In this issue:

Missed the last issue? You can read it in full here…

Due to the recent outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19), Prochem Europe has seen increased demand for its D500 Microsan biocidal cleaner.

Originally developed in the 1980s for the HBV, HCV and HIV blood-borne viruses, the formulation is also effective against Coronavirus (Coronaviridae family including MERS-CoV) and is approved to EN14476 for use on hard washable surfaces.

Microsan is a clear, low foaming liquid with pleasant apple blossom fragrance and is available in 5 litre concentrate and 1 litre ready-to-use spray. The concentrate is diluted with water at 6% and applied to surfaces with a recommended sprayer such as Prochem’s approved Birchmeier family of Swiss manufactured spray units.

Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use.

prochem.co.uk/product/microsan-5l/

prochem.co.uk/product/microsan-1l-spray/

prochem.co.uk/product-category/equipment-accessories/spraying-equipment/

‘Look before you leap’ is sound advice. ‘Test before you clean’ is even sounder, as Chris at CJB Cleaning Solutions in Taunton recounts, now …

“So, I’d cleaned a front room for a client that owned a nearby pub and hotel. The front room cleaned exceptionally well with my Prochem Galaxy hot-water extractor and as the customer was impressed, he asked me to quote for his place of work, too.

“I got to site the next day and found the pub carpet to be extremely soiled.  After performing the burn test, I identified the carpet as a synthetic and on a woven construction.

“I did a float test and then established it was a polypropylene pile fibre, or Belgian Wilton.

“I know that the Industry recommend that these carpets are dry-cleaned with a compound like C803 Fiberdri and I started to get a bit nervous of wet cleaning it with my Galaxy in case of shrinking the carpet.

“I called Prochem and they confirmed that I could be ill-advised to clean it that way and precisely for that reason.

“When I told the customer of the risks I discovered that not only had the carpet not been cleaned for two years but the last time it was the contractor shrank the carpets causing the landlord a lot of explaining to the brewery owner.

“The result was I got a lucrative contract to clean the hotel.

“I think the moral of the story is to do the tests first. Do a fibre burn test and ideally a float test as well.

“Look at the construction by opening up the pile and looking through to the back to see if it is a tufted or a woven carpet.

“Those three quick two-minute checks saved me from damaging the customer’s carpets and won me a new contract!”

For more information about these tests, either attend a Prochem Carpet Cleaning Course, or call the Technical Helpline. 

A newly-introduced programme of surgeries organised by Prochem dedicated to stain removal is finding favour across the regions this Spring.

Co-hosted by the company’s distributors, Prochem’s Stain Removal Surgeries open the doors for host staff and cleaner customers to find out more about stain removal techniques via hands-on presentations.

“Guests get to share in our training team’s know-how, take home a free stain removal guide and in some cases enjoy prize draw selections and get on-the-day discounts on products and machines,” says Prochem sales & training manager Phil Jones.

“The response has been so positive we are now expanding the surgeries to facilities management providers and others.”

“It proved very beneficial to all our staff and customers who were available to attend,” said Graham Iles at Trevor Iles in Bradford. “We got some very nice feedback from customers and hope to increase our sales of Prochem products accordingly.”

Claire MacDonald at Bowak in Theale commented: “Two customers actually e-mailed me the next day to say how useful it was and how much they enjoyed it. It really was a success, thanks again”.

“Fantastic stain presentation … very informative with useful practices that will take my clients cleaning expertise to the next level,” was the summing up of Andy Kennedy at Avon Services, Bristol.

Eloise Downer at CJS in Portsmouth reported:

“Jon Ewing from Prochem was brilliant at demonstrating and answering customer questions, with many staying for a couple of hours, a great response to our Prochem prize draw, strong sales of Prochem products in the shop, customers on warehouse tours, and talks we held on eResources in our boardroom.”

Courses have also been held at Janitorial Direct in Kidderminster, Complex Cleaning in St Albans, Homecare in Liverpool, Cleanspec in Penrith, Thomas Graham in Kendal and Candor Services in Chesterfield.

