

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page 23 newslink

Conferences were held at a variety of prominent

hotels in different parts of the country.

As the association grew, the services of a full time

secretary became essential. Ken Glibbery was the

first to be

appointed and,

at a later date,

Les Hartle was

appointed

professional

treasurer.

The NCCA

became

recognised as a

leading authority

in carpet

cleaning and was

represented on

many important

committees,

groups and associations. We

contributed our time to the

formulation of the BSI standard

for a carpet shampoo and for the

cleaning requirements of textile

flooring in computer

establishments.

An original spotting guide was

produced based on information

provided at training courses and

this was superseded by a completely new 'Stain

Removal Guide' written by David Benardout.

We developed close relationships with prominent

carpet manufacturers who recognised the value of

an NCCA endorsement and we were recommended

on their care pamphlets and carpet samples.

An international carpet fibre producer appointed

NCCA members to service carpets containing their

specialised fibres when consumers experienced

difficulties in

removing stains.

Our magazine,

which was

originated by the

late Alan

Vaughan, has

matured over

time and

continues to play

a major role in

communicating

with the

membership and

promoting our

association.

The NCCA has moved along

smoothly throughout the years,

directed by successive Presidents

and management teams, all

dedicated to the best interests of

our members, and the public who

entrust their valued floor

coverings and furnishings to our

care. Needless to say, the

continued success of the NCCA is

in the hands of future members who will benefit

from all the hard work and dedication of past and

present members and management.

I think we would all agree that it is a very

valuable inheritance.

The NCCA magazine has matured over the years

newslink page 24

Are you thinking of selling your commercial

cleaning company but don't know where to

start? Well, support is at hand to help you

navigate this process.

Ross Bennett, an experienced Business Broker

at Axis Partnership (specialising in the sale of

commercial cleaning companies throughout the

UK), shares his advice and tips on getting your

business ready for sale...

eciding to sell your business can be difficult D and stressful but it doesn't need to be - the

key is preparation.

There are a few key questions that you need to

ask before you begin the process of selling your

business:

1) Do I have a strong management team and

infrastructure in place?

2) Do I have written evidence of contractual,

ongoing work with clients so I can demonstrate that

my business is sustainable?

3) Do I have multiple revenue streams? Being

reliant on a few key clients is not going to make

your businesses attractive to buyers. You need to

be able to demonstrate that you have multiple

revenue streams so if one dries up, the business is

not affected as much.

4) Do I have strong profit margins and evidence of

keeping overheads down?

If you can answer yes to all of these then you are

ready to go - buyers need the confidence that you

have built something that is sustainable, that has a

good reputation, and most importantly, they know

it has a strong future.

So your business is ready to sell, but where do you

go from here? You need to make a decision about

how you want to sell your business, do you have

the time, commitment and knowledge to market it

and sell it yourself or are you going to invest in an

expert to do it for you?

In the same way that you would employ an estate

agent to sell your house, you may want to seek

help from an expert who can support you through

the process of selling your business.

If you are concentrating on the sale of the

business and NOT driving the ship forward (keeping

the profits where they are or even improving them)

then who is? The sale process could take up to 18

months in some sectors, which is why it is

beneficial having an independent advisor on the

sale 24/7.

Independent advisors can guide you through the

tricky legalities, help you avoid time wasters, and

use their knowledge and contacts to get you the

right buyer who will pay the right price for your

business.

Whether you decide to go it alone or seek the

support of a seasoned professional, here are three

top tips for anyone thinking of selling their

business:

1) Put yourself in the shoes of the buyer and ask

yourself if it is a business you would want to buy

and why.

