Correct Wand Stoke

[Loren Egland]

I have often seen other cleaners use a zigzag patern wand stroke with the solution on at all times. Then they may go back over the section they cleaned with a dry stroke.

If you leave the solution on during the forward stroke, then pull back at an angle, move forward at an angle, and so on, overwetting would seem to occur since there is no extraction on the forward triangles stroke, and there will likely be a puddle
left at the back end of the stroke as well.

As I was watching a cleaner with different wand and equipment than me, I noticed his two jet wand was not putting out much flow and the jets were high off the carpet, so maybe that is why he is able to get by with that stroke. My wand has 5 jets set low to the carpet, so about 2 1/2 times the flow and more impact. Also heat exchanger vs. kerosene burner.

I pull backward with the solution on, then release the solution trigger a couple inches before I complete my back stroke in order to pick up the spray rather than have a puddle left that does not get extracted. I then move the wand forward on the same path without the solution spray on, then repeat in the same path. When I am through with the cleaning strokes, I do a forward and back dry vacuum stroke, overlapping an inch or so in case there is a little moisture left at the side edge of the wand. Then I move over and start another straight back and forth path, and so on.

I attached a video of a 68 year old friend using my equipment. He has never cleaned carpet before. What do you think of his technique?

 

[BIG WOOD]

I never was a fan of the popular triangle marks in the carpet. One thing I do differently is, on the wet passes, I pull the trigger on the forward and backwards passes. I feel it gives a better flush before I do my dry passes.

 

[Dolly Llama]

, I pull the trigger on the forward and backwards passes. I feel it gives a better flush before I do my dry passes.

unless scrub chop stroking a bad spot/area, all forward triggered stroke does is make the carpet wetter, not cleaner or better flushed .
slow down the triggered back stroke for max flush.
The heavier the soil load, the slower the stroke (or scrub chop it)

Loren's guy is doing it right
albeit with TERRIBLE wand posture

..L.T.A.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We always keep the trigger on. After making a row, then a vacuum pass.

One sure way to get fired from Chavez is to get caught what we call "One stroking" it. Hard to clean anything well if you don't flush it.

 

[Hack Attack]

 

[Dolly Llama]

We always keep the trigger on. After making a row, then a vacuum pass.

that why you can't make com look and have to encRap it …..




..L.T.A.

 

[Hack Attack]

Haha, I change my wand stroke style based on carpet type and soiling levels

I seldom trigger forward unless its trashed and I want the extra heat, dwell and flushing of going over exactly the same area again. Followed by several dry strokes before moving over

I normally only trigger back but with 50% overlap so everywhere gets 2 wet passes followed by dry

 

[Mikey P]

One sure way to get fired from Chavez is to get caught what we call "One stroking" it. Hard to clean anything well if you don't flush it.

or get caught on MB too much by your brother..

 

[Cleanworks]

With the truck I pretty much do what Loren does. With the portable, I will flush in both directions, making sure I am off the trigger before I finish the stroke, then trigger forward again. This only works if you are using an emulsifier. If you are just using a water rinse, like Loren said, you are just making the carpet wetter. Again I only do this on heavily soiled areas, then I do extra dry passes. I overlap by a third of the wand width. I have fast equipment so I can clean slowly and thoroughly.

 

[ruff]

Assuming nylon or synthetic carpet. I wet clean both forward and backward. Straight, no zigzag. Three sideways strokes and then dry passes. It does not give the water much time to go down before being picked up on the wet pull. After trying different techniques I feel that it accomplishes the best results. It lands itself better if your TM has a strong blower.

As long as you overlap your passes and do good dry passes you'll be fine either way.

Of course you adjust for special situations. Like lower pressure and wet on the pull only with woven or Olefin etc.

 

[steve_64]

When I need to I pull the trigger and go then go back with slow pull in one direction followed by more zigzag dry strokes listening for wet spots.

 

[hogjowl]

This was being discussed 20 years ago by other idiots.
Some of you were there.

 

[Desk Jockey]

that why you can't make com look and have to encRap it …..




..L.T.A.

