Toolbox Tips
Marketing Savvy

Best practices for cleaning and restoration professionals

Cleaning Wood Furniture
By Cliff Zlotnik, CR, WLS, CMH 

The information presented is based on more than 30 years of hands-on experience in the industry. Despite the improvements in equipment and knowledge during the past decades, sometimes the traditional methods are still the most effective. 

White rings on furniture
Many times, the white discoloration that appears on finished wood trim or furniture is caused by moisture trapped in the finish or wax. The discoloration can be removed by using wood restoration gel applied with 0000 (finest grade) steel wool or denatured alcohol applied with a cotton ball.

Caution: As denatured alcohol will dissolve shellac (a finish common on antique furniture) try wood restoration gel and steel wool first.

Removing smoke residue from the back of wood furniture
To remove smoke residue from the unfinished exterior (back) of a piece of furniture, aggressively rub with a dry sponge and then use 0000 steel wool (in the direction of the wood grain to remove discoloration).

Mechanical furniture polishing
An orbital polisher can be used on furniture and is effective because it applies consistent pressure. When used with paste wax, an orbital polisher works well and looks professional. It can also be used in conjunction with automotive rubbing and polishing compounds to remove yellow discoloration from painted finishes. (Uneven results occur when doing this by hand, so use a buffer to apply the compound.) An orbital polisher can also be used to polish stainless steel appliances. 
 

Introduce Yourself with Pizzazz
When you meet someone at a networking event, that person will invariably ask, “So, what do you do?” Most of us answer with our job title and company name. A title can mean many different things, and the person may not be familiar with your organization. Instead, tell people how you bring value to your company by outlining your contributions and touting your special talents.

Example: Instead of saying, “I’m a marking rep with ABC,” say “I help people get the word out about their products and services. Last week one of my clients was featured in “The Washington Post.” 

Simple Ways to Keep in Touch
Networking is not just exchanging business cards; it’s building relationships for the long term.

Use these creative techniques to nurture your relationships so they’ll be there when you need them:

• Invite someone in your network to attend a business event with you. You’ll have the opportunity to talk, and you’ll both have a chance to make new contacts. 
• Lend a book or tape to a contact. Deliver it personally and follow up to see how the person liked it. You may even want to get together to discuss the content.
• Ask a colleague, contact or customer to review and comment on something you’ve written. It could be a brochure, article or letter. By asking for advice, you show you value the person’s opinion.
• Send handwritten notes for every conceivable reason — thanking someone for a referral, congratulating a colleague on a promotion, etc. The personal touch will be remembered and appreciated. 

Adapted from “Networking: 9 Creative Ways to Keep in Touch,” Karen Susman, www.karensusman.com.

Bright Ideas
Product Spotlight

There are all sorts of little things cleaning and restoration firms can do to dazzle their clients with outstanding customer service. It can be as simple as replacing all of the furniture and plugging the lamps into the proper outlets after cleaning their carpets, or something as noticeable as mowing their lawn at the end of a large restoration project.

What do you do to make your firm’s customer service unforgettable?

Send submissions of 100 words or less to: NewsBreak@RIA.org with the words “Bright Idea” on the subject line by Monday, January 9^th.

The best idea will receive a $25 gift certificate good towards any future RIA product, course or conference. The best ideas will be published in the January issue of NewsBreak.

Check out these and other products at http://www.RIA.org/resourcelibrary/marmaterials.cfm. 

Emergency Tips...Do's and Don’ts When Disaster Strikes!
Here are some helpful hints for consumers when dealing with a variety of post-catastrophe situations. Topics include fire, smoke and water damage, as well as vandalism. This tri-fold brochure also includes the NIDR Code of Ethics. RIA can imprint your company's logo in the space provided or ship brochures flat for later printing.

Available to RIA members only
1,000/$200 ·500/$125
Imprinting per 1,000 (black only)
1,000 minimum/$200 additional charge

Fungal Contamination: A Comprehensive Guide for Remediation*
This book is the first of its kind to provide a detailed description of mold control techniques within a framework that clarifies the diversity of opinions on the subject of mold. It pulls together the latest techniques and important references in an organized fashion rather than a compendium of separate articles. Fungal Contamination: A Comprehensive Guide for Remediation, written by Michael Pinto, Ph.D., CEO of Wonder Makers Environmental, Inc., and David Janke, Bioaerosol Analyst, also of Wonder Makers Environmental, Inc., weaves together basic information about mold with an understandable overview of its health effects.

*Now updated to include new information on Anthrax.

