[Simon Gerrard]

Got a call from a lady a few weeks back looking for advice. She’d had her bedroom HSL and lounge diner carpet cleaned by a local cc. The carpets were still WET 3 days after the job and were beginning to smell, so she rang the CC and  he said he’d go back and  re-clean them, which he did.

Same problem second time around, soaking and smelling carpets, same complaint only the smell was must worse. So he goes back and cleans them again, this time telling the customer he’s put another 100 litres into the carpet and this should solve the problem.
The smell gets ever worse and in the end they had to go and live at a friend’s for a few days. They ended up ripping up the bedroom carpet, which the CC agreed to pay for and we went in with a fan and left it for a good few days and re-cleaned the HSL and lounge diner carpets for the fourth time.

The carpet cleaner clearly thought that the answer to over wetting and the bad odours that result from it was to add more water to the problem by keep re-cleaning it. Don’t newbies do training courses anymore? Surely anyone with half a brain would realise that you don't add more water to wet carpets in order to cure the smell that's being caused by the wet carpet.


Simon

[John Kelly]

The mind boggles

[Steve. Taylor]

Simon i will try to be more carefull next time

[Colin Day]

I've just recently cleaned a carpet that's had 10 years worth of rug doctor and vax cleans. The carpet was de-laminated but I managed to get it clean (Only god knows how!)

The guy has asked for a re-clean because of a smell which is like tom cat pee, I suspect it's down to degradation of the latex. So I've said no problem, give it 2 weeks and if the smell's still there, I'll re-clean.

I know from experience that if the carpet is kept damp, the smell will stay...

I have advised that ideally, the carpet needs replaced or at very least, a new under-lay...

[John Kelly]

Apart from good quality Axminsters and Wiltons, provided they have been well maintained,  most carpets are knackered after ten years.

[Colin Day]

Apart from good quality Axminsters and Wiltons, provided they have been well maintained,  most carpets are knackered after ten years.

I told them that too

[Simon Gerrard]

I've just recently cleaned a carpet that's had 10 years worth of rug doctor and vax cleans. The carpet was de-laminated but I managed to get it clean (Only god knows how!)

The guy has asked for a re-clean because of a smell which is like tom cat pee, I suspect it's down to degradation of the latex. So I've said no problem, give it 2 weeks and if the smell's still there, I'll re-clean.

Hi Colin,
It seems your customers complaint isn't about the cleaning, but about the smell. If you re-clean it won't you end up with the same problem? Why not just call and deodorise it and thereby minimise the need to put yet more water on the carpet which is the cause of the problem. Besides which, if you leave it a few weeks the smell will have gone anyway.

Simon

[Helen]

I can see the logic here.....keep pumping more water in and eventually it will dilute the smell. of course it will    (just in case.....joking )

[james roffey]

I would be interested to know what equipment was used.
I did an empty flat recently, it was a cold day and after i left i had to close all the windows, the guy moving in phoned soon after saying if smelt damp in the flat i explained that it was the carpet drying and that the flat had been cold and no air was circulating so this had affected the drying, he was adamant that the smell was urine, i arranged to go back, by the time i got to the flat he he was apologetic saying the smells gone :

[Paul Redden Countryfresh]

I must remember to switch my vacs on 

[Colin Day]

I've just recently cleaned a carpet that's had 10 years worth of rug doctor and vax cleans. The carpet was de-laminated but I managed to get it clean (Only god knows how!)

The guy has asked for a re-clean because of a smell which is like tom cat pee, I suspect it's down to degradation of the latex. So I've said no problem, give it 2 weeks and if the smell's still there, I'll re-clean.

Hi Colin,
It seems your customers complaint isn't about the cleaning, but about the smell. If you re-clean it won't you end up with the same problem? Why not just call and deodorise it and thereby minimise the need to put yet more water on the carpet which is the cause of the problem. Besides which, if you leave it a few weeks the smell will have gone anyway.

Simon

That's basically what I am saying Simon. Delaying the second clean for 2 weeks will ensure I WON'T be called back, because I know the smell will have gone

I left them with a deodoriser from Solution and told them to use it sparingly and NOT to wet the carpet...