[John Gregory]

Hi all I hope someone can help, I'm cleaning my first suite next week hopefully nice and straight forward as it draylon. The suite has previously been cleaned approx 8 months ago and it is filfy, i've explained to the customer that the previous cleaner has left a alkline residue hence the rapid resoiling. My question is how could I have demonstrated this to her on the inital survey

Thanks in advance  John

[Phillip Mold]

PH Test?

Damp a little bit and without touching the paper with your hands so try a peg, press PH paper against it.

[Karl Wildey]

Difficult on initial survey she would have to take your word for it.

When cleaning you could just put water in extraction machine, and then spray the water on the suite, a cushion may be best, then extract, if you then empty the machine you should have filthy water with lots of foam. You then explain I am using plain water, so were is the faom coming from. From the previous clean.

If their is enough residue left in the suite, you may be able to clean the suite using plain water only. This will help to remove the previous cleaners mistake.
Best to just spray the suite with your upholstery tool and leave it dwell a while.

Draylons are the easiest to clean and the prefect first suite to start with.

Happy cleaning,

[carpetguy]

Why don't you just do the best job you can and avoid criticising ( directly ) another business. It's bad practice.

Draylon is about as easy as it gets.

[Karl Wildey]

totally disagree. If another carpet cleaner has cleaned a draylon and its filthy 8 months later, than this is due to re-soiling. Bad carpet cleaners give us all a bad name. If John can correct the cleaning fault, he will restore the client faith in carpet cleaners and hence will get more work.

Too many people ring for dry cleaning only due to bad experiences, or hire machines thamselves for the same reason.

And as you have stated Draylon is as easy as it gets, so how do someone do a bad job? Using the wrong chemicals

[carpetguy]

Karl

You do not know how filthy the suite is and neither do I, but I was always told, " it's unprofessional" to criticise ! But, then I was taught to respect teachers, police, adults and to never hit a female !!!!!!!!!

This is John's first attempt at suite cleaning and he could be leaving mimself open to criticism, should he fail to get an outstanding result.

Not being negative John, just responding to Karl's comments.

Basic info...........

Draylon will benefit from a thorough vacuum before cleaning.
If you have the little mini bonnet, hand pads, they are excellent for aggitating and cleaning the sides and back, of most suites.
Make sure you use ph neutral for suites
Avoid overwetting ( this is the most common fault in new starts )

[Len Gribble]

Karl

If?? Can you expand on this and yes some do a crap job but I have only come across this three times and it has only been a day or so after the clean, but still would not criticise to the customer

John

Get hold of a hunter vac or any vac with black silk cloth and show her and explain about maintenance cleaning. Educate them then you have got them for life.

Wish all were Draylon, but it’s surprising how they can change colour brown to pink


Len

[John Kelly]

Yes Len done that before.  Customer wasn't very happy. She had bought by all intents and purposes a brown dralon suite, then decorated to suit. Then decided to have the suite cleaned. I was amazed as her when we realized the brown was actually dirt. It looked just like a brown dralon. Anyway it was wonderfully pink when I finished. There were no digital cameras then, pity as it would have been a brilliant example.

[carpetguy]

LEN
You reminded me of a suite we cleaned some years ago, it was draylon and started off a brownish colour, finished up a light silvery / blue

The clients were shocked and had to change the carpet which had been bought to match their suite, or so they thought.

John ..........you type faster than me

[Len Gribble]

John K

Should have put TRY 

Get a lot of hear what you say (wife prime example) you can lead a horse to water but mention vacuuming fabric upholstery I’ve only got a Hoover. Don’t move the settee then they will be in shock and ore tops skirting boards.   

Len

[Karl Wildey]

Len
what if . sorry don't understand.
and suites that get filthy in a day, come on suites do not re-soil that quickly. And not critcise the customer on;ly the bad cleaner giving us a bad name.

Clean the brown draylon that was pink, and the brown that was green. Both had been diy cleaned and full of soap.

Carpetguy
You must be my age cos I was brought up on all the same principles, and you missed never never hit someone wearing glasses, or gang up. All these old rules have been forgotten. look at todays kids, a gang againist one and they think they are so hard, called themselves gangsters, where do I start.

Is it unprofessional to critcise, yes you are right. I was trying to educate. You need to explain to clients why a bad clean is a bad clean and give them info.

[chrisg]

I agree you should not critise the other cleaner, do a PH test then cristise when you KNOW it was left with a residue.

Dont slag him off if you dont know the facts, could just be there dirty people, previous cleaner could well have done an exellent job, and also could be you or me.

[Karl Wildey]

I agree with that, as I stated all along. Clean with plain water and if machine foams up, its a residue left by previous clean. Inform client of this and hopefully you have now restored her faith in cleaners.

[Glynn]

Iv'e seen brand new suites in a filthy state after a mere 3 months.

[John Gregory]

A few more details for you, pensioner no kids no pets the ladys house is as clean as a pin at the moment she has throws over the suite as she is so embarrased at the state of it    so why can i not tell her she was ripped off and the previous cleaner did a crap job

[carpetguy]

It's entirely up to you, John, but you will gain more credibility and stature with clients, by being a bit more subtle.

Better, IMO to ask questions, than make statements.................then, maybe I'm just too polite !

[John Kelly]

Dralon, despite being easy to clean is quite easy to make a mess of. Basically if the suite hasn't been cleaned for years then anyone attempting a half hearted clean with crap equipment will mess it up. Because most of the fine dirt which has worked its way through the material will now be sucked through and wick up on drying. Don't think its anything to do with PH.

[Mike Halliday]

so you haven't cleaned a suite yet but you are still expert enough to know that the other cleaner left a high ph cleaning solution on it so caused rapid re-soiling, just by looking at it!!....bloody hell you're good : :

i wouldn't even think of commenting on the other company before you know what you are doing yourself, Have you told the customer that you've never cleaned a suite before so will be practicing on hers

Mike

[John Gregory]

I did not mention to her that i have never cleaned a suite before .What i did mention was ive spent thousands of pounds on training weeks of spending time with some of the most experienced cleaners on this forum the best equipment money can buy. public liabity insurance ,treatment risk insurance. Im not the most experiened cleaner  but im trying 

[Phil Marlor]

John,

Never criticise other carpet cleaners, to a customer it looks like your b*tching!

If it's badly soiled after 8 months either it wasn't done very well last time or they have kids, Dogs or whatever running all over it every day, it's nothing to do with residue!

Just go in there and clean it the best you can.

Phil