It's why you fookers can.

It's not CLEAN when it dries in an hour. It's been "cleaned" but it's snot!

Fooker!

 

[JohnHawkP]

I have often seen other cleaners use a zigzag patern wand stroke with the solution on at all times. Then they may go back over the section they cleaned with a dry stroke.

If you leave the solution on during the forward stroke, then pull back at an angle, move forward at an angle, and so on, overwetting would seem to occur since there is no extraction on the forward triangles stroke, and there will likely be a puddle
left at the back end of the stroke as well.

As I was watching a cleaner with different wand and equipment than me, I noticed his two jet wand was not putting out much flow and the jets were high off the carpet, so maybe that is why he is able to get by with that stroke. My wand has 5 jets set low to the carpet, so about 2 1/2 times the flow and more impact. Also heat exchanger vs. kerosene burner.

I pull backward with the solution on, then release the solution trigger a couple inches before I complete my back stroke in order to pick up the spray rather than have a puddle left that does not get extracted. I then move the wand forward on the same path without the solution spray on, then repeat in the same path. When I am through with the cleaning strokes, I do a forward and back dry vacuum stroke, overlapping an inch or so in case there is a little moisture left at the side edge of the wand. Then I move over and start another straight back and forth path, and so on.

I attached a video of a 68 year old friend using my equipment. He has never cleaned carpet before. What do you think of his technique?

Agree Loren.

The gentleman in the video will get some strained muscles if he cleans side on like that.

I teach my guys to always keep their backs straight and move a step or two backwards and forwards when wanding.

31st year of carpet cleaning for me and never had a back problem

**touch wood**

 

[Cleanworks]

This was being discussed 20 years ago by other idiots.
Some of you were there.

And 10 years before that.

 

[BIG WOOD]

Assuming nylon or synthetic carpet. I wet clean both forward and backward. Straight, no zigzag. Three sideways strokes and then dry passes. It does not give the water much time to go down before being picked up on the wet pull. After trying different techniques I feel that it accomplishes the best results. It lands itself better if your TM has a strong blower.

As long as you overlap your passes and do good dry passes you'll be fine either way.

Of course you adjust for special situations. Like lower pressure and wet on the pull only with woven or Olefin etc.

Ruff is on my page. And so is IICRC. That's the way I was taught in class.

And Marty, this is a carpet cleaning forum, Idiot!

 

[Cleanworks]

I have often seen other cleaners use a zigzag patern wand stroke with the solution on at all times. Then they may go back over the section they cleaned with a dry stroke.

If you leave the solution on during the forward stroke, then pull back at an angle, move forward at an angle, and so on, overwetting would seem to occur since there is no extraction on the forward triangles stroke, and there will likely be a puddle
left at the back end of the stroke as well.

As I was watching a cleaner with different wand and equipment than me, I noticed his two jet wand was not putting out much flow and the jets were high off the carpet, so maybe that is why he is able to get by with that stroke. My wand has 5 jets set low to the carpet, so about 2 1/2 times the flow and more impact. Also heat exchanger vs. kerosene burner.

I pull backward with the solution on, then release the solution trigger a couple inches before I complete my back stroke in order to pick up the spray rather than have a puddle left that does not get extracted. I then move the wand forward on the same path without the solution spray on, then repeat in the same path. When I am through with the cleaning strokes, I do a forward and back dry vacuum stroke, overlapping an inch or so in case there is a little moisture left at the side edge of the wand. Then I move over and start another straight back and forth path, and so on.

I attached a video of a 68 year old friend using my equipment. He has never cleaned carpet before. What do you think of his technique?

This is the beauty of the Zipper. Just cleaned the amenities room in my building. Although the carpet didn't look soiled, the yoga instructor who rents the room on a regular basis, complained that her socks were always black and the carpet doesn't have a pleasant odor. I used the Zipper and 2 inch wand to trim around the edges. The Zipper allows me to flush and vacuum in both directions, giving me twice the amount of cleaning solution but removing it instantly as well. When done, the carpet feels just slightly damp. (Dry to the touch as some would say) .I left one fan on it and will check with a moisture after supper. I finished at 2pm. I am thinking it will be dry at 6pm. Wouldn't it be nice to have a light weight wand built like a Zipper? Allowing you to flush and recover in both directions?

