Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: rob middleton on February 18, 2005, 09:42:38 pm

Title: solutions
Post by: rob middleton on February 18, 2005, 09:42:38 pm
anyone use chemicals and equipment from solutions. ive generally heard good things. honest opinions appreciated.
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Scott Martin on February 18, 2005, 09:50:15 pm
Not Used them (Yet) But hear they are very good!

Cheers
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: dave401uk on February 18, 2005, 10:52:58 pm
i use them with great results,and there service is just fantastic, you will not be sorry

Dave
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on February 18, 2005, 11:04:45 pm
If you do a 'search' on solutions you will find that you will get a headache!

happy reading

Shaun
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Martin S on February 18, 2005, 11:19:59 pm
Rob',

As Shaun says, happy reading, see you next Xmas!!

Martin S
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Fintan_Coll on February 18, 2005, 11:35:35 pm
Honest opinion, yes microsplitters are very good if used right, and its not difficult if you just read what it says on the label ,basically.
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Dennis on February 19, 2005, 12:36:16 pm
If you ask reeeely nicely that nice Saint Nick will send you a free sample.  ;)
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: strakercleaning on February 19, 2005, 02:02:28 pm
If you used that (Solutions) 300 years ago, you would have been burned at the stake for witchcraft...........quoted by one of my elderly lady customers from Kensington. (Think she just meant it was magic!!)
I have also heard it described as ' jesus in a bottle ' due to the miraculous results i have achieved with it.
I have supplied 20+ customers with Solutions No3 & No5 spotters in trigger spray and am being asked to supply more as relatives 'steal' them so they need replacing......... VERY good add on sale   ;D
Many people will sell you microsplitters to try or give discounted samples, only know one source that sends you a sample for FREE :o
GO WEST young man.................well Cornwall anyway.
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Nobby on February 19, 2005, 04:40:21 pm
My 'Free' sample cost me £15.
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: strakercleaning on February 19, 2005, 05:34:07 pm
Not that 'free' then. :-X
......I got mine during promotion when another forum started last year.
Have you found it as good to use as most people?
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: *paul_moss on February 19, 2005, 06:32:48 pm
Rob
I have used them for about 6 months now.
Had to buy my sample too ( promo finished).
Must say I used m/s for about 90% of my jobs,They are very good but do take a little practice to get them right.

Eco spotter is the absolute dogs dangley bits.
And as some of the other guys have said service is second to none.


Paul
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Ian Gourlay on February 20, 2005, 02:20:03 am
If  they as good as their Marketing ie refferal Chear Leader tactics they must ne good.

I wonder if they get as many Plugs for Solutions on Cleantalk as you get for Solutions on here.

Why do we not get asked about One Step etc ;D ;D ;D

Title: Re: solutions
Post by: stevegunn on February 20, 2005, 08:46:12 am
If  they as good as their Marketing ie refferal Chear Leader tactics they must ne good.

I wonder if they get as many Plugs for Solutions on Cleantalk as you get for Solutions on here.

Why do we not get asked about One Step etc ;D ;D ;D



Because its too expensive ;D You pay your money then make your choice no difference in the results you achieve so why pay for the most expensive.Ian why have you got the hump with Solution ???
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: *paul_moss on February 20, 2005, 08:54:33 am
Ian
I have never used one step.
And may be alot of others havn't and thats why solutions is more prominant when discussions take place on micro splitters.

Re cheer leaders all I can answer to that is this, selling any product is just the same as selling your services as a carpet cleaner.The better you are,the more you get out there,the better the service,the better you net work,the more professional you are etc,etc,etc,
then the more work you are going to get and the more people are going to talk about you. :D

YES LIKE A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE ON THIS FORUM I TALK HIGHLY OF SOLUTIONS AND THE ONLY REASON FOR THIS IS THST I FIND THIER PRODUCTS EXCELLENT BOTH IN VALUE FOR MONEY AND RESULTS. ;)

