[Steve Gunn]

Couple of pics from bonnet cleaning job for Simon

[Steve Gunn]

pads when finished

[Simon Gerrard]

Steve,
Because the specification wouldn't be met if we did it that way.

Simon

[Simon Gerrard]

Steve (Top Gunn)

Thanks for the pics. I was hoping for ones that show how you get from A to B and not just before and after pics. Fussy git, I know.

Simon

[Steve Gunn]

Have you seen the d/f video

http://www.dryfusionuk.com/video.html

[Dave Roberts]

I hope he doesn't mind me posting it (it's in the public domain on youtube so hopefully not!) but I've always thought Garry B's video showing DF is one of the best around;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZX-vhqFj2o

Dave.

[garry22]

Thanks for the kind words David.

Unfortunately I had a computer virus attack a while ago and lost the original footage (file got corrupted).

I've got the latest ones on the Youtube channel down to a couple of minutes now but need some new raw material to work with.

Garry.

[Simon Gerrard]

Garry,

Very impressive.
If you were going to do the same area with a conventional padding system, and not the DF system, how would you go about it?
As you're probably aware I'm on a learning curve with this process but have an office to do next week 300 sq yds of very dirty (dusty) tiles which would be an ideal jobs to learn a bit more. Any tips would be much appreciated.
Simon

[absolutecleaning]

Jim

What sort of rate metres per hour wise do you reckon it worked out.  I'm just doing a quote where the maintenance will be lm and would be interested to know as I've not done it before.

Cheers

Simon

[garry22]

Simon,

If you were going to do the same area with a conventional padding system, and not the DF system, how would you go about it?

Not much differnet to the Dry Fusion (DF) video. Looking at that again I would say I had the pads slightly too wet for that type of stain (see the very light coloured "trail" across the carpet.

Having the heater probably allows more leeway as far as drying goes. The DF chemicals are quick drying (which can sometimes dry too quickly in hot conditions).

If your tiles are dusty then dry vacuuming is a must. We always use the pilelifter unless the offices are cramped. We use a Sebo as an alternative.

Before I had DF I played around with One Step (micro splitter) as a pre spray and a ploypropylene scrubbing brush to agitate with. The pads were soaked in clean water and well rung out in the mop bucket (until you can hardly get another drop out of them). They were then used as the "rinse" phase.

The key is not to overwet. It's easy to put a bit more prespray down but very difficult if you have put too much down.

Don't keep the new pad on the same spot (or you will have a circular wick back mark the next day). Spead the moisture over about ten square metres to distribute it evenly in a kind of figure of eight movement. You then do the detailed north / south, east / west cleaning. Depending on soilage, turn your pad over after about fifteen square metres, so that you use both "clean" sides.

Soiled pads NEVER go back into the mop bucket. If people are using micro splitters, I believe they have a second mop bucket to wash most of the soil out before re-wetting the pads.

Go over the area with a dry pad (as you would after HWE).

Wherever I can, I use a turbo dryer as well (even with DF).

Sorry it's a bit vague but without seeing the offices in question, I cannot be more specific.

Garry

[Dave Roberts]

Garry, more flattery for you;   that video was instrumental in my choosing to go the Dry Fusion route and buy the machine.  I was to'ing and fro'ing between DF and Thermadry and when I watched that vid of yours a couple of times I was sold!

For anyone interested in Rotary cleaning (DF or otherwise), here's my technique that I've honed (I made all the usual mistakes in the early days).  This gives me good, consistant results in commercial & domestic applications;

1. Thorough Pre-Vac (there's no argument that it's optional in rotary cleaning),

2. Pre-Treat any spots that I think the cleaning process may need help with (ie.. those requiring solvent treatment etc). Any that needed a lot of work, I will use a small CFR spotter to extract rinse them (see, I'm not adverse to water extraction! Rare though).

2. Light to medium pre-spray with a solution that is powerful but doesn't need rinsing. I use either M-Power, Fusion Clean, or Activator (if doing Dry Fusion process).

3. Five minutes dwell prior to agitation.  (Good time to get the machine out of the van).

4. Thorough N/S/E/W agitation using either DF Restore Brush (synthetic or low wool mix) or a HOST CRB machine, using gold brushes (wool or thick cut pile). I never rush this stage; it's the real cleaning stage, especially with Rotary Cleaning.  The spot areas may get some extra pre-spray and extra brushing.   If you don't have a CRB machine, then the XR Grey Pad (from SolutionUK) on your rotary is the next best thing in my opinio.  Almost as effective.

