KevinL
Supportive Member
It depends on how thick the carpet is. I still think it's the customers job to vacuum. If they are to lazy or sloppy then it's staying in there.
Hidden soil-are you removing it
- Thread starter Ron Werner
- Start date
Have you compared other vacs to the Cleartrak? One of my customers gave me their old Cleartrak b/c they got a new Dyson. I ordered some parts for it, new brush roll, etc. It works but geez it's the slowest vac I've ever used, cleans in about a 10" path, horrible edge cleaning on both sides, AND has a belt blind spot in the middle.
I'm not sure if they changed them later I believe mine is a mid to late 90's vintage. It might be going in the trash soon.
I'm not sure if they changed them later I believe mine is a mid to late 90's vintage. It might be going in the trash soon.
Mike Draper
Member
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2008
- Messages
- 4,402
Ron, I know you clean better than most guys out their so don't take this personally, I had two of those cleartrak vacuums and they are a POS. Yes, they vac and Suck, but the beater bar on it will keep pulling up fiber from the carpet even if you were to clean and then re-clean 5 times. Their are much better va's out their. Why don;t you invest in a Prochem Procaps machine to pull up all the junk out of the carpet before you extract. That will save you some time.
Since there is a fair amount of "I let the custy vac, unless it's obvious" guys out there, keep in mind, if you are not offering to inspect and possibly service your customers vacuum this is pretty much a waste of time, all too many have a FULL bag, or a stretched belt or better yet, no belt at all, I won't even go into all of the "hepa" filters that are packed solid.
Sometimes you are just ahead to run around and spend 3 mins. in each room and do a quick vac, the first time you stir up a dust storm of Carpet Fresh you will remeber this thread.
Sometimes you are just ahead to run around and spend 3 mins. in each room and do a quick vac, the first time you stir up a dust storm of Carpet Fresh you will remeber this thread.
Ron Werner
Member
From what I've seen on the market most are crap compared to the Cleartrak. It only has edging on one side, the belts on the other but if you know how to use it it won't be beat. It will pull up lint and carpet fibre, but once its gone, its gone. If the carpet is a shedder, sure it will keep pulling up the fibre, but so will any other vacuum, IF its working. Hec, the Dyson has a stiffer brush and will do more damage.
Yes, its only a 10in swath, but I'm trying to remove the soil, not "appear" like I'm vacuuming. If you're only going through the motions, fine, buy a 12-14" vacuum with a bag, zip it through the rooms at 3min per room, and get on with it.
But don't you dare come back to me and tell me your cleaning
As for the Cleartrak being a POS, people have been saying that for years, and for the past 13yrs I've been using mine with NO Problems. I've seen people use them and its like they have no brain at all, they let them plug up and run them till the motor burns out. Then they badmouth the machine! People like that need a bag vac.
I find those dust storms all the time, but then they are gone and neither I nor my client ever have to worry about them again. And I'll tell them about the dangers of the crap they are dumping on the carpet and leaving. The biggest offender is HOST, god, that's horrible crap.
A Procaps machine isn't designed to remove the deep soil. Its a pile lifter and aggitator. At best, I would Procap/Whittaker and then vacuum, or they should put a clear canister on one of those machines with a separate vac motor.
Save me time? What? Am I in a race? I'm there to do a job. The job is to clean the carpets. Let it take time. Are you in a hurry?
Clients hire a cleaner to clean the carpet. They expect a professional to remove more than they do. If you remove the soil, it will not only LOOK clean but it WILL be clean. We have a High Performance Room, is it just so we can zip through places faster and faster and charge more? We've got the high flow, the glides and super suction, we've got trucks that can suck a fly's wings off at 50', yet steam cleaning by itself will never remove the soil that in the carpet.
I talk to them about their vacuum. Tell them about the bags, the belts, what to look for, how to better use it, and to have it checked, but I've not started to inspect them. I haven't the time since I've taken all the time cleaning. That's what vacuum repairmen are for.
OH John, my cleaning time is still the same. The Judson has made cleaning so much more enjoyable but I've been watching my time. Vacuuming still takes just as long as it did before. The steam cleaning still takes just as long, perhaps I save 20-30 min. If I had a V or AT I'm sure I would really be thought of as a nut, because my cleaning time STILL wouldn't be near as fast as what some guys are posting. For some people, speed is everything. To me, doing the job to the best of my ability is everything.
