Plastic kettles should only need a wipe down with warm soapy water – don’t use anything abrasive or it will scratch the surface. Discoloured marks may improve after rubbing them with a cut lemon.

Metal kettles will benefit from a clean with soapy water then a lovely buff with a microfibre cloth to banish streaks.

Descale a kettle by filling it with half water and half clear vinegar. Leave overnight, empty, wipe out, refill with water, reboil, empty, refill, reboil, make tea.

Employers discovered using illegal immigrants are normally issued with a notification of potential liability and could face a fine of up to £10,000 for each illegal worker. The allegations are the latest in a series of reports of embarrassing security lapses for officialdom in recent years. Incidents include last year’s discovery that illegal immigrants were employed as cleaners in the Home Office’s buildings, and the Brazilian cleaner who was discovered using a fake pass while working at the House of Commons in 2008.

All staff at the Palace of Westminster are supposed to undergo stringent background checks by police and the security services before being issued passes.

‘The Houses of Parliament have some of the most diligent and thorough security procedures anywhere in the world, yet despite all their resources and legislative experience, they still appear to be falling foul of the rules,’ says Mark Woodhead, Chairman of the British Cleaning Council. ‘In this environment, what chance do ordinary businesses have?

‘The BCC recognises the need for a proportionate and fair approach in dealing with illegal workers, but the current system is excessively complicated, time-consuming and, if these reports are true, all too often fallible. We believe government should review this policy and provide clearer and more practical legislation for employers, as well as developing a more proportionate response if cleaning businesses fall foul of the tough rules.

It is the UK’s only major event where companies can market, sell and promote their products and services to an international audience. The exhibition is organised every two years on behalf of the cleaning industry by BCCE Ltd, a company jointly owned by the British Cleaning Council and Quartz Publishing & Exhibitions.

Each year it gets bigger and better, attracting thousands of visitors keen to see all that’s new in the cleaning sector. In 2009, the show welcomed over 8,000 people – that’s a huge captive audience willing to be sold to. As an exhibitor you can be sure that the Cleaning Show is in the hands of a team with an unrivalled blend of industry knowledge and exhibition expertise as well as one that is working for the long term good of the cleaning industry.

The right demographics

Exhibiting at the Cleaning Show does more than raise your profile, it puts you in front of people with money to spend.

Visitors to the Cleaning Show have big budgets and the authority to spend them. The Cleaning Show 2009 was the most successful show yet. Of the 8,000 people that attended, nearly 20% had an annual budget between £51k-£250k to spend on cleaning and maintenance equipment. In addition, more than 11% of visitors had over £1 million to spend each year.

From carpet: Sponge with cold water, then blot dry. Shampoo the carpet if a mark persists.

From fabric: Soak in a warm water and washing soda solution, then wash on as hot a setting as the fabric can take. Stubborn marks may be removed by soaking in a 1:2 clear vinegar and water solution.

From upholstery: Sponge the mark with cold water then dab at the mark with laundry detergent solution. Rinse and blot dry. If a mark remains, try a proprietary stain remover.

Ceramic tiles: Clean up the grouting with a solution of one part bleach to four parts water, using an old toothbrush to scrub between the tiles. Stains can be tackled with an all-purpose kitchen cleaner, but be careful of abrasive cleaners on glazed tiles.

Laminate: Stubborn stains can be cleaned with cream cleaners or a paste of bicarbonate of soda with a few drops of chlorine bleach.

Solid wood: Regular oiling is required to prevent the wood soaking up water – follow manufacturer’s recommendations carefully. Firm rubbing with a cloth and a washing-up liquid solution should clean up the wood, but take care not to allow spills of tomato sauce, curry etc to sit on the surface as they can be tough to remove.

Stainless steel: Fingermarks can be removed with a microfibre cloth or try a dab of baby oil on a clean cloth. Avoid any abrasive materials, which could scratch the surface.