March & April currently see further Prochem Stain Removal Surgeries happening at Filtermist in Northampton; Valley Industrial Products in Harlow, Essex; and Capital Cleaning Ltd. in Aylesford, Kent. Contact these distributors if you are interested in attending.

Full details on forthcoming Prochem Stain Removal Surgeries here

Contract managers at leading London FM provider Julius Rutherfoord & Co gained added understanding of the challenges of carpet cleaning at a dedicated one-day training course held at its headquarters by Prochem Europe.

Says Prochem sales and training manager, Phil Jones:

“Julius Rutherfoord have sent a large number of technicians to us for training on carpets and hard floor cleaning courses but this time wanted a course for a large number of attendees to be held at their Battersea offices.

“Contract managers are often the face of the company who meet the customers and help dictate the parameters of a cleaning contract.”

Twenty-eight managers attended the course to find out more about carpet identification, basic chemical use, suitable products for different carpet types, various ways to clean carpets (especially in the commercial market) and basic commercial stain removal techniques.

Says Phil, “Julius Rutherfoord have been providing commercial cleaning to a vast range of high level and prestigious clients for almost thirty years and have always been passionate about providing professional cleaning services to some of the most prestigious organisations in the London area.

“Their focus is clear: to support facilities directors and managers in delivering a spotless and secure environment at the beginning of, and throughout, the working day.”

Phil reports managers finding the day’s experience useful and beneficial in helping them to be able to understand and discuss stain removal issues with clients, as well as being made aware of the potential pitfalls relating to shrink and colour bleed in cleaning high-end wool and woven coverings.

“Having gained the knowledge, enabled understanding and helped validate their quantification of the results of cleaning a site I feel everyone recognised the value of the training, by the end of the day,” Phil sums up.

www.juliusrutherfoord.co.uk

The latest cleaning technology and solutions catalogue from Prochem Europe showcases major performance upgrades to the company’s Steempro carpet extractor ranges.

The Steempro Powermax SX2100 has been updated with a 170psi induction pump replacing its former 150psi while the diaphragm pump fitted to the SX2700 model has also been improved from 220psi to 250psi output.

The developments along with expansion of the company’s training programme offer are featured in the new product brochure from Prochem, a long-standing market leader in carpet, floor and surface cleaning.

With over 40 years of experience in running professionally-recognised courses, its programme covers all of today’s key floor and fabric cleaning disciplines.

Courses individually cover carpet, upholstery and hard floor cleaning as well as stain removal. Each includes face-to-face instruction and step-by-step demonstrations by dedicated Prochem trainers with delegates each receiving a comprehensive reference manual to help put into practice what’s been learned.

All courses and 2020 dates can be found in the catalogue at here along with details of a new 1-day WoolSafe Fibre Care Course for the more professionally-skilled delegate.

Going to the Manchester Cleaning Show? Look us up!

Professional cleaners as well as newcomers have much to benefit from visiting Prochem Europe’s stand, now rescheduled for 15th-16th September.

Cleaning technology and chemical solutions are on show as usual plus we’re running a Special Stain Removal Surgery throughout the event.

Rolled out late last year, hosted by a growing number of Prochem UK distributors, these are being so well-received that Prochem is inviting facilities management providers to come on board, too.

Established machines like the Fivestar walk-behind extractors as well as the high-powered Endeavor 500 and Polaris 500 are complemented by enhanced solutions in the Galaxy, now with an in-line heater, and the Steempro Powermax with a new 170psi pump for enhanced pump life.

Rounding off this year’s technology offer will be a wide range of speciality spotting stain and removal products.

Now established within the North West, the Manchester Cleaning Show is the region’s largest cleaning and hygiene industry event.

cleaningshow.co.uk/manchester/homepage

Ipswich Borough Council’s housing division has taken delivery of the first three of a proposed 10-strong procurement of Prochem Comet walk-behind cleaning extractors.

The machines, supplied by Ajax Domestic Spares to the Council’s Maintenance & Contracts Department, are being used to clean 15 sheltered housing schemes located across the town.

The schemes, constituting mostly flats in blocks, each have an appointed cleaner or cleaning contractor who maintains communal areas and an 18 person caretaking team that carries out routine maintenance, decorating and specialised cleaning.

