Let's hear your ideas for the ultimate carpet cleaning wand

[Luky]

Now see? You CAN respond to another opinion with tact! Keep it up!

Strange crowd; operating within the particular amendments to their rules, where sarcasm is a new standard and understandable to a few. For a person, not crave understanding and acceptance, I'll thrive just fine in such an environment.

 

[Luky]

Most likely, it was a worn out round Glide.

To my knowledge, there has never been a flat option for the PCTI

I've saved this relic( the glide); I'll dig it out and snap a pick. I went on the Green glides website and checked your videos.
I figured that nine quarters measure precisely 15 mm. My slot( outside to outside ) measures 17.5 mm, except in the center, where the mouth is slightly wider, 17.7 mm.
I'm ready to order one regardless of the outcome.
Should I return to the website and order one for a 13.5-inch wand? Mine is a six-jet.
Thanks

 

[Luky]

Ron Werner answered this same question on FB...

Dreamland. My ideal wand.
Water jets are spraying straight down onto the carpet, hitting between 2 vacuum slots about 1/4in apart. That way whether pushing forward or backward, the water is being picked up the same. Water is being extracted whether the wand is moving or stationary. A spot can be flushed just by jetting on a spot, rather than flooded and extracted like old style wands. John LaBarbera had a prototype but it never went to production.
This is not like the zipper, but like a regular wand.
If not viable, have angled jets hitting just behind the vac so again, water is being extracted even if the wand is stationary, allowing ability to flush rather than flood
Wand head height is not more than 3"
Wand head is on a swivel,
has a window.
Glided
1 3/4" tube, easier on the hand but still more open than normal 1 1/2 allowing more air to the carpet
Put a flare on the end so it easily connects to 2" hose
Double bend, little shorter than the Maxflow, little longer than the Dangpro. Only talking a couple inches difference.
The wand head has a good weight to it, the tube light, so all the weight is on the head, no need to use the assist handle to keep the head on the carpet.
Wand face comes off to clean out hairs.
I like the 14" wand width over the 12", allows getting into some tighter corners better.
4 jets to maximize water drop size, using 03 jets
Uses a thumb trigger vs a finger trigger. Less stress on the wrist, ie carpel, no trigger finger problems. Can maintain a good grip while triggering. Traditional triggers always require letting go of the wand with the 2 strongest fingers in order to activate the trigger, plus squeezing the trigger would bring the trigger down on the other fingers.
A silicon or rubbery wand sleeve. Grip makes a huge difference in how hard I squeeze my hand to hold the wand. If I have a easy grip I don't have to squeeze so hard, makes it easier on the forearm and the elbow.
The high assist handle, made of plastic to avoid marking floors
Good check valves on the jets
The splitter for the hoses to the manifolds is located at the top of the wand at the trigger rather than at the bend of the wand down by the head. Removes that splitter box so it doesn't catch on things.
Splash shields on the wand head are cut up on an angle at the side of the wand rather than going down to the floor. Allows getting into corners better.
Have a light thin brush on the front side of the wand head so it grooms the carpet on the back stroke, stiff enough so it can be used to scrub a spot if needed
Temp gauge for sure
Small pressure gauge maybe
Stainless braided teflon hoses on the wand with plastic protective wrap
Quick connects to connect hose to manifolds, doubles as swivel
An adaptor to attach to the wand head to facilitate cleaning hard sfc. Think of a skate guard that snaps on and off, without having to change the wand.
All I can think of off the top of my head
Most of these already exist.




My reply:

First off Ron, thank you for giving me the opportunity to spout off on a subject that’s really been on the top of my mind as of late. Your comments about your “Super Flusher” carpet wand concept have prodded me to put down some thoughts that are long overdue.
Be warned though, you being the world’s most infamous Over Cleaner of Flooring Textiles, may blow a gasket over this so you may want to keep scrolling if you are on any sort of heart medication..

We as an industry would behoove the future generation of carpet cleaners, carpet owners, carpet manufacturers and carpet cleaning tool designers to make it a mandated law that in order to clean, own or design cleaning tools for wall to wall carpeting, all four sectors MUST spend a day in a rug washing plant to see with their own eyes JUST HOW MUCH WATER IT TAKES TO COMPLETELY FLUSH A RUG OF ALL IT’S CONTAMINATES.


While the popularity of rug washing videos on social media has exploded, one must see it, or do it, firsthand to (hopefully) grasp just how much water AND effort AND time it takes to “sanitize” or fully clean an 8x10 rug.
Let me cut to the chase, it is physically and gravitationally IMPOSSIBLE to “flush” (a word Ron loves to use) a dirty or filthy installed broadloom carpet.

Fact, plain and simple.

