When cleaning hotel rooms, offices and public restrooms, professionals typically think about removing soils and disinfecting. But, there are other non-soil measures of clean, two of the most common being hair and dust. [More]

Typically, a contractor can deduct only a portion of the costs of a new piece of equipment over a period of time. This is referred to as a depreciation allowance. But, with the current tax break, in essence, the contractor is getting a onetime gift from Uncle Sam. [More]

Carpet cleaners and restoration contractors have long been using commercial air movers to expedite drying and prevent permanent damage to flooring. Large facilities like schools, universities and business campuses could benefit from having a commercial air mover on-site in the event of an emergency. [More]

The size of a facility does not always reflect its value. Many small offices, boutiques, cafés and specialty stores are built with top-quality materials to send a strong message of luxury to their customers. Whether the flooring is a precious hardwood or high-end carpet, it is susceptible to moisture damage from spills big and small. [More]

Right now, Uncle Sam has a gift for us. End users who purchase capital equipment for their businesses may be able to take advantage of exceptionally advantageous depreciation and expense deductions that are targeted to expire or decline significantly in 2012. [More]

At Washoe County School District, where PCHS got started, the daily average attendance record has risen by a remarkable six-and-a-half percent! [More]

Typically, carpet extractors use a lot of water — about a gallon per minute, sometimes more. In fact, some older machines were designed when the belief was more is better — in this case, more water is better. The idea behind this is that the more water used, the more soil could be flushed out of the carpet. [More]

We are all well aware of outdoor pollution. Few people realize, however, that indoor pollution can be just as hazardous to the health as outdoor pollution. Schools and universities should assess campus indoor air quality and take steps to ensure that the health of students and faculty are not being put at risk. [More]

The non-profit Process Cleaning for Healthy Schools (PCHS) Consortium is officially supporting the promotion and distribution of the book, "Clean and Healthy Schools for Dummies" by Dr. David Mudarri, a publishing collaboration by the IEHA, Healthy Schools Campaign and Wiley & Sons Publishing. [More]

A study released on June 16, 2011, got little or no play in the professional cleaning or carpet cleaning industries; however, I think it is going to have a very big impact on these industries in years to come.

What’s happening, in the most simple of terms, is that our most valuable natural resource — water — is increasingly becoming scarce. This means the cost of water is going to go up significantly, and how we use and manage water is going to become an increasingly bigger issue.

[More]

The battle between canister vacuums, backpacks and uprights — and which is the best type of vacuum — has been raging for years. All three types normally offer tools and options to make cleaning tasks easier.

Today, most provide dual-purpose versatility for carpet or hard floors, and newer models offer superior suction, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration, enhanced cleaning speed, whisper-quiet operation and are offered at competitive prices. [More]

Many in the professional cleaning industry are unaware that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) are now requiring the manufacturers of truckmount carpet extractors to modify their systems to meet new lower emissions requirements. [More]

Although most CMM Blog readers are likely to be building service contractors (BSC), that doesn’t mean they don’t need to know some basic carpet care terms.

In most cases, end-customers will turn to their BSC for advice and direction when stains, spots and other soiling appear on their carpets or upholstery. [More]