Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Paul Simpson on March 22, 2010, 06:42:45 pm

Title: Coir Carpeting - Water marks
Post by: Paul Simpson on March 22, 2010, 06:42:45 pm
Priced up an old farmhouse today, coir carpet all on the ground level. Now I know they can't be wet-cleaned and luckily there is nothing too drastic that won't come out using dry or VLM methods, apart from the W.C./washroom where there are a few water marks.

Any suggestions on how to best treat these?
They are fairly small so if I used a small amount of de-browner would it damage/dis-colour it?

Thanks
Paul
Title: Re: Coir Carpeting - Water marks
Post by: Jim_77 on March 22, 2010, 08:25:52 pm
No way of telling really without having a discreet test.  To be honest if it's water marked already what is there to lose?
Title: Re: Coir Carpeting - Water marks
Post by: expro on March 22, 2010, 08:43:45 pm
Probably only your reputation Jim.
Title: Re: Coir Carpeting - Water marks
Post by: Paul Simpson on March 22, 2010, 09:12:50 pm
To be honest if it's water marked already what is there to lose?

Yeah suppose your right Jim.
Thanks
Title: Re: Coir Carpeting - Water marks
Post by: Dave_Lee on March 22, 2010, 10:37:21 pm
Sisal carpets, do you really want to get involved with those. More trouble than the jobs worth if you want my opinion, I pass on those.
Dave.
Title: Re: Coir Carpeting - Water marks
Post by: Paul Simpson on March 22, 2010, 10:52:54 pm
Ordinarily I might swerve round it but its part of a bigger job that makes it worthwhile. 
Title: Re: Coir Carpeting - Water marks
Post by: ianharper on March 23, 2010, 07:24:16 am
Paul

i have tried many different ways but no luck. only way is to cut it out if its in a place you can.

dont risk it, its not worth it however big the rest of the job is. part of being a pro is knowing when to say NO.

hope this helps

respect

Ian
Title: Re: Coir Carpeting - Water marks
Post by: robert meldrum on March 23, 2010, 08:14:28 am
You rarely gain anything from this kind of GAMBLE and you could waste time trying to prove how good you are and what happens when you fail to get the required result............ I understand the " leading to, or part of something bigger "concept but a couple of small, lowish value jobs are just as likely to " lead to more work "

In fact...........it's often the case that after cleanig watermarks look WORSE and the customer mistakenly thinks YOU have made them worse!
Title: Re: Coir Carpeting - Water marks
Post by: Simon@arenaclean on March 23, 2010, 08:43:28 am
You just need to be honest and I echo those posts above. If it can't be done explain why. Always sell the benefits on the areas you can do, and offer a price. then turn to the areas where you can see a problem, stress your concern and sell that too. If the customer says "have a go" be professional enough to say no and why again. Customers can put pressure on you like this, but be firm. If it's dependent you do it again be professional enough to walk away.  You will be right and if someone else attempts it it's up to them. If it should go wrong you would still be liable even if there is a disclaimer because you should not have done it. What the hell is the stuff doing in a wet area anyway ???
Title: Re: Coir Carpeting - Water marks
Post by: Jim_77 on March 23, 2010, 08:58:36 am
:o :o just to stop the old hens from clucking until their their beaks fall off...

I didn't mean go and HWE the carpet and knacker the rest of it, I meant try a little browning prescription on the least visible bit of the water mark to see if it helps out, it can't make an eyesore look any worse can it.
Title: Re: Coir Carpeting - Water marks
Post by: Paul Simpson on March 23, 2010, 12:16:42 pm
Ian, Robert & Simon, thanks for the advice, appreciate it.

Its part of a full house clean and as mentioned coir downstairs in 4 rooms only, the rest is wet cleanable.
The carpets together with the post tenancy clean comes to a tidy sum so don't intend to walk on it.
And besides have already prepared her for the fact that the water marks might be difficult/impossible to get out.

Thanks Jim and I understood what you were saying.  ;D
Title: Re: Coir Carpeting - Water marks
Post by: Dave_Lee on March 23, 2010, 04:33:34 pm
Just a couple of weeks ago whilst really quiet, I was called to give a quote for a full house of carpets to be cleaned. When the lady opened the door, I went in far enough to see the hall and lounge carpet were Sisal, so were the stairs. "Are they all the same carpet", I asked. "Yes" came the reply. "Sorry, I don't clean Sisal" I said, and went on to explain why. Less than 5 minutes and I was away from there. 30 years in this business tells me 'not build a rod for my own back'.
Dave.
Title: Re: Coir Carpeting - Water marks
Post by: Joe H on March 23, 2010, 06:22:00 pm
I did the same as Dave late last year.
Sisal stairs (2 flights) and 2 bedrooms - left them untouched.
Ended up me doing just one bedroom with "normal" carpets - which happened to be in the attic conversion up the 2 flights of stairs and hot!  Wish I had turned that down as well.  ;D