I want to do it, but i'm afraid to sell my truckmount. Can I do ALL of the work in a residential setting using my cimex, honestly? How would I handle pet odors, etc. or other problems which traditionally are handled with HWE and a waterclaw? How about furniture?

I noticed some people on this board that just do VLM, but I can't see how they can do it without HWE....

Thanks for the advice!

Joe

I have almost given up on selling extraction for residential. I tell people that call me now, we have 2 methods of cleaning carpet; 1. 21st Century shampoo (encapsulation) or 2. Scrubbing and extraction. Give them a base price and cap price for encap and tell them I have to inspect carpet for 2nd method of extraction. Most say do the shampoo. I figure they're better off at encapping than getting a wand jockey trainee from the big boys.


George Barnett
Owner: G & G Services
HydroTech Representative
www.webnow.com/HydroTech

When you do the scrub and hwe method, (years ago it was called the two step) how do you do it?

Shampoo with a scruber and brush and then go over with a HWE.

Does this work well and can it be done with a porti extractor?

Thanks

Whats up my friend?.
heres the bottom line my.
If your TM works fine and isnt causing you any troubles,, and you can afford to keep it,, dont get rid of it.<thats your #1 asset in this biz,, a good TM. />

its a tool. They all are. the more you have, the better off you will be and the better service you can provide to your client base.
So is the Cimex and encap.

I love my cimex/releasit/ encap combo.. but I very rarely use it in the residential setting. I do use my Cimex on about 99% of my jobs. (agitation) there the difference.
To reply to the post above on the 'dual method'..first you prevac, then prespray your prespray of choice.. agitate it with a rotary or CIMEX, then give a couple of minutes of dwell time while you set up your hoses, etc.
Then extract with your TM and HOT water. and Flush it, dont merely rinse it. There again is a difference.

If you then post pad after that.. thats the absolute best possible cleaing method for any type of residential carpets.PERIOD>


Commercial I padcap or encap via my Cimex pretty much exclusively.
Unless its trashed. Then I use the Cimex/TM combo.

I remember Gary Heacock saying that any dual method cleaning will always be better than any one method. Its stuck with me and I prove it on a daily basis.

I use 3 methods on trashed. and they look new when I go.

So if your TM is working, keep it.

Residentials deserve a flushing action.
Extraction as well. Kids, etc arent necessarily messing, lying, playing on commercial carpets in offices, etc.
But at home, we live on it.

Theres nothing better than a good 200 degree, HWE, with a good mechanical agitation such as a CImex.. or a good rotary.

Alot of folks try to justify NOT, but mostly because they dont want the 700.00 TM payment that I have.

Lets face it... that 700 is a chunk of money. People relate that to a car payment and say "Man, you could have a Hummer for that""

and yes I could, but a Hummer doesnt bring home over 100.00 per hr. A 700.00 payment in this biz is chump change.

In ending.. you want my answer,, you got it.

If anyone is in the residential cleaning biz, and they dont have a Cimex, Rotary, and a TM in a VAN, a great vacuum and a stack of pads... its an inferior cleaning company.
I said 'residential' now.

Take all the tools to the job. Let the situation dictate what tool you implement.
Your customers, your company reputation and image all deserve that. IMO anyways.

Best of luck buddy.

Nice pic of the little gal too.

good stuff.

Steve Dobson
ProFloor
Custom Cleaning Services

I scrub the carpet with Cimex and cleaning solution of my choice. I use my HydroTech portable for obvious reasons even though it does not have heat, it can be filled with hot water and the agitation from the Cimex batters out the dirt for easy extraction, 1 pass usually. The HT portable is strong enough to get for 75 feet of hose for carpet cleaning, 200 feet for hard surface and the GPM and PSI are very good.

Steve is 100% on target for the premier method of carpet cleaning but most people that call me absolutely will not pay for that type of service. It's a 1 in 50 customer around here. I'm tired of leaving money on the table when someone will pay for carpet cleaned regardless of method.

By what I can tell ingredients in Releasit are benign and will not pose a health hazard after carpet has dried.

George Barnett
Owner: G & G Services
HydroTech Representative
www.webnow.com/HydroTech

Joe,

I use encap and Cimex far more than HWE, but we still do HWE.

