[benny d]

Hi,
We cleaned with our TM an extremly dirty shop floor about 2 days before Christmas.
The carpets were a very low profile  as you would imagine, and the wallkways were totally brown/soiled after years of use without it being cleaned.

We used after pre-vaccing, a Prochem Traffic lane cleaner, and the used HWE and a air mover to dry as best as possible.

We have had a call from the owner to say that the walkways are still looking dirty, as we realsied they did on the day, but we worked on a 40 ft by 20 ft area for 2 1/2 hours, and that was two of us. When I emptyed the water it was black until the last drop.

We are going back tomorrow to re clean the walkways again, but I have a feeling that it wont make too much diffference?

We have an SX-12 hard floor tile and grout cleaner, which we might try as a last effort on it. Has anyone tried this before, or is it too risky to use such a machine?

Any advise welcome.
Ben

[carlton care]

Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum..............they are undoubtedly choked with dry soil which has to be vacuumed, but a rotary would have got an acceptable ( to the eye ) result, much better option for low profiles.

Try to get a loan of one and a lesson in operating it,  before going back.

[clinton]

Hi ben

Trouble with those type of carpets is you will get the dirt out you might push the dirt back into the carpet.

Have you had a go with a dry fusion,buffer system  


Dont forget its sometimes wear on the the carpet traffic areas that will make it look soiled

[pete sween]

If you have a CRB machine use that before vaccing (and again after pre-spray) and use lower psi to avoid wick back. Then as clintan says, finish of with a bonnet

[derek west]

power burst with citrus boost, (agitation and dwell) if it still looks dirty then its fibre damage from not having it cleaned regularly enough.
derek

[Ken Wainwright]

I disagree with some of the posts above. I feel that in this environment it's more about physics than chemistry.

Clinton and carlton have made a valid contribution about using a low moisture rotary or perhaps even dry compound, but heed the advice to vac, vac and vac. An upright vac, preferably with a powered head, with new bag and clean filters. A steady pass forward and slow pass back along the same area. Better still a pile lifter. I'd be cautious of using a CRB machine dry in a shop environment as the dust generated will contaminate the stock.

Finally, in a shop, there is an enormous foot fall in a concentrated area. The fibre damage caused by abrasion is considerable. A good demonstration to refer to your customer is to take a new piece of Perspex. Abrade part of it with sand paper. That is the difference between a new and worn synthetic carpet fibre.  When you wet the Perspex, the abraded area will change from translucent to almost transparent, just like the unabraded part, but on drying it will return to the dull translucent appearance.

To lesson this appearance temporarily, when rinsing polyprop and maybe, subject to testing, nylon and others, add Chemspec Energiser or Prochem Oxybrite to your rinse. Follow the instructions on the label.  I don't know the other brand names out there, but it should be obvious.

Safe and happy cleaning
Ken

[JandS]

As Derek says plus extract using double clean, never had a problem with it yet.

John

[Shaun_Ashmore]

IMO I would vac and vac and then use Prochem encap in a rotary, it will brighten up the areas but you have to allow for the serious depreciation of the fibres.

Shaun

[Jim_77]

Just a quick warning - if the carpet you're dealing with is bitumen-backed tiles, DO NOT use any solvents on it!!  You'll make it worse, partially dissolving the bitumen in the backing and then sucking it up to the top of the carpet.

[derek west]

jim
water based solvents are ok arn't they?
i did  a test with citrus boost and zap it, and had no bitumen transfer but orange gel was deadly.
derek

[Jim_77]

I've never used any of those three products, but I'd like to bet the orange gel contains d-limonene.  The others, I don't know. they may be OK.

I'd probably best clarify my statement - water is a solvent!

I was really thinking about solvent type spotters, the kind of things like you'd use on oil, tar, gum etc.

There's a spotter/booster type product I use which is alcohol based, it's a really pungent citrus product but doesn't contain d-limonene.... it's great on greasy soils, oil & tar etc but causes exactly the effect I described above when applied to bitumen-backed carpet tiles

[richie]

Over the tears i have cleaned shops with the type of capeting that you have said.  The chances are the fibres have taken in so much soil & have so much wear on them that anything you do will not be good enough to make the difference that yourself or your customer was hoping for.  The More you can vac the carpets the better.  A upright vac is a must as something like a COUGH COUGH Henry will do nothing.  The main reason commericail premises carpets get as bad as they do is because they are been vacuumed with Henry type vacs.   If i were you....on return to the shop,   vac the area of concern with a upright vac untill no more dry soil comes out.  Apply a GOOD HEAVY DUTY prespray (PROCHEM POWERBURST) & aggitate,  rinse extract with your TM.  Install air movers for a hour or so then apply something like Prochem Bonnet Buff and reclean the area agin using something like Prochems Cotton Bonnet mops.  If when dry the carpets still look dirty then it is time for the shop to buy new carpet or simply put up with the way they look because they will not get any cleaner.

Richie.

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

I remember cleaning a carpet in a local independent chemists. They told me it hadn't been cleaned for over 10 years

Having made the carpet look good I suggested that one way to keep it looking better would be to replace the coir matting in the doorway which was totally worn away.

Good idea, they said. Thus fitted I was warmly congratulating myself on the extra income and awaiting the cheque. Instead I got a complaint call. Coir fibres were appearing all the way up the shop. Well, I said I presume you vacuum them up when you close for lunch. Oh no, they said.........

"we only vacuum the carpet once a week"


I've never bothered to buy any thing in that chemist since even though its my nearest by a long way.

And yes, they did finally pay me....once I'd beaten the hell out of the mat to stop it shedding fibres. (It was a very long time ago when I was even more naive.)

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Yes you have to be careful what you advise it can come back to bite you, I like the rental mats then they know the value of my services with what the rental companies charge.

Shaun

[benny d]

Thanks to all for your replies.

I am going back in a couple of hours to giving it a really good vac again, and perhaps with just a light misting, and re clean.
We do not have anything like a bonnett or rotary cleaning machinery, so am stuck with the TM.

I'll have to play it by ear as to what the shop owner says. If she has the hump i'll just give the money back , and learn the lesson.
I was actually annoyed that on the day I didnt have my camera as I wanted to take some before and after shots!
Thanks again

[clinton]

Ben

Maybe try and get a buffer or borrow one to take to the job mate it will be worth it

[richie]

Benny,

If i were you i would invest in a bonnet system.  You can get a rotary & bonnets full set up ready to go for less than £250. 

Richie.

[benny d]

Many thanks for all of your advise . It has all turned out O.K. In actual fact we had done a damn good job any-way . I think the client wanted her last onze of flesh so to speak. Any-way the lady is happy and therefore , so are we .

We wil be implementing some of your suggestions .

[PaulKing]

there are always a few call back like that, the one i hate are the stain you did'nt get out that, in reality id brand new, sometimes you just have to let it go by you or you'll murder someone.