“The Comets are replacing another range of machines that have reached the end of their useful working lives and are proving ideal to task for our caretaking team,” says Council stores manager, James Tonner.

“We’ve been using Prochem solutions for over twenty years and switching to the company’s technology has motivated us to convert fully now to the brand.”

James took a lead from NHS users recommending Prochem machines and Ajax’s operations manager Gary Allen cited the Comet as the solution to the Council needs.

“They are fantastic machines,” says James. “We are dealing with a lot of stains to accommodation areas, but also the general spills you get from tenants dragging bags to bin areas. The machines cope significantly well with these and are popular with operatives.”

Moving wholesale to Prochem solutions means getting better acquainted with the company’s comprehensive offer of speciality cleaning solutions and James and a charge-hand colleague recently attended one of its stain removal courses, held at Ajax.

“That was a really useful day for us, packed with all kinds of tips for removing the toughest of stains and so informative about the diversity of chemicals available,” says James.

“Prochem are proving fit for purpose and with an expanding property portfolio across the city, their technology and solutions will find good use.”

www.ipswich.gov.uk

Carpet hot-water extraction using a wand is a top notch cleaning method – but cleaning bigger rooms can be a challenge for the operative’s back.

Good news comes from Prochem in the shape of its AC1204 Powermate 1200, an easy-to-use accessory with powered brush agitation that bids bye-bye to back-breaking scrubbing.

The Powermate has a self-levelling 2500rpm rotating brush, a single spray tip and a 12inch wide clear recovery head allow you to spray, agitate and extract, in one pull-back pass.

See above: you can even show the customer what the unit is extracting from their filthy carpets through the view-plate at the front of the Powermate – ughh!

The Powermate hooks up to your extractor utilising the present hoses, pump and vacuum and only requires a mains connection.

It’s the mate that takes the strain and delivers a better result in faster time.

Prochem training for cleaners is expanding through growing affiliation with key industry trade bodies.

The NCCA, BICSc and WoolSafe are amongst highly-regarded associations connected to courses being run by the company this year.

Associate Members of the National Carpet Cleaners Association (NCCA) can now elevate themselves to Member level upon completion of Prochem’s Stain Removal training course.

Advancing through the NCCA’s four membership level is dependent upon member’s attending a recognised qualification in professional carpet and upholstery cleaning at base level and then progressing over time with additional training and industry experience.

Dates available this March, July and October: details here

Prochem’s training academy in Chessington is an appointed location for membership examination to the NCCA.

In June, the company runs a WoolSafe Fibre Care 1-Day Specialist Course at Chessington that tracks the journey taken by the wool fibre from the fleece to the carpet manufacturing process.

Initial processing and carpet or rug construction is followed by basic issues concerned with actual cleaning, determining the ways in which wool carpet and rugs should be maintained and cleaned.

Details here

General details on training at Prochem can be found at: prochem.co.uk/training-courses

2020 sees in some key safety and performance upgrades to the Prochem Europe cleaning technology ranges.

The company’s acclaimed Endeavor SX9500 extractor now features an electronically-controlled 12v float switch fitted to its solution tank.

This unit cuts the power to the 500psi induction motor-driven piston pump should it be left to run with the tank empty, preventing a pressure drop and possible damage to the pump seals.

Additionally, pumps used in the Prochem range are being upgraded to give better pressure performance and consequently deeper pile penetration.

The move sees DC drive outputs for the Powerflo, Polaris and Galaxy ranges increase from 120psi to 150psi.

The Powermax induction drive rises from 150psi to 170psi while the Powerplus DC drive with-pressure switch increases from 220psi to a DC drive no-pressure switch of 250psi.

The developments come to market in March 2020.

Meet Prochem distributor Martin Perry-White – a man on a mission to ‘Avance’.

Because at Martin’s company (Avance International Supplies Ltd to give it its full name) business is indeed moving forward, and fast.

So much so, Martin’s recently opened a fantastic new 4000 sq ft warehouse in Bishops Stortford, Essex. It takes in stock of a wide range of chemicals and accessories with facilities also for repairs as well as training.

