What's up with lockdown?

[Bryce C]

Sometimes my wand locks down on cut pile carpeting, but most of the time it doesn't. Just yesterday I was cleaning a cut pile carpet and the wand was locking down and very heavy to pull. I'm not sure what to do in those situations. The carpet had much more moisture left on it after my dry passes than usual.

I'm using a hole glide on an Evo 13" wand. It has some grooves going out to the side. They are worn down a bit, would carving them out deeper help prevent lockdown? Should I have a different glide to swap out in those situations? Would turning down the rpms on my machine to lower the vacuum power help prevent lockdown? I was running it at 1400 rpms with 100 feet of vacuum hose, which is at "medium" power in my CDS 4.8, maybe I should turn down the sauce on shorter hose runs.

I'd rather not wrestle against my wand and only end up with wetter carpet after my efforts. Any tips?

 

[BIG WOOD]

I"m really surprised to see a lockdown with that hole glide. Not normal for sure. But leave your settings on the machine as is. Can you remind us what the hg is set at on your machine?

 

[jeffexe]

was it a plush?

 

[FredBoyle]

Basic airflow dynamics

The wand seal is most commonly created on wool and nylon

Higher piles typically grab the wand more than shorter plush piles


If it’s too intense , I’ve dropped the Butler into Mach 1 , it helps airflow relief

Full lockdown is t moving air , it’s Just breaking Your body

 

[bob vawter]

Sometimes my wand locks down on cut pile carpeting, but most of the time it doesn't. Just yesterday I was cleaning a cut pile carpet and the wand was locking down and very heavy to pull. I'm not sure what to do in those situations. The carpet had much more moisture left on it after my dry passes than usual.

I'm using a hole glide on an Evo 13" wand. It has some grooves going out to the side. They are worn down a bit, would carving them out deeper help prevent lockdown? Should I have a different glide to swap out in those situations? Would turning down the rpms on my machine to lower the vacuum power help prevent lockdown? I was running it at 1400 rpms with 100 feet of vacuum hose, which is at "medium" power in my CDS 4.8, maybe I should turn down the sauce on shorter hose runs.

I'd rather not wrestle against my wand and only end up with wetter carpet after my efforts. Any tips?

View attachment 133873View attachment 133874

Hey I got one just like that one....
What's it worth?

 

[Bryce C]

I"m really surprised to see a lockdown with that hole glide. Not normal for sure. But leave your settings on the machine as is. Can you remind us what the hg is set at on your machine?

Ok thanks. The hg is set at 13.5. Although I just pulled my seal-a-door out from behind the waste tank that day. Maybe I bumped and adjusted the release! I'll check the gauge next time I use the machine tomorrow, I only had a commercial vlm job today.

was it a plush?

I'd say it was a medium pile carpet.

 

[BIG WOOD]

Ok thanks. The hg is set at 13.5. Although I just pulled my seal-a-door out from behind the waste tank that day. Maybe I bumped and adjusted the release! I'll check the gauge next time I use the machine tomorrow, I only had a commercial vlm job today.



I'd say it was a medium pile carpet.

Have you burped your gauge in a while?

 

[Bryce C]

Basic airflow dynamics

The wand seal is most commonly created on wool and nylon

Higher piles typically grab the wand more than shorter plush piles


If it’s too intense , I’ve dropped the Butler into Mach 1 , it helps airflow relief

Full lockdown is t moving air , it’s Just breaking Your body

Good tips, thanks!

Hey I got one just like that one....
What's it worth?

The Evo 13"? About $900 these days.

 

[Bryce C]

Have you burped your gauge in a while?

Never even heard of that
I have not...

