The world’s largest cleaning show was held last week in Amsterdam, NL. In case you missed it, here’s a review of some of the highlights.

ISSA INTERCLEAN – Amsterdam is truly an international show with 28,000 plus attendees, from over 80 countries visiting 800 booths over the four day event. The booths and aisles that are spread out over 11 different display halls at the RAI Exhibition Center were busy from opening to close on the first three days of the show. Even a cleaning freak like me can only look at so much cleaning equipment in one week without going into overload mode. I skipped the last day of the show as both my head and my feet were sore and I needed a break.

The Amsterdam show takes place every two years and is a regular event on my schedule because this is where new cleaning products are introduced that will show up in distributor warehouses and janitor closets around the world over the next 3 – 5 years. I don’t know why Europe leads the way in cleaning technology, but this is a definite trend that I have noticed over the last 20 years. I attend the ISSA INTERCLEAN Show to gain a better understanding of where the cleaning industry is headed and this year was a real eye opener. Amsterdam is one of my favorite places to visit with friendly people, great food and weather and something to do for everyone. (more…)

Filed under: Self Employment, Technology, Trade Show by William Griffin
Originally Published:

The ISSA staff did a great job with the recent ISSA/INTERCLEAN Show in Las Vegas. It seems that every year they do better job. I’m already looking forward to attending next year’s Show at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

If you missed the recent ISSA/INTERCLEAN Show, you missed out on a golden opportunity to grow. 2011 was the best ISSA/INTERCLEAN Show I’ve ever attended. There was so much to do that you couldn’t do it all, even if you tried. The exhibits were excellent, aisle after aisle of the latest chemicals, equipment and products to make your work easier and your cleaning more effective. So much new stuff that I wish I could have spent another two days finding new things and learning from the people willing to share experience and information. The seminars and presentations were all top notch. Tom Peter’s wooed the crowd as he paced from one side of the stage to the other. What energy that guy has, and only he can get away yelling at the top of voice and calling it a presentation. The Poker Lady, she was great, with lots of management concepts, although I’m not about to step up to a poker table anytime soon. Time flew by fast and before I knew it, I was headed to the airport with bags in hand for the flight back to Seattle.
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Filed under: Trade Show by William Griffin
Originally Published: Inclean Australia December 2011

Let me take you on a ride into the future. That’s after 5 hours to NYC, 6 hours to Paris and 2 hours to Verona. I’m a little sore and don’t smell all that good, but I am here where many of the cleaning machines and technologies we use are developed and shown long before they make it to your local janitor closet and that why, every few years I make the journey to this historic Italian city.

Officially the show is known as Pulire 2011 – The International Exhibition for the Production of Cleaning Technologies, unofficially I call it the Floor Care Equipment Show, because a lot of what of you see here relates to hard floor care. In true Italian custom many of the booths have food, cheese, and wine alongside the latest equipment. Many countries are represented with product exhibits from Italy, Brazil, Germany, India, Australia, Singapore, and China, with three booths in the USA Pavilion (Crown Matting, Marantz Ultrasonics and Lloyd’s Duct Cleaning Equipment).
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Filed under: Trade Show by William Griffin
Originally Published: Cleaning Business May 2011

Certainly not today, but it only a matter of time before the items I’m highlighting here make it to your local distributor and finally to your cleaning closet.

Anti-Microbials for Odor and Micro-Organism Control.
Genesis Bio Sciences is displaying its “biosanseries” of products which includes microbial and anti-microbial products. It’s “ecard” product is designed to kill odors and prevent cross infection related to sanitary napkin disposal units. Product features include:
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Filed under: Trade Show by William Griffin
Originally Published: Cleaning Business May 2011

New Auto-Scrubber Loaded with Features
Realizing that there was an auto-scrubber on every corner at this show, I was impressed with the innovations incorporated into the Diversey Taski Swingo scrubber. The machine sports a W shaped squeegee with dual suction hoses for better tracking and water pick up. Electronics in the unit sense turns and direction changes and automatically adjusts travel speed. Another impressive feature is an energy conservation program that allows the operator to get up 6 hours of use from each recharge session. www.diversey.com
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Filed under: Trade Show by William Griffin
Originally Published: Cleaning Business May 2011

LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas, where what happens here, stays here — unless you are at the World of Concrete (WOC) show where you gather up and take with you all the latest information and samples related to concrete, one of the most widely used materials on earth.

That gray slab that we walk on each day is technically know as concrete — often incorrectly called cement — and turns out to be a phenomenal material with almost unlimited possibilities and uses.

Here are some of the trends that I noticed at this year’s WOC show:
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Filed under: Floor Care, Trade Show by William Griffin
Originally Published: CMMOnline January 2011

ISSA/INTERCLEAN 2008 – One Great Show
The exhibitors I spoke to rated the traffic on the show floor as steady and qualified. There were a wide variety of seminars, presentations and events for everyone to attend. This year’s show in Orlando, Fl October 23-26 will be tough to beat in 2008.