Regards
Paul
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: strakercleaning on February 20, 2005, 08:58:37 am
Same here.......I use Solutions because it works and costs less than its rivals  ::)
Amtech offer good customer service as does Solutions but I am in business to make a profit.................the fact that the solution makes it easier is just a BONUS ;D
ps............i have never been refferred to as a cheerleader  :P

Give me an   S
give me an   O
give me an   L
give me a     U
give me a     T
give me an   I
give me an   O
give me an   N
give me an   S
and what have you got...........RAH RAH RAH RAH  ;D
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Doug Holloway on February 20, 2005, 09:04:05 am
Hi Guys,

I don't suppose there's much difference between One Step and Solutions , they did originate from the same stable.

Nick has networked effectively through these boards whereas One Step's suppliers keep a  lower profile.

I would like to see more supplier input as long as it's informative and not blatant advrtising .

Free samples are a good investment as they get people talking.

If a supplier want's feedback he has to feed in the first place!

Cheers,

Doug
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: *paul_moss on February 20, 2005, 09:07:23 am
Well said Doug

Hey a fair moderator  phew  :D

paul
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Don Atkinson on February 20, 2005, 02:34:41 pm
Hi
Once cleaned a church carpet, but experimented on the job using a ph11.5 powder and a standard micro splitting solution.
Cleaned the bottom part of the church near the entry door, the dirtiest part of the church using M/S. Lightly sprayed all areas and mechanically agitated very well.  Although the results were very good I did notice a few spots and stains that hadn't come out, and the water recovered was dirty but not filthy.

The machines recovery tank was then cleaned out

Cleaned the top part of the church near the alter, the cleanest pert of the church using Ashbys Supreme Powder, pre sprayed using Ashbys Supreme Pre Spotter and mechanically agitated. Had to turn the pump to full power as the chemical rinse didn't seem to have the free flow of fresh water.
The results were also very good, but left no stains or marks behind. But on emptying the recovery tank the water was absolutely filthy and a very thick layer of sludge was left at the bottom of the tank which needed to be scooped out.

This result has proved to me that although micro splitters seem to get the results, a lot of dirt will still remain in the carpet after the clean.

Had a call a couple of months later from the vicar saying that the bottom part of the church (the part that had been M/Spitted was starting to show spots and stains, but the top part was still very clean ??? Could this have been down to the unremoved soils, who knows?

Instead of belting three bells out of upholstery and carpets using Micro Splitters to get any sort of result from them, I now prefer to use traditional chemicals. Lightly mist lightly agitate and rinse extract using powder at a relaxed pace. I have also noticed the recovered water seems to be a lot dirtier now Im back on traditionals.


don
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Chris Bailey on February 20, 2005, 04:20:45 pm
Hi Don

Interesting comparison, although I would question the pH of the powder at 11.5, a little on the high side for me and not really a direct comparison to microsplitters as microsplitters no 2 is around pH 8.5 - 9 so you would expect better results with the powder, but as long as you got good results...

Chris

Title: Re: solutions
Post by: strakercleaning on February 20, 2005, 04:46:18 pm
One of the advantages of using ms is that they require less rinsing and they leave no residues. I notice you mentioned the added rinsing needed for 11.5PH chemical............... if this had not been done well then the residue would attract soil and the story would be different.
What were the differnces in drying times?
I only got mildly easier results when i first used Solutions but that was because i had used 'traditional' detergents pre sprays for 20+ years. I also applied in the old way by soaking areas of staining or spots instead of misting whole area. The work is done by agitating the problem areas more and rinsing the whole thing uniformly.
I use the phrase "easier results" not" better results" because I can get the same results as before but with less effort.
Once I had refined my technique it was like a ray of sunshine into my tired old life.
Easier work and great results for less outlay  ;D
Who says you cant teach an old dog new tricks  ;)
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Don Atkinson on February 20, 2005, 04:49:11 pm
Chris
Next time you have a carpet to clean try this..

Vac whole room throughly.

Pre spray one half with M/S and agitate with a mechanical brush then rinse with hot fresh water as normal. Any remaining spots treat with M/S spotter.

