New Steamer Tip For Carpets - Maybe?!?!?!

[Bates Detailing]

Hey guys,

I have been using the VX5000 for almost every interior job within the past year and love it. For some reason, about a month ago I decided to change up my pretreatment of carpets a bit..... and my change has worked great so far!

Instead of spraying the area, brushing / agitating, blotting, and letting sit for 5 to 10 minutes or so...... I started spraying the carpet and taking the triangular brush head and doing a quick pass in each area with steam which activates the cleaner and opens up the fibers (Im hypothesizing here with the opening up of fibers lol, but it works IMO) - then I lightly spray one more time pretreatment. By the time I get to where I started the product has had plenty of time to get within the fibers deep and I steam or extract(depending on severity) them out with ease.

Again, this may be old news to you guys..... but I was somewhat excited to figure this out through trial and error with so many interiors. Hope this helps someone out?!?!?!?:dblthumb2:

 

[2old2change]

On your first pass with the triangular brush , is this with or with out a towel attached ? What are you using for your pretreatment ? Doing a interior this morning and will give this a try. Thanks for the tips.

 

[richy]

I do a vacuum first and then a light pass with the steamer and then spray the cleaner and let it dwell. I just got a DA carpet brush (I did a thread on it) and I found it really helps on the bad stain as it helps get the cleaner down deep into the carpeting.

 

[Bates Detailing]

On your first pass with the triangular brush , is this with or with out a towel attached ? What are you using for your pretreatment ? Doing a interior this morning and will give this a try. Thanks for the tips.

First pass is without a towel - just a quick heated agitation....... I will use either Folex or Woolite Pet.

I do a vacuum first and then a light pass with the steamer and then spray the cleaner and let it dwell. I just got a DA carpet brush (I did a thread on it) and I found it really helps on the bad stain as it helps get the cleaner down deep into the carpeting.

Yeah I saw that thread and have always waited cause I wasn't sure it would be worth it...... But there is a noticeable difference for you Richy?!?!?!?

 

[richy]

First pass is without a towel - just a quick heated agitation....... I will use either Folex or Woolite Pet.



Yeah I saw that thread and have always waited cause I wasn't sure it would be worth it...... But there is a noticeable difference for you Richy?!?!?!?

A noticeable difference with the carpet brush? Yes, if there's bad stains. I won't bother with it for every job, that's for sure, but when I've got a nasty stain or the other method is not working as well as I wanted, then I will break it out. I've got some new brushes coming for my UDM, so I am just going to leave it attached to that DA for just that purpose. Ron does the same thing. Now that I own one, I won't be without one. Just like the steamer for that matter.

 

[daveinsweethome]

i have dedicated my g 110 for 2 years as a carpet only tool. there is something about oregon and all the damn rain and mud. it works great and without it nothing gets carpet clean out here. actually i have two carpet brushes. something special in saving a suv with kids and making it livable again.

 

[toycar18]

Adding heat increases the chemical activity so they work better.

No such thing as opening up fibers.

From 200 degrees every 10 degree increase doubles the activity up to 250 degrees.

 

[604_Snooze]

I usually vacuum, pre-treatment with meg apc+, use drill brush, medium steam with large triangle attachment, then wipe dry with towel.

 

[richy]

Adding heat increases the chemical activity so they work better.

No such thing as opening up fibers.

From 200 degrees every 10 degree increase doubles the activity up to 250 degrees.

