Cleanfax - Sept 2010 Cover

8/9/2019 Cleanfax - Sept 2010 Cover

1/84 CM/Cleanfax SEPTEMBER 2010 CLEANFAX.COM

By Lisa Wagner and Jim Pemberton

TRAININGTRAININGIs this the industrys

weakestlink?

The free market is alive and well today inour industry.Each new year brings us innovations in

equipment, tools and chemistry to make our

jobs easier, safer and, hopefully, more effective

and more profitable.

If the innovations dont create more value,

cleaners dont buy them. There is built-in ac-

countability. The new and great products sell,

and the ones that dont cut it dont sell.

Yet, while the advancementin cleaningtech-

nology in the past decade has been significant,

our advancement in cleaning training has not.

A test taken today for certification is not

much different from that of a decade ago

often with many of the same answers, work-

ingto notoffend anyparticular cleaning schoolof thought, or other invested interest.

The standards written as the foundation of

these tests have become enormous projects of

interested, and often conflicted, groups that

collectively take years to produce a revision

that ends up being outdated by the time it is

released, based on the new technologies and

research of the day.

The training format of classroominstruction

with a structure of having to memorize an-

swers to 150 or more questions also has not

changed much. It mirrors the same school sys-

temmodel thatis currently failingour children.

Traditional schooling is no longer a prereq-

uisite for success.

Going to college to earn big money is now

the exception, not the rule, as other ways of

learning have replaced therigid, programmed

bureaucracy of our test-centered educationalsystem.

Teaching skillsThe central problem to the format require-

ments of current training models is that, with

so many required questions to teach to, the in-

structor must spend thetime allotted on teach-

ing the attendees what to memorize to pass the

test, ratherthan on how tothinkandhowto ac-

tually clean.

When you ask todays instructors the most

difficult part of developing and teaching

courses,at the top ofthelist has tobe how they

squeeze real, practical learning in the midst of

all of the laundry-list of miscellaneous, and

often impractical, minutia they are required to

cover in their course.


2/8

While,with some basic courses, this might

notcause much harm, with more specialized

crafts in failing to teach attendees

how to problem-solve on-site

new technicians can walk into a

job with a false confidence that

can cost them dearly.

Because studentsaregiven

their test scores, but no in-

formation on what they

missed and, more

importantly, why,

there are al-

ways gaps

in their

knowl-

edge.

The question is, do we want to see who

can memorize the most trivia and circum-

vent the tricky answers, or do we want

students to leave a class knowing and under-

standing the subject thoroughly so they can

be better cleaners?

We both receive pleas on a regular basis

from technicians who took a tip lightly cov-

ered in a rug or upholstery course and felt

they could apply it in any situation.

In particular, withsuchhigh-liability tasks,

such as testing for or preventing dye migra-

tion, and performing color correction, some

instructors present their own products as

be-all-end-all solutions without qualifying

that pre-existing conditions can create ex-

pensive nightmares for their students if they

actually apply tips in the wrong way.

An important skill, such as color correc-

tion, squeezed in at the end of a multi-day

class, when

students are tired from sitting and being

PowerPointed to death, fails everyone

the cleaners and the consumers they serve.

Service providersversus textile pros

Thecurrent training in the fieldsof uphol-

stery and rugs within the Institute of Inspec-

tion, Cleaning and Restoration Certification

(IICRC) is basic level instruction. It is what

you need to know in order to keep yourself

out of trouble in most general situations in

the home.

Though basic training and typical chemi-

cals canserve theon-site upholstery andarea

rug cleaning technician just fine, for hyper-

sensitive and/or heavily soiled natural fiber

and investment-grade textiles there needs to

be an in-plant focus, which the certification

courses do not prepare students for, or even

address at any length.

What theclasses are churning outare ser-

vice providers to perform a basic

level cleaning service to

c o n s u m e r s .

CLEANFAX.COM SEPTEMBER 2010 CM/Cleanfax 35

COVER STORY

LisaWagner is a second-generationrug careexpert,

NIRCCertified RugSpecialist andan owner ofK.Blatch-ford'sSan DiegoRug CleaningCompany.Shewas rec-

ognized as the2006CleanfaxmagazinePersonof the

Yearfor herindustrycontributions. Fora copy ofherlat-

estfreereport "Top10RugDisasters - andHowTo Avoid

Them" sendan e-mail to [email protected] "rugdisasters" in thesubject line.

