[Andy Foster]

Hi all

Did my fisrt dry cleaning of a fitted carpet the other day using host sponges.
Have done rugs before with great results but not impressed with the results using the sponges on a fitted carpet.

Customer was happy, but I know the results I could have had with hwe.

Is there a trick to doing dry cleaning?
I had a demonstration a short while ago and followed the methods shown to the letter... just didn't get good results.

Advice would be gratefully received.

Andy

[Joe H]

I get my Envirodri machine on Monday so only had the demo of this and the Host machine.
From what I have picked up: vacuum, prespray, agitate, dwell, sponges, agitate, dwell, vacuum - similar to HWE.
You see the sponges going dirtier.
Hope it helps
May be able to say more after I have used a few times.
Doing a residential care home next week but I will be using HWE (but I will try the sponges) as its the first time been done for long time, but the promise is there for maintenance carpet clean so the Envirodry may be ok on that.
Joe H

[Art]

If the carpets really dirty try aggitating the pile, then vac, prespray, aggitate, dwell, spread sponges aggitate and allow sufficent time to dry then vac.

It sounds like a long process, but it isn't once you get into a routine

Arthur

[Andy Foster]

Seems I am using the right methods, but was incredibly slow... practice I guess.

Thanks for the advice guys, will persist (on my own carpets until it is right).

Cheers

Andy

[poles apart]

Hi all

Did my fisrt dry cleaning of a fitted carpet the other day using host sponges.
Have done rugs before with great results but not impressed with the results using the sponges on a fitted carpet.

Customer was happy, but I know the results I could have had with hwe.

Is there a trick to doing dry cleaning?
I had a demonstration a short while ago and followed the methods shown to the letter... just didn't get good results.

Advice would be gratefully received.

Andy

Were you using a freestyle?
rod

[Andy Foster]

Using a sebo duo... told this was fine.  Agitated like crazy and left for quite a while.
Sponges turned dark colour so I knew it was working... its just that when I vacuumed the sponges away, there was not a massive difference!

Anything I should know?

[Art]

Using a sebo duo... told this was fine.  Agitated like crazy and left for quite a while.
Sponges turned dark colour so I knew it was working... its just that when I vacuumed the sponges away, there was not a massive difference!

Anything I should know?

A sebo is nowhere near heavy enough

[Andy Foster]

Ahhhh!

Isn't this what the Duo's were originally meant for?

If not then I think I will knock dry cleaning on the head, not enough call for it the warrant buying an envirodry.

[JS2]

All

Good point about the relative weight of the Envirodry machine and the difference this makes, although could this turn out to be a problem due to the abrasive brushing action and inappropriate selection of brushes ?  Regarding not a lot of call for the dry method, does the average custy really know what is used to do the job and/or predominantly ask for "Wet" (or insist on "Not dry please" ?).

Pete (JS2)

[Andy Foster]

I advertise that I do both and when I do the survey I ask what method they would like me to use.
The first time I have been asked for dry was this occasion.

Don't think I will bother in the future.

[JS2]

Hi Andy

Interesting question you ask and customer preference !  I've only ever done the wet method (well . . not too wet to cause problems I hope).  However if I may tap into the thread, perhaps someone could advise on the weight issue of the Envirodry machine, since I've been mildly thinking of getting one for a while.

Best regards

Pete (JS2)

[*paul_moss]

Andy the sebo duo is ok for light work or maintenance cleans but for heavy work or dirty carpets you wil need a Host or envirodri.
HWE will produce best results in terms of soil removal and also visually if used with the above for aggitation/pilelifting

[Andy Foster]

Thanks for the replies chaps.
Not sure it is worth me buying a host or envirodry machine to do the dry then really, only one request in 12 months doesn't make it worth it.
Good to know why the sebo didn't cut it though so thanks very much indeed.

Andy

[Pureandclean]

I used to use Host machines and sponges for carpets that I thought were in danger of shrinking using hwe.
 The training for Host used to say that the appearance of the carpet would vastly improve after a few hours, due to the small amount of moisture and the solvents evapourating. So you can expect the finished carpet to be a good deal lighter than it appears right after cleaning.
 I would always make sure that you have good ventilation in the rooms, as I remeber getting a bit high at times.
The other selling point that I remember was that after cleaning with Host, the carpet appearance would remain for longer than with HWE due to their being no optical brighteners in the sponges. This might have been true some years ago, I don't know whether the chemicals used in HWE  still have optical brighteners in nowadays.

[gwrightson]

Andy, give the rotowash a try, wins hands down every time, and much more versatile, and supberb for aggitation.
took delivery of my cimex on Monday, and I have to say I am using on every job I can , again giving the custy the option hwe or encap , explaining the benifits and drawbacks of both and Guess what , most are going for the encap   "wonder if thats because I am selling it more  "   

Geoff

[Art]

Thanks for the replies chaps.
Not sure it is worth me buying a host or envirodry machine to do the dry then really, only one request in 12 months doesn't make it worth it.
Good to know why the sebo didn't cut it though so thanks very much indeed.

Andy

Andy, Do you push dry cleaning? If not then maybe that's why.

 I get good results and visually there's no difference on MOST occasions between dry and hwe.

Arthur

[Andy Foster]

Hi Art

No I don't push dry, but then again, I don't push hwe either.  My custys have the perception (as do most people I think) that hwe is a deeper, more effective clean and as I offer them at the same price they are happy to have damp carpets for an hour or 2 to have the deeper clean.

The only time I have come across carpets that can't be hwe cleaned have been in the form of rugs (belgian wiltons etc) and as I said before I have had really good results on these with the sebo.

If there was the demand for it from my custys, I would of course invest in the envirodry, but for one carpet a year its not viable.

If I push the dry then I am sure there would be more demand but I have the kit for hwe and as they seem to want that method over dry then it means I don't have to invest to fulfil their needs.

Am I missing out on something here?  I understand the need to have all the 'tools in the toolbox', but 12 months and only needing it once makes it a liability not an asset.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Andy