ICS Cleaning Specialist articles from November 2003

ICS Cleaning Specialist archives from November 2003

Rumors of their demise are greatly exaggerated: rumors and speculation make for interesting copy. There's nothing like sticking a fork in the outlet and seeing what happens.(Editorial Comment)(Editorial)
November 1, 2003... I't was recently suggested that trade associations in the cleaning and restoration industry might be on the decline/falling out of favor/losing steam/collapsing/on life support/standing with one foot in the grave/winners of the pine box derby....

Technology can aid in pricing and production: one of the principle topics of discussion on carpet-cleaning bulletin boards and in the mainstream media concerns the upward spiraling costs of operating a small business.(Carpet Cleaning Basics)
November 1, 2003... Many expenses, such as insurance, fuel and chemicals, art not easy to control. When rising costs cannot be effectively controlled there remain few paths in profit except through increased production. Production can be increased by employing...

Can you identify that floor? The phone rings. A potential customer wants to know if you clean floors.(Hard Floor Maintenance Oppurtunities)
November 1, 2003... Absolutely," you say. "We perform cleaning services for both carpet and hard floors." "How much does it cost to clean them?" the prospect asks. "It depends on the type of floor," you reply. "What type of floor covering do you have?"...

Emotional judo for those "discriminating" clients: the phone rings. Innocent, off-guard and unaware of what is about to occur, you answer.(To Your Success)
November 1, 2003... You: "Good morning. J-D Carpet Cleaning. How may I--?" Customer (angry): "I demand to talk to the owner immediately!" You: "Uhhh... sorry, ma'am. The boss just left on a six-week safari to Africa!" It is tempting in run and hide from...

Connections 2003 roars onto the industry stage.
November 1, 2003... When the last booth closed and the last table cleared at the Connections 2003 Trade Show & Exhibition in Las Vegas, Oct. 2-4, a collective sigh filled the air. But it was not the exhausted exhalation of, "Thank goodness that's done," no,...

Diversifying your business: the first rule of business is to make a profit; the second is to stay in business. One way to achieve both is to provide additional services to existing customers.(Building a Profitable Business)
November 1, 2003... By performing more services for the same clients you are able to increase the overall revenue without significantly increasing overhead, thereby increasing the margin (profit) on each job performed. This concept of offering multiple services is...

Hurricane Isabel--how cleaning and restoration specialists work the storm.(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Hurricane Isabel pounded the Eastern seaboard in September, flooding the area with storm surges and torrential rains, knocking down power lines and causing severe commercial and residential damage ha eight states. The affected states--Delaware,...

Omegasonics introduces new soap family.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Omegasonics introduces a new family of specialty soaps designed for a variety of restoration challenges. Made specifically for ultrasonic cleaning systems, the line includes OmegaSmoke for smoke removal; OmegaAqua Clean LPH for electronics...

Atrix puts safety, performance into lightweight package.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Atrix International introduces the Atrix Safety Vacuum. a 600-watt, 6-pound vacuum "designed for fast and efficient cleaning." The Atrix Safety Vacuum features a self-contained HEPA filter to store debris, and the dear, see-through hose...

Eureka stands upright with new vacuum.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Eureka introduces the Sanitaire Dual Motor Upright, model SC6600. Vacuum performance sensors alert the user to changes in airflow or brush-roll operation. The SC6600 features a 15-1nch cleaning path, a 50 foot power cord and a complete set of...

Delmhorst electrode designed with restoration in mind.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Delmhorst's insulated 19-E/STC electrode, designed for use with may of the company's penetrating moisture meters, was created specifically for the restoration contractor and IAQ and mold-remediation specialists, the company said. The...

Noble Pine Products unveils Steri-Fab.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Steri-Fab from Noble Pine Products Co. is designed to kill bed bugs, lice and dust miles on inanimate objects such as mattresses, upholstered furniture, couches and carpets. Steri-Fab also works as a disinfectant, a mildewcide, a fungicide,...

Granwax launches carpet care range.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Granwax Products announces the arrival of a new range of carpet care products, The EZEE Carpet Care line covers all aspects of carpet care, from pre-treatment through stain and spot removal, the company said. The EZEE line includes High...

