[Jeremy]

Curious question, but do many of you use a rotary scrubbing machine (probably with a shampoo brush) on a regular basis before using your normal HWE machines.

Met up with another CC who uses this method ALL the time. I have never needed to use a rotary scrub machine with my TM but perhaps I can get better results when I use my portables. Obviously this would be a huge increase in cost (time), but anything to makesure that we give the best job.

Jeremy

[Fresh Clean]

if the job looks like its had an oil change on the carpet or it looks like its been living at the bottom of a swamp for years, i tend to vac, vac & vac again, pre-spray with reclaim or premium m/s "high dilution", then work in & agg with me victor 180rpm floor machine, i'd use prob a few bonnets, then hwe & prob bonnet it again. i use thie method quite offen works very well. freshi 

[Mike Halliday]

I rotary 9 out of 10 jobs.  it doesn't take much more time, I can get it out of the van, scrub a through lounge and put it away in 5mins.

plus it revitalises the pile which just wanding doesn't do.

Mike

[francis]

Jeremy
I have always used truckmounts to clean.
I regularly clean show houses for G Wimpey & Redrow. The dirt in these is barely a few weeks old and no I don't need to scrub.

When it comes to commercial low profile office or retail type carpets I use a rotary scrubber.  For piled carpets (i.e. domestic) I use contra rotating brushes.

There is no prespray which loosens all the dirt right down to the bottom of the pile which  your t/m, my t/m or any other t/m ( even the large Vortexs') can remove without agitation.
If you reckon that by using your t/m without agition you are getting all the dirt out, I beg to differ

[*paul_moss]

Francis
Which contra rotating brush machine do you prefere ?

[francis]

Paul
I reckon all the LM brushes, Enviro, Host, Prochem, Agimax etc are much of a muchness when it comes to agitation. Do I have a preference. Not really. As long as they lift the pile and agitate to the bottom where the bulk of the crud coagulates its fine by me

[*paul_moss]

Francis are your views through actual use or just information gathered ?

[francis]

Paul
Can only speak  detail on Envirodry & PC TM4 but have tested the others and can't see any noticable difference

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Rotaries are quicker and if you aggitate before wanding you don't need as much water so you leave a drier carpet.

Shaun

[Art]

Rotaries are quicker and if you aggitate before wanding you don't need as much water so you leave a drier carpet.

Shaun

Shaun,

That statement has confused me. What difference would it make to the rinse no matter what method of aggitation that you use, as wanding is going to be the same regardless?
I'm not doubting your ability, but it just doesn't make sense or am i missing the point?

Arthur

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Aggitation will allow the pre spray to be pushed into the pile more without adding more water therefor partially cleaning deeper also the aggitation is scrubbing the dirt from the fibres therefor the rinse become simpler and you need less water.

If you roll around in the garden and then get in the shower you will eventually get clean but if you were to get a brush and scrub yourself in the shower you would only be in for a few minutes. (sorry it's the best i can do)

Shaun

[Art]

Aggitation will allow the pre spray to be pushed into the pile more without adding more water therefor partially cleaning deeper also the aggitation is scrubbing the dirt from the fibres therefor the rinse become simpler and you need less water.

If you roll around in the garden and then get in the shower you will eventually get clean but if you were to get a brush and scrub yourself in the shower you would only be in for a few minutes. (sorry it's the best i can do)

Shaun

Thanks mate, now i get your point 

I'd say and it's only my opinion, that 2 contra rotating brushes would have a better effect on a prespray than one circular brush as there brushing all side of the fibres?

It's all about theories and what you prefer i suppose.

Arthur

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I agree to a point but when I use my contra rotating brush and my scrubber the scrubber gets rid of more spots but the contra lifts the pile more, the scrubber also has the added benefits of brush or pads and with my TM the scrub and then the heat will lift the pile as much and I would say that I save time with the scrubber and lots drier.

Shaun

[Ian Gourlay]

Does the Rotary Scrubber do a better job of aggitation than power bruch or a host.

A 100 years ago when I ran a record shop I asked local cleaner to clean carpet, not having equipment he used his hard floor scrubber left a big mess but it appears he was half way to solution

[Jeremy]

Thanks for the replies although it seems we got off the subject rather quickly. I was always led to believe that such people as Shaw, Belgatex (SA) and many other carpet manufacturers did not recommend any rotary cleaning methods such as bonnet cleaning or shampoo.

The reason for this was not so much because thay are ineffective methods (which they are) but because of the distortion that they can create to the carpet pile.

I have teams of people that do the majority of the work. Because of this reason I leave not of this to chance.

Having said this, I can see a place for agitation and this is mainly in industrial environments, not in domestic homes. If a technician makes the wrong decision, I could be in for thousands.

As a matter of interest, I was at a client the other day to check out a problem. A previous carpet cleaner (according to the client) used a rotary machine (2 small rotary heads) reached in to his pocket to answer his cell phone and melted the carpet with the brush.

Regards
Jeremy

[Fresh Clean]

theres alot of misinfo about bonnet cleaning, i've been using this method for about 5-6yrs & have cleaned a variety carpets, never distorted a pile yet & always had impressive results! sometimes i think that carpet manufacturees are misinformed & easily swayed! freshi

[Robert Watson]

Hi Freshi,
What bonnets do you find work best, as I`m about to order some.
My Chemstractor rotary has been in the back of a cupboard for months now,
I`m going to dig it out and start experimenting. I have always felt a bit wary about
using a rotary (bonnet or brush) on cut pile, interesting to hear you say you have had no problems.
Can anyone recommend further reading on this subject. I`m sure Ken Wainwright`s the man to ask.
Are you out there Ken?

Cheers
Rab

[Derek_Walker]

Using a rotary for scrubbing or bonneting will sometimes make the difference between a good result and an excellent result, either commercial or domestic.
Just remember that your rotary should normally be a standard speed 175rpm, unless you use a Dry Fusion machine which is slightly faster but is well lubricated with their cleaning product. Any faster and you could then cause problems with the pile on certain carpets. Also make sure you use a soft carpet brush for scrubbing.

[Fresh Clean]

hi rabby, i use the plain white bonnet pads, 17inch, craftex & amtech sell them, there about £18-each. i don't use the pads with the green astroturf through the middle, reason being is that there is a slight risk of scoreing/burning certain fibres, i find it safer to use the white ones, but i am in know way knocking the green stripe. & as derek said lubrication is the key, eg; pre-spray the area to clean "after vac first" then apply a light spray to bonnet pad, as long as the bonnet is damp there should be no problems, thats the method i have used & have never had no prob's. i use catalyst by craftex to do wool, & craftex m/s or premium by amtech to do synth. ok! freshi   

[cleanimperial]

Sorry for my ignorance but when you all say rotary machine is this the same machine you would use for scrubbing hard floors but with a different pad.

Thanks.

Fred