tell me

[Ron Lippold]

I want to know about your wand stroke. not talking about extremes just regular everyday cleaning. give me a good example.

 

[Ron Werner]

using the greenhorn, lately I've been jetting only on the back stroke, dry pass on the forward, overlapping by a couple inches.
I make a nice fairly slow back stroke, then forward over the same path and pull to the left at the top of the stroke for the next path. This leaves those bullet shaped wand marks for people to see.


When I jet both ways, I'll do pretty much the same stroke across the room, then I'll do a dry pass in reverse back to where I began. You can see it in my video.

 

[Chris A]

about the same as Ron actually, followed by a second dry pass at the end of the run.

 

[Ken Snow]

Overlapping 1/3 of width, keying both directions going nack second time or more as needed, followed by dry stroke. Stroke lengths on avg about 5 ft, less for nasty's longer for very lightly soiled areas.

 

[Brian R]

I like the Double Overlap

Slow on the back stroke...no forward spray unless extremely dirty
about half overlap on the forward stroke for the backgammon look.

On the second row I drystroke the last row I did and continue my present row as I did the last. And the same on the next row of course and so on and son on.

The overlapping of the last row I did makes the carpet dry quicker...Why? I believe it is from the the amount of time I give it to wick a little while doing the rest of the row. Any water rising to the surface gets a dry stroke and there by drying the carpet better.

Plus, if done correctly, puts a pretty hybrid pattern on the carpet that the custy loves.
No right angles.
The carpet pattern must flow from directly in front of your entrance..usually a corner.

Very pretty.

 

[Brian R]

To clarify....you reach over your present row to the last row with that dry stroke so that you get two rows in one stroke...Sometimes you just have to see it.
Helps to be at least 6 foot tall as well.

 

[hogjowl]

Since purcasing the Vortex, my wand stroke has become very simple. I key only on the back stroke and do no forward dry stroke. I just move diagonally over to the next stroke and pull the trigger again.

Dry times are still awesome and the heat lets me clean very well without all the scrubbing.

Saves me tons of time.

 

[sweendogg]

Same as Marty and Ron

 

[Guest]

Keyed on the forward stroke and keyed on a slower back stroke, then moving to the right and overlapping about a third I repeat forward and back stroke about 5 strokes, then reverse with dry strokes. All straight lines, no backgammon marks. Then mist on some Fab-Set, groom some more straight lines, and set airmover.














What?












It's not like I got me one of them fancy Vortex TMs!

 

[Brian R]

That's a lot of work Josh

 

[Doug Cox]

Mines similar to Ken's, but 2 cleaning strokes followed by 2 dry strokes leaving no water at the end of my strokes.

 

[Nate The Great]

Keyed on the forward stroke and keyed on a slower back stroke, then moving to the right and overlapping about a third I repeat forward and back stroke about 5 strokes, then reverse with dry strokes. All straight lines, no backgammon marks. Then mist on some Fab-Set, groom some more straight lines, and set airmover.














What?












It's not like I got me one of them fancy Vortex TMs!

I guess owning a EZ doesn't make anything EZer?

 

[Greenie]

using the greenhorn, lately I've been jetting only on the back stroke, dry pass on the forward, overlapping by a couple inches.
I make a nice fairly slow back stroke, then forward over the same path and pull to the left at the top of the stroke for the next path.

Pretty much the flip reverse of Ron, I would slide to the side for my next pass UP near my fwd foot, this allows no backgammon triangle and moving the wand at your strongest position (near you).

On rat nasties you would trigger up and back as giving up a little dry time isn't much of a price to pay for increased productivity and more flushing on the filth.

But....never forget, the spray only on the back stroke Will yield a drier carpet.

 

[sweendogg]

Shuffelboard wands don't count!! :mrgreen:

 

[Johnny]

GreenHorn: Keyed back stroke, forward dry stroke, lift wand, move to next row overlapping about an inch. No triangles.

 

[Larry Cobb]

Ron;

After watching the recovery for several hundred wand strokes with a vac guage up at Nick's Bar-B-Que ...,

I have changed my wanding style.

1. Back stroke spaying & extracting

2. Forward stroke to maximize recovery (only method for best recovery).

3. Slide over for next back stroke.

Larry

 

[ACE]

Wand stroke is the key thing. I have been trying to work on mine trying deferent things. I had some bad habits because of the way another company taught me to push a wand. I used to give the wand constant trigger not letting off and the end of strokes and pulling to the right a bit on the back stroke than dry stroking a full row. This is fast and I still use it on residential if I get really pressed for time but It will make problems on CGD carpet. It depends allot on the wand and machine too. I think I’ll order a Greenhorn when I get this Steamway set up and try drying with the forward stroke. You need heat and higher water flow to make that work, but it sounds like a time saver.