Granite: Hardwearing and resistant to stains, washing-up liquid is all that’s required here. Avoid any abrasive materials, which could scratch the surface.

About a month before the Holiday Seasons approach or you can wait until about two weeks before if you have the time, start telling your young child that the two of you are going to go through their room and clean it out. Explain to your child in words that they will understand that they are going to be getting more toys and presents so they have to make room. It is also a good practice to take the older toys that they have out grown and donate them to charity so that your child sees the toys going to good use for another younger boy or girl.

When you are ready to tackle the room, start your day out early and bright. This is one of the times your child is going to be rested, in a good mood and ready to get to work on their room. Around nap time, when your child is hungry or when their favorite show is ready to come on can mean that you are going to be up for a fight or crying spell   You also are going to be in a better mood and have more patience with your child at this time. Start with the closet and then work under the bed. It is best to start tackling the toys right away so that in case your child loses interest, you will at least have this much done, and you can do the dresser (the clothes) by yourself with no trouble if needed. If you child has four trucks, let them keep two, if they have four puzzles let them keep one or two, and if your child have ten dolls, have her pick out her favorite two or three.

One thing to keep in mind is to keep reminding your child that they are getting new things and new toys so they have to make more space and they will be more willing to give up more toys that they have outgrown or that they don’t play with as often.

If you are going to clean out your child’s room in the spring months or at another time when you feel that their playroom or bedroom is getting out of control you can use emotions to help them ‘release’ or ‘get rid of’ some of the things in their room. Use the old tactic that they are getting older now and some things should be given to younger children, because now they are getting older.

One example is where a ten or eleven year old refuses to give up her little EZ bake oven. Tell her it is time she started using the real oven (with your help) of course, and she will gladly give it up. If your son has too many cars in the playroom, you can always say that you want to put some away and let him play with his favorites to get him to give some up. Let him take them outside, once they are outside so long he won’t play with them and you can get rid of them.

Every child has their own incentive for cleaning old items and items that they have outgrown from their playroom or bedroom. One could be, you are at the store and they are begging you for a new toy. Firmly tell them that they will have to give you two other toys they don’t want to play with any more if you buy one new one. In addition, when you get home, be sure to follow through with it. It might be two stuffed animals, two toy cars, anything that is going to make them realize that they have to put limits on what they have in their rooms.

Another thing that you can easily do is when you child leaves for school or is napping in another room, you can go through the toy boxes and throw any toys that are broken or out of date into a box where your child won’t see them go. When you do this you may only be able to take one or two at a time, but it is better than having all of the items pile up as the toys seem to grow on their own!

Safeclean has established itself as the premier UK domestic furnishing care company, with more than 70 franchisees in exclusive territories.

From day one franchisees receive a specific database that contains thousands of potential customers which have direct links with Guardsman, the world’s largest furniture warranty company. Only Safeclean is recommended to clean for Guardsman. A growing list of national contracts include major retailers, furniture manufacturers, insurance companies and of course Guardsman.

Safeclean are proud to be a founder and full member of the British Franchise Association and continue to be one of its most active supporters. This guarantees you a proven and ethical entry into the franchise market.

Deciding that you want to run a successful franchise is the first decision you need to make. Considering Safeclean is the second.

The Concept

Safeclean operate in the profitable but demanding high end domestic market. This is why we are looking for motivated franchisees that will take a pride in their work. Our aim is to provide the best cleaning solution for all furnishings and carpets. To achieve this we use several cleaning systems that are constantly being reviewed and improved.

The Safeclean business model offers a full range of services (from carpet, curtain and upholstery cleaning to stain protection and 5 Year Guardsman Anti Stain Warranties). These can be carried out all year round.

And with a guaranteed base of customers providing high profit margins, the franchise business model operates to a proven formula which includes no cold calling or aggressive telephone marketing. After 2 years up to 80% of your business will be based around repeat custom and customer referrals. It is the strong Guardsman brand and this bedrock of custom that gives the franchise such a high success rate.

