[wayne zabel]

I hope this doesn't sound like a daft question,but if a customer asks for the carpet to be re groomed after cleaning is there a right way to re groom the pile?
Basically how do I know which is the right way for the pile to lay?

[Dave Whittaker]

Hi Wayne.

Most carpets are laid with the pile running towards the door, on stairs the pile runs over the nose of each stair. So, more often than not, you will start grooming at far end of room sweeping towards the door.

Just run your hand across the carpet from left to right and you will feel which way feels the smoothest. It can be hard to tell in some cases so try laying a peice of paper down on the carpet and placing a pencil on it, roll the pencil across the paper with the palm of your hand and the paper should start shifting in the direction of the pile. The pile direction only travels the length of the carpet....not the width.

Dave

[Joe H]

Wayne, I know you are a beginner, but dont wait for the custy to ask for the carpet to be groomed.
Some carpets look no different after grooming, but I wont walk away leaving the v shaped wand marks in the carpet.
It always impresses the custy to see you use your brush to finish off there carpet - maybe they havnt seen it done before so that sets you different to their previous carpet cleaner.

[derek west]

i brush the opposite way to the pile so it dries quicker. but TBH as long as its uniform then i don't think it really matters.

[robert meldrum]

On the other hand..............the general public are used to seeing the v after vacuuming and actually like the appearance. I stopped grooming years ago as most, when asked preferred the v effect as it looked like a " new " new carpet which had been vacuumed.

There is no benefit to the customer, it adds time to the job and means carting around an awkward tool in your van.

If you imagine it gives you greater credibility with customers, dream on, but don't kid them your doing something special !

[Hilton]

I don't where you clean Robert but I have never come across anyone who actually likes the pattern left, we would never leave the cleaning pattern in the carpet, the job in my opinion is not complete until the pile has been dressed.

A grooming brush is hardley an awkward tool,( although I have come across a few of these in my time.  ) and grooming only takes a minutes.

I can not agree with you that has no benefit to the customer it certainly does, as already mentioned it aides drying times and enhances the look of the carpet of completion, indeed some carpets including most 80/20 's Axminsters and Wiltons recommend grooming after cleaning.

I am surprised that there are still cleaners out there that dont groom but each to their own and if that's what your customers want then fine.

[Ken Wainwright]

What Hilton said.

A lady complained once to her (then) CC about the wand marks. She was told that they would vac out.

Six weeks later she pays me to remove the wanding marks. Someone lost a good customer. Someone gained a good customer.

The correct way to groom is in the direction of the pile, but on occasions, like Derek, I've brushed against the pile to aid drying, but only after explaining to madam about foot marks when dry.

Safe and happy grooming (No Derek, not that sort of grooming 

The Ken

[wayne zabel]

Thanks for the replies.

The issue of the wand marks is interesting.I have asked customers if they want me to groom and remove the chevrons as I call them but most have been happy to leave them.

I think I will groom as a matter of course from now on

[gwrightson]

i leave the wand marks ,

custys seem to think its cleaner!!!  "lord knows why " 

I used to groom when i first started c/c  but i had custys saying they prefered the wand look

geoff

[robert meldrum]

The response I expected................However Hilton, I've been successfully cleaning and repeatedly cleaning carpets for about 27 years with very happy customers and no problems.

If Ken's client's carpet needed remedial action the question has to be asked ...why ?...Was the water too hot, or the wand used incorrectly?

As in everything................There's no always and no never so there WILL be the odd occasion when grooming will be required or advisable

Perhaps you can detail the benefit to the customer Hilton and I think an honest response from carpet cleaners would probably show at east 80 % don't groom on the majority of jobs. Yes there will be the exception, but a very low % of the total cleans.

If you're grooming to aid drying ...........why are you leaving the carpets so wet ? Another thought ....what do the people who expect you to groom do after vacuuming and leaving v's and who gave the customer the idea about grooming in the first place ?

[JandS]

Never groomed yet.

John