Located just outside town and near to Stansted Airport, 2016-launched Avance has been supplying Prochem solutions to its customer base from the start.

Martin is selling Endeavor extraction machines to the larger FM companies as well as multiple chemicals lines including much of the Prochem core range.

“I previously ran my own cleaning business; I’ve been in the industry for more than 25 years and have a wide range of knowledge of Prochem products,” he tells us.

“We also travel all over the country demonstrating, installing and servicing on behalf of FM companies, carpet cleaners, contractors and end users notably in the education sector.”

Martin has always found Prochem to be supportive of his enterprises. “Great products and service – nice people, too”, he says.

“When I asked whether Prochem would support our stand at Cleaning Expo last September, they not only sent us a Steempro, Galaxy, Bravo Spotter and a Powermate 1200 power-wand, but sales & training manager Phil Jones came along to demonstrate them.”

The show was predominately attended by window cleaners but there was also plenty of carpet cleaning interest for all the floorcare suppliers there, relates Martin.

“A great show where we received enquiries from several window cleaning contractors looking at expanding their business into cleaning inside the house, to dodge those chilly winters outdoors!”

Avance also held a prize draw to win a free Prochem training course on the day. The lucky recipient was Stephania of Stefy Cleaning Services in Buckinghamshire, who later attended a 1-day carpet care course at Chessington.

Looking ahead, Martin says he anticipates 2020 bringing many new products to its existing range of chemicals and equipment; but most of all, he looks forward to growing his support and training network to current and new clients.

www.avanceltd.com

Two big stains stood to sour a function room clean – until Mitey Cleaning’s Philip found a mighty fine solution…

“We clean a lot of commercial properties most of which include substantial areas of carpets.

“One large function room’s wool carpet presented a real challenge. Someone had dropped a tray of cherry sours all over the carpet, resulting in two big stains.

“I ordered product after product from different companies who all said their solutions would remove this staining but didn’t. The banquet suite manager was getting more and more annoyed with the stains and the fact they couldn’t be removed.

“Then I ordered Prochem Red Rx, followed the instructions and using a hot steam iron got all the staining out.

What a product, so it’s a big thank you, guys!”

 … So what’s the secret of E400 Red Rx?

It is a stain removal product specifically designed to help remove coloured food and drink spills such as red wine, carbonated drinks, fruit juices, beverages and some ink and dye stains.
Like any product of this kind, it should be pre-tested for colour fastness on an inconspicuous area of the carpets or fabric, prior to use, to ensure no damage occurs.

There are two ways of using Red Rx.

Finally, for best results, the area should be rinsed with an extraction machine to remove any residue.

Repeat this process using a clean section of towel until there is no further improvement and then rinse entire area with an extraction machine.

Seal failure can be an issue with containers.

So, consider emptying your pre-spray bottles and sprayer tanks after every use, or at least de-pressure, empty, and clean at the end of each day.

Reason: the seals and pump plunger are not designed to maintain pressure for long periods and failure to do this may cause seal deterioration. Daily cleaning will save replacement costs in the long run.

Do you encounter difficulty connecting the water pressure hose to your machine, wand or hand tool? Is it ever impossible to connect?

Answer: the main hose may still be pressurised! Try pressing the male plug and its nipple against the inside wall of your machine. This will help to release the pressure build up and make it far easier to re-connect attachments.

Careful where you empty machine waste tanks’ dirty water – there are hefty fines for getting it wrong.

Operatives often empty machine tanks into customers’ domestic sinks, toilets, garden, or into the drain by the roadside. But only one of those is the correct place.

Emptying waste water (and/or chemicals) onto a garden or by the roadside could lead, if caught and prosecuted, to a hefty fine from the Environment Agency or local council. Roadside drains are for the disposal of rain water that goes back to the water table.

Dirty carpet cleaning water should either go down the toilet (which should be cleaned and left as you found it) or into a commercial sluice sink, often found in the cleaners’ cupboards of commercial premises.

Prior to stain removal, always pre-test your chosen product on a small area.

Try applying the product to a tissue, cotton bud or medical swab.