BlueLINE crowns the CHAMP.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... BlueLINE Equipment Co. introduces the CHAMP truckmount featuring the Heat Guard Bypass system, 3CP 1120 CAT Pump with 4.2 gpm and a 20-hp Kohler Command engine. Circle 186 on the Reader Inquiry Card. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Steam Way improves spotter performance.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Steam Way International has released a new, improved version of its "CGS" Spotter, a citrus gel spotter the company says improves on the original's gum-removal effectiveness while being easier to remove with subsequent extraction and rinsing....

Company offering OSHA program for bio-trauma.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... The Wisconsin BioTrauma Unit is making available a complete OSHA Compliance Program for the bio-trauma industry. The program includes a safety and health plan; exposure control plan; hazard communication plan; emergency preparedness plan;...

White Magic salutes The Commander.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... White Magic introduces The Commander H.O. to its line of signature series slide-in systems. The Commander H.O. features HeatSmart technology engineered with a bypass-less heat exchange systems. The unit has a 27-hp Kohler engine, Cat 5cp...

Nilodor unleashes the power of peroxide.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Nilodor Inc. introduces H202 Oxy-Force, a hydrogen peroxide-based product containing citrus oils that the company describes as "a safe alternative to harsh cleaners and spotters." Oxy-Force is available in a 4-gallon kit that includes a...

Dry Air offers new drying solution.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Dry Air Technology introduces the Max Force air mover. Originally designed for commercial contractors, the UL-approved Max Force is finding a home in residential applications as well, the company said. The Max Force provides more airflow...

New company, products enter market.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... HPC Cleaning Innovation, responsible for the Fas-Trak floor finish application systems, introduces the Lavor line of products. HPC has partnered with Lavor, a manufacturer of cleaning systems and floor machines. The company's product range...

Bridgepoint offers new protector.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Bridgepoint Systems introduces Maxim HF, a water based fluorochemical protector. It combines the latest stain-resistant technology with Bridgepoint's fiber-protection expertise, the company said. Maxim HF works exactly like regular Maxim,...

U.S. Products reaches the Oasis.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... U.S. Products introduces the Oasis-Plus Ozone Generator. The Oasis-Plus has no plates or UV tubes to maintain, features 2.65 grams per hour/ 7.95 ppm output, and has a 30-hour programmable timer. A new transformer handles harsh electrical...

Butler publishes brochure for cleaning system.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... The Butler Corp. has published a full-color, 88-page brochure showcasing The Butler System, the company's carpet- and fabric-cleaning machine. The brochure details specifics concerning The Butler System, and contains a variety of...

Turboteck glides down the aisle.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Turboteck Supplies introduces the new Teflon Superglide and Ultraglide glides for wands. Designed to fit on both new and existing wands, the new glides "cur the resistance to pushing a wand by as much as 80 percent," the company said, The...

"Why doesn't my advertising work?" Here is a simple, proven advertising technique with the power to boost referral and repeat business dramatically.
November 1, 2003... Any business school or marketing guru will tell you that all businesses enjoy a higher closing ratio on sales and higher profit margins when they develop their repeat and referral business. Why are repeat customers easier to close? ...

Kaivac releases auto-scrubber alternative.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Kaivac Inc. introduces the KaiAuto, the latest addition to the company's "No-Touch Cleaning" line of all-purpose systems. The KaiAuto is a wide-area squeegee designed to work with a No-Touch Cleaning system to clean floors. The KaiAuto is...

Bridgepoint sets the Precedent.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Bridgepoint Systems introduces Precedent, a water-based protector for carpet and upholstery. It offers "the highest level of protection available for both carpet and upholstery that are water-safe," the company says. Precedent repels...

S. Morantz unveils 2-in-1 System.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... S. Morantz Inc. introduces the 2-in-1 System, a new addition to the Morantz Ultrasonic Cleaning System line. The system consists of two different size portable tanks which allow for the cleaning of various sized and diversified items,...

Tornado takes the fatigue out of vacuuming.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Tornado Industries introduces a lightweight, ergonomically designed vacuum cleaner with a HEPA air filtration system. The company says the machine was designed to address the needs of cleaning professionals who use vacuum cleaners several hours...