OK, should the method be this:
1). Steam and then spray chems and use brush
-or-
2). Spray chems, steam and then use brush?
Given what you said, what do you recommend?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bates Detailing]

OK, should the method be this:
1). Steam and then spray chems and use brush
-or-
2). Spray chems, steam and then use brush?
Given what you said, what do you recommend?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

On a rental car yesterday - bad mats turned out ridiculously great with :

1) Vac

2) quick steam - no chems

3)Add chems and quick steam over

4) Let sit from 5 to 10 minutes

5) Used extraction function

Mats looked BRAND NEW


P.S. Hard to type with baby in one hand lol - this took awhile lol

 

[toycar18]

OK, should the method be this:
1). Steam and then spray chems and use brush
-or-
2). Spray chems, steam and then use brush?
Given what you said, what do you recommend?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't know. No offense but everyone's methods are so ghetto on here. It just blows me away how well many can make the paint look incredible and have very poor carpet/upholstery cleaning methods. I am professional carpet cleaner and use a truckmount with right tools & chems to clean upholstery and carpet in cars.

I would probably spray chems, agitate with brush, allow dwell time and steam.

Is your method extracting anything? If not, you are leaving soap residue in carpet/upholstery that will cause them to resoil because soil sticks to soap.

I also would considering using "professional" chemicals which are way cheaper and way more effective.

 

[Bates Detailing]

I don't know. No offense but everyone's methods are so ghetto on here. It just blows me away how well many can make the paint look incredible and have very poor carpet/upholstery cleaning methods. I am professional carpet cleaner and use a truckmount with right tools & chems to clean upholstery and carpet in cars.

I would probably spray chems, agitate with brush, allow dwell time and steam.

Is your method extracting anything? If not, you are leaving soap residue in carpet/upholstery that will cause them to resoil because soil sticks to soap.

I also would considering using "professional" chemicals which are way cheaper and way more effective.

We are actually talking about the pretreating step - thats what the gentleman was asking about if Im not mistaken.

 

[toycar18]

We are actually talking about the pretreating step - thats what the gentleman was asking about if Im not mistaken.

Well maybe you should read my whole post first - it says:

I would probably spray chems, agitate with brush, allow dwell time and steam.

Your method works because the steam is making the chemicals work better. The heat increases the chemicals activity.

But if there are using different equipment and chems it may have no benefit or it may.... it depends

 

[toycar18]

A good example is my professional chems will clean better than yours so it may not be necessary to steam the carpet multiple times to make the chemicals work better.

Equipment is also another factor. Someone who uses a Hot Water Extractor that flushes more water through the fibers may clean better. So it may not be necessary to use your method.

The point is everyone has different, chems, equipment, methods that vary how well something cleans

If you are using the same equipment that B&B uses then I would use his method. If not it may benefit or if may not.

The answer is gray

Either way I hope everyone extracts the soil and chems with water to physically remove it from carpet/upholstery. Better yet, a water with a fiber rinse to neutralize chems and leave the fibers in a neutral Ph. Otherwise, you may be just hiding soil with cleaners. Cleaners in the carpet also will attract dirt causing it to resoil faster.... So you are fixing one problem but creating another in the cleaning process. That is how many clean carpet/upholstery which isn't the best way to do it. (Spray with cleaners and brush)

B&B thanks for sharing your method with us. You have figured out a way to clean better by using extra heat to bump up chemical activity.

 

[Bates Detailing]

A good example is my professional chems will clean better than yours so it may not be necessary to steam the carpet multiple times to make the chemicals work better.

Equipment is also another factor. Someone who uses a Hot Water Extractor that flushes more water through the fibers may clean better. So it may not be necessary to use your method.

The point is everyone has different, chems, equipment, methods that vary how well something cleans

If you are using the same equipment that B&B uses then I would use his method. If not it may benefit or if may not.

The answer is gray

Either way I hope everyone extracts the soil and chems with water to physically remove it from carpet/upholstery. Better yet, a water with a fiber rinse to neutralize chems and leave the fibers in a neutral Ph. Otherwise, you may be just hiding soil with cleaners. Cleaners in the carpet also will attract dirt causing it to resoil faster.... So you are fixing one problem but creating another in the cleaning process. That is how many clean carpet/upholstery which isn't the best way to do it. (Spray with cleaners and brush)

B&B thanks for sharing your method with us. You have figured out a way to clean better by using extra heat to bump up chemical activity.

Good info here thanx :dblthumb2: