We heard from more than 400 dedicated carpet cleaners during this year’s Carpet Cleaning Benchmarking Survey Report, and as always, we asked survey-takers their two biggest challenges at the moment. For me, this is always the most important question because it gives me insight into what is keeping you up at night (so I can find experts to write about ways to alleviate these stressors), and it shows exactly how connected our industry is, wherever they are, because so many carpet cleaners report facing the exact same troubles, whether in Miami or Spokane.

Here’s a quick countdown of the most reported challenges this year.

6 | Flooring trends: The two big issues are the declining popularity of oriental rugs among younger generations and the rise of luxury vinyl tile (See page 16.) across all segments.

5 | Competition: Respondents continue to report more saturation in the market, especially by bait-and-switch companies. One respondent said simply, “We need more regulations to weed out the idiots.” Many also referenced the struggles of competing with major franchises with big marketing budgets and rates that don’t reflect actual cost.

4 | Marketing and customers: Many respondents bemoaned online marketing, from having to keep up with social media accounts to getting customers to leave reviews to the struggles of ranking high in Google. Still others have troubles with targeting the right customers and staying top of mind with the right ones they find. As always, cleaners reported price shopping customers as a major problem as well as the struggle to educate customers on value versus price.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased troubles with customers, as they fear letting cleaners into their homes and have increased requests for quotes by phone. Many regular customers are without the discretionary income to pay for carpet cleaning services due to job loss and the economy.

3 | Employees: You can tell it’s been an unusual year since this is usually the number one challenge by a mile! The regular culprits were all present—not enough quality applicants, difficulties keeping good employees, workers not taking care of equipment—but there also were some other 2020-specific issues. Many reported staff burnout, which has been steadily on the rise this year, and having to lay off employees.

2 | Money matters: More than a quarter pointed to financial burdens. Many reported chemical and tool costs rising, likely due to the pandemic’s supply chain issues. Connected to this were many struggling with decreased profit margins. There were also reports of struggles getting credit for upgrades and being turned down for government aid loans.

Related to numbers four and five were challenges with pricing. With many companies dealing with low-ball competitors and customer misconceptions of price and quality, businesses are having trouble raising prices.

1 | The pandemic (of course!):�� No one is shocked the COVID-19 pandemic is the number one challenge right now. It is affecting every aspect of life from who we see to what we do and how we do it, evidenced by the way it is peppered into most of the top challenges. More than a third of respondents listed it as one of their top challenges, and more than half referenced it indirectly.

Those surveyed pointed to the lockdown, customer fears about techs in their homes, the economy, out-of-work customers, layoffs, and the shear uncertainty that comes with each day.

One respondent said the biggest problem was simply “staying alive,” which is something I think we can all relate to right now. So, do your best to keep your spirit alive, your body healthy, and your company thriving. Here’s hoping 2021 brings you all a safer, more stable year.

Amanda Hosey is the managing editor of��Cleanfax. She has worked as an editor and writer for more than six years, including four years with��Cleanfax.��Reach her at��amandah@issa.com.

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We received a call from a woman who said her son had “tracked” potting soil onto the carpet. When we arrived, we found what looked like an entire bag of wet potting soil “dumped” in the hallway. We used a Shop-Vac to remove the bulk of the spill followed by an extractor to remove as much moisture as
possible. We then used preconditioner and performed a final extraction. The tough part was trying to limit moisture/overwetting. Lastly, we used an encapsulating product to reduce wicking and prevent a callback if the customer was unsatisfied—no call back, happy customer!

For an opportunity to win a gift card worth $250, send your images and a brief 100-word description on how you obtained your results to Amanda Hosey, managing editor, at amandah@issa.com, or submit via Facebook Messenger at . Contest rules available by request.

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[infobox title=’DID YOU KNOW’][/infobox]

Mechanical action used with encapsulation detergents can reduce soil particles to nano-sized pieces, which are held in the shell the detergent creates until it is vacuumed away, reducing rapid resoiling.

Read more at cleanfax.com/sell-encapsulation-residential.

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From day to day and job to job, cleaning challenges change all the time. When cleaning fibers, professional cleaning technicians must know the type and specifications of the fibers they are working with—and which methods and products will yield the best fiber cleaning results.

Let’s look at the fibers that cleaning technicians will encounter on the job, what they need to know about them, and the unique challenges each fiber exhibits.

