KNOWLEDGE OF YOUR MACHINE

[Guest]

I'm totally amazed at the number of people that don't know the machine that they are operating....
The fellow the bought my Genie calls me arguing why the pump was pulsating...after a few question...he admitted that he had thrown the emulsifier jug outa the van and the chem pick-up tube was laying on the driveshaft belts getting chewed up.....

"doesn't matter... the jug is gone"

For twenty years this guy has been pre-spraying then jus rinsing wit clear water.....i called him an idiot!

yes the check has cleared!

 

[John Watson]

Duh!!! Which way de he go george???? Remember "Different strokes for different folks"

I am also amazed with Elevators, you would be surprised on how many don't make it to the top floor..

 

[Scott]

For twenty years this guy has been pre-spraying then jus rinsing wit clear water.....i called him an idiot!

Ummm...that's how we clean reasonably soiled carpet.

Ghetto carpet needs all the help it can get.

Scott

 

[floorguy]

i am with scott...

I rinse ALL the time just water

 

[Guest]

I guess that Steam Genie and all the Butlers must have it all wrong wit their chemical injection and draw systems then ....huh?

What happens when you get to a traffic area that requires addional work...pre-spray again.....?

i HAVE heard ever thing now!

SOO yous all don't use a mix jug at all...?

 

[Bryan Irvin]

My mix jug is for acid rinse when needed. If your prespray is any good, it will work just fine on the traffic area with a little agitation.

Bryan

 

[Guest]

How do you get the aggitation...?

and why is powdered emulsifier the most sold chemical at my supply house?

 

[Bryan Irvin]

Personally I use a carpet rake.

 

[harryhides]

You ever hear of Rake or Groom Bawb ?
Nowadays they even have these whizzbang things called OP, Rotary or RX's for agitation.

Seems to me that the biggest fans of rinse agents are the folks that sell them - haven't used them in a decade.

Tell me Bob have you ever tested by using a rinse agent in one half of the room and just clear water in the other to see for youself if there is any difference in look and feel of the carpet? Or do you just follow the pack?

 

[Guest]

So lets see here..
first you vacuum
then ya pre-spray
then ya aggitate wit a rake
then ya clean it wit regular water
then ya rake it again ..right?


did i miss anything?

 

[Guest]

"follow the pack" hell it sounds lik i'm WAY in front of 'em....

of course i carry acid rinse on my truck...and SOMETIMES i even use it...!

"rake or groom"...i tol you all before that if i rake my triangles out my custys get real pissed....

 

[jeg1983]

I personally pre spray and rinse with clear water, When needed I bring in my buffer and agitate the traffic area's but in most cases its not needed. Bob you seem to come in here and think your way is the only way and every other carpet cleaner is a idiot. Very close minded.

Jamie

 

[Kevin B]

How do you get the aggitation...?

and why is powdered emulsifier the most sold chemical at my supply house?

Why? For the same reason that 95% of carpet cleaners are morons, the other 5% actually do a good job. They do it cheap and fast, and emulsifiers is what gets them there.

 

[The Preacher]

JEG, BAwb is old, don't mess with him, old people ain't got nothing to lose!!!

 

[jeg1983]

I am by no means messing with him. I just noticed every post in this thread he had nothing but negative remarks to make. I'm sure there are many good carpet cleaners who do not use a emulsifier on every job. Does not mean they do a bad job it means not every job requires the same attention as heavily soiled carpeting.

Jamie

 

[Guest]

Jamie..you've spiked my curiosity...aren't most machines built with some kinna chemical metering system....built right in?

 

[floorguy]

uh huh they sure are bob....

but alot of those same machine "makers" still sell a wand that only flows 03-06...and still have restricted plumbing for their vac...wether to increase heat or what have you...

doesnt mean they are right does it???


besides A. why are you cleaning nasty enough places you need emulsifier??

B. I get aggitation by running around 6-700 psi with my jets aimed to "shear" the carpet not flood the back of it....so as was stated "good enough prespray should do the trick"

besides the chem injection thing is good for the "sometimes" job and like anything its nice to have

 

[B&BGaryC]

My cleaning process:

1)Figure out what kind of carpet/ source of soiling (dirt? oil? food?)
2)Blend a pre-spray specifically designed for that carpet/soil
3)Thoroughly vacuum
4)Apply pre-spray
5)Agitate with rake or adsorbent bonnet pad
6)extract w/appropriate emulsifier
7)Spot whatever didn't come out
8)Protect
9)Groom

-Every Time.

But I can't get work, so don't listen to me.

 

[Rex Tyus]

Oh my god I hate to sound like I am agreeing with Bob, but if you are clear water rinsing you have to moisten the fiber from tip to base with either volume of preconditioner or agitation. If you are doing that an all fiber rinse will be better than clear water (can't speak to di or ro as I have never used, soft is a little better than tap but not as good as a good rinse).

 

[KevinL]

Really Gary

You can figure out the type of soil on each job and each room and use a different prespray for each type??? I couldn't possibly identify the soil in a customers house and I sure don't want to carry a different prespray for each.

 

[B&BGaryC]

Re: Really Gary

You can figure out the type of soil on each job and each room and use a different prespray for each type??? I couldn't possibly identify the soil in a customers house and I sure don't want to carry a different prespray for each.

I carry 8 different pre-sprays, with 4 different boosters.

