Times have changed, and so has the wand since my first professional cleaning experience 37 years ago.

I have never met a professional cleaner who was not interested in making his job easier and earning more money in less time. Let’s see if we can discover ways to make this happen.

As recently as 10 or even 5 years ago, most restorers would not expect to use an air scrubber or air filtration device on most of their jobs.

For many cleaning techs who have successfully mastered carpet, rugs, tile and grout and other flooring materials, natural stone has remained taboo, a surface they don’t feel qualified to clean.

“Performing surgery today?” your customer asks. With tongue in cheek, she may initially make fun of your “surgical booties,” but will quickly be impressed with the extra care you are taking as you perform your cleaning.

Cleaning up after pet accidents is not often a pleasant experience. When faced with those nasty jobs, I used to remind myself that animal waste and the putrid odor that accompanied it was the smell of money that helped me deal with the cleanup. 

When you enter the home you are about to clean and are knocked over by the smell of money – otherwise known as animal urine – you have an obligation to detect the source and offer your customer a solution.

While infrared (IR) cameras are not quite amazing enough to turn you into Superman with X-ray vision, they can do much to build customer confidence in your professional knowledge, abilities and results. 

Back in 2006, I touched on a subject near and dear to my heart…or, perhaps more correctly, my spine. It’s an important issue in this business, however, and definitely bears some repeating...

If you’ve ever heard this come out of the mouth of one of your customers while you’re working in their home or office, you’ve got a couple of things to consider.