Spotting machines - how often do you use it?

[Goomer]

I picked up a gently used Sandia spotting machine when I initially bought all my equipment a few years back..

I am still pretty surprised that I have never once needed it.

All the touch-ups that I have had to do up to this point have been of the variety that my small Oreck pad machine was able to take care of, like the occasional wicked spill or areas of Carpet Fresh that came up.

A couple of months back, after getting tired of seeing it sitting idle, I disconnected the vac, sealed the vac stack, married the 3 Gal solution tank to the 3 Gal waste tank with a couple of well aligned holes and rubber washers, and turned it into a sweet little wheeled power sprayer.

Serious increase in PPT (Porty Production Time) being able to have a helper stay one step ahead with the prespray/dwell/scrub on bigger jobs, for those that aren't doing it.

 

[Desk Jockey]

There is a brand new 3 Gal. model with or without heat that is a good design . . .

Uses a 5.7" vac motor for better suction and a 120 PSI pump system . . .

Our customers use for spotting and pre-cleaning demos . . .

Heater systems have stainless wand . . .

View attachment 1449
http://www.cobbcarpet.com/zen/index...sult&search_in_description=1&keyword=mosquito

That's a good looking unit. Larry I see you have the standard back pack listed, do you also carry the HEPA back pack?

 

[Larry Cobb]

Mosquito only manufactures Backpacks that are HEPA designs :

 

[Desk Jockey]

That's a great price!

Only red or green?

 

[Larry Cobb]

Richard;

They are available in blue . . .

or other colors.

Larry

 

[Mikey P]

Can I Clean Upholstery With My Spotting Machine?

by Jim Pemberton - Fabric Pro Specialist


ANSWER: Absolutely Yes! . . . If You Avoid The Following
Problems When Using Your Spotting Machine for
Upholstery Cleaning



Cleaners often ask if the lightweight, inexpensive machines
made for spotting carpets can be used for upholstery cleaning.
Frankly, it makes sense to consider using such a machine for
upholstery cleaning for the following 3 solid reasons:

#1 - Lightweight. The machines can be easily carried in one
hand. This means that in areas that are difficult to
reach with a truck mount, or on extremely cold days when
you might prefer to not to use a truck mount, you can
easily walk into a home or commercial setting and set up
quickly to clean without several trips or spending too
much time outside.

#2 - Compact: Spotting machines can easily fit in the
passenger seat of a car, or in even the most crowded
truck mount van set up.

#3 - Inexpensive: You can purchase a spotting machine for
about the same price as a specialty low wetting “dry
tool”. If you are on a budget and feel you need both,
its easy to see why a cleaner might consider the
spotting machine.

With these seemingly overwhelming benefits in mind, there are
3 fundamental risks involved in using a spotting machine for
upholstery cleaning that are easily overlooked, but that can end
up costing you a lot of money if you aren't mindful of them:

1. Tool Design: The cleaning tools used with these machines
are designed to “flood and flush” carpet yarns so that heavy
spills and the spotting agents needed to remove them can be
thoroughly rinsed from the carpet.

This means that the tool can easily over wet a fabric and
contribute to browning, bleeding, and water marks on natural
fiber fabrics and blends. These problems are unlikely to be
found on synthetic fiber fabrics, but if you choose to
attempt to clean a natural fiber fabric or even a blend, it
is better to hold the tool away from the fabric, apply your
solution lightly, then release the trigger to extract
afterward.

That still may be too wet for some very absorbent, “problem
fabrics”, but will at least be safer than flooding the
fabric by applying the tool directly to it during the
rinsing step.

2. Vacuum Capacity: The power of the vacuum motor on a
spotting unit is sufficient for extracting the suspended
spot residue and spotting agents. It may not be strong
enough to extract moisture from absorbent natural fiber
fabrics if you don't follow the “spray and vacuum
separately” recommendation from above.

3. Recovery Tank Capacity: To keep these units lightweight and
compact, the solution and recovery tanks usually only hold
two to three gallons of solution. This might require
removing waste water and refilling the solution tank a few
times on a job that has a large sofa or multiple pieces of
upholstery.

Worse yet, because of the foaming nature of most upholstery
preconditioning agents, you can easily damage the vacuum
motor from foam in the recovery system, as foam does not
cause the vacuum tank float to shut off the vacuum motor.