The Market

The domestic cleaning market is huge, with over three million households in the UK having their furnishings professionally cleaned.

Over six million UK households have their furniture protected with Guardsman and Safeclean is the only company recommended to maintain these furnishings. We are also used and recommended by many of the UK’s leading furniture retailers.

Training and Support

Safeclean provides unrivalled training and unlimited field support. As a franchisee you will leave fully equipped with all the equipment and solutions you need to run your business plus a comprehensive proven marketing plan. You will have been trained to the highest standards in the world. Specifically designed computer programmes allow easy utilisation of the unique database of Guardsman warranty holders in your area, which provides work from day one. Training continues throughout your franchise for you and any future members of staff free of charge.

The Package

In addition to the training you will be equipped with a complete equipment and support package backed up by an initial marketing campaign carried out by head office.

Ethical sales training including field sales support provide all the expertise to maximise your business growth.

The full package cost is from £17,350 + VAT to £23,950 + VAT, this includes the franchise license, database, exclusive territory, training, equipment, van deposit, extensive marketing materials, initial marketing programs, communications package and computer software etc.

Discovery Day

A Safeclean Discovery Day is designed to allow you to assess our franchise and us to assess your potential in a relaxed and friendly environment. You will be the only applicants present allowing you to get as much from the day as possible and we guarantee that we will not ask you for any commitment.

As an established successful franchise business, Safeclean does not need to recruit many new franchisees, but we do have vacancies. Why not contact us to see if we have a territory available in your area.

We will build you a business plan specific to your own circumstances, detailing cash flow projections and earnings potential.

Summary

• There will be no monthly management service fee for the first 6 months
• We are the only cleaning company recommended by the worlds largest furniture warranty provider, Guardsman
• We are used and recommended by local and national retailers and manufacturers
• We’ve been established for over 35 years and remain a full and founder member of the British Franchise Association
• Large exclusive territories are available
• Over 7000 unique Guardsman customers will be provided to you from day one
• High net profit margins & excellent cash flow
• We use market leading cleaning systems and continually research and develop them
• We provide unlimited business support for the lifetime of your franchise and a proven initial marketing campaign to generate work from day one.
• There is a healthy practical mix of national accounts and assisted self developed accounts
• We can provide full training for you and your staff to the highest standard currently available
• You will have the opportunity to develop into a management franchise if you wish
• If Safeclean Sounds Like The Franchise Opportunity For You.

The Otto bank has four compartments. Each contains a 140L capacity wheeled bin that enables waste collection crews toquickly and easily empty the bins. The rear of the bank is made from one panel which can be adapted to have additional openings for busier areas.

Nina Stanfield, sales director, comments “On the continent waste banks are more the norm – bins are never far away in streets in Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris or Munich.

“There have been initiatives in a number of larger cities in England. In london, for example, nine commuter bins have been placed at busy stations throughout the city, mainly for discarding newspapers.”

The Otto range includes bins suitable for household, commercial, clinical, industrial, recycled and organic applications, with volumes from 5L to5m3.

The association says it is busier than ever,with new members joining and new training courses for cleaners added to the existing training programme. For example, a new course for members wanting to offer hard floor cleaning was added to the programme during 2009.

During 2010, the NCCA will be introducing several new specialised training courses – the details will be available from the Carpex stand.

A new website will also be on show at the event.The new website will carry more news, more advice and more opportunities for members of the public to find a carpet, upholstery or hard floor cleaning expert in their area of the British Isles.Visit www.ncca.co.uk to find out how many more opportunities for training and additional business members gain.

The NCCA says that the new PAS86 Code of Practice it launched at the 2009 Cleaning Show, has been a major success, improving the standard of cleaning and increasing the trust of the public in cleaners who are NCCA members. It hopes that in the future, businesses and householders will use only cleaners who work to PAS86 standards.

NCCA directors and staff will be on the stand throughout the show to give information.