Q. Do you have a spotting guide, and can I have a copy? Bill A.Hi Bill- Sorry, but the spotting guide is on heavy paper, almost cardboard, and there is no way to e-mail it. It is designed for the customer to hang up where she stores her cleaning supplies. I will have to send it by regular snail mail, so I would need your name and mailing address. The spotting guide is printed with my name and logo on it, but you are free to put yours in it's place, as it is not copyrighted. I also have 10 business forms that I use every day, such as work orders/estimate forms, brochures, etc that are available- $10.00 for 10 forms, and manuals for different aspects of the business. Have you been to my web site? I offer a lot of stuff, and help newcomers all the time. Go to http://www.heacocks.com and look around. How long have you been in the cleaning business? This is my 42nd year, almost 43 years. What equipment do you use? Are you wanting some input on equipment? I have operated most all types at one time or another, and am pretty familiar with them all. Currently, I run a CDS TM, a portable, a Chemstractor, a bonnet system, and plant wash rugs. In the past, I have run a Von Schrader, a Host system, a Capture system, and old fashioned shampoo with extraction. I am pretty familiar with most all of the brands of cleaning products, and furniture cleaning tools and equipment. Gary Do Not Pass A Crawling Man Without Grinning. --------- Q.I would like some info on ozone machines. Ted A.Hi Ted- Ozone machines come in many sizes and outputs for different purposes. The most common size and output is for home use, to remove odors from cooking, smoking, allergy relief, etc. The maximim square footage it will handle is 2500 sq. ft. It is somewhat adjustable, down to a minimum sq. ft. of 150 sq. ft- about a 10 x 15 room. A person could use it in a car, or truck, or RV, but there are smaller machines for this purpose, and some are set up for 12 volts. If the 2500 sq. ft model was used, it would be for a very short time. I am a smoker, and I have one in my computer room, where I spend several hours most days, and since we have non-smoking guests, there is no odor for their comfort. I am in the carpet cleaning business, and also handle water damage jobs. Most water damage jobs create odors. From wet padding, pet urine deposits, etc, mold, mildew, and other allergens frequently increase when there is a wet situation. In cases of sewage backups, or other black water intrusions, something like these machines is a must. In new homes, whether manufactured or stick-built, there is frequently odors- from the wood of the construction, blown insulation, new carpets, and padding, etc. In most cases, placing one of these models for 2 days is sufficient to eliminate most malodors. In used, or older homes, when new owners come in, there is always odors from prior owners, and sometimes the new owners find these odors objectionable. Depending on what the odor source is, it takes 3 or 4 days to eliminate these. Cigar or pipe smokers, pungent spices from cooking, pet odors, etc can be driven into the sheetrock, carpets, draperies, ceilings, etc, and this is why it takes longer to eliminate these types of odors. So far, I have not had a case of the ozone failing to eliminate objectionable odors. In theory, then, you would be advised to purchase a machine for your use, rather than renting one. I do, and others also rent them on an as needed basis for people who do not need one on an every day basis. The rental fee is $25.00 per day on a short term basis, and $595.00 to purchase a machine of this size and output. I am in Portland, Oregon, and if you are in a different city, and want to purchase one, it would be sent new by UPS. If you were wanting more than one machine, there is a discount for quantity. If you are also in Portland, I would deliver a machine within a few days, depending on my schedule. I can mail you some literature that explains some features, and some other benefits. If you like, send me your mailing address, and I will do this. Thanks for your inquiry, and I hope to be of help here. Gary Do Not Pass A Crawling Man Without Grinning. --------- Q. Can pad be saved? Is there a video on water damage available? Tell me what you do for your water damage. I liked your web site. Barney. A.Hi Barney- Glad you liked my web site. It was made by my son, like most of his generation, they are very sharp on computer stuff. I just supplied the text, and he took it from there. Re a video on water damage- I don't know of any, but I would imagine Dri-Eaz would have one, as they are the BIG gurus of water damage. Since you have been to my site, you know I have manuals on several subjects available. Mine on water damage is very simple- not wordy, or overly complicated, and easy to follow. You ask if the pad should be saved, or discarded. A reasonable question. I have been doing this since 1960, and am pretty knowledgable on this subject. The only pads I do not save is ones from a river flood, or