Always use a defoamer when you use a spotting machine for
upholstery cleaning, and keep a close eye on the waste water
that accumulates in the recovery tank.

SUMMARY:
You are always best to use a 'low moisture dry tool' when
cleaning upholstery. These tools give the best results when
coupled with a high performance portable or truck mount that can
provide adequate water flow and vacuum for the tool to function
as it should, giving you the best cleaning and extraction for
fast drying and safe, consistent results.

For those times that budget and circumstance make the use of a
spotting machine an attractive option, be sure to carefully
review the suggestions provided above, and reserve the use of
this type of machine for low risk synthetic fiber fabrics.

If you'd like learn more about upholstery cleaning, come to “The
Experience” in Clearwater Florida in April where I'll be sharing
a presentation on The Seven Keys to Success in Upholstery
Cleaning, and will also be available to discuss cleaning tool
choices and procedures daily.

http://www.experiencetheevents.com/texp_conf.html

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Reprinted without permission, LOL

Its ok Mikey, the article was inspired by the question here, and what's mine is yours....professionally speaking of course

Anyone who wants to get our weekly Cleantip (the place where Mikey got this article) can sign up by going to:

www.pembertons.com

 

[Desk Jockey]

I faithful read it every Saturday morning.

I'm always printing copies for the tech's or emailing links to Dan or a supervisor here.

Much thank to Lee and yourself!

 

[Larry Cobb]

Here is the blue backpack:

 

[Desk Jockey]

That looks good Larry. I'll contact you when we are ready to order a couple. Maybe this Spring/Summer.

Thanks!

 

[Mark Saiger]

Here is the blue backpack: View attachment 1512

That sure is a pretty looking Blue there

 

[steve_64]

i cleaned a few office chairs today and realized my bane tool really sucks at that.
i remembered this thread and had also recently saw a spotting unit in my jon don catalog.
im really thinking of getting this unit
http://www.jondon.com/priority-manufacturing-ez-portable-spot-extractor-with-heat.html

i also like the one mark saiger posted but its a little more money. with money being tight im really leaning on the jon don unit.
i do like the higher solution pressure though.

due to this board im looking at brushes for my 175 too but thats another thread.

 

[Desk Jockey]

That looks like a good one Steve, priced right too. I'd shop it around to all our supplies that support MB just in case they have a better deal or will toss in a gallon of juice.

 

[jcooper]

Reprinted without permission, LOL

I'm glad he stole it!

If he didn't, I wouldn't know about the "weekly Cleantip"! Thank you, Jim.

 

[steve_64]

thanks Jim Pemberton. i got your message and it is very appreciated.

i cant wait to get the spotter! im already trying to sell spot cleaning of salt stains at the banks in front of the tellers. ive been to several today and they all have it. ill try and work in the rest of the cleaning when the weather breaks.

 

[steve_64]

so i got my spotter today and have been playing with it this evening. i have a job for it in the morning already.

my concern is that i didnt get a float with it or a cap for the vac tube or whatever its called and im getting moisture to the vac. i read about this in the manual. when i disconnect the waste tank to dump the dirty water the foam rubber gasket is wet. there is a foam piece on the cap itself though and it covers the vac tube.

should i be concerned?

ill call jim in the morning but this will bug me all night.

also the air for the vac blows by between the fresh tank and the waste tank. im assuming the air comes in from the vent near the switches to keep the air dry coming to the motor. but when the tool locks down that air doesnt blow out there. it seems to seal it up but i cant figure where the air goes then.

i know im missing something and going back to play around some more.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Call me as soon as you get this Steve.

 

[steve_64]

thanks for the quick response Jim.

the float was there i just didnt see it around the vac tube. i was looking for something else. just trying to figure out a new tool and how to best take care of it.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

My pleasure. I will follow through with the rest of your questions today Steve.

 

[steve_64]

i didnt use the spotter today, the spot was more of an area lol.

thanks again Jim, i will be home most of the day now so anytime is good.

i look forward to doing more business with you.