Members: 1-4 copies $115.00 ea.
Nonmembers: 1-4 copies $125.00 ea.
Call for pricing on greater quantities

On Press Now

Not a subscriber? Then click here to order your monthly subscription to RIA’s monthly, award-winning technical journal https://www.RIA.org/commerce/crmag_subscription.cfm.

INDUSTRY NEWS

"Louisiana Toughens Building Codes"
Wall Street Journal (11/25/05) P. A2; Opdyke, Jeff D.

Lawmakers in Louisiana recently approved legislation that will upgrade the state's building codes in an effort to minimize future hurricane-related damage, creating several wind zones and imposing style and material requirements for the homes built within them. Coastal parishes will have to abide by the strictest codes, which the Louisiana Home Builders Association says will tack an extra 14 percent onto total construction costs. Homes built prior to 1970 have been exempt from federal elevation requirements, but those with damage that is equivalent to 50 percent or more of their pre-storm values will now be forced to comply. The home builders' group estimates that constructing homes on piers or above a garage or adding dirt to boost the ground's height will drive up construction costs by 20 to 30 percent. Much of the added costs will come out of the pockets of homeowners, as insurers do not pay for improvements tied to more stringent building codes. Moreover, rebuilding will not make residents less vulnerable to flood-related damage, since the federal elevation rules do not guard against massive storm surges or levee breaks.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

"Cleaning Needed, in the Worst Way"
New York Times (11/22/05) Jacobs, Andrew

Bio-Recovery Corporation is a New York-based business that specializes in the cleanup and removal of gruesome human remains, typically resulting from suicides, murders, and the decomposition of bodies. The six-employee company is owned by 43-year-old Ronald Gospodarski, who has been a paramedic for 23 years. The company has handled matters like the anthrax contamination of the New York Post and the sterilization of a cruise ship whose passengers were sickened by a virus. But the majority of the company's business is cleaning up after deaths, including an apartment where an 86-year-old retiree's corpse decomposed for a month. Gospodarski says the company provides "psychological comfort" for bereaved families by cleaning up their loved one's remains. The company's charges range from $600 for cases involving slight decomposition to thousands of dollars for more complicated cleanups. For complex jobs, Gospodarski's company uses a "superheating" process that can kill odor-producing microbes throughout an entire apartment, helping to save valuable items that would otherwise need to be thrown away.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

"Canadian Labor Crunch"
Workforce Management (12/06/2005)

Canada's unemployment rate slipped to 6.6 percent in October, marking the lowest level in three decades. A workforce crunch is being forecasted within the next five years by the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters Association, mainly due to the retirement of over 500,000 manufacturing workers. In an effort to lure skilled laborers, the country could alter its immigration laws. Additionally, manufacturers are teaming up with universities to add to the pool of manufacturing workers.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

"Hiring Talent"
Floor Covering News (12/05/05) Vol. 20, No. 19, P. 8; Stafford, Dave

Commercial Carpets of America executive vice president Dave Stafford writes that too many managers hire workers based solely on applicants' resumes and experience "rather than digging into that person's talent for the position." He says that the first step in the hiring process is to precisely describe to applicants what must be done in order to achieve success in the position applied for. Once the employer and the applicant reach a solid understanding of what is needed, questions like "How have you performed those or similar activities in your previous experience?" should be asked. Stafford adds, "If you have a hiring protocol such as integrity or sales profiling, make sure you follow all the steps. There is a tendency to skip some of them when someone looks good." Finally, employers may be better served by adding some extra testing or profiles to uncover either hidden abilities or a lack of ability. It also goes without saying to check references thoroughly.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

"Hurricanes Deliver Blow to Lloyd's 2005 Profit"
Business Insurance (11/30/05) Veysey, Sarah

The 2005 hurricane season is expected to cause Lloyd's of London to record a loss for the year, especially with Hurricane Katrina losses now estimated at 1.9 billion pounds. The market, however, does not expect the losses to adversely affect its Central Fund, which acts as a stopgap measure for all of Lloyd's syndicates. Meanwhile, Lloyd's noted its underwriting capacity for 2006 would reach 14.7 billion pounds, up 7 percent from its 2005 capacity.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

"Impax Hopes Carpet Folks Glide to New Technology"
Cincinnati Business Courier (12/05/05) Baverman, Laura