2) Be prepared, you don't want to lose a buyer

because you haven't got your documentation

organised and available. As a starting point you will

need: Profit and loss statements for the last three

years, balance sheets from the last three years, tax

returns from the last three years, list of equipment,

lease agreements, insurance policies, employee

How to sell your commercial business Ross Bennett (Axis Partnership)

+ Allied Insurance Services Ltd:

+ Alltec Network:

+ Amtech UK:

+ Ashby's Cleaning Equipment:

+ Asset Finance Solutions UK Ltd:

+ Bio Productions Ltd (inc. Stapro):

+ Camberford Law (insurance brokers):

+ Chemdry Franchising Ltd:

+ Chemspec Europe Ltd:

+ Cleanerswarehouse Ltd:

+ Cleaning Systems UK:

+ Cleansmart Ltd:

+ Cleantec Innovation Ltd:

+ Columbus Cleaning Machines Ltd:

+ Crisp & Brite:

+ Dri-Eaz Products Ltd:

+ Dry Fusion UK Ltd:

+ Furniture Clinic Ltd:

+ Get Booked Up Software:

+ Gleaming Insurance (insurance brokers):

+ Hi-Tec Cleaning Group:

+ Host Von Schrader Ltd:

+ Hydro Dynamix:

+ LTT Leathercare:

+ Mailboxes Etc:

+ McGregor Lloyd (insurance brokers):

+ NSL Restormate: 01670 590099:

+ Nu Life Stone Care Ltd:

+ Oates Laboratories (Europe):

+ Prochem Europe Ltd:

+ Rainbow International:

+ Restoration Express:

+ Robert Saunders Marketing Mentor:

+ Sebo UK Ltd:

+ ServiceMaster Ltd:

+ Stainshield Ltd:

+ Textile Cleaning Solutions:

+ The Big Clean:

+ The Ultimate Floor Sanding Co.:

+ The WoolSafe Organisation:

+ Vaclensa:

+ Worldwide Cleaning Support:

0844 8156211 (I)

01763 208222 (C/M/F/T)

01444 232211 (C/M)

01795 436999 (C/M/E)

01254 584404 (FI)

01444 244000 (C)

0208 315 5000 (I)

01482 872770 (C/M/Fr)

01274 597333 (C/M/T/D/F)

01772 434333 (T/C/R/M)

01334 656787 (C/M/T/F)

0115 8240034 (T/C/R/M/K)

0870 733 7733 (T/C/W/M)

01772 426527 (M)

01509 881137 (C/M)

01908 611211 (C/M/T)

01772 433711 (C/M/T/W/Fr)

01207 279964 (C/Tr)

01405 813665

0845 4740068 (I)

02866 341416 (C/E/F/M/T)

0151 347 1900 (M/C)

01622 664993 (Fr/T)

01423 881027 (T/Tr)

01628 633336

0121 706 0616 (I)

(M/C/Tr)

0161 480 7284 (M/C)

01772 433711 (C)

0208 974 1515 (C/F/M/T)

01623 422488 (M/C/Fr)

01252 726106 (M/C/T/A)

08450 537129 (K)

01494 465533 (M)

0116 275 9000 (M/C/Fr)

01372 841467 ©

01934 521155 (M/C)

0208 3934778 (M,C,W,K)

00353 91846488 (M/C/Fr)

01943 850817

0161 728 1800 (M)

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.

NCCA Corporate Members

agreements, customer contracts, equipment leases

and bank statements.

3) Seek the advice of experts and take advantage of

the relationships they have built with professionals

in the business community who can help you, like

solicitors, finance companies and accountants.

For more advice and information about selling your

business visit: www.axispartnership.co.uk/selling/

20% off RESEARCH and CITRUSproducts for all NCCA members at

Cleaners Warehouse!Go to www.cleanerswarehouse.co.uk

(A registration page has been set up onthe site for NCCA members)

NCCA Member Benefits

Adelante Merchant Services: 01628 820500

BeValued - Home Options (specialist claimsmanagement - insurance work): Call Shaun

Mulvey on 01323 418432

Control Account PLC: 01527 882901

Hibu (previously Yell): ask for CorporateAdvertising Department: 0808 100 7890

HMCA (free legal & counselling helpline): 0117 934 2600

HMCA (medical health cover): 01423 866985

Payatrader: 01296 660177

SiteWizard (website creation): 08450 608860

Thompson Local: ask forCorporateAdvertsing Department: 01252 390385

TrustMark (NCCA Office): 0116 271 9550

Corporate Member Benefits

Items for sale

newslink page 26

BUSINESS FOR SALESmall, long-established, reputable working carpet, upholstery and soft furnishings cleaning company.