An industry trainer andconsultant, JimPemberton is presi-

dentof Pemberton's Interlink Supplies inMcKeesport, PA. Jimis theCleanfax magazine2007Personof theYear. Hehasmore

than30 yearsofexperience in thecleaning andrestorationin-

dustry.You are invited to visit hiswebsiteatwww.ecleanadvi-

sor.com, or e-mail himat [email protected].


3/8

What they are failing to do is develop the

mindset andskills to craft real professionals in

the fields of fine fabric and specialty rug care.

On-site versus in-plantThe biggest textile disservice the educa-

tional bureaucracies have done to consumers

is to imply through their standards, and their

courses, that on-site cleaning is interchange-

able with in-plant cleaning.

Because few of the contributors of much of

this material have actually operated success-

ful in-plant upholstery or rug facilities, theygenuinely do not have the depth of knowl-

edge to convey this effectively into a course.

Questions created by committee fall to the

lowest common denominator to create the

least amount of friction. The goal is to placate,

not to educate.

What has resulted is competent on-site ed-

ucation for fabrics and rugs, with safe skills

taught to simply help keep cleaners out of

trouble.

What has not resulted are courses to trainspecialists in either field on how to be excellent

textile professionals. The problem, however,

is that the IICRC does notexplainthisto clean-

ers or consumers; the organization just implies

that anyone certified in theRugCleaning Tech-

nician (RCT) or Upholstery and Fabric Clean-

ing Technician (UFT) are well-trained in their

craft... even when they may, in fact, not be.

6 CM/Cleanfax SEPTEMBER 2010 CLEANFAX.COM

COVER STORY

IN-PLANT TEXTILE TRICKS AND TIPS

FOR FINE FABRICS

Testing and inspection:Always test for the fiber family (natural/synthetic/blend) andfor colorfastness. Identifying sensitive textures, such as chenille or velvet made fromnatural fibers, is important, as cleaning and grooming processes should restore thefabric to the most next to new condition as possible.

Pay attention to preconditioning products and techniques:What you use to loosensoil is more important than what you extract it with. With in-plant situations, you havegreater flexibility as to the types of products used, as you can assure more thoroughrinsing and drying in an in-plant setting.

Choose tools for texture retention issues:Minimizing texture distortion duringcleaning makes texture restoration less time consuming later. The right tools and tech-

niques are critical here.Extract cleaning agent residues thoroughly: Few cleaners are aware of how muchresidue they leave in fabrics. Cleaning agent residues may contribute to color bleed-ing, browning and a stiff hand on soft textures. Such residues also may contribute toskin and respiratory irritation, and often prevent the bonding of fabric protectors.

Dry quickly:Fast drying of natural fiber fabrics is your best protection against colorbleeding and cellulosic browning. The ability to control the drying process is anotherreason to consider in plant cleaning of natural fiber fabric upholstery.

Jim Pemberton

Circle 202

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Because of this severe limitation in train-

ing in these specialty niches, there has been a

gap in the development of high-end rug and

upholstery cleaning plants, which has re-

sulted now in a keen opportunity.

On-site cleaning requires quick, safe, non-invasive surface cleaning methods. With

equipment and tools that you dont need to

think about and ready-to-use chemicals, you

literally can go through the motions without

much thought.

You can simply provide a service and be

that simple service provider. Do you only

want to do a good enough job?

For those who wantto honetheir craft, use

their minds and hands, and be known as atextile professional, they need to look at set-

ting up an in-plant operation.

The advantage of in-plant cleaning is

three-fold:

1. Better cleaning, because you can wet

wash or solvent clean and be more inva-

sive in a controlled cleaning environment

2. More miracle-making, because you

can use products that you normally would

be wary of in the home, and can spend more

time on perfecting your results

3. More money, because when you be-

come a specialist in rugs and fabrics, you can

command top dollar in your town.

Change is hard, but wehave no choice

With the economic pressures on the man-

ufacturers of textiles, more corners are being

cut, and more dangers are waiting to be un-

covered by unsuspecting, uneducatedclean-ers in the home.

Cleaners have to know what they canhan-

dle, and what they cannot.

They need to be educated by instructors

who are actually connected to real cleaning

operations, seeing real problems and so-

lutions in real time.

Manuals and standards, some up to a

decade old, do not cut it today. The know-how needs to be updated year-round, not

stuck for years in committees.

The rules need to beloosened sothatmore

relevant courses can make it to market, the

COVER STORY


Better technicians are created whentheyexperi-encea real-life cleaningchallenge.

Circle 207

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The Ultimate Warrior


5/8

emphasis taken off of hundreds of questions to

teach to, andmore on practical case studies and

hands-on teaching.

