[robert meldrum]

When going out to drive your car or van each day.............do you check your tyre pressures / fuel level / windscreen washers / lights, etc, etc.?

Of course you don't..............but it's what you're advised to do, just as you're advised to carry out burn tests / colour stability / leather types, etc.

In the early days it's wise and sensible to be cautious, but time and experience tends to allow snap judgements and quick decisions, which we SHOULD get right almost every time, allowing the experienced to simply " get on with the task in hand "

One of the most important disciplines to running a successful business is TIME MANAGEMENT. If we waste time we reduce the bottom line !

Have a peaceful break and prosperous year ahead everyone and look after yourselves. None of us are invincible...............as I've discovered over the past couple of years.


 

[nevil]

Hi Guys

There are obvious times when a prevac is required but in routine situation with a high powered machine I would not pre vac.

We hear a lot about the 'my vac removed more dirt than the customers' but how often have you prevacced and then removed loads more dirt and grit with the CC machine, maybe the vac isn't that powerful afterall

I do think with rugs, where you can turn them over and vac the back, front, back, front makes a difference but on fitted carpets vaccing results are limited.

Cheers

Doug

The rug I mentioned in the opening post was one of these. After vaccing the back the amount of crud that dropped out onto the floor was incredible.

[Mike Halliday]

I'll often pre- vac because it makes the job easier and quicker.

lets look at a typical scenario of an average living room, its got a 3ps suite, tv (in a cabinet)a nice wall unit and a couple of bookcases in the alcoves. The customer wants all the carpet cleaning not just the walkways.

straight away I ask if the wall unit & bookcases have always been in the same positions, if the say yes then I can tell them because those areas never get walked on they will only have a collection of light airborne dust.  so I'll move them out give that area a good vacuum including wiping down the skirting boards then put them straight back into position. I've never had a customer not accept this and I don't have to worry about tabbing these items

what would I say to the customer if vacuuming was'nt part of my routine? "oh... those areas never get walked on so I won't do them" she's already told me she wants the full carpet cleaning!

again with the suite & TV cabinet , I can offer to do the same, they've always been in the same position ( and can't be moved because of the huge indentations its made on the carpet) so I show the customer underneath and say "all it needs is a really good vacuum" again they rarely object, because I'm not telling them I'm just cannot be arsed  to move them ( which is what they will think).

so I can go into a living room only wet clean half the room and the customers is still happy everything has been cleaned...... and the carpet will dry quicker.

If i was pre-spraying scrubbing and extracting all the carpet then tabbing everything it would take longer, they job wouldn't have been done any better and it will take longer to dry.

and for all those who say that people unnecessarily vacuum to justify a higher price, who is really doing unnecessary work? Me or the carpet cleaner who wet cleans the full carpet..... even the areas that don't need it?

[Ken Wainwright]

I hear what you're saying Robert, using the car service comparison. Like many, I don't check my oil, windscreen fluid, tyre pressures every day/week. But if I took my car to the garage for a service, I would expect them to check everything and not cut corners.

How many of us pre-vaccers have experience of madam saying "Oh, that looks terrific, and it's already dry too!" To which we reply, "I've only vacuumed so far madam!"  I have NEVER had any customer, unless I've taught them, who can vacuum a carpet to anywhere near the standard that I set for myself.

Have you ever noticed that not only do IICRC, NCCA, Woolsafe and BICSC  teach us to always pre-vac carpets, but so too do T/M manufacturer/suppliers such as Prochem, HydraMaster, Alltec et al.

Safe and happy cleaning
The Ken

[Mike Halliday]

another reason to vac

how many have found a stain or split seam while vaccing? straight away you can bring it to the attention of the customer (before you've started cleaning) you can say..... "that  stain will take a lot of getting out, I'll have to slightly increase the price"  imagine finishing and the customer turns round and say.... "that seam was'nt split, you've shrink my carpet!!"

a wise man once told me pre-vaccing  gives you an idea opportunity to fully examine the overall condition of the carpet 

[nevil]

When someone joins one of the trade bodies. NCCA or IICRC. Let's say you pass the exam, pay the fees and become a full blown member. Does this mean you are agreeing to always clean to the specifications they teach. Or are you free to use your judgement.

[Neil Williams]

My take on it:
I always appraoch any job as pre vacuuming will be done except on few occassions. If nothing else very few customers have the ability to use that tool that comes with all vacuum cleaners for doing edges.
One of the few occassions that I don't pre vac is when there are loads of cat/dog hairs and I'm going to use a LM system, because that pulls them out easier than any vacuum cleaner, I then vacuum after the job is done.

[Joe H]

If nothing else very few customers have the ability to use that tool that comes with all vacuum cleaners for doing edges.