But, unfortunately our industry with it’s water claws and sight tubes and wand windows and rotary extractors has lead us to believe that Flushing should be our goal. The manufacturers make it sound like it’s possible with their (false) claims of stain, odor, germ, and wear resistances, or worse, “proofs”. They are equally to blame for this fairytale of gravity defying proportions. I say equally in that 98% of us cleaners claim the same BS on the sides of our vans and the back of our business cards.

Can we cleaners get a wall-to-wall carpet perfectly clean? Sure!
Assuming there are two or less people in the home, no pets or kids, a brush roll equipped and properly maintained upright vacuum gets used (slowly) once a week and they have us out to maintain the carpet every year or so. Oh, and let’s hope they don’t live in a sandy, windy area and have well sealed windows.

Getting back to the rug washing scenario, it takes hundreds of gallons to flush a dirty or filthy 8x10. The amount of water used to Steam Clean the open areas of a 1800 sf track home is less than 60 gallons on average. Considering those numbers, for us cleaners to think that our truckmounts and portables have the magical ability to thoroughly remove impacted soil from the base of the yards, the (porous) backing, under the backing and on top of the pad, inside the pad and under the pad is a disillusionment of disgusting and nearly criminal proportions. Add pet or human bodily waste into the mix and now the word’s “Germ Warfare” can be thrown into the mix.

It’s not our duty or responsibility to correct the wrongs of consumer ignorance and irresponsibility.

If floor owners let their carpet get so soiled that only a rug washing procedure could stand a chance of fully cleaning it top to bottom, that is their problem. For us cleaners to foolishly believe we can solve that problem with chemistry and “FLUSHING” with our window equipped extractor tools and charge money based on false claims, is borderline criminal.

We the cleaners need to stop using wands that spray straight down, we need to stop using Waterclaws, we need to stop lying to our precious clients about our ability to flush the pad of its contaminants., we need to learn when enough is enough, and when to stop going over a spot regardless of dark water seen in the wand window, we need to learn and accept the fact that “just” cleaning the top 25% of the yarn is often more than enough to satisfy the client and the greater good of the carpet cleaning and producing industries.

Slow drying and stinky bacteria laden odors and browning and streaking and reappearing spots are what lead consumers to try their luck with the countless Hard Surface alternatives, that they assume they won’t need to hire a professional to keep clean. That assumption is usually proven wrong after twelve months or so of relying on a robotic vacuum, a string mops, Swifter or Fabuloso to clean grout, faux wood grain, deep joints or porous stone and tile alternatives…

We cleaners need to slow down, charge more and do the dry vacuuming ourselves, apply great and proper pre-spray, let it dwell and agitate if needed, and be very deliberate with our wand strokes and additional dry/cleaning strokes and know when to use low pressure and know when to use a VLM system which is way more often than you think, and a subject for another day.

We need to get over our needs to be Superheroes and in the words of Kurt Vonnegut, “If you can do no good, at least do no harm..”


Over and out, I’m off to go try and find my cabin at 9800 elevation, which is probably under 30 feet of Sierra Cement, and is in desperate need of a good carpet cleaning.

Not that my opinion matters, but I like your response very much. I use the substantial time to focus on all aspects of the process and achieve satisfactory results; I have that nudging feeling that I didn't get paid accordingly. We, as carpet cleaners, tend to undermine each other by massaging the prices, unlike other industries; a great example is HVAC. Service fees and the hefty price tag is their standard. At a minimum of $169, I don't do well on one-room deals unless it is an emergency or returning customer. No matter that I have five stars reviews and I appear on the top of the first page, the customer's budget will always be the leading drive behind ordering our services. I often read about the volume of the jobs some carpet cleaners complete in one week. I try to stay between 12-15 a week with an emphasis on my daily goal, which is $1000. I'm okay with $800, but I want to be consistent. It would be ideal to stay within a 15-20 mile radius; I can't do much about it on a corporate account since their locations are scattered everywhere.
Even with very demanding customers ( we all have them), I do a top-notch job and do not look after the dollar-per-hour
Ratio. With a diversified account, it all balances
Mikey, I didn't mean to steal your thunder; I sensed, reading between the lines, that you wish we had a little higher self-esteem, charged accordingly, and made more money covering fewer counties. This way, we wouldn't be as reluctant to buy the best glides under the sun, Green glides, that is.

 

[Mikey P]

Now see? You CAN respond to another opinion with tact!