 

[steve_64]

today i decided to clean my mattress with the spotter i bought. of course i get a sewer backup call too but i did the mattress first.
im one of those guys who turns a mattress yellow from sweat or whatever, my dad was the same way.
ive cleaned it several times, well quite a bit actually. i shouldnt go into details.
anyway, i started with clean free through the machine and nothing else. helped the yellow a little but not good enough. i then mixed up some OSR and pre sprayed with that. i let it dwell and scrubbed with a nylon brush. again, better but not good enough.
tried some brown out and it was a little better but not good enough.
i added some sodium metabisulfite i bought on amazon that i premixed and added to the clean free. getting better results now but still see the yellow.
i went ahead and cleaned the whole thing and sprayed some stain magic on it and wiped some solvent protector on it using a clean white towel.
stains were still visible but i went ahead and put a fan on it and went and cleaned the sewer back up.

got home and the mattress is cleaner than its ever been and nearly dry. i was only gone about an hour an a half or two.

it took me about an hour and a half or so to clean the mattress since i was experimenting but think i know what i will do in the future.
im loving this spotter! and the clean free. its my first experience with it.
just wanted to share this and was wondering how others would approach cleaning a mattress with this issue? not really dirty, no urine or anything, just a yellowing problem.
ill have to look later to see whos protector it was.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Steve buy a mattress pad and put it on while its clean. They when you wash your sheets then wash the pad too. It will keep you from cleaning the mattress.

 

[steve_64]

thats what Genny said lol.

i guess i shouldve started a new thread but it was related to the spotter i got. im really liking it, and the tool that came with it!

so how do others here clean mattresses? i can see the spotter being real handy for this. and for stairs and upholstery. i just need to train Genny to use it so i can clean carpets at the same time.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I think they are one of the easiest items to clean. We vacuum (dead skin, dust mites) precondition lightly and HWE extract with a Sapphire Tool.

The issues with mattresses are dye stability and stains. Inexpensive mattresses can have cheap dyes and too much precondition, too many passes with the tool can lighten color. Stains are not always easy to remove on cotton fabrics.

Most synthetic pillow tops mattresses clean very easily and look great when done.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

I think they are one of the easiest items to clean. We vacuum (dead skin, dust mites) precondition lightly and HWE extract with a Sapphire Tool.

The issues with mattresses are dry stability and stains. Inexpensive mattresses can have cheap dyes and too much precondition, too many passes with the tool can lighten color. Stains are not always easy to remove on cotton fabrics.

Most synthetic pillow tops mattresses clean very easily and look great when done.

What Richard said....

A lot of that yellow could be perspiration, which might respond to an enzyme preconditioner, but I wouldn't waste the time, risk, and effort. Most mattresses are cleaned for sanitary reasons, not for removable of visible stains.

In the future, I wouldn't mix sodium metabisulfite in with Cleanfree. There is a compatibility issue there that essentially would mean you'd get less of the desired effect from both products when they are mixed together.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I'm very reluctant to do any spotting unless its on the sides or I know I flush out what I put on it.
I also hate to deodorize unless absolutely necessary because I don't want a call back about smelling a scent when they are trying to sleep.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

I'm very reluctant to do any spotting unless its on the sides or I know I flush out what I put on it.
I also hate to deodorize unless absolutely necessary because I don't want a call back about smelling a scent when they are trying to sleep.

Glad you said that Richard...NO scented deodorizers on mattresses.

 

[steve_64]

mine has given me trouble getting it completely stain free. i think the stain magic has caused the material to break down some. i can see the wear on it, small holes and slight fraying.
i really threw the works at it this time but i dont want to do this to customers mattresses. maybe i need to find a good product for cotton. i thought the sodium metabisulfite would do the trick and it may have helped a lot. it lightened a lot as it dried but i would like to see a more immediate result and not leave it to chance.
ive had good luck getting others clean but havent done a lot of them. mostly due to urine issues. mine is high end and getting older. we will replace it in a couple years or less. Genny doesnt like where its been or whos been on it lol.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Its one of those things that you might only get a slight hint of fragrance when testing it.

However after its delivered and the client lays on it for hours, there is a higher chance of a complaint.

 

[steve_64]

Glad you said that Richard...NO scented deodorizers on mattresses.

i have used molecular modifier but the customer was ok with the fragrance. she couldnt stand the urine smell. i did clean it again for her about a year later without treating for urine. but i agree i dont like doing that. i just wasnt confident in getting all the smell out any other way. i was still newer to the business and hadnt tried a lot of products that made me confident in them. i still struggle with that confidence in products.