Friday, July 27, 2018

TEAMWORK

Owners of a Carpet Cleaning business should put an emphasis on teamwork.

We do well to remember that success comes from listening to all viewpoints and establishing a spirit of cooperation. Here are some ideas:

Stress team goals: Make sure everyone knows what the Company is trying to accomplish and exactly how each employee can work to achieve that goal.

Tie individual success to the Company goals: Emphasize each person’s contribution to the success of the Company. If they understand that if they succeed, the company succeeds and the reverse is then true.

Emphasize cooperation: Point out specifically how your employees can help one another. Let them know that how well they cooperate is an important measure of their job.

Give credit for the Company’s success: Let everyone know how much you appreciate their efforts.

Most employees want to belong and to be part of the action. Treating them as an important part of your Company will only encourage them to work harder.

Company meetings provide an opportunity to improve teamwork and you should encourage your employees to speak freely. Doing so will help clear up any misunderstandings and therefore help prevent problems.

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Friday, July 20, 2018

LEADERS

We must accept the fact that much of the work in the Carpet Cleaning business is routine and repetitive. Therefore, as owners (leaders) and or managers, we must challenge our people with assignments that utilize their talents and abilities. This is the way we keep them interested and motivated.

When we first hire Carpet Cleaning Technicians, they usually start out as “helpers” moving furniture and tabbing it, keeping the hoses properly placed and “grooming” the carpet after cleaning and Carpet Protector has been applied. Then, as they become more proficient in those tasks, the goal is to expand their capabilities. Cleaning carpet is the next step, followed by furniture cleaning. If you offer other services like Wood floor care and Stone and Grout cleaning, training for those may come before fabric care.

As good leaders, we want people to think about how to do things better. If there is a job related problem, a good leader will ask their employees for their opinion and then listen when they express them. A good leader will share responsibilities also, to the point that their employees show they can handle them. This way, they help their employees grow and expand their abilities.

This is the way as an owner (leader) we will keep our employees happy and challenged. Unchallenged people are bored and therefore they will not be as productive.

If you are after good results, a good leader cannot ignore these facts.

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Friday, July 13, 2018

FRIDAY THE 13th


BLEACHES and CARPET

Clorox bleached out carpet



What is bleach and how is it used?

Most people, when they hear the word “bleach” automatically visualize a gallon jug of Clorox® chlorine bleach. My dictionary says that bleach is anything that removes color. There are actually two primary ways of removing color - oxidizing and reducing.

An oxidizing bleach is a chemical that gains electrons and causes the oxidation of another substance. That is, an oxidizing bleach removes color by adding oxygen (or chlorine) to a dye structure, or even destroys the dye molecule by splitting it apart. The ultimate form of oxidation is burning - where the substance is totally destroyed by high temperatures and oxygen! Examples of oxidizing bleaches are hydrogen peroxide, chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite), sodium perborate, sodium persulfate and sodium percarbonate. Even ozone and medications such as some acne medicines containing benzoyl peroxide are oxidizing bleaches. Stain 1 Stain Remover and the two-part Stain Magic® also contain hydrogen peroxide oxidizing bleach as one of its components.

Hydrogen peroxide is a clear, self-neutralizing, unstable oxidizing bleach that should be stored in a dark, cool place, in a dark colored bottle and kept no more than 6 months. When using hydrogen peroxide, such as whitening grayed rug fringes, start with the 3% strength found in most drug stores. Do not leave on stain more than 30 minutes and follow with wet extraction to ensure complete removal to prevent residual bleaching. In some cases, 3% hydrogen peroxide can be left on the stain on nylon carpet overnight without rinsing, but some risk is involved. Hydrogen peroxide oxidation can be accelerated by an alkali (pH over 7), by heat (very risky) or simply by sunlight. Hydrogen peroxide simply breaks down to water and oxygen as it dries, leaving no residue.

Pretest in an inconspicuous area for bleaching or discoloration of the carpet or rug dyes. Get a signed release because the carpet dyes may be irreversibly bleached out or changed. Attempt only on light colors. Use on wool VERY carefully. 3% hydrogen peroxide is excellent for whitening cotton fringes on oriental design rugs.