Yes, its only a 10in swath, but I'm trying to remove the soil, not "appear" like I'm vacuuming. If you're only going through the motions, fine, buy a 12-14" vacuum with a bag, zip it through the rooms at 3min per room, and get on with it.
But don't you dare come back to me and tell me your cleaning
As for the Cleartrak being a POS, people have been saying that for years, and for the past 13yrs I've been using mine with NO Problems. I've seen people use them and its like they have no brain at all, they let them plug up and run them till the motor burns out. Then they badmouth the machine! People like that need a bag vac.
I find those dust storms all the time, but then they are gone and neither I nor my client ever have to worry about them again. And I'll tell them about the dangers of the crap they are dumping on the carpet and leaving. The biggest offender is HOST, god, that's horrible crap.
A Procaps machine isn't designed to remove the deep soil. Its a pile lifter and aggitator. At best, I would Procap/Whittaker and then vacuum, or they should put a clear canister on one of those machines with a separate vac motor.
Save me time? What? Am I in a race? I'm there to do a job. The job is to clean the carpets. Let it take time. Are you in a hurry?
Clients hire a cleaner to clean the carpet. They expect a professional to remove more than they do. If you remove the soil, it will not only LOOK clean but it WILL be clean. We have a High Performance Room, is it just so we can zip through places faster and faster and charge more? We've got the high flow, the glides and super suction, we've got trucks that can suck a fly's wings off at 50', yet steam cleaning by itself will never remove the soil that in the carpet.
I talk to them about their vacuum. Tell them about the bags, the belts, what to look for, how to better use it, and to have it checked, but I've not started to inspect them. I haven't the time since I've taken all the time cleaning. That's what vacuum repairmen are for.
OH John, my cleaning time is still the same. The Judson has made cleaning so much more enjoyable but I've been watching my time. Vacuuming still takes just as long as it did before. The steam cleaning still takes just as long, perhaps I save 20-30 min. If I had a V or AT I'm sure I would really be thought of as a nut, because my cleaning time STILL wouldn't be near as fast as what some guys are posting. For some people, speed is everything. To me, doing the job to the best of my ability is everything.
Loren Egland
Member
I don't think anyone will argue that there are times when the carpet is so full of sand and muck, it might be best to prevac really well.
But can someone tell me who started this "makes mud" jibberish. If there was anything to this to speak of, none of us would use any moisture at all when cleaning. Doesn't water plus soil make mud? So when did wet dirt (mud) become harder to remove than dry dirt? If that was the case, we would all just dry vacuum.
I have a pair of pants with two pockets. I vacuum and put the dirt in one dry dirt pocket, then I steam clean and put the rest of the dirt in the other steam clean pocket. If I pre vac there will be less dirt in my steam clean pocket than if I don't prevac. But in many cases, I bet I have the same total of dirt in my pants if I don't prevac and put all the dirt in the steam clean pocket.
If I clean 1000 square feet in 3 hours by spending 1 hour to prevac and 2 hours to HWE, will I have a cleaner looking carpet than if I don't prevac and spend 3 hours Rotovacing? Likely depends on the carpet to some extent.
Of course there is the dry vacuum marketing angle to consider.
But can someone tell me who started this "makes mud" jibberish. If there was anything to this to speak of, none of us would use any moisture at all when cleaning. Doesn't water plus soil make mud? So when did wet dirt (mud) become harder to remove than dry dirt? If that was the case, we would all just dry vacuum.
I have a pair of pants with two pockets. I vacuum and put the dirt in one dry dirt pocket, then I steam clean and put the rest of the dirt in the other steam clean pocket. If I pre vac there will be less dirt in my steam clean pocket than if I don't prevac. But in many cases, I bet I have the same total of dirt in my pants if I don't prevac and put all the dirt in the steam clean pocket.
If I clean 1000 square feet in 3 hours by spending 1 hour to prevac and 2 hours to HWE, will I have a cleaner looking carpet than if I don't prevac and spend 3 hours Rotovacing? Likely depends on the carpet to some extent.
Of course there is the dry vacuum marketing angle to consider.
It sounds like you have a different model cleartrack than I do. Possibly the motor in the one I have is somewhat burned out by it's previous owner. Mine has a belt right in the middle of the roller brush and horrible edge cleaning on both sides. If you want mine or filters, belts, and the roll brush let me know and it's yours.