Impax Technology Group LLC acquired the licensing rights to Sencorp's KoolGlide carpet seaming system from Nexicor in October and is now focusing its efforts on getting installers to use the new technology. KoolGlide eliminates the odor and smoke associated with the seaming process. Impax joined forces with Shaw Industries, Mohawk Carpet, and the Certified Floorcovering Installers Association to beef up its marketing efforts, with the association performing market research and holding training sessions. CFIA CEO Jim Walker says KoolGlide has revolutionized carpet seaming and made the process healthier for installers by getting rid of the smoke. "Every installer that I've had get down on their knees and use it loves it, but the biggest obstacle is just getting it in their hands," explains Walker.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

"Five Low-Cost Marketing Tips to Help Boost Profits"
Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle) (11/25/05) Dickson, Jane

Small businesses often have less promotional resources than large ones, but small budgets still allow small businesses a lot of room to work. Of five possible avenues of action, the first low-cost method for marketing a small business is to remember to focus on profits, not sales when marketing products and the second low-cost option is to track which customers are the best customers, not in terms of purchasing often, but in terms of making purchases that create the most profit. Customer-management software is one tool that can help small businesses track their customers and customer trends. Third, use your existing customers to reach others by word of mouth. For instance, if a small business sends out postcards and emails announcing a sale or an event, existing customers likely will inform friends and family who have never visited the store or business about it. Fourth, small businesses should highlight their unique specialties that make them stand out and attract people. Fifth, small businesses can gain free media attention by contacting local reporters and letting them know they are available for comment on stories relevant to their store, their expertise, their niche, and their location. Lastly, often small businesses know their customers in terms of personal buying habits, first names, and residential locations, and these are assets.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

"Academies Will Aim to Fill Vital Skills Gaps"
Financial Times (11/30/05) P. 3; Taylor, Andrew

The U.K. government plans to develop four new skills academies, substantially financed by business groups, that will train "tens of thousand of young people" to enter the workplace with marketable and valuable skills. The four areas covered by the institutions will be construction, financial services, food and drink manufacturing, and engineering. A recent study from the U.K. National Institute of Economic and Social Research reports that low skills among the British labor force is the reason that Britain's productivity is 12 percent less than Germany's. Business groups also have complained that the current educational structure does not meet their needs. The government will put up 35 percent of initial costs and eventually the schools will be self-sustaining. The construction academy alone intends to train 20,000 students in 2006, a large undertaking, with an aim of helping 70,000 per year eventually. Government ministers are eying additional academies in 2008, and possible industries include the automotive, hospitality, chemical, and nuclear industries. Academies will emphasize hands-on training.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

"Investigators Find Wilma Damage Passes Expectations"
ENR (11/07/05) Vol. 255, No. 18, P. 14; Wood, Debra

Consulting engineer Herbert Saffir of Coral Gables, Fla., and other inspectors of damage caused by Hurricane Wilma in South Florida in October say they are curious as to why the relatively weak storm was able to cause so much damage to certain buildings and power poles. Hundreds of windows in high-rises in both Fort Lauderdale and Miami, where wind gusts barely rose above 100 miles-per-hour, shattered during the storm. Though he declined to speculate about the cause of this damage, Hector Lima, Miami's building department director, says some of the newer buildings that experienced window damage received their building permits before the city's 2002 upgrade to wind resistance codes. Clemson University civil engineering professor Scott D. Schiff says roof gravel picked up by the wind may have contributed to some of the glass damage. "In newer buildings, it tells me either the debris in the air was bigger or moving faster than the standards, or [the windows] were really not impact resistant," he says. Saffir is raising concerns about the quality of workmanship and code enforcement in the cities that experienced utility and high-rise damage during Wilma.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

"Big Easy Fighting Epic Battle Against Mold"
Associated Press (11/14/05)

Mold has always been a concern inside buildings in New Orleans, but since Hurricane Katrina, legions of mold remediation crews have come from across the country to work on houses, businesses, schools, and churches. In some cases, houses were flooded for several weeks, and the mold gets worse the longer a wet building sits. "Get some air circulation going, get dehumidifiers going, the air conditioner, throw that carpet away," said Department of Housing and Urban Development spokesman Brian Sullivan, emphasizing the importance of doing whatever is necessary "to stop the source of moisture." As the mold-remediation crews pulled into town in trucks laden with hoses, thermal imaging cameras, and moisture meters, "people were beeping their horns, giving us the thumbs-up," said T.J. Locke of Water Out, which dried out the swampy flooding in the Longue Vue estate, an elaborately furnished mansion and museum in Old Metairie where trailer-mounted heating systems work around the clock to get the cellars dry while large dehumidifiers work on upstairs rooms. To take the place of the mansion's failed air conditioning, Water Out supplied a temporary air conditioning system to combat rising humidity. Meanwhile, many New Orleanians, accustomed to their city's wet climate, are not bothering to call in professionals, as they themselves seem hard-wired to combat mold.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