Polyester

The most significant issue cleaning technicians will face with polyester is maintaining its original appearance, which often suffers from texture issues. Polyester lacks resiliency and readily shows abrasions from usage and maintenance. These abrasions impede its ability to reflect light, making it look darker than intended even if it is clean.

Improper cleaning agents may also leave behind a sticky residue that leads to resoiling issues, further affecting polyester’s appearance, but this is more of a problem for triexta and olefin fibers. Some general cleaning guidelines include the following:

• Use a vacuum cleaner that has received a Seal of Approval (SOA) designation from the Carpet and Rug Institute.
• Apply strong alkalines or bleaches when needed, as they are unlikely to adversely affect the dye in the polyester as long as the products are made for the carpet cleaning industry.
• Prepare for a potentially tougher cleaning job; the resiliency of polyester is more challenging than that of nylon and wool fibers, but a high density and a shorter pile height can offset this.
• Although polyester is suited to all cleaning methods, be aware that absorbent pad extraction, or bonnet cleaning, will likely violate the manufacturer’s specifications and void the warranty; in addition, the bonnet may act like sandpaper if soil is not thoroughly removed before employing this method and may damage the fibers.

Triexta

The greatest challenge of triexta is its texture; these texture issues are likely to come from using an improper vacuum cleaner and employing not recommended by the manufacturer. To clean triexta, follow these guidelines:

• Use special SOA-approved vacuums with soft brushes.
• As with polyester, apply strong alkalines or bleaches if those products are made for the carpet cleaning industry.
• Although its resiliency depends on its density and pile height, expect it to perform better than many polyesters.
• Anticipate resoiling issues from sticky residues more so than with polyester.
• Use only water rinse extraction and absorbent compound extraction; for water rinse extraction, avoid detergents known for their high performance and sticky residues, use 300 psi or less for pump pressure, and use SOA-approved products to avoid issues with warranty claims; for dry compound extraction, use an oleophilic absorbent and its softest brush.

Nylon

Nylon’s challenge originates from improper chemistry. Aqueous substances such as food and beverages will stain nylon if it’s not protected with an acid dye blocker. Further, this acid dye blocker is incompatible with strong alkalines, cationic surfactants, and optical brighteners.

Cleaning technicians should apply products with caution; strong acids will likely dissolve or melt the fibers, and alkalines and bleach may remove the color. Nylon can also lose its color from strong reducing and oxidizing agents. Some general guidelines to follow are:

• Use SOA-approved vacuum cleaners.
• Expect excellent texture retention and appearance retention for a synthetic, but less than that of wool.
• Understand that apparent soil from scratches on the filaments will be less than that of polyester and olefin.
• Evaluate the pile height, pile density, and heat set before employing agitation on cut loop piles, and know that anything beyond that of a water rinse extraction wand or a soft brush in dry absorbent compound extraction should not be used if there is a propensity to lose the yarn definition; in addition, although nylon is suited to many cleaning methods, beware that absorbent pad extraction will likely violate the manufacturer’s specifications, voiding the warranty.

Olefin

Olefin’s greatest challenge is appearance retention because it lacks resiliency and is susceptible to abrasions. It may also have resoiling issues from sticky residues, and it may become stiff and darken if it is a fine-denier velvet. Cleaning guidelines include the following:

• Use SOA-approved vacuum cleaners.
• lean with care; of all these fibers, olefin is the most sensitive to heat, can be permanently damaged when heavy objects such as desks are moved across it, and can also be distorted by hot hoses from truckmounts.
• Expect resoiling issues from sticky residues more so than with triexta.
• Employ ultraviolet technologies with caution because this fiber is the most sensitive to ultraviolet light.
• Prepare for a challenge in terms of texture retention and appearance retention; olefin is the least resilient of all petroleum-based synthetics, and apparent soil from scratches on the filaments will be worse than with polyester.
• As with polyester and nylon, olefin is suited to all cleaning methods, but know that absorbent pad extraction may void the manufacturer’s warranty.

Wool

Challenges when cleaning wool come from its alkalinity, not from its pH. The pH of a product is but one aspect of its alkalinity and does not represent all there is to know about potential adverse effects.

