Good questions!
Do you have to block & tab furniture when encaping?
I use encapsulation in the commercial setting and there is not much in the way of stained wood furniture that can mark the carpet. We use caution though when returning any items to wet carpet. And every once in a great while we may feel the need to protect the carpet as we move items back.
How many square feet will a gallon of chemical cover?
Spin Vac, Mist & Brush, and our soon to be released product all mix at 16:1. So one gallon of detergent will make 16 gallons of rtu product. We can average 300 sq ft per gallon of rtu. So ON THE AVERAGE a gallon of detergent can clean 16X300 = 4,800 sq ft.
For those that have used a GLS and a Cimex, which is better and why?For those that have just used one, what do you like about it and what don't you like about it?
Both are good machines. The GLS is lighter. The Cimex is heavier and scrubs deeper and faster.
How many square feet can you clean an hour figuring in adding chemical and moving the cord and stuff? In all open areas? and In offices going around things?
The Cimex averages 2,000 sq ft per hour for normal cleaning. Sometimes that can extend up to 3K if the carpet is open and easy to clean. And it can go as low as 1K in difficult situations.
What do you charge if you 1)pre-vac, scrub, & post-vac? 2)pre-vac & scrub only? 3)scrub & post-vac only and 4)just scrub and the customer does all of the vacuuming?
That question doesn’t have a set answer. We work for national contractors for as low as .05 per sq ft and still make over $100 per hour consistently. When we bid our own accounts we bid from .06-.20 depending on the size, the condition of the carpet, the frequency of cleaning, etc.
Do you have to wait 24 hours to post-vac or is it just better to wait that long?
Yes 24 hours is best. Although the carpet is normally dry to the touch in about 2 hours or less – the crystallization requires several hours to occur. Overnight drying is generally considered the standard.
Rick Gelinas
