In previous posts, I have discussed the importance of proper set-up of the Rug Doctor, the importance of pre-vacuuming, and the use of pre-spray as the best method for treating the carpet prior to using the Rug Doctor.
As the following video shows, the end result of doing all the proper preparation is an easy job where the Rug Doctor can give a fantastic result, even on really dirty carpets.
Though not shown in the video, the pre-vacuuming done at the onset took about thirty minutes to do.
A one bedroom apartment isn't a very large space, but when pre-vacuuming it is best to hit the carpets with multiple passes, from multiple directions, at a moderate pace to ensure removal of as much debris as possible.
This type of specialized vacuuming takes considerably more time to do than what you might do say in a weekly vacuum of your home.
Additionally, you want to really emphasize deep cleaning with the vacuum and this is more important before carpet extraction than in general vacuuming duties.
The video shows that after vacuuming has been done thoroughly, a great deal of hair and fine dirt has been removed from the carpet.
This type of debris is embedded in the carpet in such a way that one quick pass would not have effectively removed it.
Hopefully this video shows how much is really lurking beneath the surface of the carpet. A good pre-vacuum removes a lot of material...which now will not need to be dealt with by the Rug Doctor.
Pre-spraying (pre-treatment as well) also is one of the key foundation principles that, though not shown in the video, ensured a good final outcome.
On this job, carpets were pre-treated with Fabuloso in some areas, and with Simple Green in others (we were testing Simple Green). The dilution was 0% water, in other words straight detergent was sprayed with a pump up sprayer and given ten minutes to "dwell".
Dwell time allows the detergents (whatever used and whatever dilution ratio) to break down the bond of the stains to the fibers. When solutions are placed within the fresh water reservoir of the Rug Doctor, the detergent is only given a fraction of a second to work on the stains, which isn't nearly as effective. So considering the cost of detergents, choosing the best method (and dilution) not only makes a huge difference in the final outcome, but the cost of getting that result.
In the video, the carpet being cleaned is NOT a typical carpet like most of us have in our homes. In fact this carpet was not vacuumed or cleaned by the tenants during the fourteen months they lived there.
They had small children, pets, and lots of visitors, and so the carpets got pretty shabby during that time.
Extreme conditions call for extreme measures right?
Bear these conditions in mind before you embark on cleaning your own carpet, as some of these techniques may be way more than necessary for the average well maintained carpet, like in your home.
When carefully thought out ahead of time, cleaning carpet with a Rug Doctor is both easy and highly successful.
Please check some of the other posts on this blog and they will give you more details about the different steps that, being done properly, ensure the professional results you hope to achieve.
Notes: Simple Green works great. The pH is not published on the container, but judging by how well it cleans I assume it is pretty high.
This means that, if not FULLY extracted from the carpet, rapid re-soiling will most likely occur...this is a bad thing.
When using products like this, make sure to use only tap water in the Rug Doctor so that each pass is removing dirt, water and detergent. Residue left behind will cause many bad consequences.
Remember also, only Rug Doctor products should be used in the machine if you choose to use that method as some cleaning products will hurt the pump and ruin the machine.
No comments:
Post a Comment