I just do a quick C.S.I., look at where the dirt could be coming from, is their husband a Mechanic, does he track grease into the house? Does it look like the lady cooks alot? Will there be heavier oil deposits? What are their pets bringing in? Are they coffee drinkers? Do their kids spill stuff? Does their dog wet the carpet sometimes? If I do the C.S.I. right, usually all spots come out without spotting, maybe one left out of the whole bunch.

 

[Guest]

FYI,


Bob has a Carpet cleaning bioch...I mean tech that cleans for him in da Ghettos of Pontiac Michigan.

He runs his juice strong to cut through all the grease for those little ol' black ladies. Its just the ghetto way of life around there.

Is it the Dobs 72 step process? Nope, but when your doing $500 worth of ghetto houses in 4 hours in the morning, who is laughing last? I think its Bob since he can go to the bank with that coin that he keeps on making off of repeat custys and cleaning maybe 75sq of open areas in a room.

So for some stupid reason, I have to give my hat to Ole Man Bob for being the ghetto hack and learning how to make money at his $39 min stop charge.


Chad

p.s. He was also using a 2 inch hose and 2 inch tube and a 59 blower before 50% of you boys and girls were sprouting pubes.

 

[floorguy]

Damn gary, i wouldnt worry about the number of jobs you get/got...but more so cut back the inventory and overhead...


while i am not a cc guru by any stretch, even i know thats over kill

 

[Rex Tyus]

carry 8 different pre-sprays, with 4 different boosters.

I just do a quick C.S.I., look at where the dirt could be coming from, is their husband a Mechanic, does he track grease into the house? Does it look like the lady cooks alot? Will there be heavier oil deposits? What are their pets bringing in? Are they coffee drinkers? Do their kids spill stuff? Does their dog wet the carpet sometimes? If I do the C.S.I. right, usually all spots come out without spotting, maybe one left out of the whole bunch.

Gary chemistry is our friend. You got it going on. Don't let the clear water guys discourage you.

 

[Fon Johnson]

Wow.

I had a revelation.. While a BDCC with a bazillion chems tries to figure out the pH of Iguana piss so they can proudly display their patches, a friendly guy who knows how to market laughs all the way to the bank. Oh, and he does it with a hand full of cleaners, and a few choice spotters.

I hate to seem contrary here, but one or two good pre-sprays and rinses will get 99% of everything out of the carpet. What is left can usually be removed with solvent spotters, "stain magic", or "red relief".

If it is that complicated, then you need to focus on people who don't let their kids pour kool aid on the floor, and clean their carpet more than once a decade.

BTW, fresh water rinsing does work, but not as well as a good rinse agent. I did the fresh water rinse gig. For giggles I decided to turn on the meter half way through a few jobs and see if it made a difference. It did not take long before I got tired of going back over the fresh water half again with the meter open. :shock:

Oh, I should mention that the fresh water half did LOOK clean. The customer never would have known the difference. Once I turned on the chem, I noticed the difference..

 

[R W]

THAT"S why I use an emulsifier....well, actually Procyon, for a rinse agent. When my solution tank runs dry, I notice it right away in cleaning. Especially when cleaning a traffic area or a trashed out Ghetto. Plus, I use a bit of deodorizer in my rinse for that ever-fresh aroma my customers love. (and that's Chemiesters "Proliminator Sunshine")

I've been trying out some Fab-Pro prespray this week...good prespray, but a bit of a strong smell.

 

[B&BGaryC]

I am not a Guru, and I won't ever claim to be until I am a successful cleaner. But yes, I carry 8 pre-sprays, 4 boosters, and 10 spotters to every job.

I think the few clients that I do get feel special when I let them know I mixed them something custom, special just for them and their needs.

I only comment on topics with knowledge and tips I have gotten from the Gurus that helped me. I have been very lucky to work with some very talented carpet cleaners, and do business with a distributor that employs retired "Guru" cleaners. If they told me something that helps me, I'm glad to pass it along, for whatever it is worth.

 

[B&BGaryC]

Wow.

I had a revelation.. While a BDCC with a bazillion chems tries to figure out the pH of Iguana piss so they can proudly display their patches, a friendly guy who knows how to market laughs all the way to the bank. Oh, and he does it with a hand full of cleaners, and a few choice spotters.

Why not a balance of the two? A friendly guy who knows how to market and stays on the cutting edge, always prepared for the unexpected?

What is BDCC?

 

[floorguy]

Broke
Dick
Carpet
Cleaner

So that I understand correctly, do you own your biz or are working for someone??

and as the saying goes "to each his own" however if what you are presently doing isnt working....then isnt it time to switch something???

I understand your thought of "enough" I was like that a while ago, and still am to some point and certain things....but when i landed a huge retail acct for buffing floors. It became very apparent that i was going to have to change my ways or drown...because i would have never made it NOR WOULD THEY PAY for me to be "perfect"

thats what it boils down to...WILL THEY PAY...if so guess what take your 8 pre-sprays and 20 other chems and knock-em silly....how ever my guess is that (more so in montana, and sadly enough utah) those people who will pay the $600 to vac a throw rug(as per 1 of mikeys wed jobbers) are VERY few and far between..

 

[B&BGaryC]

I manage a virtually non-existent Carpet Cleaning Division of a very successful Disaster Restoration Company.

I was the Top Dawg Broke Dick Carpet Cleaner at a respected carpet cleaning company, and people would get offended if I mentioned price, they just wanted it cleaned and knew they could afford it.

The draw is much different here at the disaster restoration company. I stand to make more money, but I need to close some deals.

I need to change my approach, but in what direction? I have been straddling the median and getting nowhere.