 

[cu]

key on front and back strokes no overlap avg 985sqft with pre spray 25mins...include the set up and wrap up then 40 mins....but im a apt hack

 

[Greenie]

My only problem with the "slide over at the top" guys is....you had to get there first....and you are missing you "lap line" at the bottom of your stroke.

So...since you have to "get there" you might as well trigger up on the very first stroke of a given area, and make that (wet up) the exception as you dry straight back for light soil, or double rinse and wet on the back as well for heavier soil, and then chase it up and back with a dedicated dry pass.

Now as you finish that dry you are near your forward foot...real easy to slide over 13" in a little bit of a J shape and that will catch your "lap line" from the end of your 1st wet stroke...that little bit where the vac slot didn't quite pick up the water line.

If it's an empty room stagger your lap line 1-2", it's just not a good idea not to end every stroke in a perfect wet line...I did that once on a filthy tool and abrasives factory carpet....it was hell trying to blend those clean lines when it dried....and no...you wouldn't likely get all that soil out and uniform with 5 cleanings..let alone the One I was paid to do.

 

[Mikey P]

Since purchasing the Vortex, my wand stroke has become very simple. I key only on the back stroke and do no forward dry stroke. I just move diagonally over to the next stroke and pull the trigger again.

Dry times are still awesome and the heat lets me clean very well without all the scrubbing.

Saves me tons of time.

 

[Ron Werner]

My only problem with the "slide over at the top" guys is....you had to get there first....and you are missing you "lap line" at the bottom of your stroke.

I release the trigger just at the bottom of my stroke and continue pulling back to catch that lapline. Then push forward and slide over at the top. Do it again.
Lately I've been pulling the wand back about 10ft or so, then push forward, slide over, and pull back again. I'm standing up straight, not really using my arms or back, just my legs as I walk.

 

[Guest]

GreenHorn: Keyed back stroke, forward dry stroke, lift wand, move to next row overlapping about an inch. No triangles.

Seems like you'd wear out your body faster that way. I use to lift the wand when I first started and didn't realize how much harder I was working my back than I needed to.

Try what Greenie just said-

So...since you have to "get there" you might as well trigger up on the very first stroke of a given area, and make that (wet up) the exception as you dry straight back for light soil, or double rinse and wet on the back as well for heavier soil, and then chase it up and back with a dedicated dry pass.

Now as you finish that dry you are near your forward foot...real easy to slide over 13" in a little bit of a J shape and that will catch your "lap line" from the end of your 1st wet stroke...that little bit where the vac slot didn't quite pick up the water line.

To each his own, but I think you'll find it's much easier on the body and it may even cut your cleaning times down.

 

[Johnny]

GreenHorn: Keyed back stroke, forward dry stroke, lift wand, move to next row overlapping about an inch. No triangles.

Seems like you'd wear out your body faster that way. I use to lift the wand when I first started and didn't realize how much harder I was working my back than I needed to.

Try what Greenie just said-

So...since you have to "get there" you might as well trigger up on the very first stroke of a given area, and make that (wet up) the exception as you dry straight back for light soil, or double rinse and wet on the back as well for heavier soil, and then chase it up and back with a dedicated dry pass.

Now as you finish that dry you are near your forward foot...real easy to slide over 13" in a little bit of a J shape and that will catch your "lap line" from the end of your 1st wet stroke...that little bit where the vac slot didn't quite pick up the water line.

To each his own, but I think you'll find it's much easier on the body and it may even cut your cleaning times down.

Thanks. I'll try that on my pm job. This old bod needs all the help it can get. I've always worked harder, not smarter.

 

[Farenheit251]

I've been trying a few strokes. One thing I've noticed is doing a wet back stroke and an immediate dry forward stroke leaves the carpet significantly wetter than working across the room and then going back and making a dedicated dry stroke.
Can't exactly figure out why, B. Robinson mentioned having time for the water to wick up, I'm also wondering if the vacuum is more effective when I'm not spraying water as it is under less load.

 

[Loren Egland]

On the first stroke I sometimes wet on the forward motion and the pull back motion.

Then I push forward (dry) and trigger wand again while pulling backward.

I have now made two flushing strokes.

Sometimes I do three, often at another angle, such as a right angle.

Once I am done with two or three cleaning strokes I use a double dry stroke.

I like to make sure I rinse well.

One path clean, then move over a couple inches and clean another path.