Essex based. Owner Operator retiring. To be sold as a complete package only. Mobile HWE and dry

cleaning system. Domestic and commercial clients. Genuine interested parties only please to call 07903

497298 and leave details.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALEProchem 250 ft vacuum hoses for truck mount - £150.00. Chemspec hose reel for truck mount

plastic - £200. Prochem sadle tank for truckmount 227 litre/60 gallons - £250.00. Contact

aquadriinfo@btconnect.com for further information or contact Andy on: 07970 544806.

BUSINESS FOR SALESmall long-established reputable NCCA registered working business, specialising carpet, upholstery and hard floor cleaning. Northumberland based

owner/operator retiring. To be sold as a complete package only. Sign written 55 plate Iveco Daily van

with fitted Prochem Blazer Truck Mount. High pressure and extraction hose reels complete with

hoses, including wands, hard floor surface spinner 3 turbo dryers fans, 4 dehumidifiers, MMs Plus, Sebo

vac and duo, Rotary scrubber, plus lots of other equipment and chemicals. Plus a fully SEO website. Genuine interested parties only please. Call 01670

787185.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALEAshbys Sensei Carpet cleaning machine with dry cleaning facility, comes with dry clean hose and curtain hand tool and hose bag - £800.00. Dry

fusion rotary machine with drive board - £600.00. Power flite 500psi twin vac carpet cleaning

machine, only used as back up, two years old - £1400.00. Esprit Von Schrader upholstery machine still under warranty only used 5 times - £2500.00.

Ashbys power brush - £300.00. Ashbys spotting machine with hose and hand tool - £300.00. Ashbys V2 steam attachment only used twice - £300.00. All

Items plus VAT. If interested please call Peter on 07866 905 424, or 0208 850 2085, or Email:

peterscarpetcare@aol.co.ukBuyer collects from south east London.

TRUCKMOUNTBanclene truckmount complete with base unit,

stainless steel 80 gallon recovery tank, 100 gallon solution tank, 150 feet of vaccuum/solution hoses, floor, stair and various upholstery hand tools, inline

heater and misc parts etc. The van has been sold separately. Selling due to retirement and will

consider the highest offer. Call Derek at Aquamaster on 01845 537640 - mobile 07976 218304 or email:

derek@aquamaster-yorkshire.co.uk

COMMERCIAL VACUUM CLEANERSebo BS 36 Comfort commercial vacuum cleaner for sale. Excellent condition apart from a few scratches - hardly used. Includes three attachments: dusting brush, upholstery tool & crevice tool - hardly used. Also 9 new waste bags and instructions. Excellent

buy for £175.00 ono. Collection only. Contact Andrew on 07730 203008.

OFFICE PRINTER/COPIERDuplo DP-2211 Single colour A3 or A4 duplicator. Full working order, any fair trial. Ideal for low cost

Flyers. Some consumables. PC Interface, prints direct from P.C. or printed copy - £250.00 o.n.o. For

further Information Contact gary@amazingcleaning.co.uk or call 0116 267 2720.

Based in Leicester.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALEAirflex Storm 800psi, Solution hose 25ft(high

pressure), 25ft x 1.5" vacuum hose with 1.5" cuff fitted at each end, Westpak 4" stainless steel

hand/detailer tool with splash guard, 6" stair tool, Upholstery Pro Sapphire Hand Tool, HOST Reliant

agitator, Sebo BS36 upright vacuum cleaner, Dri-Eaz Air Mover Sahara E 3 speed, Magma heater 1313, Assorted horse hair brushes, Furniture Foam Snap Blocks x 360, Orion 6L Sprayer with nozzle set, 10 Litre Bucket x 2, Carpet Sliders x 8, pH Test Paper, Corner guard, Hose hook, Pumptec Powersprayer

BOM, Mesh hose bag. Assorted cleaning chemicals - some opened. Bereavement forces sale. Cost:

£4500 ONO (Bought as new in 2013 for £7500). All items used a maximum of 5 times so in 'as new'

condition. Please contact Jamie Edmonds at: Jledmunds@hotmail.co.uk. Tel: 07795 546037.

