Problems not swept under the carpet
August 1st 2003

A&M Cleaning Supplies hosted a free one day carpet and upholstery cleaning seminar. It was a lively event with lots of interaction between the audience and presenters. Cleaning Matters attended the seminar and found interested attendees looking for solutions I have been on numerous courses over the last 22 years. They do not come anywhere near what I have learnt today said one of A&Ms customers following their first Seminar outside their own premises. Held at the Jarvis Hotel, Watford over 40 Carpet Cleaners from across the country attended this informative day, despite being in peak holiday time and one of the hottest days of the year! We had tens of calls from people who wanted to attend but could not make the date and as a result of the response we will bring forward our next Seminar said Alan McKane, managing director, A&M. During the day Derek Bolton of Bolton & Chawner, Leicester spoke about various fibres and their characteristics, constructions of carpets and fabrics and also trouble shooting. Sharing his experiences from a career spanning over 30 years, the listeners looked on intently, cramming as much of this invaluable knowledge in as they could! Shared expertise Derek Boltons presentations covered a brief outline of the various fibres and their characteristics in relation to the cleaning of carpets and soft furnishings. Emphasis was made as to the absorbency of the various fibres and how this could affect the cleaning technicians decision on what cleaning method / chemicals to use in a cleaning operation or stain removal process. The various constructions of carpets and fabrics were discussed in relation to the various cleaning processes. It was stressed how important a knowledge of the pH value of cleaning chemicals is to the cleaning technician. Most chemicals can be reversed by another chemical. An example of some of the tips that Derek gave was to watch for bonded carpets where it is possible to break the bond with solvents in certain types of spot cleaners. After lunch the afternoon session continued with an item on the various problems that face the cleaning technician when tackling carpets and soft furnishings. It was stressed that many cleaning problems came from over-wetting and therefore great importance must be given to the selection of the correct method of cleaning to be used in order to keep moisture to a minimum. This could be in the form of modifying cleaning techniques and / or using some of the low moisture cleaning tools available. Methods of cleaning high-risk carpets were discussed in relation to shrinkage and colour loss. Amazingly a manufacturer has said to Derek that they do not have to abide to the standards on colour fastness, which seems incredible. The cleaning of upholstery fabrics seems to frighten many cleaning technicians and following the presentation one can understand why. The speaker shared some of his recent experiences in evaluating damaged fabrics many by colour bleed others by chemical reactions within the fabrics. Examples were shown of the damage, some quite severe. There was a picture of cushions that had changed colour (turned pink) after a customer had washed them in a washing machine. One Step into Watford Steve Carpenter, regional director of Amtech UK, the UK agent for One Step Cleaning Solution, (supported by Karl Nilchibar, md) gave an introduction to the micro-splitting technique of the One Step range and also demonstrated the CFR Cleaning Systems. The spectators had a chance to use the equipment and an informal questions session allowed the chance to clear up individual queries. Steve demonstrated the effectiveness of One Step with the different cleaning systems available to the professional carpet and upholstery cleaner. This included dry compound cleaning, bonnet cleaning, soil extraction on both carpets and upholstery. He demonstrated conventional portable carpet cleaning equipment and the patented CFR continuous flow recycling system, which injects the cleaning solution into the carpet at pressures of up to 1000psi and instantly recovers the cleaning solution to ensure quick drying fabrics and carpets. One Step contains no detergents, enzymes, bacteria, optical brighteners, reducing or bleaching agents and is non-foaming, non- resoiling, odourless and hypoallergenic. Steve says One Step is suitable for use with all carpet and upholstery cleaning systems. With its inbuilt spot & stain removers the need to use additional spotting products is greatly reduced saving time and money. One Step does not need a dwell time and works on contact to release the soil particles and diverse stains such as grease, oil, latex paints, mustard, ketchup, shoe polish, food and beverage stains, various inks, chewing gum, wax, tar, lipstick and blood and so on. A & M Cleaning Supplies is a newly appointed local distributor for One Step Cleaning Solutions. A&M, completed the day with a presentation of their services and then gave customers the chance to make purchases, offering extra discounts on the day. Clients ordering product on the day have received unbeatable prices, in addition to vast information. The feedback forms are extremely positive so everyone is happy commented Alan. Quotes on the feedback forms in reference to the Seminar included: Venue & Refreshments Superb Speakers had excellent knowledge and the information was well presented Excellent, informative day Well presented & I was made to feel very welcome Good product range & concepts to think about Keep me informed of any future seminars The response was extremely positive and many clients were particularly interested in attending the next seminar, planned for September 2003. They found the speakers extremely informative and many learnt more than other courses they had attended. The venue and particularly the refreshments were praised and Clients liked the informal and friendly atmosphere that was created. All of this on one of the hottest days of the year and in peak holiday time A&M were certainly pleased with the attendance and the support of Derek Bolton and Amtech UK.

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