By Jeff Cross,��executive editor

Do you ever suffer from identity crisis, perhaps wondering, “Who am I?”

I don’t mean to imply you aren’t sure of your name, who your family is, where you came from… What I mean is, in a professional sense — as an entrepreneur — who are you? Let me explain.

Back when I owned my cleaning and restoration company, I specialized. I offered the very best (Don’t we all?) carpet and furniture cleaning services and light restoration, mainly water damage, work for my client list of 1,000 faithful consumers. I was busy, and there was absolutely no need to diversify into hard surface care, tile and grout cleaning, natural stone care, duct cleaning, wood floor refinishing, area rug cleaning, you know… all the stuff most companies today offer their clientele.

Today, that same business model seems to be a thing of the past. Today, most business owners must “offer it all” when it comes to services their clients need. No company wants to clean a carpet for a client only to find out that its competitor got the job the next time because that company also takes care of marble floors, which your now-previous customer has, and she didn’t want to deal with more companies than she needed to. She simplified, and you lost out.

Whether you offer just a few services or a dozen of them, you must excel and be an expert at them all. And that’s not easy. It takes work.

Here are three ways to make it happen.

Define

Clearly define your target market and what you will do for them, and avoid the futile attempt of being all things to all people. You should be a specialist, a company that excels at all it offers. Avoid the knee-jerk reaction of taking anything that comes your way — although I get it that at times you may be in survival mode during lean times.

Communicate

Your client needs to see the value you bring to them. Communicate the benefits of using your company as well. Here’s an example. When you pull a piece of furniture away from the wall to clean the floor, take an extra five seconds to wipe the baseboard. Upon completion of the job, inform the client what you did. They will get that warm, tingly feeling, and you are a hero.

Be consistent

Consistency is the franchise model, which you can imitate. Each job should have the same level of expertise and dedication, and your clients should come to expect it, just like you expect the same great, consistent service and products from your favorite franchise locations. Oh, like Starbucks, for example. Or Southwest Airlines. I’m biased, obviously.

So, think about this, and often ask yourself, “Who am I?”

Don’t do it out loud, though. People will think you are weird.

Please send your comments, thoughts or article ideas to Jeff Cross, executive editor of Cleanfax: JCross@Cleanfax.com.

The post May/June 2018 Foreword: Identity Crisis appeared first on Cleanfax.

�ճ������is the truckmount champion for restoration professionals. It has been the industry’s leading van-powered restoration cleaning systems for over two decades. Now, the restoration contractor has a choice with the ��truckmount — mounted in a Ford Transit for even more room for all their restoration gear. What makes a HydraMaster direct drive truckmount the perfect restoration choice?

Reliability:�� The last thing you need is for your machine to go down in the middle of a large restoration job where downtime is already working against the home or business owner. HydraMaster direct drive truckmounts are proven to be the most reliable truckmounts on the market.

Ease of Training and Operation: Your training curve is greatly reduced, and you can have newly hired technicians being productive in the field faster.

Security and Noise Reduction: With the����or��, you can close the doors on your vehicle while running the equipment. Plus, with your vehicle totally locked up, you can operate securely, knowing no one is pilfering around in your vehicle while your technicians are extracting water in a building.

More Room: You have to have room to haul all of your restoration gear. The more gear you can fit in your vehicle, the more you can put on the job. And that means revenue. �ճ������and����have the smallest footprints of any truckmounts in the industry and will leave you with the most room of any truckmount on the market.

Versatility:��Versatility in cleaning and extraction — carpet and upholstery cleaning; hard surface floor cleaning; sidewalk, porch, and entry way cleaning; water extraction; and pressure washing.

Sanitization: You work so hard to sanitize surfaces that have been affected by water intrusion with disinfectants. Have you ever considered the incredibly important sanitizing effects of hot water from your truckmount? Maintaining consistently hot cleaning solution across a textile or hard surface improves the healthfulness of an already compromised indoor environment.

Productivity: Extracting or cleaning a hard or soft surface does require labor to do the job. A truckmount allows you to do it faster and better.

Protects the Contents of Your Van From the Elements:��You can close up your van and operate with the doors closed. You don’t have to worry about the contents of your van getting wet, dirty, or being frozen. They are all snug and protected inside your warm, running vehicle.

Contact: 425-775-7272���� |����

[infobox title=’2018 Legend GT Truckmount: Legendary Performance Updated’][/infobox]

Building on Legend Brands’ well-earned reputation for durability and precision engineering, the 2018 Legend GT has ushered in a new era of truckmount performance. The 2018 model delivers improved reliability and easier maintenance for reduced downtime, keeping you cleaning and making money.

You’ll appreciate these updates to the Legend GT:

• All-aluminum frame that resists corrosion and provides better vibration dampening than the steel frame used in previous models.
• Single-pass tube heat exchanger originally developed for Sapphire Scientific® truckmounts. The Sapphire heat exchanger is much less prone to freeze damage and is less likely to clog from carbon buildup or carpet debris. This further reduces downtime and maintenance costs.
• Upgraded drive belt material that delivers improved durability and superior stretch resistance, resulting in less frequent belt tension adjustment and extended durability. These belts are made of the same material used for automobile engine timing belts, which are designed to operate in high temps for long periods of time without stretching or degrading.
• Because truckmounts are usually operated inside vehicles, airflow to the engine may not always be ideal. The manufacturer-installed oil cooler on the unit’s 23 HP Kohler gasoline engine provides added protection for this tough operating environment.