5. Mix up HOT solution in the bucket and put in the first pad.   Leave in for 2 mins then thoroughly wring out.

6. Place on carpet, in an open area that I am going to be able to manouvre around quickly. Obviously most of the solution is going to leave the pad in the first few seconds of action, so it is VERY important to move quickly with the rotary and spread out the solution evenly.

7. Lower the machine onto the pad and as above, move quickly to spread the solution.  I only ever work on an area of 20m2 at a time, with 1 pad.   Work back over the area, evenly working the solution.   

8. Flip over the pad and go over the same area again. With the DF machine this side of the pad will be hot & dry from the blower so it will greatly help absorb the soil and dry the carpet.

9. Repeat the process for all areas of the carpet.

10. Thorough post-vac.  This helps reset the pile and also picks up any loose debris, dirt and loose fibres. (rare).

11. Groom with a brush.   Result = lovely clean, fresh, stain-free, stain-blocked, de-odourized carpet.

Cheers,

Dave.

[james roffey]

Thank you for that comprehensive example of bonnet/dryfusion cleaning i pretty much did those things apart from the vacuuming at the end, but the only thing i did not like in the end result was the  marks it left on the carpet i did consider vaccing again instead i used a pile brush which was very hard work getting the marks out so i will vac next time, also i did not soak the pads, just dipped them.

[Smart Carpet]

Great Thread..

[Mike Halliday]

david. a couple of questions

no5- why leave it in for 2 mins?

no10- are you dry vaccing a damp carpet?

and i would also swop 3 & 4 I think the dwell time should commence after the prespray has been aggatated fully into the carpet, so it comes into contact with all the soiling.

but your system is a thorough method of cleaning

[fenman]

We cleaned a Sure Start centre today, all low profile with the exception of the multicoloured rugs that pre - schools love.
As usual we thoroughly vacced with the pilelifters. This impressed the manager so we were on a winner straight away.
We presprayed M power and brushed in with the rotary and poly brush.
This removed 95% of the stains but to be fair the carpets were not that bad.
Any stains were then treated.
We then bonneted with one of us using Rotobrite and the other using Solutions standard microsplitter.
The carpets looked amazing when we had finished so everyone was happy.
If you have never seen or tried low moisture cleaning it is definitely something you should investigate.

[garry22]

Garry, more flattery for you;   that video was instrumental in my choosing to go the Dry Fusion route and buy the machine.  I was to'ing and fro'ing between DF and Thermadry and when I watched that vid of yours a couple of times I was sold!

Thanks David.

Any chance of telling Shaun Bradbury and suggesting he sends me a commission cheque?   

I cannot mention names here but I was contacted out of the blue by someone in the business about video marketing. They said something very similar to what you said.

My personal opinion (not necessarily the mods etc  ) is that Dry Fusion could do a much better job of marketing the system. Last time I heard however, they had got someone with a marketing degree doing it, so I guess that explains it!

David, I have to disagree regarding post clean vacuuming. We've been caught out a couple of times when a damp carpet has cleaned all the dirt off the pilelifter brush. Result a large brown mark on a lovely clean carpet. We just give it a vigorous brush with the rake instead.

Good clear instructions for anyone unsure of how to do it.

Fenman,

Was there any difference in performance between th Rotobrite and the Microsplitter?

Garry

[Simon Gerrard]

Garry,

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

Simon

[Dave Roberts]

david. a couple of questions

no5- why leave it in for 2 mins?

no10- are you dry vaccing a damp carpet?

and i would also swop 3 & 4 I think the dwell time should commence after the prespray has been aggatated fully into the carpet, so it comes into contact with all the soiling.

but your system is a thorough method of cleaning

Hello Mike,

No 5;  I tend to find I get slightly better results from the core rotary stage by leaving the pad in the solution for 2 mins.  No science and no evidence though!    It does take more wringing this way but the solution seems to spread more evenly.

No 10; Although the above could apply to any rotary method, I was writing it more from a Dry Fusion mindpoint.  At that point on Dry Fusion the carpet will be technically still damp but only just. Remember that as Fusioneers we are held to promise a drying time of 30 mins max! .... so if it's not almost dry at this point with DF, somethings gone wrong.

No. 3&4;  Fair point. They probably should be the other way around. I tend to find I get the best result from a 'pre-agitation' dwell followed by the main 'post-agitation' dwell.  But again that's probably just habit/neurosis more than anything.  When you do rotary work the workflow is so quick that we sometimes have to drag things out a bit, in order to get the cuppa with the custy 

Cheers,
Dave.