If you are not currently prescrubbing you are a hack

[XTREME1]

I have been a prescrubber for only about 1 month and I can see the difference, it is amazing. I bring in my 175(i use to scrub with a host, not even close) and my brush and go to town. The weight on the is atleast 80lbs and it actually saves time on some jobs while adding the upcharge.

I save tons of money on spotters, my rotovac wonders where I am and customers are amazed. I get tons of work because people are so overwhelmed. I am going to hire myself a couple of little wizards to help me. I have a couple on weekends but now I need some fulltime.

 

[Charlie Lyman]

what 175 do you have?

 

[XTREME1]

http://www.mercuryfloormachines.com/machines/boss1.htm

The older version

 

[diamond brian]

I only prescrub when necessary. Ironically, it's usually for those who can least afford it.

 

[XTREME1]

I find it cuts time on the ones you really do not want to clean but are already there. Like Brian said they can't afford it but I do anyhow and just cut the charge. Since it is about an hr either way whether I prescrub or work my ass off trying to get the place clean, I always choose the scrub

 

[Art Kelley]

I agree. I just started using a 175 (Clarke C-15) 398 months ago. Actually 397 months ago; for one month in 1975 I tried one step steam cleaning, running emulsifier through the line. That gave very mediocre results. Nothing beats a quick prescrub on anything but very lightly soiled carpet. Over the years it's puzzled me when carpet cleaners ask, "How can I clean a dirty olefin?", or "How do you get filtration lines clean?", or "How can I clean wool?". I dawned on me that they don't pretreat with a 175, that's why they ask these questions. I suppose they think they're saving time or they have this super powerful truck-mount and they don't need to bother with an archaic tool. Oh well, that's why customers call me, and they go out of business.

 

[Charlie Lyman]

I just started using a 175 (Clarke C-15) 398 months ago. Actually 397 months ago

are you sure it wasn't 396.5 months ago?

 

[R W]

I've actually been using my ProCaps machine for pre-scrubbing the nasties. It's simular to the GLS machine. It really digs up the crap out of the carpet that the vacuum misses.

 

[Joe Couch]

Why should I prescrub with a 175 and then clean with a wand when I can do it all in one step with the rotovac? The only thing extra I have to do is edge out everything with the wand but that doesn't take alot of time.

Is there something that I am missing using a rotovac instead of a 175 and wand? It seems like it would be twice the work and you would get the same results?

We clean nasty apartments all day long with the rotovac and never have a issue.

 

[Jeremy]

So you were a hack until a month ago?

 

[packfancjh]

If you don't clean just like the self proclaimed "greatest carpet cleaner" I guess your are a full on hack.

 

[Goldenboy]

I use to pre-scrub with my OP machine. Now I switched to a Host machine. Host machine does a better job. If I had to choose between 300 degree heat or pre-scrub with a Host. I would take the Host. But I have both so I use both. I pull out the OP for Berbers.


Golden Boy

 

[joey895]

Why should I prescrub with a 175 and then clean with a wand when I can do it all in one step with the rotovac? The only thing extra I have to do is edge out everything with the wand but that doesn't take alot of time.

Is there something that I am missing using a rotovac instead of a 175 and wand? It seems like it would be twice the work and you would get the same results?

We clean nasty apartments all day long with the rotovac and never have a issue.

If you use the rotovac that is plenty. I actually think it does a better job cleaning than a pre-scrub and then wand, except it leaves the carpet a bit wetter. Of course most of the carpets I find need a pre-scrub are commercial carpets which the rotovac does not work very well on.

 

[asupremeclean]

When I started I just used a brush. Now I have an Rx20 and don't have any issues. Some of my guys still do it the old fashion way. They are sometimes too lazy to pull out the Rx20, still does the job though.

I rarely ever use a brush anymore.

That machine does look versatile though.

 

[Kevin. McCreary]

If you charge high prices and convince your customers to use your services more frequently
(via: keeping your name in front of them monthly),
you will rarely need to prescrub.

 

[Chads]

How much did you have to give for that mercury 175 it looks sweet the fact that you can change pad sizes is cool three machines in one

 

[Guest]

I only prescrub when necessary. Ironically, it's usually for those who can least afford it.

Same Here!
But when I do, I just use my Washboard Slide! (Work Super Great)!

 

[XTREME1]

My original screen name and my old favorite tool was the Rotovac and it doesn't touch this for prescrub as well as the host machine(I own one of those also) and I got plenty of heat

And yes I was a hack about a month ago when I was rotovacing everything after pile lifting everything before I became the Greatest Carpet Cleaner on the planet I was a close second but a hack just as well. My previous method was
Pile Lift
Prespray/spot
Rake
Rotovac
Wand

Now it is
Pile Lift or Vacuum with Mach6
Prespray
Prescrub with 175
wand

 

[Mikey P]

Alan Bush is becoming the new Yoakum.


IMO a 175 pre scrub, rinse, then a cotton post pad will do a better over all job the a RX.

 

[Greenie]

If you listen to the Host/GLS crowd, the pounds per sq. inch on a CRB is Greater than any Rotary, but it's hard to argue with success. None the less it's interesting to see the host/rotary pre-scrub debate.

One thing I recall is the hair removal of the Host, it was awesome on pet jobs or jsut hair in general...very handy if you run a Hole glide.

 

[Mikey P]

I have a GLS and a 175.


The 175 is better on greasy soil and over all will bust loose more soil.

 

[Greenie]

hair?

vacuums don't touch hair removal, but CRBs kick ass on it.

 

[TimP]

I find that the RX does a good job if you don't want to pre scrub nasty carpet. But it does leave the carpet wetter. It also takes a bit more time at least that's the way it seems to me. I prefer to scrub with the detergent in the carpet rather than while I'm getting rid of the detergent so a 175 is better to me, plus it makes sure that you let your detergent dwell adequately. That's the way I see it anyhow. However if I get a rat nasty I'll nuke the hell out of it and a lot of times you don't really need a good scrub if you nuke it and slow down on your wet strokes to flush the carpet better. Chemistry and heat can make up for your agitation. Anyways I prefer to prescrub really nasty traffic areas and I pretty well ignore areas that look clean. Restaurants and heavily soiled cgd gets a scrubed everywhere though.

 

[Scott Rogers]

The real benefit of the CBM over a rotary is it is light enough and nimble enough to come into every job where that 80lb rotary may just sit in the truck on some of the so so jobs

Plus the CBM is easier to teach a chimp to use safely rather then letting some retard loose with a swing machine in a house full of furniture.

 

[RichardnTn]

I'm a Hack for sure..... 2-3 times in 25 years, have I scrubbed... I will occasionally spray and take carpet rake and agitate...Richard R

 

[Heathrow]

Greg you may find you can get through it even quicker by getting a tank for the 175 and feeding the chem on to the carpet as you go, rather than pre spraying first.
I pre scrub with the 175 on almost every job - it's part of my system. 30% of the time it doesn't give any better results than the competition, but the other 70% the results are unbelievable. I do need to get my prices up more though.

 

[diamond brian]

So...what about dwell time?

 

[XTREME1]

Well brian for dwell time I prescrub and then I put the machine away neatly on the truck and that gives a good 15 minutes from the place I started

 

[Al]

I started pre-scrubbing back in 1996, I had an Electrolux shampooer and a portable. I noticed if first shampooed then extracted I got better results.

I really thought I invented the method since I didn't have a distributor or the boards to learn from. 8)

 

[Pmatte]

Man...that is so old school.I learned about pre-scrubbing from the Service Master (manual) that I worked for from 1990-2000.I did forget how old those were also.

Patrick