Those who valued the previous Legend GT’s performance and dependability will be glad to know that the 2018 Legend GT is equipped with the same reliable Gardner Denver 4MVL positive displacement blower and 1,200 psi General water pump used on earlier models.

When you purchase this latest Legend GT, you’ll earn 10,000 Legend Rewards points to spend on tools, entertainment, electronics, and more — in fact, you can collect points every time you stock up on Prochem or Chemspec cleaning solutions, Prochem or Sapphire accessories, or Dri-Eaz and ProRestore restoration products.

And when you choose the 2018 Legend GT, you’ll have access to the industry’s largest network of North American distributors.

Want the full story? Check out the 2018 Legend GT truckmount specs and videos at LegendGT.legendbrandscleaning.com.

Contact: 800-932-3030���� |����

[infobox title=’The Ultimate Cleaning System’][/infobox]

Aero Tech Manufacturing Inc. takes great pride in producing the highest quality equipment and delivering the performance and flexibility for the ever-changing cleaning and restoration market needs.

For more than 15 years, Aero Tech has been providing technical support and knowledge to ensure we deliver unmatched cleaning performance with the XT from Aero Tech. We engineer greatness into every XT that leaves our manufacturing facility.

Creative engineering blends well with quality construction and continued innovation to create the most powerful cleaning system available today. XT technology just keeps getting better, giving you the power and control needed to save time, conserve fuel and increase your profits.

The XT’s simple design and ease of maintenance make the unit versatile. Whether for cleaning, restoration, large jobs or small, this system is ready and reliable day in and day out.

With heat-as-you-drive technology, true dual-wand capability, deeper vacuum, customized storage and billboard-sized advertising wherever you go, the Aero Tech XT makes dollars and sense.

In addition to the XT’s power, its versatility is a real game changer; wherever your next job takes you, whether a residential or commercial carpet, tile and/or both, the XT offers extreme heat and true dual-wand capabilities.

Additionally, the dual pressure regulators allow for cleaning at two different pressures simultaneously. Have a third guy on a crew? A third connection can be utilized for pre-spray application.

Aero Tech’s direct approach to the market removes the middle man and provides a level of customer service and response needed for today’s busy professionals.

New Features:

• 5 dB noise reduction
• All new 4-stage heating system produces more heat for high-flow, dual-wand cleaning.

XT’s Standard Equipment:

• Hydraulic activated transmission PTO
• New Helical Tri-Lobe/Sutorbuilt blower, 660 ICFM @ 16” HG and maximum cleaning speed (engine rpm’s) of 1,550 RPM
• Water pump, 6 gpm, 1,600 psi max
• Last step chemical injection system
• 7 gallon chemical tank
• 210 gallon fresh water tank: Stainless steel, round design for added strength and durability (heats as you drive)
• New 155 gallon waste tank: Stainless steel, round design for added strength and durability
• Electric Vacuum Hose Reel: Stainless steel (400-foot capacity of 2” hose), furnished with 200 feet of hose
• Solution hose reel: Stainless steel, (300-foot capacity of 1/4” hose), quantity of two furnished, each with 100 feet of hose
• Lint traps: Stainless steel, two each
• FRP van body, aluminum flooring
• Box fluorescent lighting, three each
• Dual wand hookup, 2.5-inch inlet connection
• Control panel: Stainless steel, industrial switches, industrial gauges
• Digital temperature control.

Contact: 866-390-2376���� |����

[infobox title=’Quality, Value, and Service Since 1980′][/infobox]

The Butler Corporation is a family-owned American business, providing factory direct sales, service, and support to thousands of customers in all fifty United States as well as Bermuda, St. Maarten, Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, Canada, and various U.S. government agencies worldwide.

Factory-direct communication with our customers is especially appreciated by those who operate their business in remote locations or where dependable local service is not available.

10-Year Warranty*

Every new Butler System is warrantied for 10 years at no additional cost. There are no limitations on machine hours, and the warranty may be transferred at no charge for up to one year.

Warranty coverage includes all major components: The Shaft Drive System, High Pressure Pump, Detergent Injection System, Vacuum/Blower, Heat Exchanger, Fresh Water Holding Tank, Recovery Tank, Vacuum Hose Reel, Pressure-Hose Reel, Holders, Racks, Trays and Shelving, etc.

Buy-Back Guarantee

The Butler Corporation’s Buy-Back Guarantee is an exclusive program that provides customers the opportunity to trade-in or cash-in their 15-year-old or newer Butler System/van at any time during ownership, including while financed or leased.

Customers can choose this easy, convenient alternative to purchase a new or pre-owned Butler System or to receive all the buy-back value in cash.

The trade-in/cash-in value for a used Butler System/van could be as much as 75 percent (or more) of the original purchase price.

Vehicle Selection and Convenience

Convenience, availability, competitive pricing, and ease of financing are why most customers choose from our extensive vehicle selection.

We inventory as many as a hundred or more new and pre-owned vehicles at any one time, including regular and extended length vans, cube vans, and trucks with a variety of optional equipment.

Select vehicles are under warranty by the manufacturer for up to five years/100,000 miles. Pre-owned vehicles are provided with the remaining balance of the vehicle manufacturers’ warranty or by The Butler Corporation’s exclusive pre-owned vehicle warranty.

*Warranty information available upon request. Exclusions, limitations, and disclaimers apply.������ Made in the USA

Contact: 800-535-2025���� |����

The post May/ June 2018 Truckmount Profiles appeared first on Cleanfax.

