[Paul Davidson]

I am needing to add a dry or low moisture cleaning option to my pakage as i am looking to improve my chances of getting hotel work, offices and public areas etc.  I also feel dry is a good marketing tool too!

I have no experienceof dry or low moisture cleaning whatsover so would appreciate your thoughts and experiences on the following.

What is the basic difference between a thermadry system, a dryfusion system (allways thought this was a franchise), and a normal bonnet machine?  Oh and texatherm too.  It looks to me like they do a similar job just some adding heat? and some more expensive than others.

Also has anyone used the flexi 5 or equivalent machine for actual dry cleaning rather than just for vac and agitation?

regards and thanks in advance

Paul

[Mike_Roper]

I can only comment on dry fusion which I have had since they were introduced over here. I work on my own in a smallish area ,Whitby.Theres not a massive amount of commercial /office type work here .
DF can be used on domestics if its the best option- problem ,shrinker or needs to be dry quick.
Ocassionaly help out on large office jobs on Teeside which DF is ideal for as you can cover areas a lot quicker and get good results.
If thats the work you want then you need a LM system.
The solution used ,Activator can appear expensive but is minimal for the return you get.
Look at them all and try them,go out with someone who has one.
Mike

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

I have Texatherm with which I have achieved some excellent results and some average ones.

On dirty industrial carpet tiles, e.g factory office, results are outstanding.

My largest customet insists on LM and the return is good.

Cheers

Doug

[Paul Davidson]

Hi Guys

I have Texatherm with which I have achieved some excellent results and some average ones.

On dirty industrial carpet tiles, e.g factory office, results are outstanding.

My largest customet insists on LM and the return is good.

Cheers

Doug

Thanks Doug,  but what is the main difference between a texatherm unit and a standard bonet machine??

cheers and thanks again

Paul

[Straker Cleaning]

I have large customer that also insists on Low Moisture cleaning ........ i have been keeping them happy with Charly Pads and microsplitters/M Power .......... used in conjunction with 170rpm rotary and wringer bucket.
Whole set up cost me under £500 and the solutions i use are the same as for HWE so no need for 2 separate kits 

[mark shannon]

Same as Chris for LM carpet tiles ect Charleys and rotary the DBs at fraction price of other systems. HWE everything else.

Mark

[carlton care]

Paul

The Tex' system uses a large water heating tank in which you place your bonnets, it also uses two solutions, one is sprayed on, the other is in the tank.

There are various ways of using bonnets and various chemicals you can use.

The Charleys are a separate entity, but well worth looking into. Bonnets aggitate and absorb, to a much greater extent than some want you to believe.

I believe the thinnest bonnets are the best, but not so easy to get hold of.

I have an excellent rotary which I am selling................got two and am keeping the lighter one, which in reality is not the better one, but easier on my wrecked back.

[Paul Davidson]

Paul

The Tex' system uses a large water heating tank in which you place your bonnets, it also uses two solutions, one is sprayed on, the other is in the tank.

There are various ways of using bonnets and various chemicals you can use.

The Charleys are a separate entity, but well worth looking into. Bonnets aggitate and absorb, to a much greater extent than some want you to believe.

I believe the thinnest bonnets are the best, but not so easy to get hold of.

I have an excellent rotary which I am selling................got two and am keeping the lighter one, which in reality is not the better one, but easier on my wrecked back.

Thanks for the info.

So am i correct in thinking that the dryfusion system and the texatherm system are similar in in that both use a heated bonnets (although heatede in a different manner)

Also not sure about what Charley's are???

cheers and thanks again

Paul

[Joe H]

The Dry Fusion and the Thermadry machines are very similar - they have a heater element on the machine.
The Texatherm sysytem gets it heat, as been stated, from a heated tank of hot water.
The Dry Fusion and Texatherm systems have their own recomended cleaning fluids which you can use or not.

The Charley Pads are a different sort of pad to go on  the machine then the DF, Tex or Thermadry pads, although the Charley Pads should be able to be used with those machines as well as "ordainary" rotary machines.

We understand Alltec could well be supplying Charley Pads soon if not already.

ANy low speed rotary machine with Charley Pads or "ordainary" pads will do the job - how good will depend on the cleaning fluids used. Rotary speed needs to be in the range 150 - 220rpm

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

As Robert has stated, Texatherm uses heated bonnets and is based on the two solutions reacting together to cause an exothermic reaction(heat giving).

You can of course use a variety of chemicals, I have the Dry 60 System which is Texatherm but using other chems.It is not then the Texatherm patented system then , I am still experimenting with different set ups.

I havent used Charley Pads but would like to give them a try.

I remember CC's saying the best system they found was Tex with the Dry Fusion machine, hot and hot !

Cheers

Doug

[Gary Webber]

Hi Paul,

the best advice would be to ask the various companies for a demonstration. That way YOU can asess the results and find out the advantages / disadvantages before making any decisions. I think both Texatherm and Dryfusion are attending the Clean Expo Soth at Sandown Park, 23rd & 24th September. If you are near it may be worth a visit.

Regards

Gary

[jasonl]

I have used a pad system for 15 years ,initially from Chem dry , I have trialled Texatherm , , but I  find it easier to heat the pads  by pouring boiling solution straight from a kettle onto them . On most jobs though just cold is fine , due to my high charges , I rarely get dirty carpets.

[Andrew Briscoe]

Take a look at this one, advertised in this months cleanzine magazine.
Advertised as green cleaning, using low moisture.

www.thecleanzine.com/products5/Hruby_Orbital_Systems.html

might be worth a look, no idea of price.

Regards
Andrew

[Ian Rochester]

www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=61766.0

[carlton care]

The Hruby is the latest development of O/P ---VLM machines.  That is a phenomenal machine !!!!!

robert m

[Paul Davidson]

The Hruby is the latest development of O/P ---VLM machines.  That is a phenomenal machine !!!!!

robert m

Robert,

Phenomenal sounds pretty good have you used this machine? what makes it better than the others mentioned? do you know how much they cost?

By the a BIG THANKYOU to all who have offered excellent advice knowledge and experience!
 
Regards and thanks

Paul

[brian willis]

what chems do you use with charly pads or just bonnets on say office tiles.
as i am looking to add a lm system to my set up.,
bri

[Straker Cleaning]

I am using M Power so no separate set of solutions for 2 vastly different systems of cleaning   

Heavy duty microsplitter is very good on carpet tiles that have been trashed 

[Paul Davidson]

Paul

Have you made a choice for your dry cleaning system yet..

I think my first choices would be the Thermadry System or the Dry Fusion, I quite like the sounds of the texatherm chemicals, but the heater could be a pain to lug about and work with. 

I dont think they will do a significantly better job than a standard bonnet system, but think it would be easier to sell the concept and add a high tec story to the marketing and the customers!

I did a low profile brown needle cord today in a care home with HWE.  It was pretty messy in the dining room and took a bit of scrubbing up, there was lots of spilled dinners and drinks etc that the staff had attempted to clean up.   :

Also used the turbo dryer for the first time today, it worked well and dried it up pretty quickly, WOW them things can blow

I think going forward a bonnet clean might work well (only assumed this from reading about low profile bonnet cleaning) and am quoting for a quarterly maintenace contract, but as an initial clean i am struggling to accept a bonnet system would get a much muck out as i did today............a time and place for everything i think!

cheers

Paul

[murky]

Use HWE on your initial dirty clean to get all the muck up and then use the bonnet clean for the maintenance, say every 3 or 4 monts to keep it clean.

Murky