[BVC]

Hello guys,

Im a wc with 3 little boys and mucky carpets. I want to be able to clean my own carpets on a regular basis and need a setup. No intention of setting up a cc business. Would really appreciate your advice I need something that will last and dont want to be fixing or buying another anytime soon. budget is 500 would go to a grand if there was a bargain to be had.

Any opinions on this?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stimvak-Carpet-Cleaning-Machine-and-Power-Brush-/270917691117?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3f13f3e6ed#ht_1683wt_1185

Would appreciate key areas to look for. i.e psi, chemicals or accessories. As I said, personal use once a month.

Thanks for your input

BVC.

.

[Paul Redden Countryfresh]

Definetly not....This is an overpriced old under-powered antique.

This would be better and you need a wand

http://www.ebay.com/itm/290673790826?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_500wt_1156

[neil 47]

http://www.facebook.com/groups/colinphillips/

My mate runs this it will tell you all you need ,get some commercial carpet cleaning powder follow instructions at the bottom of page
 
use spm if you can get fantastic results and it is clean water rinse and you dont need heat

[JandS]

That Stimvac and powerbrush and wand was
my first set up and was pretty good.
Certainly good enough for someone just for
cleaning their own carpets.
Bit pricey though just for home use, probably
cheaper to get a pro in.

John

[JandS]

150sq m an hour is way out though.

[Phil @ Extreme Clean]

ive got a scorpion triple vac 300psi with hoses i was gonna setup with it but decided against it £950.

[BVC]

Paul, Neil JandS

Thanks for your replies, The Ninja looks good, What would be a fair price for this? Already pushing 500 without chems or wand.

Any advice is really appreciated. Anyone got a minimum spec I should be looking for to get a decent result.

3 home schooled boys and cream carpet through the whole house, so cant afford to pay a cc every month, need to do it myself.

Neil, will check out the facebook link when I get a chance. Thanks for your input.

BVC.

[Kinver_Clean]

Don't forget a reasonable wand will cost you..


Get a pro in and lock the kids in the shed

[Mark Lawrence]

http://www.facebook.com/groups/colinphillips/

My mate runs this it will tell you all you need ,get some commercial carpet cleaning powder follow instructions at the bottom of page
 
use spm if you can get fantastic results and it is clean water rinse and you dont need heat

For gawds sake, dont get this 'brush' - its a yard broom. The bristles are too long causing more 'flick' of product being splattered on walls, it may be too stiff too causing damage to delicate fibres. Get a purpose made carpet brush - they are shorter in bristle length (and more compact as oposed to spaced out) and do what they are supposed to. The cost wouldnt be much more either.

Mark

[PaulKing]

if you got all the time in the world how about a rug doctor or a escort machine, and get a pro in once a year, if you were local to me I'd swap you window cleans for carpet cleans?

I've got kids and the most powerful truck mount in the country supposedly, but still get the KArcher puzzi 100  out when it a stain spill or the cats dragged something in.

[Jim_77]

If you think you need to clean your carpets once a month there's something seriously wrong!  Maybe...

- You're a clean freak and have to clean the whole house when someone sneezes

- Your previous carpet cleaning experiences have all been a bodge... re-soiling detergent residues left behind make carpets dirty again very quickly, and it gets to be a vicious circle... more re-soiling, more cleaning, problem accelerates exponentially

- You have the filthiest, most accident prone family in the country, in which case get yourself on one of those weird telly programs and get laminate instead

Proper, quality carpet cleaning carried out by a pro should only need doing at the most once a year... many customers will only get a CC in every 2-3 years.  I have the occasional customer I go to every 6 months but only the 1 or 2 rooms that get the hammer.

I have a few clean freaks on my books too... I often just go round spot cleaning tiny marks for them!

Anyway, my point is that if you buy a cheap machine and crap solutions you'll get in the re-soiling trap and knacker your carpets anyway.  If you invest in a set-up that's good enough to get a pro result you're talking about a lot of money tied up sitting in the garage for 363 days of the year.  It's not just the machine and one product... you need oodles of other kit and spotters etc to go with it, to get the results.

[JUST GUTTERS]

Jim can you never give a straight forward answer with out  telling people that they need to spend £20,000 for equipment and need to take training courses...
the guys looking a machine to clean his OWN carpets.
 iam sure a half decent secound hand machine will do the job.... What have all the carpet cleaners been doing for the last 30 years... must have been leaving carpets in a right mess and doing a poope job...because the machines they used must have been poop...

