[Darran Pryce]

When cleaning a carpet and the tenants have had pets.  Do you use anything different to treat the carpet before hand, just in case of  fleas?

[*Hector*]

No...
we are there to clean the carpets, not treat insects etc unless they say there is a problem.

[wynne jones]

Some letting agents have it in the small print. Its another way for them to steal off tenants. Try telling people fleas dont just live in the carpet though, its like talking to a brick wall.

[Darran Pryce]

I have had this many times. I just spray down, agitate and bring the beast out.   Never had any complaints.  Just thought some of you might pre treat beforehand.  No worries. I'll just do what I always do.

[david@zap-clean]

I have had this many times. I just spray down, agitate and bring the beast out.   Never had any complaints. 

Do the fleas die in the waste tank - or are they waiting to hop out at the next customers house, or infest your van?

[Darran Pryce]

Not been bit yet    and not had any custy say you've  given me fleas lol

[david@zap-clean]

Not been bit yet  

I have, and I didn't even know the customer had fleas until I started scratching (afterwards)... It took weeks for the bite to completely disappear from my arm!

[Darran Pryce]

Heck... Do they die off in the tank or do they do a few lengths?

[Kinver_Clean]

In 25 years I have only had one real problem where the little blighters were hopping EVERYWHERE. Round the edges as usual but also in a leather suite and under a rug.  I passed it on the a pest control mate.

[david@zap-clean]

A great way to get ride of houseflies is to use your vacuum cleaner nozzle  

But I have to say, spiders get tossed out the window (alive)...
Spiders are Okay.

[wynne jones]

I'm suprised nobody gets asked specifically to treat for fleas for an EOT as its in the letting agency agreement. I get it all the time and I even get them querying what Ive used.

[Darran Pryce]

Wynne what do you use?

[homenclean]

Stapro do a product about £10 for 5 l use it all time on end of tenancy a
John

[Darran Pryce]

Stapro do a product about £10 for 5 l use it all time on end of tenancy a
John

Just purchased some.  Do you just spray it on before or after the carpet clean?  Makes more sense to spray down before the clean starts... How quickly does it work?

Thanks
Darran

[John Kelly]

Health and safety regulations insist that you are fully trained if applying insecticides as part of a commercial business, ie carpet cleaning.
In view of this Chemspec have developed the Chemtreat Plus insecticide. This took 2 years to get through HSE testing and is now available.
Lots of our customers are already registered to use the product legally and safely.
You have to do an online multi choice exam after reading through the powerpoint presentation. You also get a good manual. The exam costs £25 + vat and is done via email. Once completed you recieve a Textile Pest Technician certificate.
This is an excellent marketing tool, especially to estate agents who aren't usually aware of the laws regarding insecticides.
The product itself is really good and comes in little capsules which you just drop into 1 litre of water in a sprayer. The capsule dissolves and 1 litre will treat 20 sq metres of carpet. Cost for box of 10 capsules is only £20.61 + vat.
Please note you can only buy this if you have completed the online exam.
You can then advertise and carry out this service without any worries about the legalities.

[Darran Pryce]

Thanks John. Going to do this.

[wynne jones]

Wynne what do you use?

I was going to say Restoremate do something potent but you need to do the exam. The thing with the letting agencies is its all bollox though. You can clean the carpet with a treatment in the rinse but if there genuinely is a flea infestation you need to gas the whole house, not just the carpets. I'd carry on with what you are doing Darran unless you potentially would lose work if you didn't treat eots. 

[Radek Jablonski]

John, the course is only about using chemtreat Plus insecticide or is it general course?

[John Kelly]

Specific to Chemtreat Plus.

[maxcampbell]

We've got one agent round here insists their tenants "fumigate" at EOT if they've had pets. They don't mean fumigate, they just mean treat, but they won't change the word. Fumigation is only applicable to grain stores & the like - or poultry sheds between flocks - you really wouldn't want to literally fumigate a house.