Todays chairs cleaning

[realclean]

I got the opportunity to clean about 150 chairs today.

I know several have had questions about how to do this and what the production rate is.

Now for my production rate I will start with, after everything is set up and with a helper to prespray for me, and these chairs were not dirty at all.

I was able to do 70 the first hour and it took longer for last 80 as I had stop to reload water and prespray.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

We do a lot of them.

Don't make it look too easy...

 

[encapman]

Here's a trick I've learned for commercial chairs (works on residential upholstery too). Pre-spraying and a quick rota brushing reallyspeeds up the process! Then a light quick rinse is optional (when an encap pre-spray is used). Makes cleaning LARGE jobs with hundreds of hairs fairly easy. I also like to have a couple of helpers. 1 person pre-sprays, 1 person brushes, and 1 person extracts. Then we rotate the 3 people. It keeps the muscles from cramping up too much.

We use Encap-Punch for the pre-spray.
http://www.excellent-supply.com/Rel...tion-Carpet-Cleaning-Products-Encap_p_69.html

And we use the Rota-Brush for the chairs.
http://www.excellent-supply.com/Rota-Drill-Brush-Attachment_p_15.html

 

[Steve Lawrence]

Here's a trick I've learned for commercial chairs (works on residential upholstery too). Pre-spraying and a quick rota brushing reallyspeeds up the process! Then a light quick rinse is optional (when an encap pre-spray is used). Makes cleaning LARGE jobs with hundreds of hairs fairly easy. I also like to have a couple of helpers. 1 person pre-sprays, 1 person brushes, and 1 person extracts. Then we rotate the 3 people. It keeps the muscles from cramping up too much.

We use Encap-Punch for the pre-spray.
http://www.excellent-supply.com/Rel...tion-Carpet-Cleaning-Products-Encap_p_69.html

And we use the Rota-Brush for the chairs.
http://www.excellent-supply.com/Rota-Drill-Brush-Attachment_p_15.html

Rinsing is optional? Really?

 

[encapman]

With encap yes.

We've done lots of large commercial chair jobs with little or no rinse.

If the chairs are heavily soiled rinsing is required.

 

[Shorty]

Then a light quick rinse is optional (when an encap pre-spray is used).

I agree with that.

Many won't, that's okay.

Then again, many will, but will stay silent.

 

[PrimaDonna]

Here's a trick I've learned for commercial chairs (works on residential upholstery too). Pre-spraying and a quick rota brushing reallyspeeds up the process! Then a light quick rinse is optional (when an encap pre-spray is used). Makes cleaning LARGE jobs with hundreds of hairs fairly easy. I also like to have a couple of helpers. 1 person pre-sprays, 1 person brushes, and 1 person extracts. Then we rotate the 3 people. It keeps the muscles from cramping up too much.

We use Encap-Punch for the pre-spray.
http://www.excellent-supply.com/Rel...tion-Carpet-Cleaning-Products-Encap_p_69.html

And we use the Rota-Brush for the chairs.
http://www.excellent-supply.com/Rota-Drill-Brush-Attachment_p_15.html

We use a makita car buffer with cimex pads to do chairs and stairs. Just did a huge job at a church. 75 year old pew cushions. Church may be on the visit list when the Pope comes to town in September. They are getting ready now. Ill post some photos and videos that John took doing that job.

 

[dgardner]

Makes cleaning LARGE jobs with hundreds of hairs fairly easy.

I hate it when I run into hundreds of hairs....

 

[Desk Jockey]

I was able to do 70 the first hour and it took longer for last 80 as I had stop to reload water and prespray.

That's awesome! But too much to do for one man, you'll kill yourself.

I'd invest in another hand tool and a splitter for the hose and solution. You should be able to run two tools with just about any TM.

Most TM's have too much power for a single tool anyway.

 

[realclean]

That's awesome! But too much to do for one man, you'll kill yourself.
I'd invest in another hand tool and a splitter for the hose and solution. You should be able to run two tools with just about any TM

I was very tired after this job and I do have splitters for my lines, maybe next time I will divide and conquer.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I'm sure you did a great job but can you imagine working half as hard and getting done twice as fast. You did great!

 

[Nate The Great]

Sh!t, I must be the slowest cleaner ever..... Even running a splitter we'd do 50-60 chairs an hour.... Granted it was high school music chairs... 300 had my mom and I hurting.... My friend would pre spray, line up and take away chairs.... Then we had 16,000sf of carpet to do also...

 

[Steve Lawrence]

Sh!t, I must be the slowest cleaner ever..... Even running a splitter we'd do 50-60 chairs an hour.... Granted it was high school music chairs... 300 had my mom and I hurting.... My friend would pre spray, line up and take away chairs.... Then we had 16,000sf of carpet to do also...

Nice way to treat your mom, LOL, just kidding! Moms need good jobs, too. (Assuming she's getting paid well.)

