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UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: simonc on June 28, 2007, 07:53:50 pm

Title: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: simonc on June 28, 2007, 07:53:50 pm
Hiya  We clean around 6 Suites a week of good quality and from good manufactuers. Using a hydramaster portable or Alltec with hwe and a fan blower we still seem to have drying times on a soiled suite of 24/30 hrs  this is to be hard dry. using our t/m and drymaster tool our drying times come down to 6/8 hrs plus alittle if fabric protected as well. Now I know if we flash cleaned it it would dry quicker   we do a deep clean and get excellent resultes and charge around £150... But I would dearly like better /quicker drying times   Positive practical suggestions appreciated  Simon
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: Mike Halliday on June 28, 2007, 08:52:09 pm
I promise 'suites dry before we leave' and in most cases I achieve it. I use 3 airmovers & a CFR handtool.

Mike
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: Kev Loomes on June 28, 2007, 08:58:30 pm
Approx 50% of our business is suites, and we normally have 90% of those almost all dry before we go (well usually the sofa and one armchair for example at least - depending on fabric).

We also deep clean and usually it takes us approx 2hrs with 2 of us to achieve this and charge approx £165 - £180 on a 3pc (protection is extra).

We use turbo dryers which is a big help and structure the clean to maximise drying. i.e. we do the frame first (usually the sofa), and get the dryer on it whilst doing the cushions. When these are done we get the blower on these in a pyramid fashion on the frame so they dry (and the remainder of the frame aswell). Whilst this is going on we move straight onto the next unit i.e armchair and repeat the process etc.

Im sure most people do this? hope it helps.
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on June 28, 2007, 08:59:51 pm
Thanks to that 'Halliday' bloke 'most helpful cleaner' I now get suites dry within 1-2 hours, I'd lost my way then got found again, thank the Lord!

Shaun

best refresher course I have ever been on.
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: maxcarpets on June 28, 2007, 09:11:47 pm
Forgive me but how can you promise but only achieve on most?
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on June 28, 2007, 09:20:30 pm
Most suites dry in before we leave, not all but I take your point.

Shaun
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: Phil Marlor on June 28, 2007, 09:30:13 pm
Hiya  We clean around 6 Suites a week of good quality and from good manufactuers. Using a hydramaster portable or Alltec with hwe and a fan blower we still seem to have drying times on a soiled suite of 24/30 hrs  this is to be hard dry. using our t/m and drymaster tool our drying times come down to 6/8 hrs plus alittle if fabric protected as well. Now I know if we flash cleaned it it would dry quicker   we do a deep clean and get excellent resultes and charge around £150... But I would dearly like better /quicker drying times   Positive practical suggestions appreciated  Simon

Simon, can you tell me how you get 6 suites a week at £150.00, I would have emailed you, but you have'nt added your address.

Suites are something I dont get too often and it's making me wonder why.

Thanks
Phil
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: Mike Halliday on June 28, 2007, 09:32:07 pm
I could get all suites dry before I leave, but what tends to happen is, I dry the suite and give it a good inspection, then often I find an area which needs a little bit more attention, so I  clean that area again, because of this some of the suite may be still damp when I leave.

I always clean suites at 9am (never in the afternoon) so If its not totally dry I can at least promise it will be dry before hubby or the kids come home at teatime.

Mike
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: chrisg on June 28, 2007, 09:39:16 pm
Phil, He is part of a massive furniture store.

I get them dry before i go- virtally, finish first one point the fan on it, easy.

CFR might help, but i think its mostly the fan. oh make sure your waters hot too, this improves drying times, as it does with carpets.
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: Mark Lane-Matthews on June 29, 2007, 12:31:42 am
Hi Simon
Get yourself a load of quality colourfast microfibre cloths as they are 10 times more absorbant than cotton toweling,if you towel down the  furniture with these , it will make a big difference to youre drying times.
                         Mark
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: Derek_Walker on June 29, 2007, 10:50:57 am
Simon, it sounds like you are spraying too much prespray into the suite and it is soaking through to the foam. On upholstery I only use enough spray to dampen the fabric, agitate where needed then extract using a cfr tool. Even on really grimey suites where it may penetrate slightly more you should be getting better dry times than what you are getting now, even without using a blower. The drymaster tool if used with a truckmount or low powered portable should give you excellent dry times.

Derek
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: trevor perry on June 29, 2007, 10:55:45 am
i clean all cushions first and stack like a pyramid then put blower on whilst cleaning the frame of suite when finished all cushions are already dry , i replace the cushions immediately for customer to insect the job done but advice them to take cushions of for an hour to let air get to the frame. they are completely dry within an hour the odd awkward one may take 2 hours
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: mark_roberts on June 29, 2007, 01:36:53 pm
If I cleaned 6 suites a week id be dead within a month.

More like 1-2 a week and thats the way i like it.

Could clean carpets all day long but not suites not even for £200 a pop.

Mark

PS. I dont charge £200 a suite in case your wondering.
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: chrisg on June 29, 2007, 02:41:35 pm
Simon, it sounds like you are spraying too much prespray into the suite and it is soaking through to the foam. On upholstery I only use enough spray to dampen the fabric, agitate where needed then extract using a cfr tool. Even on really grimey suites where it may penetrate slightly more you should be getting better dry times than what you are getting now, even without using a blower. The drymaster tool if used with a truckmount or low powered portable should give you excellent dry times.

Derek

I think your spot on with over applying presray, just to add to that, for real bad suites mix your prespray stronger rather than apply more.
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: simonc on June 29, 2007, 03:31:38 pm
Thanks to everyone for the helpful suggestions  its always good to look at what we are doing and look for improvements  we will be taking on board and acting on info. AS MENTIONED WE ARE PART OF LARGE RETAIL FAMILY BIZNIZ sorry for shouting.. and have a large loyal customer base  could always do with more though....and Ive also got frank who can clean suites all day with only the occasional spasm to his back...hes great although he does nick some of my kit from time to time..in case he ever rea\ds this// thanks again to everyone...Keep working and playing hard simon
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: Glynn on June 29, 2007, 05:37:31 pm
One done today, the camera qaulity is bad because it's off a phone.
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: gwrightson on June 29, 2007, 06:47:20 pm
the pic is of a dri master, which achieves excellent driyg times ,
and only rarly is a suite left damp, after using one in conjuntion with air movers. windows wide open"weather permitting"  and times should not be a problem.

geoff
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: Mike Halliday on June 29, 2007, 07:31:11 pm
geoff, are you going for the most spelling mistakes in a single post ;D ;D ;D

Mike
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: gwrightson on June 29, 2007, 08:10:31 pm
do I look bovered ;D

Geoff
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: Glynn on June 29, 2007, 08:59:11 pm
&
Title: Re: Drying Times Upholstery
Post by: John Gregory on June 29, 2007, 09:06:59 pm
Glynn

Whats the fabric and what chem are you using ?

Thanks John