So right Neil.
Just yesterday, I spent ages cleaning the edges of the stairs and landing.
As I was working my way down the stairs I was having a good chat with the husband "about life in general", and was getting on well.
So when I was finished I raised the subject of these marks, most of which was dog hair and debris, and how special attention, particularly with the carpet they had, was needed to keep these clean.
He took it all in. Now whether they do or not I might see in 12 months time.

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

There will always be differing opinions on this because thats all they are opinions. There is no absolute right or wrong way and a lot will depend on equipment.

It would be interesting if someone was to devise a test for measuring soil and therefore relative cleanliness but in reality there are too many variables.

Cheers

Doug

[markpowell]

If nothing else very few customers have the ability to use that tool that comes with all vacuum cleaners for doing edges.

So right Neil.
Just yesterday, I spent ages cleaning the edges of the stairs and landing.
As I was working my way down the stairs I was having a good chat with the husband "about life in general", and was getting on well.
So when I was finished I raised the subject of these marks, most of which was dog hair and debris, and how special attention, particularly with the carpet they had, was needed to keep these clean.
He took it all in. Now whether they do or not I might see in 12 months time.

Did you take your husband out cleaning yesterday Joe ::

[Andrew Briscoe]

We do not always pre vac, but i think if you do it is better for your machine.
Rather fluff grit etc went into the sebo bag, than give it a chance to go thru your vac or blower.

Cleaned our lounge carpet recently, and wife asked why water wasnt as dirty as customers waste,
told her it was because we us a sebo 360 daily, even tho ours looked grubbier than customers.

Andrew

[kinder clean]

I'd agree with Andrew, it can look clean but it only takes a pin or a staple to do some damage.

Paul

[Dave Parry]

Even with a porty grit and bits should get nowhere near the vac motors. The only time I prevac is when my Glided wand wont pick the bits up. With typical /normal domestic carpets its more bother than its worth. You more than double the time taken and the gain is zero to marginal at best. Re pet hair I just ignore it and clean. The pile brush will pick up what the wand misses. For sideboards/wall unts most custys dont want to empty them so I dont clean behind them, unless theres acess under them. I also dont move TV's unless the custy wants them moved, in which case I offer to help them pull them out the way. Too easy to pull a cable out and if it doesnt work when it goes back, your the one who broke it, so put the onus on them. Seems to have worked for the last 8 years for me.

[Len Gribble]

I’m a dedicated non pre-vac’er domestically but commercially I find out how often then lol


Dave

Thanks for the info

Len

[Dave Parry]

no probs Len, just found the part no     06901

[Ian Gourlay]

I hear what you're saying Robert, using the car service comparison. Like many, I don't check my oil, windscreen fluid, tyre pressures every day/week. But if I took my car to the garage for a service, I would expect them to check everything and not cut corners.

How many of us pre-vaccers have experience of madam saying "Oh, that looks terrific, and it's already dry too!" To which we reply, "I've only vacuumed so far madam!"  I have NEVER had any customer, unless I've taught them, who can vacuum a carpet to anywhere near the standard that I set for myself.

Have you ever noticed that not only do IICRC, NCCA, Woolsafe and BICSC  teach us to always pre-vac carpets, but so too do T/M manufacturer/suppliers such as Prochem, HydraMaster, Alltec et al.

Safe and happy cleaning
The Ken

Ken

A few years ago I found on a Website the marketing matrerial of a leading schoolof alltec fast tracker and he had the option not to pre vac, he encouraged his customers to do it before he arrives

He also encouraged customers to move as much funiture as possible

I could post it but I do want to run into any problems  with Alltec etc.

THe reason NCCA and all other organizations reccomend Pre Vacing is if itsa dirty carpet it is wise to do on a clean carpet its part of the show.

Im with Robert

[COLIN BRIGHT]

im with Ken, i have NEVER come across a custy who says they have vaced and done it properly...they only ever do the bits you can see
i always vac and allways will.....and charge for it

[Dave_Lee]

And dont you just!!!
Dave.

[Ian Gourlay]

Nobody has come up with the Scientific Evedence

[deep-cleaningukltd]

Guy's. We are, are we not, offering a service. The customer (remember them) is the person who will decide if the service we offer is acceptable. The majority of my customers are women. The first hurdle is getting through the door to do the audit and explain what and how we will do the job. Let's face it, it is  the lady of the house who will decide who will get the job. How many, and there will be some, go to visit wearing a grubby pair of shoe's with a ciggy hanging out of your mouth?

These "ladies" know how to clean. If you don't agree I challenge you to tell your next customer that she hasn't got a clue; will you get the job? As professionals we will have our own view on the rights or wrongs of pre-vacuuming. Ultimately, so long as the lady is satisfied her "nest" has been cleaned to her standard, will we have done our job. The value of that job will be decided by the customer.

Regarding scientific evidence, if proved or disproved, will we take the report along to show the customer, I think not; just as we don't show one detergent against another. The customer assumes we know what we are doing.