In the fields of rug cleaning and fine fabric

cleaning,there needs to be an importantshift to

in-plant cleaning training. We need to stop

training to the lowestcommon, on-site denom-

inator.

We are releasing cleaners with mediocre

training in these fields. We need to shift to re-

warding consumers with rug and fine fabric

specialists.

If cleaners want to find themostfinancial and

personalrewards throughtheir professional de-

velopment, then they need to look beyond the

current training formats and learn how to be-

come specialists in these fields.

Consumers need more textile specialists, notservice providers.

Questions people askThefollowing is a selectnumberof questions

posed by Cleanfax magazine readers.

1. How well do you feel the current certi-

fication programs prepare textile cleaners


COVER STORY

Circle 201

UPHOLSTERY CLEANING AND RUGS

Rugs have always been lumped in as a last-minute stuffer to the IICRC S100standard specific to carpet cleaning.

There is an assumption that because they are fuzzy they are just like installed

carpeting, and those being trained in installed carpet care can also easily add rugs.Thats simply not true.Before the IICRC rug course existed, I used to tell anyone who wanted to get into rug

care that if they wanted to be certified in anything, to choose UFT over CCT because itwas more closely aligned to rugs.

Here are some important common threads between caring for fine fabric andoriental rugs:

Fiber and dye testing are a dailyroutine to staying out of trouble Natural fibers are common, and you have to know the best solutions,

tools and methods to care for them You must be an expert at pre-inspection, especially for common dangers

like stenciling, dry rot, blended fibers and old repairs For thorough cleaning, you have an in-plant operation for your

specialized services Homes with valuable rugs also have valuable upholstered furnishings You must be knowledgeable on handling semi-antique and antique items Restoration contents cleaning services require an in-plant operation

Rug care belongs in the upholstery cleaning standard more than carpet cleaning.The tools, solutions, techniques and the mindset for specialty textile care make bothfields a perfect collaboration.

Lisa Wagner


6/8

for success in todays market?

Jim Pemberton: When I wrote the article

Where are the upholstery cleaning special-

ists? I then concluded that technician train-

ingin basic skillslike upholstery cleaningfalls

short of the type of upholstery specialist

cleaning classes that were taughtin the1970s

andlate 1980s. Thereis surelynothing wrong

withteachingupholstery cleaningtechnicians

the basics to keep them out of trouble and

help them to produce consistent work that

pleases most customers.

However, you cannot approach upholstery

cleaning like you do carpet cleaning. The ba-

sics will help with most synthetic fibers and a

few natural fiber fabrics and blends, but it

leaves a broad swath of restorative cleaning

needs not addressed.

In the three years since I wrote that article,

I continue to see groups outside of the clean-

ing industry, such as furniture stores, furni-

ture repair specialists and dry cleaners

entering into thefine fabricspecialty cleaning

field not because theywantto doit, but be-

cause they are forced to by clients who

demand the service and cannot find

specialtycleanersin their marketarea to serve

their needs.

Lisa Wagner: The best student does not nec-

essarily mean the best cleaner. When I got a

top score on my CCT course with the IICRC,

I left the class knowing all of the facts about

carpet, but did not know how to turn on a

truckmount, much less use one. I was obvi-

ously not the bestcleaner in the group I just

knew how to take a test.

With the RCT course with the IICRC, so

much time was spent on identifying certain

types of rugs, and many obscure materials

that, in my entire lifetime, I have never seen

come through our rug plant doors.

Yet, with committee members more aca-

demic in the field than practical, that is thetype of course to expect more time spent

on memorizing interesting textile facts than

on hands-on cleaning. It is a good course for

some basics, butwhen referring consumersto

RCT certified cleaners, you cannot guarantee

that the cleaner actually knows how to clean

rugs properly.

When I got top score on my CRS course

with ASCR (now RIA), I learned a great dealabout rug identification andmemorizing weft

counts and side finishes, but again, I did not

learn any specifics on how to advance my

cleaning techniques. It actually doesnt affect

how you clean a rug to know what coun-

try it comes from.

I had an unfair advantage over the others

because Ive been around rugs all of my life

and Im an excellent writer so the term paper

was a breeze. But because I can do well on a

college-type test, and can write, does not

mean I was the best rug cleaner in that class.

Its an interesting course that I enjoyed, but if

the goal is to train large numbers of rug spe-

cialists, with under 100 CRSs following

through to the term paper, they are failing at

that task.