mudslide, etc. Clean water (anything except sewage) which is 95% of most floods, I save the pad if I get to the job within 2 or 3 days of the occurance. After 3 days, there can be mold, mildew, and other problems. Sometimes, a week or more goes by before the flood is discovered, and it depends on how bad the mildew is whether the pad can be saved or not. That is the main criteria. Most of the jobs I do, I am called within 24 hours of the occurance, and I save every kind of pad. Some people always discard Jute/hair pads, because they smell when wet. The smell is from the wet jute, or wet hair, not because they are moldy. I also wash rugs, and pads, and wash every kind of pad including Jute/hair, so I know they smell when wet, but not when dry. Drying most wet carpets is complete in 2 days, sometimes 3 days. Pads dry in 1 day after the carpet is dry- no matter what kind. So, why not save them? !. If the pad is discarded, what are you going to do with it? 2. Dealing with wet padding- making a mess in the customer's location in addition to the mess of the wet carpet. 3. Having to lift the entire carpet to get the pad out. 4. Having to remove the furniture to remove the carpet to remove the pad, can be difficult without a moving company like Bekins, Mayflower, etc. 5. Then reversing the process to install new pad when it is not necessary, if the pad can be dried. 6. It does not harm the pad to be wet, then dry. Consider what they are made of. 7. The cost of replacing the pad versus the cost of drying it, is a lot less to dry it. 8. Matching the pad to what pad remains is not always possible, especially older types of pads- newer ones may be different thickness, or different resiliency. This feels different underfoot, and is always objectioable to the customer, later. All these points refer to clean water floods, or minor sewage floods. River floods, or others where there is mud deposits ALWAYS replace the pad, AND the carpet. the reason here is the silt. you cannot get it all out, and when dry, frequently there is an allergy problem, or worse from the airborne silt when dry. Have you been to Dri-Eaz's web site? Go to http://www.dri-eaz.com and look around. They have a forum, where people discuss drying problems, and you can learn a lot from these discussions. Some are opinion, some are facts. Some are from new people in the industry, some are from old timers like me. Another web site with a good forum is http://www.avalu.com and there are others, too. Jason- at avalu is a cleaner who is very knowledgable, and sells stuff, too. Yes, I have made contributions there, too. My basic procedure on a water damage call goes like this- 1. Look at what is affected. 2. Is it clean water source, sewage, or other black water? 3. Probe to see how much the source has run under the carpet and does not show on the surface, or under walls to another area, and has it run down to a lower floor, or more. 4. How long has it been since the water incursion began? Is there mold or mildew, or other complications? 5. Take a reading of temperature and Rh and write it down. 6. Apply antimicrobial if needed, or enzyme digesters if needed. 7. Extract all standing water. 8. Re-apply if needed to remaining dampness. 9. Assuming clean water incursion, lift a corner, or wherever and set a turbo under the carpet, and a dehumidifier where needed. Depending on the area of water, a box fan can be set to speed the drying by making the dehumidifier more efficient. The added air movement above the carpet always helps especially in large areas. 10. Monitor daily to assess drying. Set an ozone machine for odor control. I use small ones if people are present, that is safe for use during occupancy. 11. When dry, refasten the corner, and clean as needed. I expect this is pretty much how you do it, too, as there are only minor variations to most of this. My procedures are not cast in stone, and must be followed like a law of gravity, and each job is unique to itself, but you get the idea. How would I go about getting more water damage business? I have all I care to handle, thanks. But the answer is property managers. Not adjusters. Most adjusters won't give you the time of day. And they can be your nemesis on a job, not your friend. Property managers run into this problem every day. A poll was taken several years ago, and the average flood call was one out of 1000 homes and businesses every day. So, property managers see this problem pretty frequently. Work with those that have business as well as residential properties. This is the source of most of my water damage business. I have several property managers who call me for floods, but not for regular cleaning work, as they can get that done very cheaply, and I want top price for cleaning. When there is a flood, though, that is a different story. Jeff Bishop's stuff is VERY complete, and tells you a ton of stuff that you will never use, but answers EVERY possible question that EVER came up in the world. What city are you in? What cleaning equipment do you now