How do you air dust rugs?

rhino1

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We just signed a lease on a small 2000 s.f. office/shop. I have a 800 s.f. garage type building with an large natural gas radiant heater that will run you out of there. I don't have a duster.

I do have a good air compressor mounted in a van that we use for duct cleaning. My idea is to put up a large portable garage in the fenced in back yard of the shop with a couple of neg. air machines and use this set up for air dusting. I can also just open the tent flaps and let her fly if that doesn't work.

I don't really want to buy a rug badger right now unless I find a used one for cheap, I will be saving up for a duster or leasing one if the rugs take off.

So how do you air dust rugs? I haven't heard it mentioned here much.... what psi range do you use? What type of attachment do you use? I have seen videos where they are using what looks to be a wand.
 
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Desk Jockey

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:eekk: Oh lord! Is that rug snob high fashion? Where can one buy a getup like that...now that Halloween is over I mean?

I'm sure one could not adequately clean a rug without wearing a costume like that! :oldrolleyes:


:stir:

Is that Lacoste? @dealtimeman
 
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Ok, to air dust properly, you'd need a minimum 15hp Rotary Screw Compressor. and an air wand... Phil Auserehl style of air dusting.... I've talked with the Preston from Tinney rug cleaning in Florida and he and Phil both made there systems but Preston made his to use more volume of air....

It's an expensive system to operate... You could try the Air Badger.... It's basically a http://www.amazon.com/Metro-Vacuum-MB3CD-Blaster-Motorcycle/dp/B0002SPCGC and you use your regular cleaning wand and 10' 1.5" hose.... I haven't used it but it shouldn't cost $700 to buy it... The Air Badger uses 2 4hp motors Y'ed together... The link I posted is the same manufacture but it's 8hp and it doesn't need the Y.... The specs are the same...

PVC tiles work good instead of the metal grids that can damage some rugs.... @rhyde will tell you to use a Sanitare 886 vacuum to vibrate the dust out... Cheaper and you don't need to spend a lot... I've played with @Ron K air duster and it seemed pretty cool... You need space for it... The video Mikey posted seemed like there's an exhaust fan sucking out the dust like George Bell's dusting room does....
 

Ron K

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Air Dusting/Washing is just a tool which we have in our arsenel. Dusting,beside rug washingID, is the most critical step in getting a rug really thoroughly totally brilliantly clean. You can achieve really good dusting results with an old Eureka Vacuum. It will take a long time,prewash dust, post wash, dust, even re-wash then re-dust. So buy a good Eureka type or two and dust away. Nate is correct you need copious amounts of air to run an air tool properly or you can use the stuff out there to dry your dog. Or you could just do Water damage and make real money and not be called a rug snob.
 

dgardner

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The video Mikey posted seemed like there's an exhaust fan sucking out the dust like George Bell's dusting room does....
I was going to mention that - in fact it looks like he has a clean air supply behind him and exhaust on the other side. The dust does an abrupt left turn and doesn't ever seem to reach the operator.
 

rhino1

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I could do restoration work, but I already work 7 days a week, not terribly interested in 7 nights as well.
I know there is a ton of money for that, but it comes with 2 tons of stress.

I have a picture in my mind of a nice, clean, heated shop where I can spend the winter cleaning rugs, reinforced with a nip or two of Absolut if I catch a chill. Home with the kids in the afternoon and in bed by 11.
 

Desk Jockey

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I have a picture in my mind of a nice, clean, heated shop where I can spend the winter cleaning rugs, reinforced with a nip or two of Absolut if I catch a chill. Home with the kids in the afternoon and in bed by 11.
That's a possibility if you can drive the rugs to you. We are busy with rug cleaning all year but like carpet cleaning, they seem to slow down after the new year too.
 

T Monahan

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Proper "Air Dusting" uses physics/principles of levitation or lift. It's not like a weak air blower, like a leaf blower, jus moving air across the rug. The later technique will see dust flying, but it is nothing like what has been re-ntroduced in recent years by Phil and Ron.
 
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rhino1

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Proper "Air Dusting" uses physics/principles of levitation or lift. It's not like a weak air blower, like a leaf blower, jus moving air across the rug. The later technique will see dust flying, but it is nothing like what has been re-ntroduced in recent years by Phil and Ron.
You talk in riddles Tom, who are Phil and Ron and what have they re-introduced?

The wolverine duster looks like a possible option if air dusting isn't what I think it is, looks like the rug badger at a better price.