Many years ago, Tommy and the boys (that would be Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman) were asked to write a declaration explaining why thirteen colonies felt justified in separating themselves from the British Crown — justified enough, in fact, to put their lives and fortunes on the line. One of the reasons they gave was “the pursuit of happiness.” Scholars will point out that “happiness” was not defined the same way in 1776 as it is today, but nevertheless, the phrase remains a cornerstone of the collective American consciousness. And it is part of the consciousness of many business owners, American or otherwise.

In business, this pursuit of happiness plays itself out in lots of ways. Postponing financial and emotional rewards today in the hopes of enjoying better things tomorrow is just one of them. An ideal that seems to be gaining popularity lately even talks about building businesses today to flip them tomorrow, once again suggesting a greater reward at some time in the future. In my opinion, this kind of thinking overlooks one of the real joys of owning and running a company — the pursuit itself.

How different would things be if we reversed the order of the words in this phrase? Instead of “the pursuit of happiness,” what would happen if our objective was “the happiness of pursuit”? If we strived to actually enjoy our journey while taking it?

Unless your business involves the military, health care, or law enforcement, most businesses don’t involve life-or-death situations, and most of the decisions we make in them are not life-or-death decisions. Realizing this, maybe we should try to relax a bit and smell the proverbial roses.

Many of us start our businesses because we either enjoy performing or we’re especially skilled at a particular job. It might be accounting, selling, solving problems, working with our hands, or just interacting with others. We then use these skills to earn a living, build a career, and provide for our future.

If we’re not careful, it’s easy to get caught up in comparing our accomplishments to those of the people around us. In doing so, we may overlook the things we’ve achieved and the parts of our jobs we enjoy doing. We can get so consumed with competing, doing, and general busyness that we miss the happiness of just being.

I’m a firm believer in the value of strategic planning, which means thinking about and planning for the future, but not at the cost of planning all the joy out of the present. How much better would our companies perform if we took the time to appreciate the value of our setbacks as well as our victories; our superstar employees as well as our troubling ones; the customers who rave about us as well as the ones who complain?

I think we’d do ourselves a huge favor if we took the time to find ways to better enjoy the performance of our companies today appreciate the people with whom we’ve surrounded ourselves and the opportunities for personal growth that our companies provide. Tomorrow holds no guarantee of a better day. I think we’d live longer lives and have more fulfilling careers if we took time to enjoy the pursuit.

Chuck Violand is the founder and principal of Violand Management Associates (VMA), a highly-respected consulting company in the restoration and cleaning industries. Through VMA, he works with business owners and companies to develop their people and their profits. Violand is the past president of the RIA. To reach him, visit or call 800-360-3513.

The post The Happiness of Pursuit appeared first on Cleanfax.

All carpet cleaners want more regular, contract commercial jobs.

After all, what’s not to love? Regular cash flow; routine, “drama-free” work that doesn’t require a lot of customer interaction; and super-high profit margins. And restoration contractors love having a relationship with commercial and institutional accounts when a sudden disaster strikes the complex.

Your challenges

Since practically everyone wants more contract carpet cleaning accounts, therein lies the challenge. It all comes down to the much-hated “cold-call” sales visit.

Virtually everyone, including myself, suffers from the dreaded fear of rejection. However, most of us conquer this fear, if only out of the simple desperation of making payroll — or our mortgage payment.

But the day will come when you must force yourself out of your comfortable routine and dedicate the morning to making sales calls. You’ll head out the door and go on your way to confront your first potential client.

But what do you say after you’ve forced yourself to walk into a business or facility? Let’s keep it simple:

1. Smile and look them in the eye.
2. Clearly introduce yourself.
3. Hand them your card.
4. Explain why you are there.

Your pitch can be simple. Like this: “Hello, I’m Steve with XYZ Cleaning. Here’s my card, and I’d like to see the person who coordinates your regular floor maintenance.”

Hopefully, your initial contact will reply with something like, “Oh, that’s Sam Green, our facility manager. I know he is looking for some options. Let me send you back to talk to him.”

Bingo! You are in. Or maybe not… your challenges could just be starting.

Since you are nervous, the tendency is to babble. Don’t do it. Facility managers are busy and don’t want to talk about the weather, your grandkids, or their golf score. Instead, they want you to cut to the chase in an organized manner. They want you to solve their problems.

For me, when I did my own cold calls, I needed a crutch to do this.

The Commercial Carpet Analysis��

I developed the Commercial Carpet Analysis (CCA) form to structure that important first interview and to gain my visit some respect.

Here’s how you do it:

1. After introducing yourself, pull out your clipboard and say, “Mr. Green, please let me ask you just a few questions on your flooring maintenance issues. This way I’ll give you a much better proposal.” Almost everyone will agree to this.
2. Get right to the point and start asking questions and filling in the responses on your CCA form. Be sensitive here to something: The immediate pressure Mr. Green is under. Some of the questions on the CCA form either won’t apply or aren’t important. You don’t need to fill in every single space.
3. When you get to the “exterior generated soiling” section of the CCA, be sure to ask the first question: “Where are your main entrance areas?” What you are looking for here are the most soiled areas, which most likely are his main concerns.

Write me at stoburen@homefrontsuccess.com, include your zip code, and I’ll email you the Commercial Carpet Analysis (CCA) form I used, at no charge! Then let me know about any improvements you make. And feel free to include any questions or comments.

