Beginner stuff: Wrestling with hoses etc.

[gimmeagig]

Hi,
I've cleaned two houses with my new truck now and I realize i could really use some coaching.
The first time I had no reels and this unflexible PVC pressure line that my truck came with.I bought my truck used from DA Burns in Seattle and they really sent me home with some crappy cumbersome hoses with faulty quick connects which I found out about on the first cleaning.
Anyway,the truck itself is good and the carpet turned out clean,but I was really wrestling with all the lines and hoses. Still it fellt pretty good to do the job.
The next time I cleaned a house, I had reels and new soft pressure lines.Much better!I also had stair hooks so the vac line wouldn't slide down the stairs and pull on my wand(your wise crack here!)
I had bought corner protectors but realized they only work on level ground not on stairs.How do I protect corners from scuffing on stairs?
Anyway,I'm running into all kinds of issues and challenges.
Now that I have the reels I could just pull the vac line to the house but I'm worried I might scuff the lines up too much and decrease their lifespan.If I take it off the reel and carry it in, I end up wresting a python again.
After that I got my brandnew inline sprayer hooked up and I'm not totally sure how much I should use.Then I switch over to the wand and I'm burning my fingers on the fitting.
The quickconnects do get very hot.Could I damage a carpet with that much heat if the connector sits on the carpet for a while?Should I wrap them? Is there a gizmo for that?
Are there corner protectors that work on stairs?
I'm a total beginner and these things that you pros probably don't even think about,are going through my mind right now.
I took the IICRC carpet class but this real world stuff is not part of the curriculum.
I wish there was a course for that.
It would be great to get any words of wisdom on the basic day to day things, how to be efficient and thorough.The stay out of trouble and do the best job in a reasonable amount fo time stuff from old (or not so old) pros would be greatly apprecciated.
Thanks

 

[JFRASER]

Dude u really need to ride with some one, monkey see monkey do.

 

[KevinL]

Find a pro in or just outside your area to work with for awhile. You have no business trying to get paying jobs when you have no clue what you are doing.Why don't you just buy a Hoover steam vac and read the directions.

 

[Mikey P]

I'll offer a few days riding along with me if you'd like.

I'll teach you how to wand as well as proper use of a rotary, Cimex, CRB and maybe even some tile work. You can even mess around with the Defender OP loaner machine.



The cost of a plane ticket and a motel room would be well worth the price.


But I'll need to see your picture.
I can't have any pierced tattooed freaks taggin along.

 

[JFRASER]

What about cross dressers?

 

[Mikey P]

No problem what so ever.

 

[Kevin B]

I'm right here locally to him, and I have offered. I clean for 4.99 a room and I don't use Judson Juice, and the only grooming the carpet gets is with my hands smoothing out the delaminated spots from the goof off.

 

[gimmeagig]

Hey Kevin,
I haven't forgotten that you offered.I just wanted to wait until I got my truck ready and messed around with it on a couple of my rentals to see how it would turn out.Having done that, and knowing what I was having problems with I'll be able to learn lot more from getting together with you.The rentals turned out really well.The second one better than the first mostly because it was easier with the reels.I did a good job, it just took me longer than a real pro, but the end result was great.
So,I'm going to Germany for a couple of weeks, when I get back I'll call you.Maybe lunch at Moontime?
Mikey,
Next time I'm in Santa Cruz I'll look you up.I miss it a lot and that would be one extra reason to go back to my old stomping grounds.I just have to wait untill all my tattoos have faded.
By the way, KevinL, thanks a lot for the encouragement.What would I have done without your valuable piece of advice?
I guess this board wouldn't be complete without a guy like you!

 

[alazo1]

Ride along is definitely good. After that you just have to go for it. Don't worry about getting every little detail down, you'll still mess up along the way but this is how most learn. You're not a perfectionist are you?.

Albert

 

[Mikey P]

Woops, I just looked at your profile.


I assume Roxy is a girl's name ....


Retract my offer.


P would kill me.

 

[bob vawter]

So did "P" buy the dumb story about the wine "accident"?

 

[Jimbo]

Hey Roxy ...I carry a couple of moving blankets to protect different types of corners..like on the top and bottom of stairways...they are also good for walk-off mats when cleaning in inclement weather...or for wood floor entrys.

Bridgepoint sells some insulated quick connects to protect your hands from burning.