 

[bob vawter]

or get caught on MB too much by your brother..

ZINNNNNNNNG!

 

[ruff]

.......Wouldn't it be nice to have a light weight wand built like a Zipper? Allowing you to flush and recover in both directions?

Sure. If you wanted to carry just one more damn tool to go along with your 5 stair tools.

It can easily be accomplished with a decent TM and good wand technique.

Of course some like to simplify by using a vortex, cleaning with the SS spiner zipper, followed with a rotovac brush head, spray with an encap and follow with a bonnet.......................oops and we forgot the Studebaker fans.

 

[hogjowl]

Tools are our cocaine

 

[Hack Attack]

just dont snort your chems you will cough and cough and not get off

 

[Jim Williams]

I prefer to key the wand going straight forward, then keying straight back. I use lower water pressure, never over 300, and low flow with my sissy wand. I can see how carpet might get too wet with a high flow wand with that technique. Works for me.

 

[Cleanworks]

Sure. If you wanted to carry just one more damn tool to go along with your 5 stair tools.

It can easily be accomplished with a decent TM and good wand technique.

Of course some like to simplify by using a vortex, cleaning with the SS spiner zipper, followed with a rotovac brush head, spray with an encap and follow with a bonnet.......................oops and we forgot the Studebaker fans.

6 stair tools

 

[Loren Egland]

This is the beauty of the Zipper. Just cleaned the amenities room in my building. Although the carpet didn't look soiled, the yoga instructor who rents the room on a regular basis, complained that her socks were always black and the carpet doesn't have a pleasant odor. I used the Zipper and 2 inch wand to trim around the edges. The Zipper allows me to flush and vacuum in both directions, giving me twice the amount of cleaning solution but removing it instantly as well. When done, the carpet feels just slightly damp. (Dry to the touch as some would say) .I left one fan on it and will check with a moisture after supper. I finished at 2pm. I am thinking it will be dry at 6pm. Wouldn't it be nice to have a light weight wand built like a Zipper? Allowing you to flush and recover in both directions?

View attachment 83614 View attachment 83615

I agree that it is important for faster drying to be able to remove the solution immediately, rather than go back over a cleaned section much later with a dry stroke. By the time you do that, the excess moisture has sank into the carpet already.

I would like to see a tool or wand that had a front and rear vacuum slot with jets in between similar to the zipper but with the vacumm slots closer together. That way the solution would be picked up quicker on the forward stroke as well as the backward stroke when cleaning in both directions. It would seem to me that the carpet would be dryer if this were so. I may be splitting hairs here though.

I repositioned the jets on my 360i quad to make sure the solution was picked up immediately. For some reason the Rotovac is shipped with only 2 of the 4 jets positioned this way.

On occasion I do use a wet forward stroke, but within reason and I do not deviate much from the pattern I mentioned earlier.

Also agree that my friend’s wanding technique is hard on the body. You should have seen him sweat.

 

[Cleanworks]

Just checked the carpet with a hydrosensor. Most of the carpet is bone dry with just a couple of damp spots where I worked out some spots. 4 1/2 hour drying time. Temperature 30 degrees Celsius, humidity 39 percent.

 

[ruff]

Indeed.

 

[Kenny Hayes]

I used my zipper today with my truckmount and NOT the Bane for the first time and I was cleaning in both directions. Peddle to the metal. Where’s that
thing been my whole life. My chimps we’re doing floors so I suffered with the zippity do da. Best thing for an old man since the Cimex. I know I’m like a flip phone user, I’m about a decade behind.

 

[Kenny Hayes]

If you’re gonna have a 68 yr. old do carpet, at least get him a zipper!!

 

[icleancarpetz]

I can’t even remember the last time I used my PMF Mach 15....Don’t miss it either.

 

[SamIam]

Straight forward straight back, my son was notorious at zigzag forwards and backwards pissed me off!