The 40-volume clear hydrogen peroxide from the beauty supply house (usually labeled “40 Volume Clear Developer”) is 12% strength. The 30% hydrogen peroxide from chemical suppliers is 100 volume. “Volume” is not the same as “per-cent”!

Oxidizing bleaches are excellent against stains from mildew, furniture, ink, coffee, cellulosic browning, urine and feces.

Chlorine bleach should only be used on solution dyed fibers. On 100% olefin carpet, it may be used undiluted, but should be rinsed out after use. On solution dyed nylon, it should be diluted to at least 1 part bleach to 4 parts water before use. Chlorine bleach will damage even solution-dyed nylon fibers and should only be used when nothing else works! ALWAYS extract out chlorine bleach after use. Be sure there is no bleach on your shoes, hoses, etc. where it might get on other carpet or furniture. NEVER mix chlorine bleach with any other chemicals. Household chlorine bleach is about 5.25% sodium hypochlorite with a pH of about 12! Chlorine bleach, even dry, can still be reactivated with water and its residue is caustic soda. Chlorine bleach dissolves wool and severely weakens cotton. NEVER bring a bottle of chlorine bleach into a house!

A reducing bleach is a chemical that loses electrons and removes oxygen from a compound. Reducing bleaches are sometimes called strippers or stripping agents. Examples of reducing bleaches are sodium thiosulfate (photographer’s hypo), titanium stripper, sodium bisulfite and sodium hydrosulfite. Rit® Color Remover, Streepene®, CloroX Bleach Neutralizer, Red 1® Stain Remover and the two-part product Red Relief® contain reducing bleaches. Sodium bisulfite is a weak reducing bleach; sodium hydrosulfite is a very strong reducing bleach. Sodium bisulfite is a common ingredient in Haitian cotton shampoos. Reducing bleaches are accelerated by heat and by acid.

Reducing bleaches are especially effective against grape juice, Kool-Aid®, wine, iodine and Betadine®. Reducing bleaches also act as “anti-chlors” - neutralizing oxidizing bleaches such as chlorine bleach. CloroX Bleach Neutralize by Pro's Choice is an anti-chlor formulated to neutralize chlorine bleach on carpet.

To use Rit Color Remover, dissolve 2 ounces of the reducing bleach in VERY hot water, cover the stain with a white turkish towel, pour the solution on the towel, remove the towel after about 10 minutes, thoroughly extract and dry blot. Repeat if needed. Rit Color Remover is commonly sold in discount stores in the laundry area. Its primary active ingredient is sodium hydrosulfite. NOTE: Because this is a powder, protect it from moisture and spills. Of course, Red Relief and Red 1 are more powerful.

The biggest drawback to reducing bleaches is that the oxygen in air alone may re-oxidize the stain and it will reappear - after all, the stain was simply made colorless, not actually removed or destroyed!

Related Spotting Information and Articles:

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NOTE: This article is a revised version of an article that originally appeared in the May/June 2000 Bane-Clene Cleaning Digest®.







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Copyright: Bane-Clene® Corp.

Date Published: May 1, 2000

Date Modified: March 19, 2019



Friday, July 06, 2018

PROFITS

There are those that say the purpose of a business is to produce goods or services and provide jobs. Certainly so. But the reason any business is started in the first place is to make a profit. Thus, if it does not make a profit, it will ultimately go out of business.

One of the important keys to good ownership is to keep everyone connected with your organization focused on this fact. Profits go to the profit-minded.

Some people have trouble seeing how their jobs are related to profits. They may feel their job is not all that important, so it does not really matter. That is further from the truth.

The fact is that everyone who works for a Company affect profits, through good work or bad, being careful or wasteful with time and material, being present or absent, late or early, thinking of better ways to do their work or just coasting. Everyone’s performance is the sum total of their actions and ultimately contributes to a business’ potential profit or possible loss.

How do you convey to your employees that their overall performance is essential to the success of your business and its profits?

First, by being constantly profit-minded yourself.

Second, by constantly explaining the relationship of everything you or they do to profits.

Third, by recognizing and praising their cooperation in this endeavor.

The message is clear and can be conveyed. When it is, the results will be obvious. It will improve the operation and therefore the profits of a company.

Related Information and Articles:

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The Bane-Clene® Team.




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