On the second half use fresh water as a pre spray and agitate with mecanical brush, rinse out using hot fresh water. Any remaining spots treat with plain fresh water.

Report back on here with your findings.
You may all be in for a massive shock :o
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: strakercleaning on February 20, 2005, 05:13:36 pm
Don,
I hate to be a killjoy but the experiment you suggest will be as flawed as your last example.
You already explained the proceedure you used and that the worse area in the entrance did not clean as well as the lightly soiled areas.......................Sorry but that would happen whatever you used.
I clean entrance area first then i go to far end and work my way back, going over entrance a second time. Surely an area that sees 10 times the traffic deserves a second go  ;D I carry this out in households in every doorway into a room, this eliminates the traffic lane.
The comparison to Solutions and water spotting is bizzare. Water will not remove things that Solutions spotters cannot shift but try it the other way round and.............. the reason why people pay good money for spotters No3 & No5 instead of just running the tap ???
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Don Atkinson on February 20, 2005, 06:01:33 pm
Chris,
During the church job why was more soil pulled from the cleanest part of the church (the front) using a powder rinse ???, hence filthy water and sludge in the bottom of the tank.
And why was the water less dirty at the most soiled part of the church, the back near the entrance hall when using M/S?
Why were there still spots and stains still visible ???
I have not used the Solutions products, so the experiments I did were not based on their range.
As for the tap water, this is only my opinion, but for some bizarre reason it seems to produce the same results as Micro Splitters during my few tests.
If you don't believe me why not try it for yourself.

don
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: strakercleaning on February 20, 2005, 07:24:59 pm
I have not used the Solutions products, so the experiments I did were not based on their range.
Don, The subject is Solutions so we cannot cast aspersions on other microsplitters and the results they achieve.
As for trying water first..........i have rinsed over marks that do not come out so i apply more Solutions and agitate. They come out then, so it seems that Solutions will get out more than just tap water alone.
I suggest you try some of this stuff before you turn your back on microsplitters completely. If you pass your negative views on to ALL microsplitters then you may mislead others.
I have nothing but praise for Solutions and would never criticise another brand unless i had personally used it. I choose the brand i do on cost and service when ordering.
Good luck going back to the 'old' ways and try to keep an open mind Grasshopper  ;D
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Michel Roberts on February 20, 2005, 08:04:50 pm
Don

I have recently been trying out microsplitters(solutions) and I had noticed that the waste water was,nt as dirty as it used to be though I had,nt make the obvious connection to the fact that it occured at the same time that I switched to m/s.

Your suggestion about trying to clean using plain water as a prespray is something I have always meant to try just out of curiosity, but never quite got round to.

Just after Xmas I had a job to do a stair shift and  cleane a 30 year old stair carpet. I also knew that I would be going back to this job in the summer to supply and fit a new bedroom carpet and again next winter to install a karndean floor in a then to be refurbished bathroom.

I thought this would be a great test between M/S and detergents, so I took The stair carpet up, ran a row down the middle and cleaned one half with M/S and one half with prochems ultraprep.There was no apprant difference.

The whole point though was to check on it later ie summer and winter to see what if any was the difference after time.

I was proposing to report on this in the summer. I only meantion it now because it seems relevent to this thread.

I have absoluty no Idea how it will turn out

Regards  Michel 
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Ian Gourlay on February 20, 2005, 08:13:55 pm
Although,

I have answed Steves Question by pm

I will answer you all.

I have no opinion on Solutions apart from the fact that their product gets mentioned more than any other.

Thats why I always mention another product when I see that word.

Its nothing against Solutions

I would like to see more information other products and Machines

Its good to see the post on Fomula 90 and Ultimate Master.

I am sure there are alot more products from all companies we could talkabout.


If you thinkIhave been unfair well i am afraid thatisyour opinion but you obviously do not know me :) :)

Title: Re: solutions
Post by: paul@ctcs on February 20, 2005, 08:34:43 pm
Hi guys,

Having been branded a cheerleader ;D I thought I'd stay quiet but what the hell!!