"Cajundome Seeks FEMA Funds"
Baton Rouge Advocate (LA) (11/16/05) Burgess, Richard

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will pay upwards of $3.2 million to repair and clean the Cajundome and Convention Center in Lafayette, La., which sheltered thousands of Hurricane Katrina evacuees. It will cost $600,000 for Cajundome staff to clean and make minor repairs and another $1.5 million to repaint and replace carpets, tiles, plumbing, elevators, and the air conditioning, among other things. Cajundome director Greg Davis says the damage was caused by overuse, not vandalism. "Essentially, we had a 24-hour event that lasted for 58 days," explains Davis.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

"LEED Program is Leading the Way to Green Products and Materials"
Houston Business Journal (11/21/05) Hendry, Graeme A.

The United States produced an estimated 136 million tons of building-related construction and demolition debris in 1996, and the bulk of it was discarded in landfills, even though most of it consisted of recyclable or reusable materials such as wood, drywall, metal, concrete, and cardboard. Buildings account for about 60 percent of raw materials used and 40 percent of nonindustrial solid waste, and they consume about 37 percent of energy and 68 percent of electricity produced in the country each year. All this data has helped make the case for environmentally conscious design, but architects and designers lacked a cohesive design tool until the U.S. Green Building Council created the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. This program is split up into six categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design process. It has given architects and designers more awareness of green building, and this in turn is trickling down to manufacturers and service providers. Many manufacturers are assessing how their products can help contribute to LEED credits, and they are also focusing on emissions from their products. One area that LEED does not cover is credit for selecting products from manufacturers with an independent third-party verified environmental management system, but such verification and certification is available through other means such as ISO 14001. Meanwhile, although LEED was originally developed for new construction, several other types of LEED products are now available that cover areas such as commercial interiors and existing buildings, and others under development will cover areas such as home and neighborhood development.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

"Feds Should Reinsure Major Catastrophes: Report"
Business Insurance (11/14/05) Hofmann, Mark A.

The Brookings Institution recently reported that a formal, federal reinsurance system that mirrors the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act is needed to cover mega-catastrophe costs. Unlike the federal backstop established by TRIA, premiums paid into the catastrophe fund would be made available prior to a disaster. Additionally, premiums would be based upon actuarial risks and encourage state and local governments to improve building codes and land-use rules. The Brookings Institute's report also notes that the program would not be a bailout for insurers, as it would protect the government and taxpayers from shelling out billions in relief aid once disasters strike.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

"Breathing Easy"
Washington Times (11/14/05) P. B1; Toto, Christian

The Arlington County (Va.) School District uses materials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a reference on how it approaches the issues of mold, asthma, and indoor air quality. If a problem with air quality emerges, the school system can turn to these materials, which include "sample documents showing how to communicate" within a district if a problem occurs, says Sarah Woodhead, director of design and construction for the school district. "Any small problem, we jump on it right away," said Woodhead, recollecting how the district reacted to floor cleaner that spilled onto the carpet in one of its buildings. "We pulled the carpet out and replaced it" instead of waiting to see if a problem developed, she said. The Arlington County School District also keeps its buildings clean, conducts routine mechanical system checks on older buildings, and uses a pest control service that is minimally invasive. The EPA's guidelines recommend caution with installing new carpets, which can produce a potentially harmful odor for a day or two as the glue bonds to the carpet.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

"Exploring Encapsulation for Upholstery"
Clean Fax (11/01/2005) Warrington, Scott

The "encapsulation" procedure for cleaning upholstery is not a new one, but it is becoming more and more popular in the cleaning market today. Encapsulation should begin with a thorough inspection for pre-existing problems, as with any upholstery cleaning, as well as pre-tests for any possible bleeding and thorough vacuuming of fabric and crevices. The next step is to apply an encapsulating cleaning agent, which may be done by spraying or whipping the cleaner into a foam and then using a sponge or horse-hair brush to apply it. A horsehair brush or a pad or bonnet attached to a variable-speed drill can be used for agitation, after which cotton towels can be used to remove foam and soil. A rinse with hot-water extraction may follow in some cases, so as to remove the encapsulation cleaner before it can cure. After this, a final vacuuming is performed to remove the crystallized encapsulant and attached soils. Manufacturers are continuing to work on various issues related to encapsulation, such as whether products designed to penetrate carpet are safe for upholstery.
(Web Link)
Return to Headlines

© Copyright 2005 INFORMATION, INC.
Masthead photos courtesy of VanDam & Krusinga and Insurance Restoration Services.