Soaking urine soaked wool rugs

[Nomad74]

We'll, I'll admit. I'm working on a shoestring budget but I'm doing the best I can with what I have until I can afford better and bigger equipment. So don't bash me too much for my hillbilly methods. When I started my carpet cleaning business I started with my EDIC porty and a beat up AT&T van doing $99 whole house specials. I now have over 2k customers and the phone just keeps ringing. My rug business is slowly gaining traction. As I get more rugs, I'm meeting more and more people with nothing but hardwood floors and wool area rugs.

Anyway, I have a bunch of rugs in the shop and they are all urine soaked. Not sure how I'll do the bigger rugs but for now I'm using a large cooler to soak the smaller rugs in Rug Restorer for 8 hours. Inside the cooler I installed a submersible pump to recirculate the water. I need to do what @Joe Appleby does and make some large tanks out of some pipes. Joe, Any chance you can send me some pics of your soaking tanks and maybe let me know where you got those large pipes? I thought I took some pics when I was in your shop for @Jim Pemberton's class but I can't seem to find them. My cell is 530-355-3363. It would be much appreciated.

 

[Nomad74]

 

[Papa John]

This is what i used as my Rug Jacuzzi.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/countyline-oval-galvanized-stock-tank-3-ft-w-x-8-ft-l-x-2-ft-h-300-gal-capacity?cm_vc=-10005

Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing:

Everbilt 1.5 HP 230-Volt/115-Volt Pool Pump

Everbilt 1.5 HP 230-Volt/115-Volt Pool Pump SPP15002 - The Home Depot

The Everbilt 1.5 HP pool pump is designed for use with permanently installed above-ground and in-ground swimming pools. It is constructed of corrosion-resistant reinforced thermoplastic. The 115/230 Volt

www.homedepot.com

SKU# 308300265

I made jets with PVC pipe.

Here is another option

Husky Standard Folding Steel Frame Tank - 500 Gal

www.feldfire.com

 

[Papa John]

If you want to save money, water,and Chems.
Just make a wash pit with 2inch PVC pipe and a waterproof tarp.
Lay the pipe on floor and cover with tarp. The pit will be only 2 inch deep. But that's good enough. But this does take up alot of floor space.

 

[Dolly Llama]

48" pipe

48 in. x 14 ft. PVC Grip Joint Sewer Drainage Pipe | Ferguson

Find the 48 in. x 14 ft. PVC Grip Joint Sewer Drainage Pipe at Ferguson onlinefor delivery or pickup at a Ferguson store near you.

www.ferguson.com

can you use a galvanized tank?
$270 gets you an 8ft'r

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...8-ft-l-x-2-ft-h-300-gal-capacity?cm_vc=-10005


..L.T.A.

 

[Nomad74]

Got a new pump. This baby is working great.

 

[Nomad74]

48" pipe

48 in. x 14 ft. PVC Grip Joint Sewer Drainage Pipe | Ferguson

Find the 48 in. x 14 ft. PVC Grip Joint Sewer Drainage Pipe at Ferguson onlinefor delivery or pickup at a Ferguson store near you.

www.ferguson.com

can you use a galvanized tank?
$270 gets you an 8ft'r

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...8-ft-l-x-2-ft-h-300-gal-capacity?cm_vc=-10005


..L.T.A.

Yeah tractor supply has one i want. I just don’t have $300 to get one right now. Maybe later this week.

 

[The Great Oz]

Look for plastic stock tanks. They're tough, come in lots of shapes and sizes, no rust. And they stack, out in the weather, if you need the room.

BTW: Take a look at Webrestaurantstore.com. They have lots of stuff that has nothing to do with restaurants, and often at way lower prices than other places.

 

[Cleanworks]

Can always buy an old canoe and take out the seats and struts.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Just use your pool, a little chlorine couldn't hurt...could it?

 

[Rick J]

gosh, that circulating water looks great!!!
How much can you get for all your efforts on those smaller rugs? they must be something special , for the owners.

I posted a while back , with pics of a rug I did. got at an estate sale. for my daughter. flat weave, very nice. I made a pit and cleaned. what a lot of work. I cannot imaging charging enough for the work I did on it.

I came here and asked advice on it.

