[wayne zabel]

Just seen an advert in a local paper where a CC is claiming the carpets will be totally dry within an hour.

Can anyone on here claim the same or is he exagerating?

[Joe H]

Rotary cleaning will do that, so will Envirodri and Host sponges, which will be dry when you leave as you have to vac the sponges up after they have cleaned.

[paul moss]

Wayne, getting a carpet dry this time of year under an hour is not possible using HWE ( if cleaned and rinsed correctly) even using turbo driers.

Some inexperienced carpet cleaners in the past have claimed to have had them dry in 45 mins :

I always tell my customers 6 hours min.Even after a few hours they may feel dry but in reality they are not and also some furniture should not be replaced until the following day.

[wayne zabel]

This CC advertised his service as high power steam cleaning.

[JandS]

More than an hour even with a turbo drier?
Now I know why I never bothered with them.

John

[Joe H]

Either he is stretching the imagination a long way just to get a customer knowing himself cannot achieve 1 hour with HWE, but once you got the customer......

or

he offers rotary or dry sponges as alternatives and if he is challenged simply says "ah but thats using this type of machine"

[Mike Osbourne]

If you go into the video section on google searches there are a few videos on drying times. Some are selling LM cleaning and some informational about all the variables involved.

[ameagogreg]

Hi names Greg , i have been cleaning carpets and upholstery in Leicester-shire area for the past 27 years, we also have designed and built are own cleaning system, the reason you may not see the business advertised is because we have reached the stage not required, it is repeat and recommendation.
  The question [drying time] depends on carpet soiling, thickness of pile, temperature of room, power of suction to extract etc.
 The most important part is the cleaning if you have done that well be honest with your customer tell them it may take 12 to 24 hours to dry.
 We clean carpets with deep high temperature rinsing helping to destroy dust mites and germs, that's what the customer requires not the gimmicks of just quick drying. My contact no. 07930812873

[Neil Williams]

Depending on the carpet type, even using a rotary with cotton pads can take much longer than an hour to dry this time of year.

[slioch]

I did a synthetic carpet today using my truckmount and RX20.  Used properly the RX20 is amazing for drying.  I then swapped the cleaning head for a drive plate and cotton pad buffed it.  Carpet dry before I left.  Not typical but possible.

[paul moss]

I did a synthetic carpet today using my truckmount and RX20.  Used properly the RX20 is amazing for drying.  I then swapped the cleaning head for a drive plate and cotton pad buffed it.  Carpet dry before I left.  Not typical but possible.

Yeah, but you started the job at 9am and left at 5pm 

[slioch]

Paul - ha! ha!

No - it was a one room job so it dried in about 30 mins.

Did another today (polyprop lightly soiled) - didn't buff it but I reckon the carpet would be dry in 1 hour

I think the main point here is that some operators claim that they can guarantee 1 to 2 hour drying times with HWE - you simply can't make that promise without seeing the job as there are too many factors involved.

[garyfindlay]

People up my way advertise dry in 1 hour, and also 3 carpets for £35.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

If you have a RDM from Hydramaster then you can guarantee it but you do need a turbo just to make sure.

Shaun

[rich hand]

I tell the customer to put the central heating on for when we get there. Then with a down draft on the carpets they are often dry after 30 minutes in the main areas.

[robert meldrum]

What's the average customer's expectation of drying times...............?

They don't expect their carpets to be dry in 60 minutes. Most are perfectly happy to have their carpets touch dry in 2-4 hours and dry in double that time.

Seems like it's carpet cleaners who harp on about drying times and waste a great deal of time ond effort in trying to achieve short drying times when they don't have to.

If the same effort was put into marketing the best possible clean and best value for money you might be in a position to offer your customers a better deal due to the time you save on each job.

Not talking about being CHEAP!!!

[Adam Fearnley]

I would have thought the main factor is the length of the pile.  I got a CFR and turbo snail and most my carpets are dry in an hour

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

What's the average customer's expectation of drying times...............?

They don't expect their carpets to be dry in 60 minutes. Most are perfectly happy to have their carpets touch dry in 2-4 hours and dry in double that time.

Seems like it's carpet cleaners who harp on about drying times and waste a great deal of time ond effort in trying to achieve short drying times when they don't have to.

If the same effort was put into marketing the best possible clean and best value for money you might be in a position to offer your customers a better deal due to the time you save on each job.

Not talking about being CHEAP!!!

Thoroughly agree Robert.



I remember once cleaning some carpets and being asked when they would be dry. About 5 hours I said or around 9 pm.

"Damm" he said " I was hoping to have an excuse to stay out at the pub."

"But" I continued, so smoothly"to be really sure I reckon they'll be just about properly dry at 10.50pm" [last orders!].

"Fantastic. I'll tell the wife." he says, and gives me a "10 tip.