Ron,
Some people are giving you a hard time, but I think half of it is "tongue in cheek", and the other half is mostly undeserved.
Most of the time I think you are proceeding in a very principled manner to do a fine job. Dry soil removal prior to HWE is the most misunderstood and overlooked part of the cleaning process. The insoluble matter is many times more difficult to remove if you have not taken the time to do it before you introduce moisture.
Most of the criticism that arises is due to two seemingly disparate operation values that the cleaner has to deal with. First is the
science of cleaning, second is the
business of cleaning. The system science tells us to remove all the dry soil that is possible with dry vacuuming, prior to the implementation of the restorative method. The business of cleaning tries to force us to strike a balance that might lessen the amount of time one can spend in order to make the acceptable profit margin on our labor. The expectations of both the customer and the cleaner will dictate the manner of influence the business of cleaning will have that mitigates the "thoroughness" of the total cleaning process. Moreover, the customer and the cleaner may have differing definitions of "clean" that further influence, what is most often, the compromise solution.
Whether the customer appreciates your thoroughness, and you are making an acceptable profit is something that is alone to your circumstances. If it is working for you, I say
bravo! You are not only doing a great job, but your message is valuable to all who read about it.
As I see it, the only valid criticism might be the amount of time spent vacuuming, not never the thoroughness. As such, the only open question is whether the equipment or the technique needs adjusting. Neither of which is detailed in this thread, hence not much comment could be made...only questions.
