To many calls for wick backs

[Royal Man]

hey joey, i feel your pain brother. 3 yrs without a callback then recently 2 in 1 week. both times i used the wand in cleaning didn't set up airmovers, been using my 360i no problems thus far. got me thinking how many times have i had wickbacks and customer not call me back after mentioning if stain returns please notify me so i can take care of the problem, and they don't. even with my repeats.

My moto is: "It's far better for them to call me back than to call me names."

 

[rwcarpet]

If it is just a few spots wicking up.

It likely has little to do with your chems and equipment and more due to the client repeatedly spot cleaning a spot untill it soaks all the way though the backing of the carpet or a liquid spot that soaks through the backing.

Since you can't flip the carpet over and clean the backing. These spots may wick up to the tips of the fibers upon drying. It's just part of carpet cleaning. Nothing to get excited about or something that should bruise your cleaner self esteem and keep you out of the cleaner's hall of fame.

It is no big deal!!

I usually just pad encap the spots. Takes about 5 minutes and makes the client into a cheerleader.

Don't blame Judson. It's not the problem.

It's your clients!!

I'm with Dave here. Clients are really trying to use too many chems to try and spot clean themselves. Of course they won't say exactly what they use. Many think that more is better. Some even use bleach based liquid cleaners. In most cases, the spots are from big spills such as a can of Coke or a cup of coffee, not to mention "their dog that NEVER pee's in the house". My dog decides to get up just about every night and piss on the dining room carpet. (a Beagle-Bulldog mix). I can either block her in the kitchen......or kill her!

I try to rinse and vacuum extra on spots that look like they may wick.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Time to "bucket test" your wands and injection sprayers, as well as doing a close inspection of your vacuum system from end to end.

Little problems happen gradually.

 

[joeynbgky]

4 of the calls were from coffee, and they had some other spots to................... now that i think about it one was something else

 

[Royal Man]

4 of the calls were from coffee, and they had some other spots to................... now that i think about it one was something else

Quick mist of coffee remover and pad and then you're done.

No biggie.

This is only carpet cleaning.

It's not that complicated or a returning spot should not make you shiver in a fetal position filled with shame.

It's just part of the job.

 

[jstucky]

From my experience and what I've read...isn't 02 rinse suppose to stop wicking on COMMERCIAL glue down carpet??

I use 02 system exclusively on CGD and all upholstery

I use Encapsulating rinses from Vac a Way or Releasit and seem to have great sucecess with that on residential pile.

I think a big key to know wick backs is pre agitation with the 175 with an encapsulating chemical and rinsing with an encapsulating chemical and quick drying.

Greatest feeling ever when cleaning is going back to houses that you think their may be a wick back from last cleaning and "nope looks great just trying to maintain it and keep it clean as when you cleaned it" says Mrs. Piffleton

 

[Jamesh921]

Sounds like it could be mechanical to me. Check all filters, check for clogs in vac lines, etc... Could be that it's your equipment that is sabotaging you.

 

[Louis]

I had this happen for a week and couldn't figurge it out until a whistle came from the back of the van. Crack in the top side of the waste tank.

 

[ACE]

Take a wet check and test those wick backs to see if they are piss spots drawing moisture from the air. If so pretreat them with some cid.

 

[BLewis]

I like your motto Dave, made me think of one I used to use but in my old age forgot about "I would rather they call me with their concerns than to call the Competition"

 

[juniorc82]

I did a church last week and had terrible wick back problems. My problems where from coffee stains on light colored olefin cgd. Got most of them but I couldnt get them all. I wonder if the high humidity plays a part, I had a complaint on a cleaned and scotchguarded carpet being wet for 2 days last week also. Dry times have never been a problem so I wonder if the humidity played a part since the door at the house was open most of the day with mover comin in and out

 

[Bob Foster]

I did a church last week and had terrible wick back problems. My problems where from coffee stains on light colored olefin cgd. Got most of them but I couldnt get them all. I wonder if the high humidity plays a part, I had a complaint on a cleaned and scotchguarded carpet being wet for 2 days last week also. Dry times have never been a problem so I wonder if the humidity played a part since the door at the house was open most of the day with mover comin in and out

Churches are notorious for coffee tea wickbacks. Be prepared for them on the way in or add some time on your quote to go encap them out the next day when they show.

 

[FB7777]

Time to "bucket test" your wands and injection sprayers, as well as doing a close inspection of your vacuum system from end to end.

Little problems happen gradually.

so true Lee... one of my Butler waste tank filters was damn near plugged after only a few weeks of cleaning so we nver thought to check it until the machine went to full RPM when we hit the switch.

Gradual vacuum loss is impossible to guage

 

[Jeremy]

It has been pretty humid this spring... See if perhaps there are some wand hamsters developing inside your wand & make sure your cuffs are on tight. Check the spring relief, waste tank gasket & dump valve too...






































Of course in the future you can also mist a bit of Snake Oil mixed 1:16 on the "problem spots" for a little added insurance...

 

[sam miller]

Time to "bucket test" your wands and injection sprayers, as well as doing a close inspection of your vacuum system from end to end.

Little problems happen gradually.

I agree with Lee whenever I have had a problem it was because of equipment like Vac loss or filters needed cleaning?

Just a thought make sure your getting all your vacuum llift and flow and wands dont have a giant rat living inside, and maybe add a dryer to the mix

Water oxdizes usually on the overlap when its left to wet not just because there's dirt left. Take clean white terry towel wet it leave it scrunched up and it will brown. Its what water does.

PS Not saying its not left behind dirt just saying that soaps and agents clients used could cause it to. It might not be the rinsing agent.

 

[alazo1]

You could turn the tm on and run it without putting on your hoses. Lift should be close to 0 on the gauge.

You and other guy use the same truck? If not chances are that Brian is right in that your old rinse was helping.

We probably get more wickbacks then we think. Crap under the carpet that has probably been there for years or from customer cleaning attempts. Just because they don't call doesn't mean everything went 100% right. Doesn't mean they won't use you again either.

Albert

 

[sam miller]

http://www.icsmag.com/Articles/Column/c ... 32a8c0____

I posted earlier about browning and referred to cellulose browning which only happens in cottons wool jute natural fibers.

Synthetics wick backs are soil related. Ivebeensold