Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: markpowell on March 07, 2008, 09:42:36 pm

Title: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: markpowell on March 07, 2008, 09:42:36 pm
I have always used liquid de-foamer but sometimes getting bad foam build up in waste tank, has anyone ever used powdered de-foamer and if so to what effect.
Cheers Mark
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: mark shannon on March 07, 2008, 09:49:01 pm
Used Prochems powder not as good as liquid  :-\

A&M sell a very good economical defoamer.
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: lands on March 07, 2008, 09:55:19 pm
I find Prochems powder ok but its very economical. You can just use bicarbonate of soda though (much cheaper
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: spindle on March 07, 2008, 09:57:11 pm
bar of soap in the waste tank!!!
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: markpowell on March 07, 2008, 09:58:54 pm
What brand of soap or will any work?
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: spindle on March 07, 2008, 10:03:18 pm
normal soap.......

sit in the bath with bubble bath....................loads of foam...........

than start to wash with soap...........hey presto bubbles gone!!!
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: carpet guy on March 07, 2008, 10:15:43 pm
why are you using defoamer it's many years since I found the need

rob
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: lands on March 07, 2008, 10:19:39 pm
Not everyone is detergent free Rob. dont use myself that often but sometimes you just have too
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: carpet guy on March 07, 2008, 11:06:08 pm
Yes Mark I remember why I used it many years ago, but moved away from products likely to leave a residue about 10 years ago eliminating the need for defoamer.

rob
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on March 07, 2008, 11:20:37 pm
Evans Vanodine used to do a good defoamer but I can't find it on their site.

Shaun
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: Joe H on March 08, 2008, 07:11:15 am
I have used the CFR defoamer to good effect.
For those not getting good results - have youtried mixing in a bucket with water then sucking up thro vac hose - coats the inside of hose where a lot of turbulance will be.
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: stevegunn on March 08, 2008, 07:22:05 am
This is the best de-foamer I have ever used

http://www.vonschrader.com/supplies/deterg_treat/liquidator.htm
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: Joe H on March 08, 2008, 07:34:23 am
Im pretty sure someone was selling that (plus some other Host von Schrader stuff) on Ebay in the last week but Ebay withdrew due to a violation.  Think he had loads of stuff to sell for £10, but later he added that it wasnt everything for £10 but from the cheapest  "bottle" of whatever was £10.
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: carpet guy on March 08, 2008, 08:17:44 am
As mentioned above, if you REALLY need defoamer buy little bars of soap or cut up bigger bars and chuck them into your return tank.

It's about 8 years since I use defoamer CFR but always have a bar of soap to deal with Vanish, etc.

Surely, if you're creating so much foam that you need defoamer, you are using too much product.

rob
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: Joe H on March 08, 2008, 08:30:24 am
Was doing a mattress for this guy. His wife had died of cancer in the bed and he wanted it cleaned (I would be buying new!)

I was 20ft away from machine, couldnt see it had foamed up (and I am on microsplitters so didnt expect anything.)
Masses of foam, took me ages to get rid of.
When he came in I asked him had he cleaned the mattress himself, he only reached into kitchen cupboard and sid he used 3 cans of this - Vanish  :o
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: carpet guy on March 08, 2008, 08:38:13 am
Wonderful stuff,  if you're a shareholder in the company, but it can certainly cause chaos and so many people deny using it.............." oh, really, can you tell me what the bleached dots are then, with the little dark marks in the centre. "

rob

Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: martin19842 on March 08, 2008, 08:40:50 am
hi there

we use prochem powder, works wonders on flood water extraction.

please dont ask why that foams up, but more often than not it does.

regards

martin
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: carpet guy on March 08, 2008, 09:11:25 am
When cleaning in peoples homes there will almost always be an area which foams up, often baffling the home owner, but usually due to normal activities, like shampoo or bath foam which has not been rinsed off proerly and some finds it's way onto the hall carpets, or drips from washing up liquid which is highly concentrated soap, or drips from bin bags or kids spraying each other from Fairy containers, etc.

All lying dormant, waiting for the unwary !

rob
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: Doctor Carpet (Ret'd) on March 08, 2008, 10:42:50 am
In custy's house I asked her had she had her carpets cleaned before. She replied that her husband cleaned them every 6 weeks or so. So why was I cleaning them? Well becasue he had got fed up with doing this so often.

"How", said I, "did he clean them?"
She replied," Well, he sprays vanish all over the carpet and then steams it off!" :o :o :o :o :o

This explained why my waste tank was filling with foam to the top about every 2 minutes, even with a de-foamer in.

Eight months on and two further cleans from me (and none by the husband) I have got the residual foam down to just about an acceptable level which will improve again on the next clean.

Mustn't grumble too much, I charged extra for the time taken for the multiple clean-outs of foam, and she was so pleased with the results I am now cleaning the other 13 properties she owns (and which thankfully her husband has never been near with the Vanish.)
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: spindle on March 08, 2008, 10:49:32 am
cleaned for a custy h/s/l living room and 2 bed............

6 weeks after the job       custy calls me back .dark patch has appeared in hallway............. ???
i returned to have a lookand discovered that the custys son had spilled bubble solution :o.....and it had dried..........but was resoiling rapidly..........(i got the blame for doing a bad job) ???
until i explained......then she remembered a kids party  :-X

but happy customer in the end!!
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: trevor perry on March 08, 2008, 02:46:34 pm
a bit of disinfectant in waste tank stops it foaming
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: calmore on March 08, 2008, 08:18:14 pm
Yes Mark I remember why I used it many years ago, but moved away from products likely to leave a residue about 10 years ago eliminating the need for defoamer.

rob

I find that a lot of customers have tried various products that cause havoc with foam.

I always put a scoop in the tank "just in case"!
Title: Re: DE- FOAMERS
Post by: richardc1983 on March 12, 2008, 02:59:08 pm
salt or fabric conditioner also acts as a defoamer.

U can use just the cheap supermarket no frills brand!