As Mr. Green responds, look up and start to rise out of your chair while asking, “Could you show me these areas that are such a challenge for you folks?” Why do this? Because it is essential to get your prospect involved in a tour of the facility — and away from the ongoing distraction of email and phone calls. Now you should keep on filling out your CCA form as Mr. Green walks you through the building.

The longer you can tactfully keep Mr. Green, your now captivated prospective client, involved in answering the CCA questions, the better. Why?

1. The process displays your professionalism.
2. You are building a relationship with your client.
3. Green will share his “points of pain” or “hot buttons” about the building.
4. This CCA form forces Mr. Green to invest his time with you. The only way he can get a return on his time invested is to do business with you.

The result

Will my Commercial Carpet Analysis form completely cure the gut-wrenching fear of a cold call? No. However, the CCA form will give you an outline (crutch) that helps you subtly take charge of those critical first few minutes with an often-impatient manager.

Even better, the interview process my CCA form facilitates will be a very flattering moment of truth for any property manager. All of us feel important when we are asked our opinion and have our responses written down. The CCA form gains you much-needed respect for this interaction. It will also help you build a professional relationship with your contact.

Another huge advantage of filling out your CCA form with your prospective customer is it gives you the essential information required to create a clear, concise proposal that will economically solve the manager’s points of pain with at least three different frequency, area, and price options.

This process works — if you do it. Now, let me challenge you.

Dress up, grab a clipboard and a stack of Commercial Carpet Analysis forms, and don’t forget your business cards. Walk out of your own door and out into the incredibly profitable world of regular and reliable contract commercial work.

Don’t delay. Start now.

Steve Toburen started and ran a world-class cleaning and restoration firm for over 20 years. He is now the Director of Training for . Steve also founded , a resource portal with training programs for contractors working in customer’s homes. Reach Steve at stoburen@homefrontsuccess.com.��

The post The Commercial Carpet Analysis Form appeared first on Cleanfax.

How much do you think a customer wants to read when scanning for consumer services? In most cases, consumers make marketing decisions in a matter of seconds, often without reading a single word. To effectively reach consumers, we must clearly state in a visual way that we provide the solution they need and the level of service they want.

Today’s digital marketing cries out for good photos to help make this possible. As they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” In our current digital age, it costs almost nothing to add clear, sharp photos to a printed piece, website, or digital ad. Photos can make or break the success of marketing projects. You are wasting a huge portion of your marketing potential if you do not use good photos.

Creating powerful, effective, and message-filled photographs is one of the easiest marketing projects any company owner can take on. Everyone carries a high-quality camera with them 24/7. Imagine turning this cell phone camera into a marketing tool for your business! Just a handful of strategic photographs can encapsulate the entire marketing message you want to convey.

Strategic purpose

Every photograph used should have a specific reason for its placement in the marketing project. Knowing why photographs are needed will help you create better pictures. All photos should help you achieve one or more of the following three strategic purposes:

Clarify that you can meet consumers’ needs: Use photographs to show that your company actually provides the particular services they are looking for.

Demonstrate the level of service provided: The quality of the environment you work in is the indicator consumers use to determine the level of service you provide. For example, the home used in the photographs should be slightly nicer than the house of your target consumer. Nicer homes indicate a higher level of service.

Keep the customers’ interest/ attention: Consumers want to know who is coming out to their homes, so showing photos of your technicians will grab their interest. Clear, sharp, and professional-looking pictures hold a customer’s attention.

High-impact photos

Branded company pictures have far more impact than purchased stock photos. The following is a list of high-impact action shots you can effectively use:

1. Your branded service vehicle parked outside a target client’s home;
2. You or your technicians greeting a customer at the door;
3. A conversation with a customer during a pre-inspection;
4. Your company collecting payment and leaving the invoice;
5. A head-and-shoulders shot of you or your technician in uniform, smiling and looking the way the customers will see you when you arrive at the door;
6. Shots of your company performing each service offered;
7. Demonstrations of steps of the processes performed such as measuring, prevacuuming, preconditioning, using various cleaning tools (cleaning wand, stair tool, and power tool), applying protector, placing plastic tabs under furniture legs, grooming, etc.;

Services being performed in different rooms.

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Arrange a photo shoot

The easiest way to capture these photos is to arrange a photo shoot. Find a friend, relative, or good customer who lives in a house that would represent your target market well. Ask them if they would allow you to take photos in their home for marketing your services. I suggest that you offer to clean their carpet for free in exchange. If appropriate, ask if the homeowner would be willing to pose as your customer; otherwise find a friend to act out that role. You will also need a person to actually take the pictures.

Prior to the day of the shoot, assemble a list of the photos you want to take. Share this list with the homeowner so they know what to expect. On the day of the shoot, be sure your equipment and work vehicle are sparkling clean and that you and your techs have fresh uniforms.

If you are prepared and organized, the photo shoot should last about two hours. The secret is to take lots of photos. Shoot from many angles and include the surrounding room. At the end of the photo shoot, review the list of pictures you wanted to take and carefully check that the photos turned out the way you wanted. Generously thank all of the people who helped you. I suggest that you arrange a separate day to clean the carpet for the homeowner.

Review all of the photos taken and select the best of each category to use for your marketing. Have someone who is familiar with Photoshop, or a similar program, crop and touch up the photos to make them look the best they can.

Your new collection of marketing photos can immediately be put to work. Incorporate the appropriate photos into your website, Google account, social review sites, blog, printed materials, and any social media you use.

Enjoy the rewards of your work

By investing just a little time and effort in doing a photo shoot, you will acquire a valuable collection of company-branded photos. Expect these photos to dramatically increase the impact of your marketing.