The overwhelming theme this year was green, whether it was chemicals, equipment or processes. Green is hot right now and everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. I think you’ll see this trend continue, but mature and evolve over the next five years into more of a theme of sustainability rather than green chemicals and products.
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Filed under: Green Cleaning, Trade Show by William Griffin
Originally Published: Cleaning in the USA October 2007

Mike Berry Takes a Swing at Junk Science and Green Cleaning
Michael A. Berry Ph.D, Retired EPA Research Scientist and Author of Protecting the Built Environment: Cleaning for Health was recently interviewed as part of the Bridgepoint Interlink Teleconference Series 2007. I listened in and here are the highlights of what Dr.Berry had to say.

“My pet project today is confronting junk science regarding environmental issues. There is too much Eco babble and hype floating around in the cleaning industry that has no scientific basis. This type of misrepresentation of the facts is giving the cleaning industry a bad name.

“There is no data that proves that green cleaning works any better than other ways to clean. Green cleaning needs to be tested and verified before it is promoted as science. At this time more research is needed.

“It is irresponsible for companies and individuals to promote green cleaning, green chemicals and green processes as being effective or better than existing products or processes without scientific research, testing and validation.

“There is too much hype about switching to green cleaning. Chemicals aid in the cleaning process by helping to separate the soil from surfaces and materials so it can more easily be removed and disposed. Chemicals do not clean by themselves.

“Mismanagement of any chemical is bad. Misuse and improper use of cleaning chemicals is a big issue.

“For scientific research to be valid, it needs to be certified with scientific methods, followed by peer review. When it comes to green cleaning, what we are seeing passed off as science is actually consensus. A group of people get together and agree on their personal opinions about the subject. This is not science – it could just as well be babble.

”What we are seeing is certification in the absence of science. Full disclosure is needed. Cold water cleaning is insane and moronic. Science gives you the knowledge to do the work.

“Although I am troubled by all the misinformation and hype about benefits of green cleaning without scientific support, I am encouraged to see professionalism grow and take hold in the cleaning industry.

Cleaning is of value in society for these reasons:

1. It allows for increased productivity
2. It reduces risk and costs
3. It protects surfaces, areas and people
4. It projects a positive image
5. It improves health
6. It promotes ownership and human dignity

“The definition of clean is the same today as it has been in the past; condition and surfaces that are free of unwanted matter that gets in the way of human activity.”

If you\’d like a copy of Mike Berry’s interview contact: Doyleb@bridgepoint.com

IAQ Radio
Now here’s something you want to check out. This is where technology and the cleaning industry come together. Personally I’m excited about the concept and think this is the start of something big. Give it a listen and I think you’ll see what I mean.
Go to: www.therestorationforum.com scroll down on the right side and click on IAQ Radio with Cliff Zlotnik.
I see a lot of potential in the concept. It’s a live call in show and pod cast and more all built into one.

BSCAI 2007 Convention and Trade Show
The last time I wrote about the Building Service Contractor Association, myself and the publisher got threatening letters from the association’s lawyers threatening legal action if we didn’t retract what I said. Well it turns out what I said was right on the money.

So now I’m ready to try it again. It’s my opinion and prediction that this years BSCAI Convention and Trade Show in Chicago will be the worst attended BSCAI Show in the history of the association and it will be the last BSCAI show as we know it. If you’d like more info visit: www.bscai.org

Green Seal Goes after the Green
Green Seal recently released its GS-42 Standard for Green Cleaning Services. Great document, it tells you what you need to do to have Green Seal certify your firm as an official Green Seal Certified Green Cleaning Contractor. What they don’t tell you, except in the fine print is that the fee to get certified is between $6500.00 and $10.000.
If you want to get in line to pass your green to this greedy group, visit: www.greenseal.org

Filed under: Green Cleaning, Technology, Trade Show by William Griffin
Originally Published: Cleaning in the USA March 2007

2007 Let’s Get Rock’n
Here we are again; A year older, hopefully a little wiser, unfortunately a little grayer, but optimistic that 2007 can be the best year yet. As we enter the New Year let me encourage you to remember the basics. We often get so busy with our daily activities that we forget to take care of such basic things as business and personal goals, objectives and timelines. These are the basic building blocks of success.

Being it’s a new year, now is a good time to put your goals and objectives in writing. You wouldn’t take a trip to an unknown destination without a map to guide you. Life is no different. If you want to get someplace special or specific you need a map to guide you and that is what goals, objectives and time lines are all about, simple stuff, but critical to personal and business success. Having watched and participated in the process for some 30 years, I know for a fact that when people set goals and follow them with objectives, action and deadlines, they get better results. The rest is up to you. (more…)

Filed under: Trade Show by William Griffin
Originally Published: Cleaning in the USA January 2007

ISSA/INTERCLEAN 2006 Chicago, IL
I like the ISSA/INTERCLEAN Show; it’s the biggest and best thing going of its kind in the USA. This year’s event was well done; I have to give show management and staff credit for doing a great job. There was a lot to see and do at the show and it’s a considerable improvement of shows of just a couple of years ago. Stages dotted the exhibit hall, many booths had food and drink, and there was a contest for innovative products and train in the exhibit hall in case you couldn’t walk any further.

Oh, I did make it to one party. Spartan Chemicals, which always has one of the best parties at the show out did themselves this year on their 50th Anniversary. Great people, great products and one hell of a party. Thank you Steve and everyone at Spartan. I’d have to be dead to miss the Spartan Party. (more…)

Filed under: Trade Show by William Griffin
Originally Published: Cleaning in the USA October 2006