HydraMaster makes upholstery cleaning easier.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... HydraMaster introduces the DriMaster Upholstery Tool. Featuring jet-less cleaning technology, the DriMaster Upholstery Tool has no trigger valve, no spray jet, and "never needs a second pass," according to HydraMaster. The design allows the...

Butler wands take the floor.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... The Butler Corp. offers four stainless steel wand designs: three multi-jet (3-5 jets) double bend in 10-, 14- and 18-inch widths, and a traditional 12-inch single bend. The double-bend wands feature Butler's serrated lip design and have a...

Bridgepoint takes hard line with smoke restoration.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Bridgepoint Systems introduces Hard Power. Formulated with a blend of detergents and solvents to penetrate soil and grease on almost any surface, Hard Power is "ideal for both smoke restoration and general cleaning," the company said. Hard...

ERC brings out low-cost toweling.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... ERC Wiping Products Inc., provides low-cost terry toweling the company says is "ideal for general cleaning purposes." The cotton wiping cloths are available in a variety of sizes and thickness, and can be used on many surfaces, including walls...

U.S. Products makes a Triple Play.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... U.S. Products introduces the Triple Play spot remover, featuring three separate tanks--solution, rinse and recovery--designed to eliminate the need to empty the solution in order to rinse. The extra-large recovery tank is removable, and the...

Clarke heads for the Summit.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... The wet/dry Summit Tank Vacs from Clarke are designed for use in "the most demanding environments," the company said. Available in 16-gallon squeegee and pumper models, the Summit Tank Vacs are equipped with a 1-hp, 2-stage tangential bypass...

Jon-Don launches custom newsletter program.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Jon-Don has hunched the Business Builder Custom Newsletter program, a kit that comes with ready-made customer newsletter designed "with homeowners in mind." A fresh newsletter arrives each month for personalization. In addition to the...

Betco puts the "Workman" to work.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Betco introduces the Workman 20-gallon, tip-and-pour wet/dry vacuum. The machine features an "easy empty" design the company says allows the operator to empty the large 20-gallon tank quickly and with little effort. The Workman features a...

Dri-Eaz provides air-scrubbing guide.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Dri-Eaz Products Ltd. offers the Dri-Eaz Guide to Air Scrubbing. According to the company, the guide covers a broad range of topics, from how an air scrubber works to HEPA filters to the differences between air scrubbers and negative air...

Omegasonics releases two new portable systems.(Tools & Equipment)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Omegasonics introduces two new portable ultrasonic cleaning systems. The Fire Pro 2800 (28-inch tank) and the Fire Pro 3600 (36-inch tank) offer "the performance anti flexibility to handle on-site and well as in-house fire restoration and mold...

Removing mold from carpets.(IEQ Q&A)
November 1, 2003... Q: Is carpet cleaning an appropriate method for removing mold from carpets? A: It depends. If water in the carpet, especially carpet installed over pad, has resulted in actual mold growth, it is less likely that the carpet can be...

DuPont research finds consumers interested in carpet protector.(News & Information)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Research recently conducted by DuPont for its Teflon Advanced Carpet Protector products found that consumers are more interested in carpet protector than many professional carpet cleaners believe. Tire top reason given by consumers for not...

White Magic appoints new national service manager.(News & Information)(Eric Lapierre)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... White Magic Inc. has appointed Eric Lapierre as national service manager. Lapierre has more than six years experience with technical support, training and customer service for clients and distributors, according to White Magic.

IICRC providing consumer research to firms.(News & Information)(Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification is offering its certified firms access to the results of an extensive consumer survey focused specifically on the cleaning and restoration industries. The survey is...

Katy Maintenance Group merges divisions.(News & Information)(Continental Commercial Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Katy Maintenance Group recently merged four of its divisions to form Continental Commercial Products, a move the company made "in an effort to further enhance the efficiency to our ordering process and enhance customer satisfaction." The...

ProTeam says ProClean exceeds HEPA standard.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... ProTeam announces that its ProClean (formerly RunningVac) machine with HEPA filtration exceeds the HEPA standard by capturing 99.99 percent of soil at 0.3 microns in lab test performed by Intel Basic Resources, Inc. The HEPA standard is...