For more photo examples, visit .

Steve Marsh is a 40-year veteran of the carpet cleaning industry, an instructor, and a Senior Carpet Inspector. He helps home-service companies quickly establish profitable clienteles and then progress to serving higher-quality customers. To help companies achieve these goals, Marsh created the step-by-step programs Single Truck Success and Be Competition Free. For more information, visit .

The post Commanding Attention Using Photos appeared first on Cleanfax.

For an opportunity to win a chemical prize package from Solutions by Steam Pros (worth $250), send your images and a brief 100-word description on how you obtained your results to Jeff Cross, executive editor, at JeffCross@������ý.com or 193 Purple Finch Loop, Pataskala, OH 43062. Contest rules available by request.

[infobox title=’Did You Know?’][/infobox]

Using hairspray to remove ink is an old trick, a thing of the past. Today’s hairspray products contain very little or no alcohol, making it worthless as a solvent.

If a customer calls because of a fresh spill on the carpet, advise them to pour table salt on the wet spill and leave it until you arrive. This way, they don’t grab a consumer spotter from a grocery store and make it worse.

The post Fire Loss Rug Restoration (Photo Contest) appeared first on Cleanfax.

Historically, the flooring market, like all markets, tends to change.��In the late 1800s, linoleum was the latest and greatest choice. Throughout the early 1900s, asphalt tile, followed by vinyl asbestos tile, were the flooring of choice. Due to the harmful health consequences of asbestos, the manufacturing of these materials ended in the 1970s and 1980s, and this pushed forward the popularity of contemporary vinyl composition tile, or VCT.

Now we have luxury vinyl tile (LVT) as the hottest-selling resilient flooring material. Of course, that can and probably will eventually change.

Vinyl composition tile facts

VCT is a composition of polyvinyl chloride, plasticizers, and limestone filler. The prominence of VCT in the market had to do primarily with its durability and affordable costs.

For decades, this product has been used extensively in commercial, retail, healthcare, and educational environments. VCT is prevalent everywhere, and there is still a significant amount sold and installed today.

LVT may be the largest-selling resilient flooring on the market today, but there are billions, if not trillions, of square feet of existing VCT in use every day. VCT is still the workhorse of the resilient industry and is very much alive. Its versatility in the built environment is unparalleled by all other flooring materials.

Vinyl composition tile maintenance

There are several factors purchasers consider when choosing flooring material, of which maintenance is an important one.

It may not be as highly regarded, considering its aesthetic appeal or initial cost, but it must be considered in the overall price and ownership of the floor. Because floor maintenance of VCT is accomplished using floor polishes, it is often considered a high-cost maintenance system, which may not be entirely accurate.

The cost of maintaining a sacrificial film versus maintaining the actual flooring material becomes highly apparent when “low maintenance” results in abrasion of the floor surface instead of the floor finish. This can ultimately end up as visually unacceptable or prompt replacement of the floor altogether.

Polishes are an integral aspect of maintaining VCT, and technicians that know how to maintain polish can keep a VCT floor looking great for years. Acrylic sealers and finishes are the most popular polishes used to maintain VCT. Used in conjunction with a good floor maintenance program of daily/ routine, periodic, and restorative service procedures, VCT flooring can be flawless for decades. There are many schools, hospitals, and large retail stores that can attest to that fact.

One of the most astonishing facts about VCT is that no matter how much abuse the floor is subjected to, if the tiles themselves are not damaged or broken, they can almost always be restored to an acceptable condition or better. For the floor maintenance technician, there is no better story than the one about how a pleased customer was astonished to find that his floor was not ruined, but completely restored to like-new condition by the flooring professional he hired.

The argument regarding high maintenance costs of vinyl composition tile may be a valid point; however, you can effectively maintain VCT and, in some cases, bring it back from the dead.

Stan Hulin has over four decades of hard floor maintenance, services, training, education, sales and marketing, and management experience with companies such as ABM, DuPont, and milliCare. He is president and CEO of Future Floor Technology Inc. and the League of Hard Flooring Professionals. He can be reached at sqhulin@futurefloortech.com.

The post The Impact of VCT appeared first on Cleanfax.

It could be compared to going out to your favorite restaurant and ordering a nice steak dinner with all the trimmings and eating everything but the steak — leaving it behind, untouched.

You still had the meal — and it was tasty, especially the grilled asparagus — but was it the best meal?

Restoration contractors perform many tasks, from structural drying to reconstruction, mold remediation, fire and smoke restoration, and more. What they often do is leave something valuable behind, untouched.

Of course, they may contract it out to another company instead of doing it themselves and earn a fraction of what they could have.

What is it? The lucrative service of contents cleaning and restoration.

Due to the shortage of companies who offer quality contents cleaning and restoration services, insurance adjusters often write off and, instead, offer replacement dollars to the insured for valuable, but damaged, contents that could have been salvaged and restored — that is, if the restoration contractor on the job had offered the service.

And when contractors attempt to tackle specialized contents cleaning and restoration — without proper training and equipment — the situation can go bad… real fast.

The challenge

Historically, contents work has either been ignored or pushed onto the insured’s “to-do” list, as in “Ma’am, just wash those in the sink like normal.” Or, items were simply replaced with insurance dollars.

What about today? It seems, even with advancements in technology and processes, that the quality of contents cleaning and restoration is often substandard. Why is that? What is the problem? And is it getting any better?

