On location rug cleaners- How do cotton rugs do?

[ruff]

My experience with cotton rugs is that they do not do well with on location cleaning. Pile has a tendency to distort. Finish is not great as it needs to be finished again, once completely dry. Also cotton seem to release more soil in the very last drying stage (I assume due to cotton's hollow core.)

What is your experience?
If you clean them on location, how do you do it?

 

[Mikey P]

Rotovac Brush Head works wonders.

 

[Desk Jockey]

 

[Steve Lawrence]

Cleaning is always a matter of degree.

How dirty is it? Can you make it acceptable/awesome?

What does your customer expect?

Your call.

 

[Papa John]

In plant cleaning is best- but more money. remind the customer that the cotton most likely will shrink. If cleaned on location make sure there is a solid pad under it and inform the customer that is only a light maintenance cleaning, not all the soil or spots will be removed. Most cotton rugs are thin and woven which IMO seems that the soil is more likely to be ground in.
Using a Cimex and Pressure washing works great on these rugs when cleaned in plant-- otherwise go with Rotovac brush head on location-- though keeping the rug in place could be a challenge.

 

[cleanking]

"On location rug cleaners" should be changed to rug hacks. Just so folks understand what you're talking about.

It'd be the same as a guy with a wet vac and a pump sprayer claiming to be a carpet cleaner. Not really up to par, but I guess he could make a couple bucks...​

 

[Papa John]

"On location rug cleaners" should be changed to rug hacks. Just so folks understand what you're talking about.

It'd be the same as a guy with a wet vac and a pump sprayer claiming to be a carpet cleaner. Not really up to par, but I guess he could make a couple bucks...​

you have to give the customer what they want.. and sometimes its just to save money. we let people know upfront that on location isn't a proper cleaning and even though in plant is 5 times more expensive, its worth it--- but for some- on location is "good enough" for them--- Just like encap or vlm cleaning.

 

[Cleanworks]

I'm usually pretty firm with my customers. I will clean synthetics without fringes on location depending on size and where it's going to dry but for wool/cotton/silk/etc I tell them it has to go to the shop. If they don't want to pay for it, that's their problem. I really don't want to be mine.

 

[cleanking]

you have to give the customer what they want.. and sometimes its just to save money. we let people know upfront that on location isn't a proper cleaning and even though in plant is 5 times more expensive, its worth it--- but for some- on location is "good enough" for them--- Just like encap or vlm cleaning.

Most of the time the customer doesn't know what they want. It's our job to provide the highest level of service we know how and to educate our clients. There is almost no situation where on location cleaning is necessary, even when the customer is price conscience.

Cleaning on location is not like encapsulation or vlm, these are highly accepted and proven methods of cleaning carpet and generally provide outstanding results with almost ZERO risk. Such is not the case with on location cleaning no matter the rug in question.

I get it, do your thing, acknowledge that it's not best practice nor necessary. Within 10 years most all of the industry will look back at cleaning on location and say "what the heck were we thinking all that time???"

 

[ruff]

Vlm and encapsulation are imho not risk free. "Within 10 years most all of the industry will look back at vlm and encapsulation and say "what the heck were we thinking all that time???" It is just that not enough environmental research has been done on it, yet.

Jordan, we educate our client and as a matter of fact every one of our clients that wants their rugs cleaned gets a very clear email. In that email we explain to them in simple unmasked terms what they are getting and it clearly states that in plant is superior both cleaning wise, health wise and rug durability wise.

However, we also respect their intelligence and understand that we are there to provide them with a service and not to demonstrate high horse riding as some do.

 

[Bob Pruitt]

Most of the time the customer doesn't know what they want.

We must have different Customers... I agree that quality rugs should be plant cleaned.

 

[cleanking]

Vlm and encapsulation are imho not risk free. "Within 10 years most all of the industry will look back at vlm and encapsulation and say "what the heck were we thinking all that time???" It is just that not enough environmental research has been done on it, yet.

Jordan, we educate our client and as a matter of fact every one of our clients that wants their rugs cleaned gets a very clear email. In that email we explain to them in simple unmasked terms what they are getting and it clearly states that in plant is superior both cleaning wise, health wise and rug durability wise.

However, we also respect their intelligence and understand that we are there to provide them with a service and not to demonstrate high horse riding as some do.

Ofer, good for you for riding the short horse, someone has to. We will just have to agree to disagree.

