Carpet Cleaning

B

bbr4d3r

New member
Hey, New here and badly need advice on carpet cleaning. I have a steam cleaner and a fairly powerfull wet/dry vac yet everytime i clean my carpet i just cant seem to get the little grainy sand particles in the carpet. I dont know what i need to do to get them out. Ive tryed carpet shampoo and other types of foaming carpet cleaners. I dont know if its my technique or what but if somebody could get me a run down of the proper chemicals and way to do it id be very happy = ) I'm getting ready to open up a mobile operation and this is my only set back right now pretty much, Thanks :newbie
p.s.
shop vac vs. extractor is there a big difference
 
audiboy said:
In the future, please try the Search button first before posting.
Click to expand...
Your posting of the link was a good move and while using the search will help people find things, just up and asking a question is OK, too.

Using the search can really be frustrating until you have a better idea on how to phrase your searches. As an example, a search for "carpet cleaning" brings up 10 threads, but none of them were the thread you directed him to.
Your post was much more helpful than a search would have been.:bigups

Charles
 
I use a 12amp Bissell carpet cleaning machine with the attatchement want for my carpets/seats. I also use a heavy duty wet/dry vac and vac the hell out of it first. Since I live next to a beach, I too have a problem with sand. After I vac the first time, I take some low foaming upholstery cleaner (Blue Coral lo foam) and mist the carpets. I then use a stiff brissell brush and in one direction, lift the embedded dirt out of the carpet. I then vac again and follow up with the extractor machine. I've found, of course, that keeping up with the sand is much easier to clean out if you do it on a regular basis. The first few times are really tough! Good luck

Mike
 
CharlesW said:
As an example, a search for "carpet cleaning" brings up 10 threads, but none of them were the thread you directed him to.
Charles
Click to expand...

I got 39 results using those same keywords and that thread was in there. It just gets a little annoying to see that the 1st post is something that is discussed at great length very often.

I apologize if I came off a little mean. It was not my intention.
 
audiboy said:
I got 39 results using those same keywords and that thread was in there. It just gets a little annoying to see that the 1st post is something that is discussed at great length very often.

I apologize if I came off a little mean. It was not my intention.
Click to expand...
Yes, 39 threads come up if you use the words carpet and cleaning. And yes, that thread is in there, but so are about 20+ that won't help him much if any.
I used the quotes to search for the phrase "carpet cleaning" which returned only 10.
If you had just posted to "Do a search", I might have considered it to be a little mean, but the fact that you did post the link shows you were really trying to help.
You get annoyed about the questions, I get frustrated at the suggestions to do a search that take more time and effort than answering the original question.
My first few attempts at searching resulted in either 329,006 hits or 3. :D
It isn't always as easy as it seems.
Not trying to get on your case, just want to make sure that people do feel free to ask a question and not get hit with "Do a search". That does happen quite often on some sites and to me seems borderline rude.
Giving at least some information while still suggesting that they search for more seems more friendly. :)

Charles
 
Im not incapable of using a forum i run one myself....I know exactly what the search is for and did search several different keywords and didnt find what i was looking for....Thanks you tho
 
A professional Extractor (I like my Century 400 Sensei) simply can't be compared to wet/dry shopvac. The extractor actually INJECTS a hot (210 degree) fluid/shampoo into the carpet, then, on a second pass, with perhaps 3x the suction of a shopvac, pulls the moisture out. Much of the cleaning actually occurs during the heated injection, which, of course, does not happen at all with the shopvac method.

As I've said in the past, an extractor will always pull more dirt out of a typical carpet that was cleaned by the shopvac method.

That's why extactors are expensive. They are efficient, and they work.

Jim
 
Probably because you didn't wanna spend a couple grand hehe. Agitating the carpet can bring up some of the sand. It can be time consuming on some carpets. You can agitate with a crevice tool. Sometimes I'll put a wash mitt on my free hand and rub the carpet. Whack the carpet a few times with your hand or vacuum tool and much will bounce up. Also when you vacuum the sand will just seem to keep coming no matter how much suction you have. You'll have to put in the time or get up as much as you can and then vacuum the carpet with the vacuum tool slightly off the carpet (your hand can be a good spacer). That will usually suck up what you can see without bouncing more up. You can also vacuum like that after you have extracted.
 
Rubber mallet made me think of something. I have one of those pet hair lint brushes that are made out of rubber. Bet one of those would loosen things up without messing up the pile.
 
If you can, I like to use compressed air for sand. I worked in a body shope for a number of years and we did sandblasting all the time. You think you have it bad! have a co-worker play a prnak and dump some sand in the drivers seat! I found compressed air in one hand and the shop vac in the other to be the best way of getting sand up quickly.
 
Koop said:
If you can, I like to use compressed air for sand. I worked in a body shope for a number of years and we did sandblasting all the time. You think you have it bad! have a co-worker play a prnak and dump some sand in the drivers seat! I found compressed air in one hand and the shop vac in the other to be the best way of getting sand up quickly.
Click to expand...

Darn good idear. One of those turbo blaster tips and about 140 PSI would blow the sand into the next...compartment? I suppose if you started at the center consouel and blew it out the open door, it wouuld work pretty good. I think I'll be getting out the compressor tomorrow.

I thought the rubber mallet was for beating your head when the sand is still there after an hour of vacuuming!?

Mike
 
The rubber mallet can also be used if the customer complains there is still sand in the carpet. I bet that air compressor would be killer for sand. Also made me think about putting my vac hose on the blower side and using the crevice tool. I've done that to blow out stuff I couldn't reach before around seats and sometimes a bug behind the brake light.
 
Since I only take care of my own vehicles. I don't have an extractor, but...
A couple of things I do to help remove the sand.
1. Carpeted mats I beat over the handle of my hose reel before I vacuum, I use a carpet cleaner, let them dry, beat them over the handle and vacuum them again.
2. When vacuuming the vehicle carpet, I gently pound the area near where I am vacuuming. The mallet might replace my hand, next time. It's probably not the best job, but it does seem to bring a lot of the sand to the top where my Metro Vac-N-Blo gets a lot of it.
I also hit the cloth uphostery on the van seats with my hand while vacuuming them. It might surprise you how much dust you loosen up that way.

Charles
 
Mikeyzr said:
Darn good idear. One of those turbo blaster tips and about 140 PSI would blow the sand into the next...compartment? I suppose if you started at the center consouel and blew it out the open door, it wouuld work pretty good. I think I'll be getting out the compressor tomorrow.
Mike
Click to expand...

Use lower psi than 140. Seriously. You can mess up the matirial your blowing! Don't ask me how I know. I wouldn't use more than 100. Also do try the vac and blow at the same time. The vac usualy catches most of the sand if you do it right.
 
For floormats (removable) I usually vacuum em out, then spray em down with a spotter (Folex), let it dwell for 5 minutes, place them on the tar, douse them with APC/Oxy mix, agitate with a brass bristle brush if its a durable looking carpet, if its not, skip to the next step which is PC with carpet brush on 6. This will create a ton of foam. Then hose the carpets out with a strong stream of water (pressure washer is a big help here), extract/stripe them with LGCM, hot water and Bissel Pet odor formula (my customers love the smell of it). This usually gets all the sand out for me. I find when I can't use the hose to spray them out, far more sand gets left behind. I guess that might be the key step for ya.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top