Ive 2 kids and i could do with cleaning my carpet every month

[Jim_77]

Yeah I could give a "straightforward" answer and pat the guy on the back, tell him he's doing the right thing.

But you've missed the point completely.  Carpet cleaning is something that needs to be done properly or not at all.  I never advocated spending £20k or even mentioned training courses.  All I simply wanted to point out is that you don't get a Rolls Royce for the price of a Skoda.

If you want to clean your own carpets and like to think you're being canny with your money, go hire a rug doctor

Nobody needs their carpets cleaning every month, unless they go down the resoiling road.  You just need a decent spotter

[Paul Redden Countryfresh]

i have a one jet wand £50 to you

[PaulKing]

Basically my advice don't buy a second hand machine for want, little commercial machine like marcher or rug doctor will  you fine and last several years a second hand twin vac machine may well be a bag of bolts

[BVC]

If you think you need to clean your carpets once a month there's something seriously wrong!  Maybe...

- You're a clean freak and have to clean the whole house when someone sneezes

- Your previous carpet cleaning experiences have all been a bodge... re-soiling detergent residues left behind make carpets dirty again very quickly, and it gets to be a vicious circle... more re-soiling, more cleaning, problem accelerates exponentially

- You have the filthiest, most accident prone family in the country, in which case get yourself on one of those weird telly programs and get laminate instead

Proper, quality carpet cleaning carried out by a pro should only need doing at the most once a year... many customers will only get a CC in every 2-3 years.  I have the occasional customer I go to every 6 months but only the 1 or 2 rooms that get the hammer.

I have a few clean freaks on my books too... I often just go round spot cleaning tiny marks for them!

Anyway, my point is that if you buy a cheap machine and crap solutions you'll get in the re-soiling trap and knacker your carpets anyway.  If you invest in a set-up that's good enough to get a pro result you're talking about a lot of money tied up sitting in the garage for 363 days of the year.  It's not just the machine and one product... you need oodles of other kit and spotters etc to go with it, to get the results.

Two out of three aint bad. :

If youve got kids then you know where im coming from.

Will take your advice onboard, thanks for all your comments, If there is a bargain to be had I am over on the wc bit. Give us a shout.

I figure getting a cc in 2 or 3 times a year will cost a grand, times the next few years, makes buying my own gear a no brainer. Not trying to be "canny" Just want my carpets reasonably clean and cant Justify 300quid a pop for the privilege.

By that I dont mean you guys arent worth that, but multiplied by the amount of cleans I will need done over the next few years I need to do it myself.

How about a simple vote? To help me out.

New Rug Doctor, or 2nd hand pro set up?

Just for my personal use dont forget.

Cheers BVC.

[Phil @ Extreme Clean]

v'e got a scorpion 300 psi 3 vacs with 2" vac hose and solution hose and a spare single jet wand not the best but will do the job.

£950.
all parts readilly available from Nick at Solutions if ever needed i was gonna setup myself as another option to my dry fusion but i'm just gonna stick with what i know ask here for advice and your more than welcome to come view i'm near Blackpool.

[robert meldrum]

As Paul King says....................to meet your requirements a Puzzi 100 will be adequate and well within your budget.

[peter maybury]

BVC
why dont you get some quotes £300 to have a complete house of carpets cleaned is a hell of a lot of money. I have regular customers that I would only charge £100 for a 3 bed house (if done 4 times a year). The customers are happy to pay that because they understand that they would never be able to buy equipment that is going to do anywhere near the job that my equipmenty does without spending £1000, s and £1000's.
If you got a small machine it would take you the best part of a day to do the job anyway. If you are any kind of a window cleaner surely it is going to cost  you more than your time is worth to do a far inferior job anyway?
I am sure that there are well equipped operators in your are that will give you a good price for a regular job.
Jim is quite correct in his points about resoiling etc, somebody mentions spm but that come in 15 kg tubs that cost £85 + v.a.t.

Peter
www.carpetcleanercardiff.com

[BVC]

Thanks for your advice guys, based on your suggestions and a little research have decided to get a pro job done. Decent guy with a truckmount quoted 180 whole house plus rugs. If done 6 monthly. Will get a puzzi for my own use. Suppose some things just cost.

Appreciate your points about wc versus time spent doing and inferior job. Fair point well made.

Once again thanks for the info and Sorry to those that offered gear and didnt get a sale.

BVC.