[carpet guy]

 It's one of the first things I learned, but unless I can see a good reason to vacuum I rarely do so and some of the posts recently have suggested, not just prevacuuming where it's necessary, but vacuuming just for the sake of it.

I really think some people are kidding themselves, as they are in no way getting better results just by vacuuming excessively.

If decent products are combined with good technique, physical effort and prespraying aggitating you will not even need to vacuum in a fairly high percentage of properties.

About to be slagged. No doubt, but your time spent effectively makes a huge difference to profit.

rob m

[Joe H]

I hope you are not about to be slagged - or feel that you will - everyone has a point of view and its good to be able to express it.

I didnt do a lot of vaccing, but since being on here I realise a lot of the experianced guys do a fair bit.

So I try it - and I find it makes the HWE cleaning easier, and makes the cleaning of my machinery easier at the end of the day.

and of course some have differnt types of cleaning machines like the DryFusion or Envirodri where prevaccing would be essential IMO.

See what the others say

[Art]

So 80% of soiling in a carpet being dry soil isnt true?

That's not a statement it's a question

Arthur

[Robert Watson]

Rob, this was on my mind last week.
It`s part of my sales pitch. I said I would do it, so I do.
But, must admit, I do feel on a lot of occasions it`s wasted time.
For me, it`s about putting down the correct amount of prespray
and good agitation (I use Envirodry)
Rab

[lands]

Come on guys, how easy is vaccing and how much of the work will it do for you??

And how much pressure will it take off your vacs on the machine?

How much less non soluable crap will you have left at the bottom of your waste tank?

Just an opinion but you mentioned time/profit earlier. Easier and quicker to dry vac dry soil than make it wet, agitate it and rinse/extract it out. Think your mad if you don't.

Test it. Clean half an evenly soiled room with vaccing and half without using same amount ore presrpay/ag and making wand passes at same speed. I've done this test and I guarantee you will see a slight difference.

I am not one that is usually so assertive about my opinions but this one I am and is is only for your benefit.

Pete

[stuart_clark]

well they say they can be as much as 87%dry paryiculate dust in an average carpet and thats why good vacuming is necesary , but saying that most if not all hosewifes vacume at least twice a week, so there will be very little left for us with our super dooper commercial vacs to remove from the carpet anyway !!

[lands]

try brushing beforer you vac and see how much more you vac up

[carpet guy]

Pete

We all know the theory and we have practiced it in our early days or at some stage. As mentioned some of the housewives will have a better machine than yours and have done a good job before you get there.

I have been cleaning carpets for over twenty years and tried everything under the sun to get a better result. Pre vacuuming is rarely part of this!

There will always be occasions when it will be necessary, but, apart from along some carpet edges / sills and some stairs, it's rarely done by me.

rob m

[Bertie Boo]

our super dooper commercial vacs to remove from the carpet anyway !!

Hey guys

I do domestic cleaning and i have yet to find a decent commercial vaccum that is actually any good at vacuuming carpets. I know this isnt anything to do with the 'pre-vac or not' debate BUT the above comment did make me wonder if you know of a vacuum cleaner that really is all that good.

I've bought several commercial uprights (and then passed them on to someone else...) and have trialled several more, but i've found nothing that cleans quite like a Dyson DC07. Not the greatest quailty when it comes to its construction BUT it doesnt half do a good job. And its bagless. I also saw a carpet cleaner at a house and he had a DC07 on his van. What do you lads use?

Stephen

[Joe H]

Is is worthwhile to vac?? 

I was cleaning a fabric suite and was about to use my Home-Tek Hunter 700w hand held rotary brush vac.
As I started the client informed me he had vacd the suite- but i said I prefer to do it again.
The client was amazed at what I collected  - and it wasnt loose stuff they had missed - this was dirt stuff from within the fabric.
While I was still there they were on the internet looking for the Home-Tek Hunter to buy.