Not that my opinion matters, but I like your response very much. I use the substantial time to focus on all aspects of the process and achieve satisfactory results; I have that nudging feeling that I didn't get paid accordingly. We, as carpet cleaners, tend to undermine each other by massaging the prices, unlike other industries; a great example is HVAC. Service fees and the hefty price tag is their standard. At a minimum of $169, I don't do well on one-room deals unless it is an emergency or returning customer. No matter that I have five stars reviews and I appear on the top of the first page, the customer's budget will always be the leading drive behind ordering our services. I often read about the volume of the jobs some carpet cleaners complete in one week. I try to stay between 12-15 a week with an emphasis on my daily goal, which is $1000. I'm okay with $800, but I want to be consistent. It would be ideal to stay within a 15-20 mile radius; I can't do much about it on a corporate account since their locations are scattered everywhere.
Even with very demanding customers ( we all have them), I do a top-notch job and do not look after the dollar-per-hour
Ratio. With a diversified account, it all balances
Mikey, I didn't mean to steal your thunder; I sensed, reading between the lines, that you wish we had a little higher self-esteem, charged accordingly, and made more money covering fewer counties. This way, we wouldn't be as reluctant to buy the best glides under the sun, Green glides, that is.

PM me your email and shipping info and I'll send you a QB invoice with a Welcome To MB Discount

Which vac style do you want?


Thank you and God bless Marty!

 

[hogjowl]

He already has

 

[Cleanworks]

Strange crowd; operating within the particular amendments to their rules, where sarcasm is a new standard and understandable to a few. For a person, not crave understanding and acceptance, I'll thrive just fine in such an environment.

You'll fit right in.

 

[Mikey P]

I live how The Glide Master, doesnt..

12 Inch Stainless Steel Wand Single Jet With 25 Ft Hose Assembly

12 Inch Stainless Steel Carpet Cleaning Single Jet Wand and 25Ft. Hose Assembly Kit (2533ACK) The GlideMaster™ wand allows for easy pick-up under furniture, desks, and other obstructions. The head is winged to prevent over-spray and the comfort grip handle, insulated valve lever, and grip ensure...

shop.drymastersystems.com

 

[Luky]

PM me your email and shipping info, and I'll send you a QB invoice with a Welcome To MB Discount

Which vac style do you want?


Thank you, and God bless Marty!

So, glide has arrived; it's well built, more so on the heavy side, but it seems indestructible. I've checked the competitor's glides; I couldn't find any similarly built glides to make a comparison. Green Glide is a keeper. Installation was simple; I opted for a heat gun use, which was the right decision; after just a few minutes of warming it, I could gently push the glide onto the vacuum slot of the wand. I didn't have the luxury to seal it, but I used it anyway. The air leak was apparent but minor, with no whistling noise. The carpet was barely damp when I was done( only two rooms) and was dry to the touch in less than an hour while I was cleaning the upholstery. I must seal it tomorrow to give it 24 hours of cure time. Fit is snug but with millimeters of wiggle room between the lips and the inside of the glide. Nothing major to be worried about. I gave a detailed description of the whole process for a
" stupid" TI wand, and I'd have to order glide for a 12-inch wand with a 1.5" tube with a titanium head and pistol grip. I'll snap a picture of the wand, and maybe someone will be able to identify it.
Also need to order Sharpshooter ( 13 inches) and glide for it; I believe there are different versions of the glides that fit this particular wand.
I have Aramsco, Jon-Don, and Magic Wand nearby, but with the ongoing crisis in the supply stream, they are thin on inventory. Maybe someone can give me advice on where to get Sharpshooter now. Your help is greatly appreciated.
P.S. I got the slotted version, but those openings will not be enough to grab debris from the restaurant's CGD.

 

[Mikey P]

So, glide has arrived; it's well built, more so on the heavy side, but it seems indestructible. I've checked the competitor's glides; I couldn't find any similarly built glides to make a comparison. Green Glide is a keeper. Installation was simple; I opted for a heat gun use, which was the right decision; after just a few minutes of warming it, I could gently push the glide onto the vacuum slot of the wand. I didn't have the luxury to seal it, but I used it anyway. The air leak was apparent but minor, with no whistling noise. The carpet was barely damp when I was done( only two rooms) and was dry to the touch in less than an hour while I was cleaning the upholstery. I must seal it tomorrow to give it 24 hours of cure time. Fit is snug but with millimeters of wiggle room between the lips and the inside of the glide. Nothing major to be worried about. I gave a detailed description of the whole process for a
" stupid" TI wand, and I'd have to order glide for a 12-inch wand with a 1.5" tube with a titanium head and pistol grip. I'll snap a picture of the wand, and maybe someone will be able to identify it.
Also need to order Sharpshooter ( 13 inches) and glide for it; I believe there are different versions of the glides that fit this particular wand.
I have Aramsco, Jon-Don, and Magic Wand nearby, but with the ongoing crisis in the supply stream, they are thin on inventory. Maybe someone can give me advice on where to get Sharpshooter now. Your help is greatly appreciated.
P.S. I got the slotted version, but those openings will not be enough to grab debris from the restaurant's CGD.

If it actually wiggles you need the undersized option.

Because its a sand casted head the shaped of the lips vary tremendously, hence the slight gaps.
Sealing it will worsen your dry times, lets it leak, it aides in lift.

Sharpshooter Glide - https://greenglides.com/product/sharpshooter-13-glide/