For upholstery, for $600 or so you can get a smaller portable unit to do the work. It is more fun than using a large portable extractor meant for carpet, for sure.

Water damage is different - you need heavy duty equipment for extraction and the same for pet odors.

Cimex can't do everything. But it works to replace many pieces of equipment and you may not need any thing else.

I whole heartedly agree with aaaalllllmost everything said above with the exception being in regards to Odor Remediation.I condsider VLM an "approach" or methodology more so than a particular tool.For example:Bac-Out is a fantastic product that fits very easily into the VLM mode.Why?..just read the lable.-apply product(-I like to mist it on),allow dwell time, blot up with a white towel.Sounds sort of like padding doesn't it?
Now I'm not saying that all urine related calls can be solved without flushing/extraction,what I'm getting at is quite different.If you have ever used a spot claw for urine work you know that after "clawing" up the reason you're there in the first place,you need to go back over the area in question with your wand,detail tool,ect..If you're doing it correct(and I'm sure you are)you should be left with a very lightly damp fiber along the lines of padding,encaping,ect...
To make a long answer even longer: Its not so much how much moisture you use as much as how much moisture you leave,or something like that.

"Get it clean-get it dry" Bob W.

Thanks for the advice, guys!! This board is awesome; It's great to hear from experienced cleaners helping guys like myself!!

So the question now is - should I pursue VLM cleaning as my primary method, and using HWE only when I have to?

and - If I do go mostly VLM, what do I need for equipment?

I currently have:

15" Cimex
3 gal. sandia spotter
Bane Paramount (with ALL the attachments and solutions)
Sanitaire upright vac
all in a chevy g20 van
another EMPTY Dodge van ready to work (Just bought it)

I work by myself for the mean time..

I know I need more equipment to go for the big commercial jobs, which is my goal at this point. What do you guys recommend I buy to be able to clean the big jobs?? I've done 38,000 feet by myself with my 15" cimex...

hiyas Joe D.!

great info above. i recommend you also check out the VLM forum. quite a few ppl there that have "given up" on their TM's and gone strictly VLM....maybe pose the same question there?

i agree with mr. Dobson, if you can keep the TM, then go for it. but i don't see why you couldn't go 90%-100% VLM.

furniture can be done VLM as well with no need for a portable...ppl have done this for years.

of course a small spotting machine might be useful sometimes depending on the circumstance.

Hey, it's just like when we all 1st heard of this monstrous yellow machine. we all thought, "YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME, THAT CLEANS CARPET...AND BETTER THAN MY HWE? LOL!!!"

VLM works man! as does HWE, but no reason you couldn't jump into VLM and make it work for you.

Joe, come to the dark side! (read: VLM)

thanx --- Derek.

BTW, Joe Mellon : sure you can pre-scrub with a rotary (or what have you) then HWE with EXCELLENT results with your porty...i used to do it when i was into HWE. i'd use my Host machine to pre-scrub followed by a HWE rinse....results were fantastic. and it didn't really add any extra time into the equation. the Host moves along quickly, you actually have to hold it down cause it wants to jump ahead of you. and it beats scrubbing with a rake to agitate the prespray in...the Host does all the work. then you simply give a clear water rinse and your golden.

VLM or BUST --- Derek.

Help please.

Some time back, I was having trouble getting onto the VLM forum, so I decided to delete it & re-install.

Got called out unexpectedly, & guess what??

Could no longer find the VLM forum.

Please, what is the addy; for it??

Thanks,

Shortlapseofmemorywun.

Hey Guy,
About your equipment. The only thing I would add is a second scrubber. Either a 19" Cimex or a 17: 300 RPM swing machine. I know Rick has the Sprint, however, I haven't seen it yet. Others on this board can tell you about it. I find the swing machine easier to operate in congested areas and in getting to edges that have collected dust.

Shorty and everone else, the VLM link is up above at the top of this page...see it says : Other Industry Message Boards: ICS | Cleanfax | VLM | Floor Care | Grout | CM | Aussie

click VLM and off you go :p

Thanks Derek, sometimes I can't see the wood for the trees.

If I had hair, I would say I was having a blonde day, (oops).

Possibly my pc was having one of those 'senior days'??

Maybe I was.

But thanks anyhow.

Cheers,

Shorty.

lol, no problemo Shorty