 

[gimmeagig]

Hey Jimbo,
That's just the kind of pointers I'm looking for.Thank you.I'll get the packing blankets and look into the insulated connectors.I think especially on olefin I could have a risk of melting the carpet, right?
Mikey,
I am NOT a girl, I am a middle aged, slightly balding man.I rune into that confusion all the time.I used(actually still am) to be a musician; hence the name.My girlfriend's name is Taylor that adds to the mixups.
So is the offer on again?Or do I need a sex change operation.in addition to having my all my tattoos removed and getting rid of my piercings?
Just kidding, I have long hair and I still sort of look like a musician(Jazz not punk)but I also sell real estate so I know all about appearance, not to worry.

 

[TimP]

When I come into a home I try not to drag and pull hoses around corners, I try to roll them in on the ground around door ways I'll drag them on the carpet and ground but you want to make sure you aren't going real fast over olefin. I try to pull a bunch to a corner then pull to the next corner it takes time but its better than having scuffed corners. I'll give them a light tug sometimes while cleaning but if it needs more than that i walk over and move them around that way. I'm not as worried with my solution hoses though only the vac hose. I find that corner guards are more for show anyhow. They don't stay in place in my opinion. If you're working by yourself you just have to take the time to move the hoses out of the way as you go out of a home. Anyway you may not want to listen to me cause I consider myself in between a hack and a non-hack.

As far as the quick connects unless you're running a above like 250 at least I wouldn't worry about carpet or vinyl. I personally have one of the heat resistant ones for the wand cause I use an in line sprayer and switch off a lot. And yes I have been burned on them a few times.

I think a lot of the stuff you have to learn from experience. It took me a while before some of the iicrc tips from the cct class kicked in in my head. Like doing the area where the furniture is first and moving it back asap so that you can get it all sprayed down. However I don't follow the rule of pre-spray only what you can clean in 15 minutes. I spray out about 600 ft so i guess what you can do in about 2 hours If you spray out your pre spray right it wont dry...but l am no expert and I am somewhat a hack so whatever works for you do it.

 

[gimmeagig]

Thanks Tim, I'm going to have to get an insulated quick connect for the Pressure line.I'm using an inline sprayer too.The first house I did I scuffed a couple of corners, not terrible but I don't want to get into the habit of doing that.I see you have a CDS as well.I really like mine so far, especially with the new 205 thermostat in my truck.
I'll post some pic of my truck one of these days.

 

[Ron Werner]

go to the jondon.com site, the interlinksupply.com site, magicwandco.com site. Look around at all the accessories and stuff. I just ordered from interlink some quick connect wraps, corner guards, wall guards, towel clip etc. Oh, there was even some hose clips/stands to hold the hose above the grass if I ever need to have the soln line over a lawn. Cool.

There are always ways to improve, little tools, big tools, new hose, whatever.

Welcome to the world of cleaning !

 

[gimmeagig]

I'll check it out, Ron.I like gizmos and the little stuff that makes life easier in a business.Ascesorizing (how do you spell that?)can be real fun.That's partially what I like about the carpet cleaning business.
With my music I have been into that for years, but my basses and my amps are so dialed in now that I am completely done.
I don't have my 62 TR4 anymore,there were lots of things to get for that.But I never did get to the point where it was all working perfectly.So after 13 years of messing with it I finally gave up and sold it.Can't fault me for lack of stamina.

 

[JFRASER]

Tim if you have your corner guards still you can modify them to stay in place. I use velcro (self adhesive kind rough side) on the bottom, I also have rubber tabs on them for wood and tile floors. They stay down great on carpet because of the velcro.

 

[alazo1]

Why not just get a 100' solution line. No qc to worry about other then the one in your wand.

Albert

 

[JFRASER]

Ron, a neat tip about running your hose in grass, run your hose through your extra vac hose.

 

[Kevin B]

I'll check it out, Ron.I like gizmos and the little stuff that makes life easier in a business.Ascesorizing (how do you spell that?)can be real fun.That's partially what I like about the carpet cleaning business.
With my music I have been into that for years, but my basses and my amps are so dialed in now that I am completely done.
I don't have my 62 TR4 anymore,there were lots of things to get for that.But I never did get to the point where it was all working perfectly.So after 13 years of messing with it I finally gave up and sold it.Can't fault me for lack of stamina.

Wow Roxy, I saw the hose that came on your truck today when I stopped in at LPM. I picked up some Power Strike for the nasties. I have a restaurant coming up, so we will see how well it does.