“Unfortunately, there have never been any official industry standards to help restorers navigate contents restoration,” according to David Mazur, president of the Fireline Contents Network. “There are many moving parts to contents restoration, and restorers do the best they can based on the current experience of their contents team and their collective job experiences. This has created an industry where service quality has been largely inconsistent, frequently prompting adjusters to write off claims that could be and should be effectively restored.”

The good news, Mazur explains, is there is now technology and training to help restorers successfully negotiate the process.

Mazur notes that most restoration companies have their roots in the construction industry, which might explain why many restorers are not excited about contents cleaning and restoration. “I spoke to an owner of a restoration company recently who was contemplating expanding his contents division. He told me outright that he had delayed the expansion because he was a builder at heart and, as he put it, ‘Builders don’t do dishes.’ This may help explain why most full-service restoration companies struggle with a contents business,” Mazur laments.

The solution

For whatever reason, many restorers resist implementing the tools and training required to successfully engage with the process. “There seems to be no rhyme or reason for this thought process, because modern-day contents restoration executed properly provides profit margins that rival the mitigation business,” Mazur says.

However, there now appears to be a movement of sorts in the contents cleaning and restoration industry. Many contractors are reassessing their position, realizing that they are missing out on a viable business opportunity that could help grow their organizations, Mazur adds.

What are they doing? Many are investing the money required to transform their “status quo” contents divisions into modern-day contents processing centers.

However, Mazur warns, an investment in equipment does not necessarily translate into improved efficiency and profitability. “Although there is no question that modern-day technology can speed up the production process and help restorers recover items previously thought to be non-restorable, true success is achieved by implementing managerial and technical services techniques specifically relevant to the contents restoration is this model.”

This means there is a need to combine modern-day technology and proven service methodologies implemented by an educated — and fully-trained — contents team. This results in more effective, higher quality service companies who recover more items, produce higher productivity rates, and deliver consistent cleaning quality to insurers and stakeholders.

And they enjoy a healthier bottom line for their efforts.

Business strategies

The most common mistakes made in setting up and operating a contents division have their origin in utilizing the wrong business model. While many have a background in mitigation or structural reconstruction, that’s no guarantee of success when venturing into contents cleaning while sticking with the same business model.

“The first mistake begins, as they think ‘Just how hard can it be? It’s just cleaning,’” Mazur explains. “On top of that, the adjuster community and pricing databases all undervalue the labor component as unskilled labor. Supervisor hours are commonly not allowed, and contents processors are told to remove them from their invoices.”

Contents cleaning and restoration is complicated and complex, and the road to efficiency is riddled with potholes that cannot be successfully negotiated simply by purchasing equipment, Mazur adds.

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It’s a business decision that must be considered carefully.

The process

Barb Jackson is the founder of Total Contentz, a training, consulting, and facility design company. She believes that contents cleaning and restoration work — when done properly and with trained personnel who are detail-oriented — can be very profitable. Yet she also knows the challenges that come with this type of work.

“There are many pitfalls, which can cost you the entire profitability of a job,” she warns. “Breakage, accusations of theft, and inefficiencies are just a few examples. I recommend a conservative approach for getting into contents restoration.”

Jackson suggests starting slow, entering the contents industry in a way that allows you to become familiar with the challenges to overcome them and avoid becoming overwhelmed by the task.

“I would start with on-site contents cleaning. Many times, it will be a water loss that requires minimal cleaning,” she says. “Furniture and small contents with drywall dust can be HEPA vacuumed and then wiped down with damp microfiber cloths.��A small fire loss may have light soot on the horizontal surfaces, which often can be cleaned in situ.”

And… what about pack-outs?

“They should only be performed when you have a safe storage and staging area to clean and store the contents,” Jackson adds. “A key factor for success is to properly wrap, bag, or box every item or piece of furniture.��Use moving blankets when packing the truck, and learn the proper cleaning techniques.”

Technical training workshops help restoration contractors determine types of cleaning agents and techniques for use on specific contents and will provide guidance on determining the restorability of items. Training provides an understanding of the variety of surfaces to clean and types of residues such as dry, wet, or oily. Necessary education is also provided on deodorizing.

Mazur adds: “Contractors must realize that efficiency and profitability begins with accessing the right training and education and staying true to the implementation of these service methodologies. Only then can they expect to see real and tangible results.”

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[infobox title=’A Soft Contents Case Study‘][/infobox]

— Submitted by Ken Campbell,
Vice President of the ECONA Network

There are plenty of opportunities to increase revenues by bringing soft and hard contents cleaning in house. But you need the right equipment and technology. As part of the ECONA Network, we support 265 restoration and remediation service providers nationwide. To illustrate an example of how our members operate, here is a brief case study.

JP Maguire Associates is an independent cleaning and property restoration and reconstruction services firm, operating in a 37,000-square foot facility in Connecticut. They were faced with the difficult task of restoring 1,000 pounds of smoke- and soot-infested clothes lost to a garage fire.

After securing the premises, they provided the homeowners with two weeks’ worth of soft contents, such as clothing, shoes, belts, handbags, kid’s backpacks, etc., as an interim solution. They cleaned this initial batch within 24 hours.

Then they got to work. JP Maguire used the patented iS4000 Esporta Wash System, which can process up to a 100-pound load at a time. All told, for the full restoration of the 1,000-pound project, JP Maguire took 20 hours to complete the job, after running an average wash cycle of two hours, plus the time allotted to drying, pressing, and delivery.

JP Maguire identified five areas of benefit to their company:

Going green and not contributing to landfills or using potentially hazardous chemicals associated with dry-cleaning.