I have on a couple of occasions performed head to heads with solutions and one of the best conventional detergents available IMO, The results were conclusive and now I am almost exclusively MS. The tests were carried out in a commercial venue which I attend every day ( the pub ;D ) and there is no doubt the areas cleaned with the micro splitter have remained in a better state, this Is due to there non resoiling qualities.
 

Paul

Title: Re: solutions
Post by: dave401uk on February 20, 2005, 08:41:58 pm
as for teaching a old dog new tricks????????
I can only agree,having used powders in the tank method for yrs,yes i was sceptical,but with blinkered vision i had a look and ran a few of my own tests, and now i am a cheerleader ;D rah rah rah!!

Dave

P.S ask me nicley and i will come dressed up to the cleaning show ;D ;D
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on February 20, 2005, 08:58:45 pm
Ahh please!!!!

Shaun
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on February 20, 2005, 09:05:29 pm
Most of the problem with rapid resoiling is that of rinsing, would it be fare to say that if you pre spray with most detergents and then rinse with plain water re soiling wouldn't happen?

Obviously it does depend on how well the pre spray has performed in the 1st place and that is why an intank additive is required or not.

If MS is better than anything else and does exactly what you want it to do a plain water rinse is not just better for the non resoiling but also cheaper for the cleaner as he/she doesn't have to buy an intank additive.

(trying not to name brands)

Shaun
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: stevegunn on February 20, 2005, 09:10:19 pm
The problem Ian is more people use Solution than any other chemical thats why its mentioned all the time.There was a poll a while back and Solution had 68% of the market share.

http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=4654.0
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: HolmansUKLTD on February 21, 2005, 09:22:25 am
Just 1 point espically for Don!! you are supposed to remove spots and stains FIRST (except on upholstery) not after you have finished your extraction clean!!( that what all the courses ive been on tell you anyway ::))

I have worked for Prochem in the past and admit i did find it difficult to get my head around the MS, also i did think what would happen if i took as much time aggitating a normal prespray for example.

So like Don i did, i used A217 ultrapac renovate a pretty strong baby and did a half and half rinsed them both with an acidic rinse. The results were pretty much similar i had pre vacced prespotted first (Don!) cleaned and set the pile.

I had allways been suspicious about the little pixie saying that the carpets stay cleaner for longer but............... He was right!! the more i clean this carpet with MS the cleaner it stays, By the way this is my own carpet and has been cleaned umpteen times with prochem products!!

Also i clean a commercial site with MS and charley pads and after the 3rd or 4th clean it really is looking so much better even the residents have started to comment how much better they look than when the last cleaner did them!!

Yes you guessed it  the last cleaner was ME :o

I rest my case

Nick
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Len Gribble on February 21, 2005, 09:39:52 pm
I think the nbr 1 dart player said it all.


Michel

karndean floor? Do you cover my neck of the woods?

Len
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Kinver_Clean on February 22, 2005, 08:34:54 am
I have stopped spotting before I clean as I find most spots come out with normal cleaning and it save me having to get up off my knees a g a i n!

Trevor
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: strakercleaning on February 22, 2005, 10:40:17 am
Found the best thing to save my knees is a Sebo Duo  ;)
Feel guilty sometimes that the hard scrubbing work can be done with one hand while i talk on mobile :o
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: dave401uk on February 22, 2005, 12:39:01 pm
I agree, the duo is the mutts,did a pub last night,i reckon it saved me about 2 hrs

dave
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: kennybones on February 22, 2005, 07:20:31 pm
i use them with great results,and there service is just fantastic, you will not be sorry

Dave

great can anyone let us know how to find this wonderful company to which you are going on about  a website would be handy thanks
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: dave401uk on February 22, 2005, 07:27:21 pm
there phone no is   01726852532, and Nick is the chap to talk to.


Dave
Title: Re: solutions
Post by: Michel Roberts on February 22, 2005, 09:26:18 pm
Len

Thanks for asking but it's just too much of a strugle driving across London

Regards Michel