Gently blot on a corner of the mark/stain and check for transfer. This will help distinguish if you have the correct product and if it helps to dissolve the stain.

Limescale is the extraction machine’s enemy!

Limescale build up

Maintain your pump by regularly flushing out any chemical build-up.

Simply dilute B109 Prochem Fibre & Fabric Rinse in the clean tank and connect pressure hose to hand tool.

Wrap an elastic band around the handle/trigger, so that the trigger and jet are “open” and gently lay into your clean tank. Turn the pump on and allow the solution to re-circulate through all the pipework and pump-head for about 5-10 minutes, removing chemicals build up as well as limescale deposits.

Keep your customer safe …

Do you provide the customer a “Duty of Care” leaflet prior to your commencement of the clean?

Get one done: it will inform the customer of precautions that they should be aware of when dealing with a damp carpet post-clean, ranging from walking from a damp carpet onto a hard flooring and creating a potential slip hazard, or putting damp upholstery cushions back onto a sofa chassis. Not sure what this is? Call the Prochem technical helpline for information or come on a training course to learn more.

Can’t get grease out of a carpet?

If you are struggling to deal with heavy, greasy soils in a high traffic environment, such as the area just outside the doorway of a commercial kitchen into the restaurant interior, consider adding a small amount of E845 Citra Boost to your prespray.

This is a soluble solvent (dilutes with water) that aids grease and soil cutting capabilities prior to normal extraction cleaning: basically it gives your prespray “sharper teeth”!

Clean solution in your tank after you’ve finished up? Here’s our at-a-glance guide to getting rid of it …

Your questions answered …

Q

I did my training with Prochem three years’ back and am now after some advice regarding a carpet I cleaned.  Basically, when I turned up to clean, it smelt of dog wee. I cleaned it and it smelt lovely and fresh.  But once dry it smelt musty.  I came back to clean it a second time, but with a fan this time which I left in the centre of the room.  It smelt fine when I left, but once dry it still smells although but not as badly. Is there a chemical I can use to help or a process?

A

Hello again! So, if the carpet is urine-contaminated, then by making it smell “nice” for a time I expect that you have used a carpet rinse and a deodoriser. This is only a temporary fix – the urine residue odour will, and has, come back.

I’d suggest pre-treating the entire area or region with B153 Urine Neutraliser and then rinse extraction with B112 Neutra-Soft in your machine tank; it’s a carpet rinse and deodoriser, as well as a urine neutraliser treatment. This will help to neutralise the urine residue and, therefore, the smell.   By the way, this fix applies only if you’re treating the actual carpet surface and not lifting the carpet, as treating the underlay/sub-floor and re-fitting is another job entirely!

Here is a suggestion from our website – Blot up as much as possible if still wet. Apply B153 Urine Neutraliser and blot. For old stains apply B109 Fibre & Fabric Rinse HOT solution, and extract. Repeat 2 to 3 times. Apply Urine Neutraliser and leave to dry. Urine stains may cause permanent dye removal and may damage wool or nylon.

Hope this helps.

Q

An office we clean had a flood which soaked the floor. Fortunately the water was clean, so it has not left any unpleasant odours etc. The floor is laid with grey synthetic carpet tiles with I think (will check) rubber backing. These have thoroughly dried out and the intention is to clean them by spraying traffic lanes with Multi Pro, scrubbing where required using a rotary with a carpet brush, and hot water extraction cleaning with Fibre & Fabric Rinse with Odour Fresh. The main problem is that the water leaked into the reception area of the office next door and now has dried leaving a tide mark in the middle of their reception. They want us to clean it for them but during office hours because of concerns over noise. We may therefore have to clean it with a rotary machine.  Could you please advise on the best way to do it using a rotary?

A

A difficult situation.  I’d suggest using B105 Fibre Shampoo in the tank of your rotary machine, with a deodoriser such as B224 Cherry Carpet Deodoriser added as it’s during work hours. It will require a 2-3 hour drying time. The shampoo will dry and crystallise around the soil molecules which will then require a really thorough vacuum the following day or so.

Good luck with the job!