 

[cleanking]

We must have different Customers... I agree that quality rugs should be plant cleaned.

Define quality? Even manufacturers of run of the mill machine made polypropylene rugs will state on their website and package labeling that the rugs should be professionally cleaned, most go as far to say by a professional rug cleaner and not by steam cleaning (I.e. carpet cleaner).

 

[Bob Pruitt]

Define quality?

Rugs that have rubber backs and pictures of race tracks in a preschool don't need plant cleaned... give me a break Jordan.

 

[ruff]

 

[Cleanworks]

I come across many that say they must be "dry cleaned"

 

[cleanking]

Rugs that have rubber backs and pictures of race tracks in a preschool don't need plant cleaned... give me a break Jordan.

You're right, they don't NEED to be, but they SHOULD be.

 

[cleanking]

I come across many that say they must be "dry cleaned"

Yeah. Generally we've seen these with custom bound nylon rugs. Ethan Allen branded rugs almost always say this.

 

[The Great Oz]

Depends. Installed cotton cleans up well, but requires a glide if you're going to try and extract it. I don't think the second generation stuff made it south of the Canadian border though.

Cotton rugs? If you can't differentiate between the types or narrow down the construction and dyes, you shouldn't be cleaning it. Cheap-ass people won't appreciate you for trying to save them a couple of bucks, and when things go badly while you save your cheap ass customer a couple of bucks, they still expect you to buy them a new rug. Never take chances trying to save cheap-ass people money.
Never do that. Never.



Never. Do. That.


Never.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Fookin rug snobs. Gotta love them...or not.

Ya'll do know you just clean the dirt out of them...right? You don't weave them.

Oh hell no, little kids are enslaved to weave them. Just so we can think we are high and "mighty" because we can get more dirt out than the other guy.

Aint this a great country!

 

[Papa John]

Within 10 years most all of the industry will look back at cleaning on location and say "what the heck were we thinking all that time???"

I say that now about on location cleaning-(of which we do a lot of)- especially after putting a rug in our "rug Jacuzzi" that has been cleaned on location before.-- Wait-- I KNOW what I was thinking--" I liked the money!" is what I was thinking.
There are rugs that we will only clean in plant... But cheap tufted Indo Rugs might not be worth the extra expense on every cleaning.--

BTW-- we tell the customer up front if we clean the rugs on location--Because we don't want to damage your wood floors--- We are not going to get out all the soil with on location cleaning and in some rare cases it may look worse after the cleaning and most of the urine smell will not be removed, and the fringe wont be cleaned.

 

[Brian H]

Depends. Installed cotton cleans up well, but requires a glide if you're going to try and extract it..

I have cleaned a few of those many years ago, prior to glides. You couldn't even push the wand. You could only pull it!!

We run an in-plant rug cleaning operation and I agree with others that rugs need to be brought in for a proper cleaning. We also have lost on-location customers over the years because we refused to clean ANY area rug in the home. We now clean SOME area rugs in the home, as long as the customer signs off prior to cleaning.

From the customer's perspective, it does make sense to have a cheaper area rug touched up in the home. The cost to have it cleaned in plant can, at times, be more than the cost of a new rug. What do you tell those customers?

 

[Nate The Great]

I have cleaned a few of those many years ago, prior to glides. You couldn't even push the wand. You could only pull it!!

We run an in-plant rug cleaning operation and I agree with others that rugs need to be brought in for a proper cleaning. We also have lost on-location customers over the years because we refused to clean ANY area rug in the home. We now clean SOME area rugs in the home, as long as the customer signs off prior to cleaning.

From the customer's perspective, it does make sense to have a cheaper area rug touched up in the home. The cost to have it cleaned in plant can, at times, be more than the cost of a new rug. What do you tell those customers?

"You cheap ass"....

 

[Papa John]

The cost to have it cleaned in plant can, at times, be more than the cost of a new rug. What do you tell those customers?

If the rug has been used as a toilet for way too long-- we tell them it would be better to put that cleaning money towards buying a new rug.--
luckily Brian you have several show rooms to help them with that

 

[ruff]

........Cheap-ass people won't appreciate you for trying to save them a couple of bucks, and when things go badly while you save your cheap ass customer a couple of bucks, they still expect you to buy them a new rug. Never take chances trying to save cheap-ass people money.
Never do that. Never.
Never. Do. That.
Never.

WDF woke the lion up?!!

And why did they keep it so hungry?