The fiber’s pH should be measured directly from its face yarn with a flat-surface pH meter. Acid-dyed wool will have a pH between 2.5 and 5.5, but it has been known to bleed in buffered detergents, even with a pH of 6.5. Further, it will experience a degradation known as felting if it is cleaned with unbuffered alkalines. Some to follow when cleaning wool are:

• Use WoolSafe-approved products.
• Follow the manufacturer’s cleaning specifications: If, for example, the fiber’s pH is between 6.1 and 6.7 and it has never been cleaned before, the colorants are probably the natural color of the animal, and the manufacturer’s instructions will likely allow for only dry compound extraction or dry foam extraction.
• Use cleaning methods that are approved by WoolSafe.

Rayon

Rayon goes by many names including viscose and art silk. With this fiber, cleaning technicians will be challenged by fiber loss due to abrasion or bending of the yarn, especially when it is wet. Rayon should be considered a decorative fiber with a practical life of one year or less. Some general guidelines to follow when cleaning include:

• Vacuum it without a beater bar (with suction only).
• Use the dry compound extraction cleaning method with the softest brush possible.
• If the fibers are wet, dry them quickly to avoid a total loss.

Knowing the issues associated with each type of fiber will help professional cleaning technicians achieve the best results. With the appropriate methods, tools, and products, cleaning technicians will be able to handle any challenge they encounter—leaving behind a cleaner space and satisfied clients.

[infobox title=’Triexta and Polyester’]

Mohawk Carpet makes the lion’s share of triexta and calls it SmartStrand®. But is triexta just a newer version of polyester? Both belong to the same family of fibers, but how different are they, and how important is this to know?

Floor Covering News reported that, for the 2019 residential carpet and rug fiber market, polyester made up 59% of the market, while triexta made up 18%. Compared with nylon at 16%, polyester and triexta combined encompassed 4.8 times more of the market.

The federal government’s opinion

The United States government believes that triexta is different from polyester, and the Federal Trade Commission recognized it on March 20, 2009. According to the government, triexta significantly outperformed polyester on the heaviest of wear-cycle tests. Others have said that it even outperforms nylon.

An absorption comparison

Polyester and triexta are oleophilic—that is, they like oil. When a material likes oil, it generally does not like water. The relationship between being hydrophilic (likes water) and oleophilic is like a seesaw; when one characteristic goes up, the other comes down and vice versa. Some have placed polyester’s absorbency of water between 0.4% and 0.8%, whereas triexta’s absorbency has been placed at 0.1%. This indicates that triexta is more oil loving than polyester is.

Mohawk Carpet’s guidelines

According to Mohawk, a limited number of vacuum cleaners are recommended for use on triexta. In addition to being SOA approved, those approved for triexta are known for their soft brushes.

For professional cleaning, Mohawk’s triexta cleaning guidelines recommend only water rinse extraction and dry compound extraction. For dry compound, I suggest using an oleophilic absorbent and the softest brush available. For water rinse extraction, Mohawk recommends keeping the pump pressure under 300 psi.

The protector issue

In the past, many fluorochemical protectants have not bonded to triexta, but advancements are being made to overcome this. The second generation of triexta was introduced in December 2014 with a protector called Nanoloc®, which Mohawk said was the first protector compatible with SmartStrand.

Advice for cleaning triexta

My recommendation is to note the contrast and to follow the manufacturer’s specifications. If using water rinse extraction, or hot water extraction, do not use a mechanical brush agitator or a motorized wand. Adjust the pump pressure down, use glides, and avoid high-performance rinse solutions that are based on sticky surfactants. These surfactants may form a strong bond that will end up attracting soil. Also, a brush instead of a comb may be a more effective grooming tool on cut loop.

Fiber identification

How do you tell the difference between polyester and triexta? The end user may know, but if not, what about testing? The chemical and burn tests for each fiber yield the same results.

Frequently, triexta will have a softer hand compared to polyester. Cleaning technicians can also evaluate the fiber type based on pile distortions; any fiber that shows significant pile distortions should be cleaned with less agitation.

The commercial market

For the commercial market, triexta has an approximate 2.5% market share. However, in 2009 it made up less than 1% of the residential market. It is likely to grow.

Some final questions

For years we have studied the generations of nylon and have considered it to be the focal point of cleaning, and we have discussed at length the rules of cleaning and care. Are the alkalinity rules and the compatibility issues associated with cationic surfactants relevant to polyester and triexta?

Further, are your accreditations and certifications keeping up with the changes in the industry? Are cleaning technicians being taught the manufacturer’s guidelines? Failing to comply with the manufacturer’s specifications may not go well for cleaners who find themselves in litigation on a warranty issue.

