New IICRC Technical Journal

[John Downey]

As some of you may have heard, early next year the IICRC is going to launch a peer-reviewed technical journal (The Journal of Cleaning, Restoration and Inspection — The Journal, for short). The print edition of The Journal will be mailed free to IICRC Certified Firms, master cleaners and restorers, inspectors and instructors. Electronic versions will be available to all registrants.

Recently I was asked to serve as interim managing editor of The Journal for the next six months, as the editorial foundation is laid and the first issues published. My purpose in writing is to solicit your ideas about content and topics, as well as suggestions for authors and peer reviewers. Keep in mind that this will be a technical journal serving the cleaning, restoration and inspection industries, and most of the articles will be peer reviewed. It is our goal to provide readers with deep, thoughtful and objective technical articles about the things you wonder and care about.

Am looking forward to your suggestions.

Thanks,
John Downey

 

[Mikey P]

Nice to have you back John

Please contact me when you're ready to talk about publishing those articles here on our Main Page as well.

Can you comment about the development of the IICRC trade show?

 

[John Downey]

Hi Mike,

Thanks. Will follow up re: reprinting articles once I "rassle" this alligator of getting The Journal up and running to the floor. Please remind me if I forget.

Regarding the trade show, I don't know the current status. I attended a few online meetings about it, but haven't kept up. I know there are several moving pieces that they are trying to get in sync. I promise that you will be among the first to hear once they have something to announce.

 

[Larry Cobb]

John;

Good to hear from you again.

The Journal sounds like a good method to increase communication to IICRC members.

I am working on an article on Hi-Intensity UV and Oxidizer Stain Removal.

DuPont started this research, and we have done more work in demonstrating the potential for cleaners and restorers.

Thanks for the information.

Larry

 

[John Downey]

Hi Larry,

It sounds like your article would be a great fit for The Journal. I assume you've done some testing, which is even better. If you think the article would be appropriate, please forward to me to review when you are finished.

Thanks,
John D.

 

[Larry Cobb]

John;

We have already tested spotting on brown furniture stains, & mustard.

We are testing next the blue dye from toilet bowl cleaners,

and the red dye from flannel mats around the Christmas tree.

I will forward the article to you when the results are in.

Larry

 

[John Downey]

That's great. Will be looking forward to it. As previously mentioned, sounds like just the sort of information The Journal is being created for.

John D.

 

[ruff]

John, I don't know if this falls under your stated mission.
However, from a cleaner perspective, it will help a lot if there will also be articles aimed at the consumer that will help us (the cleaners) and lend legitimacy when we explain certain common issues.

For example: A very common issue is stains that appear after cleaning that were not visible before. We all know that the consumers use all kind of chemicals spotters also spills and medications that can react with the cleaning.
When that happens, we can explain till we are blue in the face and it usually makes no difference. If I can show an official article (in not too overly technological terms) from an independent organization that explains this phenomena, it may be of great help.

It will greatly help and be appreciated by an IICRC certified company like mine. As it will lend legitimacy to what we say, when we deal with the consumer under these circumstances.

 

[John Downey]

You make a good point; although, as you suspected, the sort of article you suggest doesn't fall within the parameters of The Journal, at least not at this time.

Two things to add:

1. I do think that research or testing that demonstrates how cleaning can make "invisible" spots appear, is something that could be done, and if done published in The Journal.

2. From the data collected, an article could be written and distributed by one or more industry associations to their members for dissemination to the public. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if that has already been done.

Thanks for the suggestion.

John D.

 

[ruff]

ASCR had it done many years ago.
Though it would be nice if it came from an organization that has more of a public help persona.