 

[Bryce C]

The wand seal is most commonly created on wool and nylon

I asked Google AI about wandseal or lockdown on wool and nylon fibers and it just grabbed a bunch of unhelpful random bits of unrelated info about cleaning wool and nylon carpet and acted like it answered my question, it has no idea what wandseal or lockdown in carpet cleaning is. This was its answer:

""Wandseal (or "lockdown") refers to a phenomenon where cleaning lines, streaks, or a "locked-in" appearance of dirt appears on a carpet, usually caused by improper wand technique, excessive moisture, or chemical residue during cleaning. It is more common on wool and nylon because of their specific fiber structures and sensitivity to moisture and chemicals
.
Key Reasons for Wandseal on Wool and Nylon:

Absorbency and Wicking (Wool): Wool is a natural fiber that is highly absorbent, meaning it holds on to moisture and cleaning solutions. Over-wetting during cleaning can cause water (and dissolved contaminants) to sink deep into the backing. As it dries, this water moves back up to the surface, bringing hidden dirt with it—a process known as "wicking" or "lockdown".
Sticky Residue Attraction (Nylon): Nylon is durable, but when cleaned, it can leave behind soapy, high-residue, or sticky shampoo residue if not rinsed properly. This sticky residue acts like a magnet for dirt, making the cleaned paths appear dark again within a few weeks.
Heat and Chemical Sensitivity (Both):
Wool should not be cleaned with high temperatures (over 160°F) or highly alkaline solutions, which can damage the fiber and cause browning or "lockdown" of contaminants.
Nylon often requires specialized, lower-pH cleaners (especially stain-resistant nylon) to avoid damaging the protective coating, which if done incorrectly, causes rapid re-soiling.
Wand Technique & Suction Issues: Inadequate extraction (poor suction) is a primary cause of wandseal, leaving too much moisture in the carpet. If a technician uses excessive water or improper angles, it leaves linear "water marks" (wand lines) once the carpet dries.

How to Prevent It

Thorough Extraction: Ensuring the carpet is not over-wet is crucial, especially for absorbent wool.
Rinse Thoroughly: Using a proper rinse agent to remove all detergent residue prevents sticky, re-soiling (lockdown).
Use Proper Tools: For these fibers, professional-grade tools with high suction are necessary to prevent leaving residual moisture and detergent.
Proper Drying: Utilizing high-speed air movers to dry the carpet quickly after cleaning prevents wicking""

AI is not helpful, knowing that is helpful. I am curious, why is this phenomenon more common on wool and nylon fibers?

 

[BIG WOOD]

Never even heard of that
I have not...

That little rubber cap on the top of the gauge behind the face of the machine. Pull it off. That releases any buildup of pressure in the gauge and resets it to make certain it’s reading accurately. If pressure is built up it might be turned up much more than 14hg, causing too much suction which could be locking the wand

But it doubt that would cause it since you are just using that hole glide. But it’s a good thing to check periodically

 

[Jim Pemberton]

AI is a clueless kid copying off of an A student on his right and a D student on his left, and is incapable of knowing who is the smarter one.

What it is trying to do is to give you information on nylon and wool that it does “know” but it doesn’t understand the problem you are experiencing.

 

[FredBoyle]

AI is a clueless kid copying off of an A student on his right and a D student on his left, and is incapable of knowing who is the smarter one.

What it is trying to do is to give you information on nylon and wool that it does “know” but it doesn’t understand the problem you are experiencing.

That’s an interesting way of looking at how AI compiles data and creates a response

The difficulty on this query is that it is a very specific experience with not enough generally accepted “true” answers for AI to reply accurately


Hopefully The Cleaning Standard will assist in the accuracy

The internet has a tremendous amount of “ D student” carpet cleaning answers because anyone can add data whether it be accurate or not

AI will only function effectively with solid data in to extrapolate good responses


This site is good , but there’s a few D Students here as well

 

[Bryce C]

That little rubber cap on the top of the gauge behind the face of the machine. Pull it off. That releases any buildup of pressure in the gauge and resets it to make certain it’s reading accurately. If pressure is built up it might be turned up much more than 14hg, causing too much suction which could be locking the wand

But it doubt that would cause it since you are just using that hole glide. But it’s a good thing to check periodically

Most excellent. Thanks Woody!

 

[Jim Pemberton]

This site is good , but there’s a few D Students here as well

To quote something Mike would like, "we all fall short"

And Fred, let me add:

I appreciate that you've shown the spirit of kindness that we want in The Cleaning Standard in not pointing out those who might be striving to elevate themselves beyond the D level.

(And if not kindness, then at least restraint )

 

[FredBoyle]

“ empty vessels make the most noise “


Unfortunately AI is “ listening “