[/infobox]

James “Jim” B. Smith is an IICRC-approved instructor and a senior practicing inspector. His educational studies come from Texas A&M University and the University of Houston. He has been in the cleaning industry since 1975. For more information, visit his website at carpetinspector.com/jbs or email��jsmith@carpetinspector.com.

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Anybody who’s owned a business for any length of time has experienced periods when their job as CEO felt more like being a parent driving a car with unruly kids in the back seat than it did being the enlightened leader of a growing business. And, although the wisdom contained in the parenting phrases we heard as kids in the back seat or have found ourselves repeating to our own kids from the front seat can be good advice at times, does it also apply to business and correcting employees?

When you’re a parent, the kids can’t get out of the moving car and find another family to join. Employees can, and it’s usually pretty costly when they do, so we need to be sure our wisdom is sound. Let’s look at a few phrases.

Do I need to pull this car over?

You knew things were serious when it wasn’t just any car they were going to pull over. It was this car. While my own parents never used this particular expression, I’m sure there were times when they thought about it.

In business, there is no “pulling this car over” to have that big “Texas talkin’ to” with an unruly employee. Things keep right on moving while you employ radical candor to remind them of your expectations. But I would recommend closing your door first.

Don’t make me come back there!

Even as a kid, you knew your parents couldn’t “come back there” while they were driving the car, so this threat was an empty one unless they chose to abandon forward momentum and stop the car to climb over the seat.

This is the equivalent of stepping down from your role as CEO to get involved at a level of your organization that you’re already paying someone else to handle. While on rare occasions this might be necessary, it’s also a slippery slope. Not only are you not doing the things you’re supposed to be doing to keep the business moving forward, but it also causes people in your organization to stop doing the things they’re being paid to do.

How many times do I have to tell you…?

This phrase served as an early warning system for my siblings and me. We knew the first time our parents said this we were safe. It was when it was repeated in progressively higher pitched voices that we knew the fuse was getting shorter … and so were our leashes.

Many businesses use a progressive discipline approach: verbal warning, written warning, termination. But for most small business owners this is easier in theory than it is in practice. As a result, we end up with the five- or six-step progressive discipline policy: complaining out loud, verbal warning, written warning, time off without pay, shunning, and, finally, termination—occasionally with the option to return at some later date.

Don’t make me smack someone.

In today’s gentrified parenting climate, it’s frowned upon to smack your kid. But, let’s face it, any kid with a parent whose arm is long enough to actually reach the back seat and connect with that kid’s bobbing and weaving head is worth being listened to. However, the last time I checked, using physical force on a wayward employee not only alarms the other employees, but is also illegal. I recommend against it.

While the sage wisdom of the automotive discipline practiced by our parents makes for great stories to tell our kids, I would recommend we stick with healthier, more effective approaches to employee engagement.

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. To reach him, visit or call 800-360-3513.

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Marketing automation software allows users to automate time-consuming marketing tasks and send personalized messages across channels to users based on where they are in the customer journey—from new leads to returning customers and everyone in between. Unlike batch-and-blast email marketing, automated marketing programs allow you to integrate email, text messages, retargeting ads, and more, giving you the opportunity to reach users at the right time with the right message in the right medium.

A study by the Annuitas Group found that using marketing automation to nurture prospective customers resulted in a 451% increase in qualified leads. It is an impressive tool for lead generation, perspective and returning customer follow-ups, and measuring a marketing campaign’s return on investment.

What is marketing automation?

If you’ve ever put an item in a website’s shopping cart and then left the site without purchasing and then received an email saying, “You’ve left something in your cart,” then you’ve been targeted by an automated marketing program. Marketing automation allows users to create triggers like this (for things like signing up for your newsletter, returning to your site, etc.), which send automatic messages to customers when an action occurs.

Automated marketing might sound like something for large companies, but it can provide needed relief for small businesses that don’t have staff dedicated solely to marketing or who don’t or can’t outsource marketing. If your company creates its own marketing campaigns, then automated marketing could be a smart addition to your toolbelt. It aims to be easy to use and keeps all of your digital marketing efforts together, while making it easy to track leads and gauge campaign success. A study by Nucleus Research showed that using automated marketing reduces marketing overhead by more than 12%. The software customizes messaging to the customer and can do so across social media, email, texts, etc.—through any data you have on a customer.

