I can't find metal "bone" scrapers!

Jim Pemberton

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My guys like these better than actual bone. Who has these?

Trivia Comment of the Day:

"Bone scrapers" are a relic of the (garment) dry cleaning industry. Because of the wild chemistry we used then, we needed a tools that wouldn't be stained, damaged, or react with the stuff we used there.

Whalebone was the "thing" back then. Its carried over into the carpet cleaning industry because "back in the day", a lot of dry cleaners became carpet cleaners. My father included.

I would guess there are very few "ex dry cleaners here", but in the 50's, 60's and 70's, a great many carpet cleaners had that background.

Damn...I'm getting old.
 
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I actually just found what I am looking for but it is a UK website. I want to buy American. Still no luck. (https://www.techniclean.co.uk/product/index/chemspec-spotting-spatula-x-1)

Funny aside: I was once using an actual bone scraper on a job when the house husband told me that the paper industry uses bone spatulas for turning pages and checking out new books. Go figure.
 

J Scott W

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Trivia Comment of the Day:

"Bone scrapers" are a relic of the (garment) dry cleaning industry. Because of the wild chemistry we used then, we needed a tools that wouldn't be stained, damaged, or react with the stuff we used there.

Whalebone was the "thing" back then. Its carried over into the carpet cleaning industry because "back in the day", a lot of dry cleaners became carpet cleaners. My father included.

I would guess there are very few "ex dry cleaners here", but in the 50's, 60's and 70's, a great many carpet cleaners had that background.

Damn...I'm getting old.

Jim, Remember when we were encouraged to hold up our bone scraper when we met someone to show we were carpet cleaners? If it was a fellow carpet cleaner, they would also hold up their bone scraper.
 

Jim Pemberton

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Jim, Remember when we were encouraged to hold up our bone scraper when we met someone to show we were carpet cleaners? If it was a fellow carpet cleaner, they would also hold up their bone scraper.

Yes.

I confess I sometimes miss the days of cleaning carpet with the smell of kerosene from the truck mount burner about me and the "fun" of removing rust spots with hydrofluoric acid and cleaning upholstery with 1,1,1 thrichlorethane....sometimes.
 

Desk Jockey

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Chavez should know how to make them. I think he calls it a shiv.
Don't press too hard...Or do and charge for sectioning out. :shifty:

sog_mc11-n_1.png
 

Desk Jockey

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Yes.

I confess I sometimes miss the days of cleaning carpet with the smell of kerosene from the truck mount burner about me and the "fun" of removing rust spots with hydrofluoric acid and cleaning upholstery with 1,1,1 thrichlorethane....sometimes.
I miss 111.

Although...after decades of using it, I do believe I have enough in me for a cancer research project. :errf:
 

Cleanworks

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Trivia Comment of the Day:

"Bone scrapers" are a relic of the (garment) dry cleaning industry. Because of the wild chemistry we used then, we needed a tools that wouldn't be stained, damaged, or react with the stuff we used there.

Whalebone was the "thing" back then. Its carried over into the carpet cleaning industry because "back in the day", a lot of dry cleaners became carpet cleaners. My father included.

I would guess there are very few "ex dry cleaners here", but in the 50's, 60's and 70's, a great many carpet cleaners had that background.

Damn...I'm getting old.
I was never in the dry cleaning myself but I was trained by a dry cleaner who went into carpet cleaning. I learned that a lot of dry cleaning products were compatible with carpet cleaning like pyratex, streetex, Reynolds spot by colour system, how to make a semi wet solution, etc.
 
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Desk Jockey

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I was never in the dry cleaning myself but I was trained by a dry cleaner who went into carpet cleaning. I learned that a lot of dry cleaning products were compatible with carpet cleaning like pyratex, streetex, Reynolds spot by colour system, how to make a semi wet solution, etc.
My father spent 25 years in the dry cleaning industry. I grew up using a spotting board and Streets spotters.
 
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Still no luck!!!!! I think these metal scrapers are made by Chemspec and should be available somewhere. We're just using bone until we can find the metal scrapers.
 
F

FB7777

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Use a spoon and quit whining about it

In difficult situations use a spork for additional agitation
 
F

FB7777

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Jim, Remember when we were encouraged to hold up our bone scraper when we met someone to show we were carpet cleaners? If it was a fellow carpet cleaner, they would also hold up their bone scraper.
That's cute, the cast of Big Bang Theory would be proud


Did you all have a pocket protector or special belt purse to hold that and your fiber magnifier and burn test kit?
 

Jim Pemberton

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In my case, had.

Not that I'm less of a geek, I just don't work for a living anymore.

Taking calls, emails, and texts from cleaners, teaching classes, and traveling to work with cleaners is like a retirement job. Its easy, rewarding, and I never hate it.

A luckier man I don't know....
 

Larry Cobb

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I only have one in stock for $9.95.

They are collectors items,

since the Bruders regime has landed. . .
 
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Shorty

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Yes.

I confess I sometimes miss the days of cleaning carpet with the smell of kerosene from the truck mount burner about me and the "fun" of removing rust spots with hydrofluoric acid and cleaning upholstery with 1,1,1 thrichlorethane....sometimes.

Never had the kero burner, ran LPG.

Ah, the wonderful hydrofluoric acid, used to love calcium, one thing I was glad to never have had personal experience with. My bones are all intact. :winky: Flush well.

Trike, :oldrolleyes: Always be on your GARD, no Scotch here. :winky: Trichloroethane :winky: Jeez that was nasty, Richard may be one of my off-springs. :icon_redface:

The marks on my hands, arms & scalp are an indication of how bad that stuff really was.

It used to permeate the overalls I used back then, no proper PPE back then.

We sure lived in exciting times, and pay for it now. :(

:yoda:
 

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