have? What drying equipment do you have? What cleaning product do you now use? I may be of some help here. Gary Do Not Pass A Crawling Man Without Grinning. --------- Q. Tell me about mattress cleaning. A.Hi Bob- I clean the mattresses in hide-a-bed sofas, and sell that along with the regular cleaning price of the hide-a-bed sofa, which raises the total price- for instance if my fee for cleaning the sofa body and cushions is $75.00, with the mattress in it, I add $30.00 for that, and say to the customer, when she asks the price, the fee is $105.00, and that includes the mattress. She is aware that it is seldom used, and always for guests, and she has no way to know if it is clean or not, and most all want it clean for guests, so she says O.K. Then I ask her about kid's mattresses. Most of them have kid's urine in them, and she knows this, and most of the time she says they need it, and to go ahead. I always ask next if the master bed needs it's mattress cleaned, and about half of the time, she says yes to that too. You can charge whatever fee you want, I charge $30.00 per side, with any mattress whether it is a hide-a-bed, kids size, or King size for adults. sometimes they want 2 sides cleaned, sometimes only one side. I clean them just like any upholstery, as that is basically what they are. I steam clean them, shampoo them, or dry clean them, depending on what equipment I am using for cleaning any other upholstery in their house. It does not matter what you use, and your VS equipment will work fine. For urine deposits I use Bi-O-Kleen's Bac-Out Waste and Odor Digester, as I have found that to be the best I have ever tried for urine, vomit, diarrhea, spilled food, coffee, tea, wine, and I also use it for water marks on upholstery and carpets. Water marks are organic material, basically the same as any other organic material, and Bac-Out digests it the same, without leaving a water mark of it's own. All hotels and motels have lots of mattresses. Go to the manager, or housekeeper, and ask for this business. You might be surprised how receptive they are to this idea. They will say they were not even aware mattresses could be cleaned. Also ask for furniture and carpet cleaning, but begin with mattress cleaning. It's easier than furniture, and I do more dollars per hour with mattresses than furniture, usually. You can make up a flyer, and pass it out, saying mattress cleaning specialist. Add this line to your business cards, and other literature. If you have an ad in the yellow pages, add this line to it. I use all of Bi-O-Kleen's products- Traffic Lane Cleaner, steam cleaning products such as Fiber-Glo, and POGG for chewing gum, paint, grease, tar, candle wax, etc. Bonnet cleaning and Rug Washing formulas. you might consider using some Bi-O-Kleen 2 detergent in your VS machine, as it is a pretty foamy type of soap, and biodegradable, etc. Everything Bi-O-Kleen makes is safe for the user, and customer, kids, pets, etc, and is environemntally friendly, biodegradable, neutral pH, etc. There is a list on my web site, as well as my manuals, tips for professional cleaners, air purifiers, etc. Go take a look at http://www.heacocks.com There are several other cleaner's forums- do you want some of these, to see what questions and answers cleaners have to say about many subjects? What city are you in? How long have you been in the cleaning business? Do you need some help in marketing your business to help make it grow? Gary Help!! I am on line, and can't get off!! ------- Q.Can filtration soiling lines be removed? How do you clean these? Phil. A.Hi- Phil- The filtration lines are caused by air movement- where air is moving between the inside and outside, wherever there is a gap between the floor and walls. Most carpet cleaners spend some time removing these, along with the rest of the soils present. I have and use professionally a special brush for this purpose, as well as a special narrow steam cleaning tool, only 1/2 inch wide, by 2 inches long. To prevent these filtration soil lines from forming, once they are removed, the carpet must be lifted, and the gaps caulked, to keep the air from flowing through the gaps. If you are going to do this work, you will also need to refasten the carpet when the caulking is dry, about 24 hours curing time. It is a major task, and most folks prefer to just deal with the filtration soil as it occurs. If you elect to have the sealing done professionally, it may cost several hundred dollars, but that is the best answer. On my web site is the brush for sale, and I also sell some cleaner that is very effective for removing these soils. The soils are the burned petroleum by-products of combustion, and are basically soot. In the cleaning trade, we refer to them as soot lines. This is why most readily available cleaning products have little or no effect on them. I hope this answers your question. If you have others. please feel free to ask, anytime. My web site address is- http;//www.heacocks.com Gary Help!! I am on line, and can't get off!!