As to what vac do carpet cleaners use?
For work I have a Sebo BS36
and for home have just got a Sebo Felix.
Probably the same motors (2) in each but the Fekix has a slightly narrower head as well as different physical features.
Maybe because its brand new - but the suction especially on the pull stroke is amazing.
This week have been looking after neighbours cats - 4 of them - and daily been using their vac to clean up cat litter debri. Used their Dyson - sorry dont know what model - and not a patch on the BS36 and definately not on the Felix.
And the 2 Sebos will still be going many year after the Dyson has been binned IMO. 

[carpet guy]

Last two posts are as you might expect on a forum, are showing two people, with the opposite opinion on the same subject.

From my own experience I have to say that I have never got as good a result from commercial vac's as from the, flimsy but highly effective Dysons.

This is not what I would wish to have found, but it's been my reality and I have tried many commercials over the years.

Dysons are very lightly built compared to commercial vac's but the technology is clearly superior, which results in a better collection of animal hairs etc.

Vacuuming suites is a different ball game and I have been in the position, once, where I'd vacc'ed a heavily soiled, not stained, white suite I had stopped the little Hunter and the customer popped in to ask about T / Coffee and was astonished at " how quickly I had cleaned the first chair "such was the difference.

That was an exceptional case, but most suites have soiling on the platform, which will transfer to cleaned cushions when stacked to dry, causing additional work and time.

rob m

[Ian Gourlay]

You are told to pre vac  I believe on NCCA training and on IIRC training so you must do it no aquements no discusions.

Also all marketing material uses it as a plus point tio use your cleaning service.

Is it a plus point , or does customer think Ive just vaced the carpet with my £350 Dyson I am paying this Guy for work I have already done.

What a cheek telling me I did not do it right etc who does he think he is must go to kitchen to calm down . This Guys just stringing out the job.

Why do we buy Sebos because we are told we must have a vac the customer does not have.

How good are the £70 bagless vacs

I do use a Dyson but agree they are not stong enough but do give a good result.


All this about dwell time bonnet rubbing behind chairs agitation seems to me some cleaners are doing half a job.

Why do we not use our powerful portables to Pre Vac with right filters tools etc.?

After all some have got 3 vacs compared with customers one.

[stuart_clark]

I would totally disagree with the last post as a customer of mine had vacumed her brintons carpet before we came with her brand new super doopper dyson vacume cleaner ,I came along with my dart 2 she said that it diddn't need vacuming as she had just done it, I put a filter trap on my Sebo which filled up after cleaning less than a quatre of the carpet, need I say More !!

[stuart_clark]

Ian ! not your posting the one before mate !

[Ian Gourlay]

Stuart,

Fair enough  but you said she had already used her Dyson so you have proved Pre Vac may not be waist of time

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Remember Kirby vacuum cleaners? they used to get you to vac your matress and then they would do the same with theirs but with a paper filter to show you what was left so I bet if you were to vacuum again you'd get even more.

I read on ICS bb that a cleaner went in to clean a carpet after another cleaner had just cleaned it a few hours earlier, he'd done by all accounts a respectable job but when cleaner No2 cleaned with a pad system the pads were dirty.

The question is how much dirt will we get out anyway?

Shaun

[Joe H]

I agree with you Shaun - I reckon their will always be something left for the next cleaning machine to pick up.

[Nigel_W]

Anyone who has vacumed the face of a piece of loose carpet  or rug  and then turned it over and vacuumed the back (to reveal piles of dry soil)  will realise that if 87% of soil in carpets is dry soil we are still leaving 80% in there even after pre - vacuuming.

Nigel

[Len Gribble]

A few years ago the humble HENRY knocked spots of the opposition


Shaun

Vorwerk sales reps do the same, there after sales is second to non.

Len

[carpet guy]

Len

You just reminded me that I have one of these in a shed somewhere. I paid £11 for it on e'bay only to discover it was just a dry system cleaner without a vacuum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So it was consigned to the back of the shed. Has anyone ever tried this little machine with the granules ?

rob m