[Scott Carwood]

Afternoon all, first post here after spending a few months loitering, absorbing as much info as possible and getting everything together for launching my business.

I've just started trading in the past couple of weeks, having spent a few months learning as much as possible through the forums and attending some of the training courses with Paul Pearce down at Alltec.

I've got a job to do for a friend who has just taken over a bar/restaurant. I inspected it today, and by the looks of it (and after testing the fib), it's a Belgian Wilton, and a pretty horrendous one at that. As you can see in the pics, and from what my friend has told me, the carpet is around 10 years old and has never been properly cleaned. It is covered in food grease, drink spillages and there are a few areas of solid blacktop.

I don't want to walk away, as I'll have to clean something like this eventually, and I was hoping to take plenty of photos/video to add to our portfolio. My question for the experienced members...how would you tackle a BW with this level of soiling?

At my disposal I've got an Enforcer portable, and I've just acquired a new 17" Karcher rotary with shampoo brush, as well as a couple of the zebra and microfibre pads from restormate.

Chemical wise, I've got Enz-All, Power Burst, and Renovate as well as most of the Solutions range of products.

Any advice you can offer would be greatly received, and if I go ahead with it I'll post the 'after' pictures once the job is done.

Cheers,

Scott

[steve prince]

Hi Scott
Are you shaw you really want to take this on as it may shrink if not done correctly

[pro-fresh]

Hi Scott

At least you can still see the pattern, so its not that bad. If I was you I would explain to my friend that the carpet has a chance of shrinking as it has'nt got two sets of grippers which I think it should have as it is a Belgium Wilton. If he's ok with that then I would spray Enzall hot pre spray and agitate with your rotary shampoo brush and leave it to dwell for 10 mins and then rinse with you Enforcer at about 200 psi with your shortest hose to keep the water hot.

Kev.

[Scott Carwood]

Thanks for the replies guys.

It's basically a no risk task. They are/were planning on getting rid of it, but may keep it for a bit longer if it comes up OK. I'm planning on using it as a bit of experience working on a Belgian Wilton and getting a few good photos and some video for the website.

I'm not going to approach it in a reckless manner and I'll be treating it as if it were any other customer's carpet. I have explained the risks of treating a carpet like this, especially one that needs a good bit of cleaning, but they're happy for me to go ahead. I've never used a rotary with shampoo brush before, so keen to see any gains it has over the Sebo Duo.

I'll post some 'after' pics, regardless of the end result and let you know how it goes!

[Ian Gourlay]

Hi did you buy your enforcer new and did you get a Training Course Strange you have other companies chemical so maybee it was not new

If it is  talk Derek Ashby let him talk you through it. I feel suppliers should help new starters

Since writing just read its at no risk so you could just go for it and gain experience with no go to  jail  card

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Scott

Rotary brush will be about a thousand times better than a sebo duo.

Mix alkaline pre-spray with enzall, spray on hot, should be mixed above 65 C

Extract hot, keep water down, spray above carpet and then extract.

For added protection you can tack the carpet down, if it's a concrete floor go into the gripper.

Should make you a star!

Cheers

Doug

[Deep Cleaning Solutions]

This is not what I'd describe as "horrible". Looks pretty easy tbh.

You are going to have to do one someday. Their is too much money to miss out on by turning them down all the time.

I turned them down at first because of the posts on here about them and then wondered what the fuss was about when I did the first one and I have done hundreds since with no problems. It's common sense and you would have to be pretty stupid to shrink one, saying that it amazes me how many carpet cleaners have shrunk them previously when we have gone to jobs.

The biggest thing with these is to check the fitting and look out for joins and patching up.
If there are door plates check that they are screwed to the Belgian and not just with the carpet tucked under which can catch operators out. Always check the whole area for joins and always check every edge for shrinkage before you start.

If you get a really minging patch, pre-spray and clean it first ( just a couple of wet/dry strokes to get some of the dirt out ) and put an air mover on it and clean the rest and then go back to the bad patch and clean again when it's dry. Remember to price all this in to the equation.

When I first started cleaning these carpets I gave myself some golden rules - The first rule was the 2 stroke rule , ie never do more than 2 wet with 2 dry stokes at a time. The other rule was to never clean within 2 ft of the edge or a join. I would maybe mist a little near the edge and extract or spray a microsplitter near the edge and pad or terry towel off. My rules are more flexible now  but these where a good starting point when I first worked on them.

Make sure you have at least one air mover. The good thing about these carpets is they dry quickly with air movers and you can even put them on the area you have just cleaned and keep moving them as you are cleaning if you are worried.

These carpets will shrink if you get the backing wet, so think of it like a rug. When you clean a rug you very rarely get the backing wet when you turn it over and have a look even if you have done 6 or 7 wet/dry strokes so don't worry to much, set your self some rules before you start and you will be fine.

[Scott Carwood]

Thanks everyone for the further replies, really appreciate your opinions.

Ian, you're bang on the money, I bought my Enforcer around 10 months old, very little use at all (apparently) so no supplier training, other than the IICRC course down at Alltec and a three-day shot a few months after that.

Doug, thanks for the advice, mixed Enz-all hot and worked in with the rotary shampoo brush - most areas came up a treat, although there were a few spots that needed going over carefully with a bit more prespray and worked in with a stiffer hand brush.

DCS, you were right, most of it wasn't too bad, but some of the traffic lanes were horrific. As fate would have it, the carpet was in the worst condition right along an 8 metre join, so I had to be extremely cautious.

As Mr pro-fresh recommended above, kept the psi low and the hose as short as possible and had no issues whatsoever. My restaurant friend has now asked me to do a 100 sqm function room next week - not a Belgian Wilton this time...happy days!

Thanks again for your help

[John Kelly]

Cracking job, well done.

[Deep Cleaning Solutions]

Well done. Looking good 

[Simon Gerrard]

Well done, looks fab

[Paul Redden Countryfresh]

Handy those beer mat coasters......pucker job