2.What is your opinion on the influence

of carpet manufacturers and fiber produc-

ers on the cleaning industry?

Jim Pemberton: I dont deny that weve had

some good things happen with the more

open relationships with carpet manufactur-

ers and fiber producers. It has allowed some

better mechanisms for a few cleaners to mar-

kettheir services anddevelopstronger retailer

relationships.

Butoverall, weve labored under toomany

restrictions for too few benefits in return.

If we believethat thepeople who make car-

petreally care about ourindustry, we are mis-

taken. We are not partners in their minds, but

seen as a necessary evil at worst, and a very

junior partner that should be treated with a

benign paternalism at best.

I dont want to feel this way, but you onlyneed read the recent CRI rebuttal to the

study done by DebbieLema regarding Seal of


COVER STORY

Circle 209

Traditional schooling is no longer

a prerequisite forsuccess.


7/8

Approval (SOA) testing to see just how little

understanding and regard that industry

has for ours.

And you only need to look at where your

customer base really comes from to know

how little you really need them.

Lisa Wagner: I understand the desire for the

wool producers to get involved in the clean-

ing sectors.

After all, they are seeking more revenue

sources, so requiring manufacturers to bend

overbackwards to create "approved"products

does that. Getting cleaners to pay to also be

considered approved, also helps feed those

revenue needs.

The interesting thing about this, though, is

that there is not a single in-plant rug cleaning

peer that I know who chooses, or uses, Wool-

Safe products. If they do, it is by accident and

not by plan.

The approval guidelines are not based oncleaning results, but on arbitrary rules which

do not apply to manufacturers of wool rugs,

but on the cleaners of them.

When you are cleaning rugs in the home,

andleaving residue as a result, then issueslike

alkalinity, agitation and heat are important to

be aware of. Using hot water extraction, or a

highly alkaline solution, could cause thewool

to bleed or yellow.

Cleaning in a professional rug plant, with

the amount of water and agitationthat can beused, creates a completely different cleaning

environment where the WoolSafe guidelines

are simply irrelevant.

The guidelines are made to prevent dumb

accidents when you are choosing to surface-

clean wool rugs in the home. Washing rugs in

the plant is a completely different beast.

Being knowledgeable about wool through


Most training opportunities arestrictlyin classroom settings. However, there is a need to craft real

professionals in the fields of finefabric and specialty rug carethroughpractical, hands-ontraining.

COVER STORY

Circle 204


8/8

hands-on experience and being a wool smart cleaner far outperforms

someone with a WoolSafe designation from an on-line course where they

never handled a single rug.

3. What is the solution, from your perspective?

Jim Pemberton: One-size-fits-all training does not work. In the field

of fine fabriccare, there is a need to first get technicians to understand the

basics of the task, including training that is heavy in testing, inspectionand choosing safe and easy-to-use methods that keep the cleaner out

of trouble.

However, for a cleaning company to be put to the forefront in their

market area, they will need to be able to restore to next to new condi-

tion the most delicate textiles, including the removal of severe stains and

odors. This training requires more than can be taught at basic skill levels.

Such training need not be limited to the classroom experience; both

basic skills andadvanced techniques canbe taught, at least partially, in an

onlinelearning environment.That being said, there will alwaysbe a place

for hands-on supervision of advanced skill development.

Lisa Wagner: Real-world rug education is based on need. Some techni-cians want to learn enough to stay out of trouble and know when to say

no to certain jobs.

A basic level rugcourse should focus on the practical aspects of fibers,

dyes, construction and pre-existing conditions, rather than on where the

rugs are woven or produced.

Surface-cleaning synthetic rugs and identifying natural fiber rugs to

refer to rugwashing facilities should be covered. Havingthem memorize

lots of rug identification facts they will never use, should not.

Formanagers andowners, more specific courses shouldbe designed to

teach hands-on cleaningstrategies forproblem tuftedand customrugs, as

well as washing woven rugs. You cannot teach in-plant methods thor-

oughly onlineor in a temporary wash pit in a classroom; it needs to hap-penin an actual rug cleaning facility if the attendee wants to learnhow to

set up a professional rug cleaning operation. Best business practices and

operations should be covered, and this can easily be enhanced through

online channels.

The point is that there needs to be a division between those who are

goingto surface-clean syntheticrugsin the home, and those who want to

become true textile specialists operating a rug plant.

CF

COVER STORY

2 CM/Cleanfax SEPTEMBER 2010 CLEANFAX COM

Todays cleaningeducation improveswhen a morehands-onapproachto trainingis implemented.

Circle 232

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