Truvox acquires Cimex.(News)(Truvox International)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Truvox International has announced the acquisition of Cimex, a specialty floor cleaning-machine company. The company also announced that, beginning immediately, the sole importer of Cimex machines into the United States is Todd Jordan of...

BSCAI hires Stephen O'Connor.(News)(Building Service Contractors Association International )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Building Service Contractors Association International recently hired Stephen O'Connor as director of exhibitions. O'Connor has more than 10 years of experience in conference exhibition sales and operations. Most recently, he was...

Klean-Rite to host annual Customer Appreciation Day.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Klean-Rite Distributors Inc. in Van Nuys, Calif., will hold its annual Customer Appreciation Day on Sunday, Nov. 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be "CAD Day" special discounts available, as well as free refreshments. Suppliers,...

Subtract the pressure from add-on services: in the years immediately following the inception of my business, I tended to avoid selling add-on services, particularly fabric protection. Why? Glad you asked.(Notes from the Trenches)
November 1, 2003... This particular (and quite lucrative) add-on had become synonymous with "bait-and-switch companies and the tactics they employ on their road to bankruptcy. I'd read about it in the trade journals of the day, watch it on the evening news in the...

What's your USP? Most of you have one, but need help defining it.(Unique Selling Proposition)
November 1, 2003... The acronym "USP" (Unique Selling Proposition) is one that will crop up in this column from time to time because I regard it as one of the best marketing concepts for any business to use. Basically, it answers the question, "why should someone...

The ICS Product & literature guide.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The ICS Product & Literature Guide is a special section devoted to profiling new products and literature for the cleaning and restoration industry. It is intended to give readers a brief opportunity to find out what is emerging in the...

Odorcide 210[R] concentrate.(Product & Literature Guide)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Looking for a different and better urine, feces, decayed matter, mold and mildew odor eradicator? Look no further! Try Odorcide 210[R]. It's guaranteed to world Save on labor costs with no "Dwell Time." (Unlike enzyme bacteria products)...

Kleenrite Equipment.(Product & Literature Guide)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... Kleenrite Equipment is proud to announce the new Sphere. This small, portable unit is excellent for cleaning upholstery, automobiles, office partitions and small areas of carpeting. Available in 60 or 100 psi, single 2-stage or 3-stage vacuum...

Jon-Don's business builder monthly newsletter program.(Product & Literature Guide)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... One of the greatest challenges facing the cleaning and restoration industry is retaining a presence in tire minds of customers. Jon-Don has found that sending monthly newsletters is the best way for industry professionals to accomplish that...

MasterBlend.(Product & Literature Guide)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... MasterBlend announces the release of the CRB System for carpet maintenance. A low moisture low residue cleaning system is recommended by carpet mills today--particularly for their contract carpeting. The CRB System uses Mist N Brush LM[TM]...

Tests confirm fast drying claims.(Product & Literature Guide)
November 1, 2003... Recent tests conducted by an independent testing facility reveal that HydraMaster's Rotary Drimaster[TM] Power Tool leaves 85% less moisture in carpets after cleaning. The tests were completed in laboratory controlled conditions using...

Odell electonics.(Product & Literature Guide)
November 1, 2003... Odell Model PC-2 Portable, the perfect tool for cleaning oversize or fixed location electronics. Model PC-2 provides the same cleaning capability as full size cleaning stations in a compact portable with on board water modifier-conditioner and...

The privilege of leadership: this is definitely the brightest point in my professional cleaning career. What a privilege to serve this great organization, the main certifying body for the inspection, cleaning and restoration service industry in which I work every day.
November 1, 2003... Foremost, I would like to thank the entire IICRC board of directors for placing their faith in me as their chairman for the upcoming year. My involvement with the IICRC began some twelve years ago, as the shareholder representative for the...

The Costa family.
November 1, 2003... 420 Sand Hill Rd, Peterborough, NH 03458 (barry@costagroupinc.com) Dear Fellow Industry Professionals, WOW! What an incredible experience we had at Connections 2003 in Las Vegas, Oct. 2-4. Barry and I want to thank so many people...