Do you still have to dust if you have that 1200 gallon washing machine?
 

rmann

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Air dusting is effective, but from a production standpoint very slow and expensive. Tumble dusting is a much better choice, even for a small facility. Consider; a good air dusting system will cost a bit more than a 10' tumbler, take more space to operate, create a huge mess, and an operator still has to dust every single square foot, one foot at a time. A 10' tumbler can be loaded with 600-800 square feet of rugs (easily) and run for 20-40 minutes un-manned to achieve a similar result. And if you think the rugs need a bit more you just run them another 20 minutes while you and the crew are off doing something else. Are there rugs that can't be tumbled, or precautions that have to be taken? Sure, of course. We run two tumblers side by side, nearly all day long at our plant. We couldn't do what we do without them.
 

Askal

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Air dusting is effective, but from a production standpoint very slow and expensive. Tumble dusting is a much better choice, even for a small facility. Consider; a good air dusting system will cost a bit more than a 10' tumbler, take more space to operate, create a huge mess, and an operator still has to dust every single square foot, one foot at a time. A 10' tumbler can be loaded with 600-800 square feet of rugs (easily) and run for 20-40 minutes un-manned to achieve a similar result. And if you think the rugs need a bit more you just run them another 20 minutes while you and the crew are off doing something else. Are there rugs that can't be tumbled, or precautions that have to be taken? Sure, of course. We run two tumblers side by side, nearly all day long at our plant. We couldn't do what we do without them.
That's 11,000 sf of rugs a day? That's a lot of rugs.
 

Ron K

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Air dusting is effective, but from a production standpoint very slow and expensive. Tumble dusting is a much better choice, even for a small facility. Consider; a good air dusting system will cost a bit more than a 10' tumbler, take more space to operate, create a huge mess, and an operator still has to dust every single square foot, one foot at a time. A 10' tumbler can be loaded with 600-800 square feet of rugs (easily) and run for 20-40 minutes un-manned to achieve a similar result. And if you think the rugs need a bit more you just run them another 20 minutes while you and the crew are off doing something else. Are there rugs that can't be tumbled, or precautions that have to be taken? Sure, of course. We run two tumblers side by side, nearly all day long at our plant. We couldn't do what we do without them.
I can't believe I'm going to say this but..... I kind of ....sort of..... almost kind of a little disagree with some of what you are saying no disrespect. From a production stand point yes. Air dusting is slow but with the correct setup you can use your Air Compressor to help with washing/rinsing rugs. So the compressor can be a multipurpose tool. A dolap/tumbler dusts and polishes. Air dusting is a MESS but SO is tumble dusting both require a dedicated space/place. The more I hear about tumble dusting the more I hear it not a set it and forget it system. You should always monitor the floor and look for knots and rug pieces. Cost wise I see a 10 footer being around at least $30,ooo to set up. Air compressor and tools are a bit less. Robert don't cut yourself short "We couldn't do what we do without them" You were hugely successful before your tumble duster it's just now you're better or more productive. As Randy has said the tumbler is just a tool, used properly a wonderful tool. It will not make a unknowledgeable cleaner better . I'm saying all this because there seems to be a lot of press at this time and I think in the long run it can be a game changer. But that's what was said about the centrifuge too and I'm still seeing red about that one. After this long diatribe the R H Koller team looks forward to our 10' Tumble Duster arriving soon.
 

rmann

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Askal: I wish we cleaned 11,00 square feet a day, though I can't imagine how I would. We don't always run our tumblers full, we tumble a lot of rugs both before and after cleaning ( it may not seem to make sense, but if you tried it you'd probably do so too) and the guys are often slow on the emptying and re-load.

Ron: My wife has been telling me I'm full of it for years and she knows me better than anyone. We may have done o.k. before we had tumblers, but we left a lot of dirt in rugs that we can now get out. It's true a tumbler won't make you a more knowledgeable, but the rugs you wash will be a lot cleaner. People always talk about centrifuges and tumblers in terms of efficiency and production rates, and they are important in that aspect, but the bonus is that both tools can really improve the quality of your end results. In terms of cost I suppose a tumbler is now about $20,000, or a bit less, an enclosure is $1500 if you diy and an exhaust system is $500-$2000 depending on how fancy you get. A 15'x16' enclosure is probably all you need to house a duster, which is a lot less space than you need for air dusting if you don't happen to be in a part of the country where you can dust outside all year long. It's true that tumblers can really damage rugs. There are some types of rugs we don't tumble (antique Sarouks and Fereghans, cotton warp Bidjars, etc.) and we are generally very careful to inspect all pieces for stiff or rotten areas before we decide to tumble them. Otherwise we just run the machines and don't worry too much; it has worked for us. I heard about your difficulties with the centrifuge and the fast talking guy in the red shirt; it sounded pretty bad. I hope you have better luck with the tumbler. I bet you will.
 

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