As for vacuums, I've used about 5 over the last 3 years. I have a Lindhaus which is the best if you're doing the quick "3 mins per room" type of vacuuming. It has a great roll brush which moves at 5500 rpm plus a great design and a lot of bristles, but not a lot of suction, so no matter how long you spend vacuuming with it the heavier sand at the base stays there. For a slow type vacuum I use the Royal. There's no canister, but I can HEAR the soil hitting the metal on the inside so I know how fast to move, which usually is pretty slow. One royal vac bag is equal to 5 or more canisters full of soil I would guess, and they fill up pretty quick. I am a VLM cleaner and I view the vacuum step as the most important.
http://www.royalvacuums.com/Commercial/ ... 1028Z.aspx
As for vacuums, I've used about 5 over the last 3 years. I have a Lindhaus which is the best if you're doing the quick "3 mins per room" type of vacuuming. It has a great roll brush which moves at 5500 rpm plus a great design and a lot of bristles, but not a lot of suction, so no matter how long you spend vacuuming with it the heavier sand at the base stays there. For a slow type vacuum I use the Royal. There's no canister, but I can HEAR the soil hitting the metal on the inside so I know how fast to move, which usually is pretty slow. One royal vac bag is equal to 5 or more canisters full of soil I would guess, and they fill up pretty quick. I am a VLM cleaner and I view the vacuum step as the most important.
http://www.royalvacuums.com/Commercial/ ... 1028Z.aspx
G
Guest
Guest
I agree with pacfan; That is some ugly clean vacuum carpet; I would have thrown a bit of beige dye in the tank.!!
Ron Werner
Member
http://www.cleartrak.com
The "mud" thing I think got started by Kirby salesmen, which imo is the only truthful thing they said. Just think about pouring a little sand/soil or even hair on your hand. If your hand is dry, the "soil" will fall right off and your hand leaving very little if anything remaining. However, wet your hand and repeat that, there will be so much stuff stuck to your hand it will take high flow water and maybe some aggitation to remove it. Get a wet hair on your hand, wipe it on your pants, you have a wet hair on your pants. Best way is to remove it "Dry".
I' ve been explaining the dry soil removal to clients for over 10yrs. I still get the same response. It just makes sense.
You take all that soil from the canister I showed, leave it in the carpet, prespray, you've just wet it all down. Now, even with highflow and super suction, you'll have a bugger of a time removing it.
I watched a guy with a RX20 go over one spot and it turned brown from soil wicking before our eyes. He went over it 2 or 3 times and it still didn't clean that well. As far as I know a RX20 will clean the deepest of all the tools out there with its 5 jets and aggitation.
As for hearing the soil, the fine soil you won't hear.
You don't have a Cleartrak or a CMS 1000, neither had that style. It might be a Phantom or some other version.
The "mud" thing I think got started by Kirby salesmen, which imo is the only truthful thing they said. Just think about pouring a little sand/soil or even hair on your hand. If your hand is dry, the "soil" will fall right off and your hand leaving very little if anything remaining. However, wet your hand and repeat that, there will be so much stuff stuck to your hand it will take high flow water and maybe some aggitation to remove it. Get a wet hair on your hand, wipe it on your pants, you have a wet hair on your pants. Best way is to remove it "Dry".
I' ve been explaining the dry soil removal to clients for over 10yrs. I still get the same response. It just makes sense.
You take all that soil from the canister I showed, leave it in the carpet, prespray, you've just wet it all down. Now, even with highflow and super suction, you'll have a bugger of a time removing it.
I watched a guy with a RX20 go over one spot and it turned brown from soil wicking before our eyes. He went over it 2 or 3 times and it still didn't clean that well. As far as I know a RX20 will clean the deepest of all the tools out there with its 5 jets and aggitation.
As for hearing the soil, the fine soil you won't hear.
Mike Draper
Member
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2008
- Messages
- 4,402
Pro caps machine will still go deeper to pull up and break apart more soil than a vacuum will.
tracywalker
Member
I use $40 bissels with dirt cups and they work great!! You guys can have all the "high end" vacs! I also VLM and do the 3min per room trick still works great. I educate all my customers on the importance to vaccum regularly and many have purchased a bissel after seeing me use one so usually no need to really pre vac on repeats.
hogjowl
Idiot™
OK, Ron. Now ... take it a step further and go find us all a PROFESSIONAL vacuum.