CRMs and marketing automation

There’s certainly some overlap between customer relations management (CRM) software and marketing automation tools, but typically they work best when paired. Marketing automation software can “score” the worthiness of potential customers, filtering potential customers by interest level, i.e., how likely they are to actually use your services. The software can then send out automated messages and/or pass the leads—including behavioral data on their actions—through your CRM to the appropriate staff to follow up by phone. According to DemandGen, nurturing leads results in an average 20% increase in conversions.

Integration between CRM and marketing automation software also allows for better understanding of campaign successfulness since you can see the entire path a customer took to purchase your services, and you can see which campaigns resulted in high-revenue jobs.

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Using automated marketing well

As with all things, planning is key to using automated marketing programs well. It’s important to begin

setting up your system with goals in mind—what types of customers are most important for you to reach; when will you start new campaigns; what are the ultimate gains you hope to achieve; etc.

Planning your content is also important. You still have to write the messages and make customers want to do business with you. Create a consistent voice for messages across your program. Look for ways to make it interesting and engaging, and try to make it feel personal.

Create a map that shows what messages will go out when triggers occur, who will receive the information that comes in, and what they will do with it.

You’ll be saving time by using automation, so use it wisely. Analyze the data that comes in to find out which campaigns and messages are working well. Improve upon or eliminate the ones that are not. Always look for ways to improve your system.

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Choosing the best software for you

Budget is always a huge factor in selecting any software, and the costs vary enormously across marketing automation. Some of the big names have all the bells and whistles, but for many businesses, especially small businesses, you end up paying for superfluous features.

This is another reason it is important to consider your goals for marketing automation ahead of time—to know which features are your must-haves, rather than going for the “everything and the kitchen sink” approach and paying for it, often upfront. Some marketing automation programs allow for connecting apps you already use to advertise, like Google and Facebook Ads, so users can build their own “best of breed” stack for a lot less than an all-inclusive tool.

Another factor is ease of use. When you’re coming into marketing automation without any real knowledge of it and need to learn quickly, simplicity is crucial. Look for simplified capabilities like drag-and-drop features and a visual customer journey.

Since the point of automated marketing is to be able to perform large-scale marketing efforts without having to pay someone to do it for you, it’s important to find a marketing automation tool with a good reputation for support. Launching your first campaign can be daunting, so it’s reassuring to be able to chat with someone with real knowledge of the product.

Choosing to add new management and marketing tools to your company is always a big decision, but advancements in technology offer a steady supply of ways to improve revenue and simplify business building. Marketing automation software offers companies a path to better marketing efficiency while keeping the work in house for those who are ready to reach potential customers on a more personal level.

Find the complete list of article references at www.cleanfax.com/automated-marketing.

Ellen de Vries is senior marketing manager for Autopilot, a marketing automation system for small to large businesses based in Sydney, Australia, and San Francisco. She is also the co-founder of Oscar Razor. Visit for more information.

��Amanda Hosey is the managing editor of Cleanfax. She has worked as an editor and writer for more than six years, including four years with Cleanfax. Reach her at��amandah@issa.com.

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Carpet, upholstery, and hard surface cleaning, as well as power washing, are all capable with the Cleanco SLX47 truckmount.

Contact: 800-653-8338 |

View all the companies featured in the Best Buys for 2021.

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• Neutral urine stain and odor killer
• 1 pH for VLM, HWE, and portables
• Mill approved for stain-resistant fibers
• Healthier for you and your customers
• Not heat activated
• No acid rinse needed
• No VOCs, 100 percent odorless
• Non-allergenic, no solvents, no polymers
• No foam = No sticky soap
• Effective fiber-penetrating encapsulation
• Indefinite shelf life, even after mixed
• Freeze-thaw stable
• Will not corrode metal
• 100% made in USA
• Prespray entire areas for faster cleaning (no worries if it dries before getting to it)

Contact: 800-693-6464 (call or text) | info@carpetdetails.com

View all the companies featured in the Best Buys for 2021.

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Contact: 866-390-2376 |

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These compact trucks have seating for three technicians, a vast amount of storage space, and are exceptionally maneuverable. These trucks are ideal for carpet cleaning and as a first-response vehicle. They are equipped with a 12-foot aluminum box, have a payload capacity of 3,800 lbs., and are competitively priced! Also, check out our new innovative SlideOut Shelving, which nearly doubles the storage space.

View the “LittleBig” Truck online on our website, YouTube, or Facebook.

Contact: 800-535-5025 |

View all the companies featured in the Best Buys for 2021.

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Contact: 779-210-3000 |

View all the companies featured in the Best Buys for 2021.

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