 

[Mikey P]

I've been teaching my guys the no rinse uph method.


Most encaps are fine


but for delicates I like Prochem's Fine Fabric Shampoo. Acid side, optical brighteners and a nice "I've been cleaned" scent..

We do wipe/towle down any contact areas though

 

[Ron K]

I hate it when I run into hundreds of hairs....

Looking at his picture that might be exactly how many he has!

 

[Travis Sonderegger]

Will someone post some links to some of the brushes and tools you are talking about? I wonder if I could ever talk the school into letting me clean the chairs in the auditorium. (Small School, like 350 students, 7-12 grade)

 

[tubad sosad]

here you go travis. http://www.drillbrush.com/

and look at the sapphire scientific upholstry tool. it has gootten good reviews here.

 

[Mikey P]

Thanks Lance!


Also, go to excellentsupply.com to get the fiber plus pads and upholstery scrubbing mit

 

[windycitysteam]

Yes don't make it look too easy LOL

 

[encapman]

Here's a video that we just shot.

This works great on moderately soiled upholstery. Spray, scrub, wipe. Easy!
For heavily soiled upholstery, a final rinse with an extractor would be recommended.

VIDEO LINK: Short video of a chair cleaning...
http://excellent-supply.com/Upholstery_Encap-Releasit.mp4

 

[Desk Jockey]

Thanks for the video Rick!

I think that's great for freshening up light soiled upholstery. Auditoriums would be a prime example.
We are working two contracts right now and one from a hospital and the other office chairs from a large corporation. Neither of those would fit well with encap cleaning.

 

[encapman]

Thanks for the video Rick!

I think that's great for freshening up light soiled upholstery. Auditoriums would be a prime example.
We are working two contracts right now and one from a hospital and the other office chairs from a large corporation. Neither of those would fit well with encap cleaning.

Agreed.

 

[tubad sosad]

i think that is the wrong way to clean. all you are doing is pushing the dirt into the fabric not out of it. and a damp towel picks up dirt better than a dry towel. I wouldn't show that video to any one that i was trying to get work from. talk about hacking, hell if its so lightly soiled then put some flex ICE in a portable and do a super fast clean. don't need to stay in the 1970's with all the upholstery cleaning tools available for us today.

at least a von schrader machine vacuums up the foam, if you need to clean at least use a water bottle spray and a wet vac to "rinse" with. a little more money and you could use a small extractor with SS uphol tool and a rinse solution in the tank. encap prespray if you like but get the dirt out.

 

[Nate The Great]

i think that is the wrong way to clean. all you are doing is pushing the dirt into the fabric not out of it. and a damp towel picks up dirt better than a dry towel. I wouldn't show that video to any one that i was trying to get work from. talk about hacking, hell if its so lightly soiled then put some flex rinse in a portable and do a super fast clean. don't need to stay in the 1970's with all the upholstery cleaning tools available for us today.

at least a von schrader machine vacuums up the foam, if you need to clean at least use a water bottle spray and a wet vac to "rinse" with. a little more money and you could use a small extractor with SS uphol tool and a rinse solution in the tank. encap prespray if you like but get the dirt out.

Why extract it if it's lightly soiled? Unless people sit on it butt naked, there clothes will "extract" some soil off........

 

[encapman]

Some of the soil is wiped up with the final step. And as Nate correctly mentioned, the little bit of what's left will be removed via their clothes.

Of course at this point we can get all mushy about this and say it's not as clean as clean can be. And you know what, you'd be right. But there are situations where it is a practical approach to upholstery maintenance. Consider a couple of scenarios.

1. Some jobs have lightly soiled chairs and a light cleaning is adequate for their needs. Why bring a bulldozer when a shovel's all that's needed.
2. Many facilities only want to pay peanuts for upholstery cleaning (for whatever reason - budget constraints or they're just tightwads). And in that case this method makes sense too. Sometimes you have to cut the cloth to fit the garment (to borrow an old tailor's expression).

Keep in mind guys... Upholstery is flat. We're not dealing with plush carpet pile. We simply need to displace the soil that's on the surface of the chair. And that doesn't require a fire hydrant.

 

[Desk Jockey]

1. Some jobs have lightly soiled chairs and a light cleaning is adequate for their needs. Why bring a bulldozer when a shovel's all that's needed.
2. Many facilities only want to pay peanuts for upholstery cleaning (for whatever reason - budget constraints or they're just tightwads). And in that case this method makes sense too. Sometimes you have to cut the cloth to fit the garment (to borrow an old tailor's expression).

I agree those are the key points. Light soiling can effectively be cleaned that way. When it comes to appearance management even on a low budget they get a major improvement.

I like it for fabrics that can be problematic with drying issues, like color bleeding or browning. It looks good and the appearance is safely improved.

Heavier soiling or contamination I'd push much harder towards HWE but ultimately its their upholstery. We will give them our suggestions and let them make educated decisions.