 

[Rick J]

flat weave

Picked up a couple of flatweaves recently from an estate sale. good condition. These are not something that would be valuable. (I do not think) No labels. Really tight weaves, no fringe, and edges are all tight. I want to clean before giving to my daughter. Really does not matter what they...

www.mikeysboard.com

 

[Nomad74]

gosh, that circulating water looks great!!!
How much can you get for all your efforts on those smaller rugs? they must be something special , for the owners.

I posted a while back , with pics of a rug I did. got at an estate sale. for my daughter. flat weave, very nice. I made a pit and cleaned. what a lot of work. I cannot imaging charging enough for the work I did on it.

I came here and asked advice on it.

$5 per sqft

 

[Mikey P]

$5 per sqft

Not enough

 

[Nomad74]

Not enough

After the week I’m having I’m inclined to agree.

 

[Nomad74]

@Mikey P I ran into your friends today.

 

[Sierra Clean Care]

I had a 1000 gallon tank made up from my custom plastics supply guy. Cost me 2k. I then bought a concrete vibrator, ( hold the jokes fellas), and when I get a rug that’s soaked in pee, I immerse it, then hit it with the tool...rug is heavy as shit, BUT, it does the job very well...
Always have to do post fringe work...

 

[AdamDumphy]

We don't have a pit so we just take Chem Maxs Triple D and soak the rug with water, apply a good amount of triple D and roll it up and sit for a bit before rinsing off, squeegee and then use our truckmount to extract.

 

[Cleanworks]

We don't have a pit so we just take Chem Maxs Triple D and soak the rug with water, apply a good amount of triple D and roll it up and sit for a bit before rinsing off, squeegee and then use our truckmount to extract.

I apply the DDD with a watering can then scrub it in with a 175. Let sit for a bit before extracting. I find the scrubber works it in better.

 

[AdamDumphy]

I apply the DDD with a watering can then scrub it in with a 175. Let sit for a bit before extracting. I find the scrubber works it in better.

Ah yes forgot about the scrubbing step in there. Only my second week back on my feet since breaking my foot at the beginning of the summer and not doing any cleanings for awhile.

 

[Cleanworks]

Ah yes forgot about the scrubbing step in there. Only my second week back on my feet since breaking my foot at the beginning of the summer and not doing any cleanings for awhile.

Hope it gets better soon.

 

[Joe Appleby]

Sorry, I just saw this post.
I'll ask someone at the shop to take some pics as I'm rarely there. It's been so long, I can't remember the specs. The pipes were purchased at an irrigation supply. The walls are thick and came in 20' lengths about 24" wide. You'll also need the caps to glue the ends. Cut into desired lengths. Cut a 12" section out of the pipe leaving at least 12" uncut on the ends to keep it's structured integrity. I then had a frame on wheels built for the pipe making it mobile. Later I had rollers installed on the inside bottom of the frame so we could turn the pipe spilling the water and rug out. I think we have a 10 and 6 footer. You may want to split the pipe costs with another rug cleaner as the material is not cheap. FYI, I originally got the pipe idea from Robert Mann.

 

[Joe Appleby]

The first pipe was purchased at Ewing Supply in San Leandro, Ca. Later I shopped around and found better pricing in the Central Valley where there are plenty of farm supply houses.

 

[Nomad74]

The first pipe was purchased at Ewing Supply in San Leandro, Ca. Later I shopped around and found better pricing in the Central Valley where there are plenty of farm supply houses.

Joe, thank you for the call. I really appreciate it.

 

[hogjowl]

Me too

 

[Chris Shipley]

I would buy a pig trough from Tractor Supply $120.

 

[LCCFL]

Got a new pump. This baby is working great.

How are you moving the rugs around?

 

[Nomad74]

How are you moving the rugs around?

It's a bitch. The really large ones I need to float across the floor with air movers.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I always wondered if these type of carpet pullers would help any. ???

 

[Nate The Great]

I always wondered if these type of carpet pullers would help any. ???

View attachment 112551

Yes if you want to rip the carpet/rugs..

Some guys advocate it to get rugs out of their centrifuges.. Others have ripped rugs trying to pull with that..

I’ve never had one stuck that I couldn’t get out.. but it did take some of my smarts to figure it out.. Easiest way is to get a 1/2” pvc pipe and when you reverse roll the rug, you slide that in the center of the rug so you can get the inner flap to release from the rest of the rug..

That’s what makes it tough to get out.. The flap doesn’t “roll” back up because the larger the rug, the harder it is to work with..

90line Chinese and those Gabbeh rugs are the doozy ones..