Items located in North Cornwall.

Items for sale

newslinkpage 27

VAN & TRUCK MOUNT + EQUIPMENTVAN: Fiat Ducato 35 Multijet LWB / Only 3,200 Miles

/ Taxed April 2015 / Ply Lined / Linex Coated / Shelving. TRUCK MOUNT: Phoenix 570i / Only 91 Hours / LPG Gas Conversion / All Tanks Hoses &

Reels / Water Softener/Filter. EQUIPMENT: Evolution Wand / Pre Sprayer / Carpet Rack / Stair

Tool / Upholstery Tool / Ramp / Von Schrader Esprit Dry Cleaner. Genuine enquiries only please. Mobile:

07775 507227. Email: re_nulife@btinternet.com

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE - IDEAL FOR NEW BUSINESSEverything you need to start carpet cleaning,

including: Ashbys Ninja adjustable up to 400psi with Dry Cleaning Functionality built in, 2 x25m vacuum hoses, 1 x silencer hose, 1 x wand, 1 x upholstery

tool, 1 x dry cleaning solvent tool. Sebo Duo agitator. Sebo Vacuum BS36. 1.5hp blower dryer. Truvox high speed buffer. Prochem Stain Removal

kit. 2 x 6 litres pressure sprayers. 1 x 1 litre upholstery/spot sprayer. 1 x vinyl mat for Ninja and

1 terrapaulin sheet. Huge array of chemicals including: Prochem Power Burst, Defoamer,

Prochem Pre Spray Gold, Prochem Natural Carpet Cleaner, Ashby's supreme Anti Grease, Prochem Browning prescription, Prochem Fabric and Fibre Rinse, Ashby's Extra Fresh, Prochem Odour Fresh. Box of other bits including: shoe covers, brushes, polystyrene pads, measuring jugs, dry compound.

All in excellent condition. Selling as my second business is consuming all of my time. Selling for

£1950. Contact Richard on 07903 841534.

VACANCY & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITYExperienced full time Carpet and Floor Care

Technician required. Own van and equipment an advantage but not essential. Good business

incentive package (profit share or buy in). Area coverage M4 corridor from Bristol to London. Apply by email to glynn.norcutt@gnccontractservices.com

(with full CV, etc.) or telephone: 01672 871882 or mobile: 07831 172743.

TOOL AND CHEMICALS FOR SALEOne 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.

FREE CLEANFAX MAGAZINESAndrew Hoyland, of carpet cleaning company

Freshclean in Cheshire, is offering 75 FREE Cleanfax magazines (ranging from 1998 up to 2005) to

anyone who can come and pick them up. They are a few years old but still full of very useful information

for carpet cleaners. He lives in Lowton near Warrington. If interested please call Andrew on:

07973 399903 or email: hoylandandrew@hotmail.co.uk

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE3 Ozone plates 4'' x 6'' to fit Jetazone 600 ozone generator - £15.00 for the 3, plus £5.00 p & p. Please phone Pete Collins on 07885 804560.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALEVictor Sprite 12" Rotory Machine. Used once. Was

£855 - Accept £450. Collect from Coventry. Tel 02476 620444.

MACHINERY FOR SALE CFR Paramount 1000 PSI machine - delivering 1000

pressure per square inch. 95 litre recycling tank, great for commercial and domestic work £600.00

o.n.o. Contact davidkendall40@aol.com for further information or phone David on 07768 667824 or

01277 824546.

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.

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

Going Going - Gone!

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.

*pre-test carefully and rinseout after stain is removedwith cold water.

No need to mix - just spray - wait and the stain is gone.*

BEFORE AFTER

Say

goodbye

to stains!