Raising carpet cleaning standards
August 1st 2009 CM is pleased to feature a new bi-monthly column by Keith Robertson, training director of the National Carpet Cleaners Association (NCCA).The first column discusses the issue of standards in carpet cleaning
In a survey published last year, 70% of carpet cleaners who responded admitted that they don't vacuum regularly.This is a clear indication that recommended procedures for carpet cleaning are frequently ignored.All too often incorrect cleaning regimes result in poor workmanship and in our industry getting a bad name. In this, our first column for Cleaning Matters, we will consider the issue of standards in carpet cleaning and attempt to answer a number of questions about the subject.We hope you will find our words to be insightful and thought provoking and welcome your views and feedback via the email address given at the end.
Which carpet cleaning standards exist?
The PAS86 is the first and only code of practice for the professional inspection, maintenance, cleaning and restoration of textile floor coverings.Developed by the NCCA and BSI British Standards, in association with a range of industry experts, PAS86 is set to become an industry standard publication for carpet cleaning technicians.The specification will be reviewed at intervals not exceeding two years, and any amendments arising will be published as an amended PAS.
The new code of practice is a key development for the carpet cleaning industry.The most important benefit it will bring is without doubt, the raising of standards within the trade.Despite a code of practice now being available, correct procedures are followed by few.
So why is this and what mistakes do these untrained cleaners make? I accept that the PAS was only launched this year but before that time, recommended procedures were available albeit not as part of an official UK standard. So one answer to our question is mass ignorance. I have spoken to UK carpet cleaning equipment manufacturers who didn't think that you needed to vacuum carpets. I have also met professional cleaners who think truck mounts alone can deal with all carpet cleaning requirements.Truck mounts are principally designed to suck up liquid, not to remove dry soil. If you try to do the latter you add water to soil which results in a muddy mess. On the other hand I have also heard of carpet cleaners who use washing powder to clean carpets. We are consistently dealing with individuals who have little knowledge of the task in hand and are most likely totally unaware of the correct procedures.
Today's carpet cleaning equipment can help the cleaner achieve great results but if one piece of equipment is expected to become 'the total solution' instead of being one part of a multi-step cleaning programme, this is also bad practice. Pad cleaning for example can play a crucial part in carpet appearance management. If the correct equipment is used with quality cleaning solutions, sufficient soil can be removed to improve the appearance of the carpet however, it must be preceded by thorough vacuuming to remove the particulate grit and soil. Low pile might look better if cleaned with pads instead of being extracted but it won't be really clean unless it is correctly vacuumed to remove heavy dry soiling.
Why do cleaners untrained in carpet cleaning get the job?
There are a number of reasons why individuals without any specialist carpet cleaning training might be given the task of carpet cleaning. Often it is simply a matter of cost. A contract cleaner may be willing to take a lower margin than a specialist cleaner so he might get the job as a result. On the other hand, in order to reduce costs, a company may decide to buy a carpet extractor and use untrained in-house staff to do the job.Clearly both scenarios can result in not only the correct cleaning procedures being ignored but also in carpets being damaged.
Finally, changes within the market structure mean that large companies now often outsource their cleaning to facilities management companies.Cleaning can be viewed as an irritation to facilities managers so they often prefer to give the full cleaning remit to a contract cleaner to avoid having several suppliers. It is unfortunate that the facilities management company may not appreciate the benefit of using a specialist and as the end customer has handed over control, he may not be aware of the potentially inferior service to be provided.
What can we do to proactively raise standards?
In the commercial sector the majority of carpets are cleaned by office cleaning contractors instead of professional carpet cleaners.Office cleaning contractors are not NCCA members and are unlikely to adhere to the relevant standards of our trade.To reverse this trend and raise standards of practice as a result,we need to influence the customer.Companies in general, property owners and contract cleaners must all be made to appreciate the benefit of using trained carpet cleaners instead of doing the job themselves. If this can be achieved on an on-going basis we will be well on the way to raising the standards within our trade.
To contact or respond to Keith please send an email to: press@ncca.co.uk.The website is www.ncca.co.uk (click here). The NCCA is the UK trade association for trained specialists in the cleaning, restoration, repair and protection of textile and hard floor coverings, soft furnishings and upholstery. More articles from National Carpet Cleaners Association: | 