Bringing soft contents cleaning in house to increase savings on outsourcing.

Higher margins and increased profits from processing their own contents.

Providing a positive customer experience, resulting in referrals.

Considering trends in contents restoration, insurance carriers realize substantial savings per claim settlement, which should translate into lower premiums for insureds.

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Is contents cleaning and restoration for you?

Most companies are on the hunt for diversification opportunities, and contents cleaning and restoration is a prime example of a profitable option.

Contents work can include electronics restoration, ultrasonic cleaning, soft contents processing, furniture and upholstery cleaning, rug cleaning, and even specialty cleaning, such as fine artwork restoration.

“Full-service contents restorers are perceived to be better because they have total control over service quality and speed up production,” Mazur says. “There is no question that the service spotlight is shining brightly on the contents services business and is providing contractors with a new business opportunity that are just too attractive to ignore.”

Is it for you? Crunch the numbers, do your research, and ask your peers who engage in this type of diversified service. Gather all the information you can before deciding.

Contents cleaning and restoration may end up a good fit for you and your company.

Jeff Cross is the executive editor of Cleanfax and is an industry trainer and consultant. He can be reached at JeffCross@������ý.com.

The post Caring for the Contents appeared first on Cleanfax.

Eco-labeling may not be something cleaning and restoration professionals often concern themselves with, but as we saw in the the first part of this article (see it in the April 2018 issue of Cleanfax), it is important to know which companies carry the strictest eco-certifications — and which are simply using greenwashing.

Greenwashing arose as companies saw the growing demand for so-called “green” products and used that demand for marketing purposes alone. In our industry, while some products do carry eco-labels, they should be considered solely for marketing unless they carry one of the three long-standing recognized ecolebels used in the industry.

EPA’s program

In 1990, the EPA formed the Design for the Environment (DfE) program. Its creation came in response to the public’s increasing interest in and concerns for the safety of chemicals in common household and commercial products. DfE began to focus on two areas:��Assessing alternatives to agency priority chemicals and recognizing companies for making best-in-class products containing safer chemical ingredients.

In the mid-2000s, Safer Product labeling began. In order to add incentive to the chemical selection process, DfE developed the certification program based on its standard for safer products and safer chemical criteria. This allowed companies to differentiate their products in the marketplace and make it easier for consumers and business purchasers to identify products that are safer for people, families, and the environment.

In 2015, the DfE standard for safer products was replaced by the Safer Choice standard. The new Safer Choice label has a more modern look to help consumers, businesses, and institutional buyers easily recognize products that have earned the label.

Safer Choice is not registered with ISO 14024, but it is accountable to the EPA. Products that qualify to carry the Safer Choice label must pass category-specific performance standards as defined in the��. All products must perform comparably to conventional��products.��Safer Choice reviews all product packaging and partners are required to implement sustainable packaging measures and to improve the packaging profile for their recognized products��during the partnership. Safer Choice restricts VOC content to minimize indoor air pollution and associated respiratory concerns. As of June 2017, 2,000 products have the Safer Choice label in the U.S.

UL EcoLogo program

The Canadian Government started The Environmental Choice Program in 1988, which was the first eco-labeling program in North America. While still owned by the Canadian government, management and delivery of the EcoLogo Program was licensed in 1995 to the private, for-profit, environmental marketing company TerraChoice, which took the program international.

TerraChoice and the EcoLogo program were purchased by UL Environment in 2010 and became part of the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) global network of standards and certifications. All products certified to an EcoLogo standard must meet or exceed each of the listed criteria before receiving the mark. EcoLogo-certification is classified as an ISO 14024 (Type 1) program for standards development and has been approved by the Global Ecolabeling Network (GEN). There are more than 7,000 products certified with the EcoLogo Label internationally.

, services, and packaging are certified for reduced environmental impact. Ecologo certifications are voluntary, multi-attribute, lifecycle-based, environmental certifications that indicate a product has undergone rigorous scientific testing, exhaustive auditing, or both to prove its compliance with stringent, third-party environmental performance standards. To view specific standards that a product has been certified under, product details can be found in the��EcoLogo Sustainable Product Guide.

GreenSeal

GreenSeal was the first non-government-sponsored and not-for-profit environmental certification program. Launched in 1989, it is also classified as an ISO 14024 (Type 1) program for standards development. GreenSeal certification ensures that a product meets rigorous performance, health, and environmental criteria. These criteria are listed as��. Achieving certification of products helps manufacturers back up their environmental claims and helps purchasers identify products that are safer for human health and the environment. have been reviewed by third parties and meet the guidelines of two ISO standards:

• ISO 14020: Environmental Labels and Declarations – General Principles
• ISO 14024: Environmental Labels and Declarations – Type I Environmental Labeling – Principles and Procedures
• Currently, GreenSeal has more than 4,000 certified products.

Product review and verification

Eco-labeling from the top three organizations serves to assure contractors that the product has been verified by third-party testing and has met rigorous criteria to be deemed a better choice compared to similar products in the marketplace. All three organizations agree that, although a product may be environmentally preferable, if it doesn’t work, it’s a waste of resources and therefore not sustainable. As part of the criteria, products are tested for performance and confirmation is given through third-party testing that they perform as well as, if not better than, similar products in their category.

Chemical safety

One of the primary factors among eco-labeling organizations is concern over human health. Products are assessed for toxicity to humans as well as the environment. Testing for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and pH level determines how safe a product will be during use. The product ingredient list is also reviewed for known toxic components.

Sustainability

The definition of green products has varied wildly since the beginning of the movement in the 1970s. Eco-label organizations have brought credibility and science to define what makes a product green. As a result, the criteria for certifications took a more holistic approach to examine the lifecycle of a product. While the degree of investigation varies with each certification body, they all, to some degree, look into the details of a product. Examples of this would be reviewing raw materials/ ingredients, the manufacturing process, packaging and transport, the use of the product, and the final disposal of the product and packaging.

Two common benchmarks for chemical products are standardized testing for biodegradability and aquatic toxicity. Biodegradability is a measure of how quickly a product breaks down after it enters the environment. Aquatic toxicity shows the potential for a product to cause damage to highly sensitive aquatic organisms. A criterion for eco-labeling requires a product to be biodegradable and pose no aquatic toxicity.

Efficiency of green cleaning

At the core of any green cleaning program is a move to improve the efficiency of the use of chemicals. This includes looking at worker training, reducing chemical waste with proper dilution, and using products according to label directions. Many chemical manufacturers have now moved to using recycled content in packaging or Sustainable Forest Certified cardboard cartons. Most plastic containers are now recyclable where facilities exist. Manufacturers have also provided cost savings to contractors by offering product in bulk containers. These efficiencies provide a better way of using chemicals and are designed to reduce labor and save money for the end user.

Additional supporting data

Other types of supporting data that are not commonly required by certification bodies may be available from a manufacturer for a product, which separates it from others in terms of irrefutable scientific evidence of safety or sustainability, regardless of the certification label the product may or may not carry. Such types of data are:

Full ingredient disclosure. This is always the best way for an interested consumer to review product ingredients but difficult for manufacturers to preserve unique formulations,

USDA bio-based carbon 14 testing. This is an established method of determining whether product ingredients are authentically botanical and renewable or sourced from petrochemicals without having to reveal potentially proprietary ingredients.

This level of data is the pinnacle of the art and leaves no room for the influence of pursuing profit, politics, or marketing greenwashing.

Summary of differences

While Safer Choice tends to focus mostly on the ingredients list of a product, Ecologo and GreenSeal’s criteria focuses on the product’s lifecycle. Neither approach is wrong, but it would stand to reason that an overall view of a product’s lifecycle provides a better understanding of its environmental impact.

All organizations need to generate revenue to stay in business. Therefore, there is an intrinsic temptation to certify more products to grow revenue. Consequently, not all of the standards represent “the best-in-breed” products but are broad enough to capture more of the products already on the market, taking more of a “better-than-the-worst” approach.

Additionally, some of the standards have become quite prescriptive and consequently have directed formulating-to-standards innovation instead of embracing outside innovation as it occurs. Again, neither of these observations are unethical, but rather something to be aware of when evaluating a product, standard, or a certification body.

The bottom line is that with the state-of-the-art eco-certifications, they clearly and factually identify cleaning and disinfection products that are safer, viable alternatives to traditional synthetic chemistries.

Differentiating and growing

For the cleaning and restoration professional, many eco-certified products offer the opportunity to differentiate your business or service by marketing the use of safe, effective products that will not pose additional harm to the insured, occupants, pets, and technicians onsite. This is a valuable and effective differentiator that, if marketed effectively, can increase brand awareness in your market and drive sales growth.

One way to introduce a green program is to offer a “green package” (at a slightly higher cost if you choose) as an alternative. Once explained, it is almost always chosen.

On the topic of cost, eco-certified cleaning and disinfection products are no longer premium priced when compared to other products. Any slight price premium is easily compensated by the benefits of high performance and safety (e.g., less labor and less PPE required).

Additionally, new business can be found through various growing movements today that require products certified by any of the three organizations:

• LEED-certified buildings,
• EPA’s environmentally preferable purchasing programs,
• Federal green procurement programs.

As more organizations develop sustainability platforms as part of their mission and value statements, this area of environmental awareness will only continue to increase. One thing is certain, the market isn’t going to go backward. This is the way of the future, and it is ripe with opportunity for the cleaning and restoration professional.

References

1. “Who’s Deciding What’s Green?” Ecolabel Index. 2018, . Accessed Dec. 2017.
2. Dauvergne, Peter. “First eco-label certification — Germany Blue Angel.” Historical Dictionary of Environmentalism, second edition, 2016, pp. 86, . Accessed Dec. 2017.
3. “The Six Sins of Greenwashing: A Study of Environmental Claims in North American Consumer Markets.” TerraChoice, Nov. 2007, . Accessed Dec. 2017.
4. “What is ecolabelling?” Global Ecolabelling Network. . Accessed Dec. 2017.
5. “13.020.50.” Standards catalogue. International Organization for Standardization. Dec. 8, 2016, . Accessed Dec. 2017.
6. “Introduction to Ecolabels and Environmental Product Declarations.” Ecospecifier Global. . Accessed Dec. 2017.

Rachel Adams is founder and president of Indoor Environmental Management Inc. and a 23-year veteran of the water damage and environmental health industries. She holds an IIRC Master Restorer designation and bachelor’s degrees in environmental health sciences and medical technology. Adams has served on the IICRC Board of Directors and as a Technical Advisory Committee Chair. She currently serves on the S520 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Mold Remediation committee, teaches multiple IICRC courses, serves on the boards for the Society of Cleaning and Restoration Professionals and the Low Moisture Carpet Cleaning Association, is an OSHA outreach trainer, and serves as an expert witness.

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