Rick (& whoever may be reading this)I'd like to read your thoughts on this. So I can explain the merits of the system to customers better. Thanks again.

Hot water extraction...

Pros: Excellent cleaning method. Superior flushing action. Greatest potential for removing contaminants.

Cons: On commercial glue down carpets, wicking is a common problem. Longer dry times can keep a carpet from being returned to service for more of an extended period of time. Hoses running from a truck after hours through an open door of a business can present a security concern. It's hard to clean more than 1,000 sq ft per hour.

Encapsulation...

Pros: Wicking can be eliminated. Recurring spill stains can be prevented. There are no sticky detergent residues left in the carpet so carpets won't quickly resoil. Carpets dry in an hour or two (and sometimes less) so carpets can be put back into service quickly. Cleaning can be performed with the business doors locked. It's possible to clean 2,000 to 3,000 sq ft per hour. Chemical costs are extremely low (a $130 case of detergent can clean 39,600 sq ft of carpet). Carpets typically stay clean about 50% longer between cleanings.

Cons: In cases where there are extremely heavy loads of contaminants in the carpet, it may still be a good idea to unload the carpet by cleaning with HWE (i.e. greasy restaurant where you can no longer see the carpet). The soil is still in the carpet until the vacuuming cycle progressively extracts the encapsulated particulate from the carpet (btw the residue is inert so it's not going to do pose any problem before it gets vacuumed).


There are probably more differences too, but that's what comes to mind right away.





Rick Gelinas
encapman

"The soil is still in the carpet until the vacuuming cycle progressively extracts the encapsulated particulate from the carpet"
Does the same hold true for absorbant pad cleaning? What is the approximate % of emulsified/displaced soils removed with cotton towels/bonnets? Thanks again for you thoughts.

An absorbent bonnet/pad can pull out some additional soil. On very rare occasions we'll post bonnet to pull some additional soil when the carpet’s holding more soil than normal. Although it's not normally necessary, if some extras soil extraction is opted for, post bonneting/padding is a simple technique that can do the trick nicely. We’ve cleaned a few accounts that have a section or two that’s plugged full of soil. And after it’s cleaned the section may not look as good as we want it to. So we’ll just perform a quick post-bonneting application over those sections so that the carpet looks consistently good. It’s a simple and effective way to correct a bad spot, such as an abused high traffic area.





Rick Gelinas
encapman

Ask your prospect about any problem areas or concerns that they may have and tell them how you and encapsulation cleaning can address them. As Rick has taught us, listen to the prospect, and then tell them how you will solve their carpet cleaning problems.

If I have determined that I prefer to do the job using a low moisture system I will recommend our soil encapsulating low moisture system. I tell them that in most cases (and this is one of them) I can clean the carpet as well or more effectively than if I were to use HWE because of the soil encapsulating benefits of the cleaning agent and the time that I take until I have done my best. No dirt attracting residue left behind, reoccurring spots can be eliminated, carpet can be put into service sooner, and the door does not have to stay open for hoses. I also explain that no matter what method is used, it is imperative that the dry soiling is removed before any moisture is applied to the carpet (did the last carpet cleaners vacuum?) and that I will give the carpet the most intense vacuuming that it has probably ever received. After removing the dry soiling all that is left is what is stuck to the carpet fiber. This soiling is safely scrubbed off of the fiber and encapsulated to be removed during the next scheduled vacuuming. The cleaner that I use has carpet protector built into it so that encapsulated soiling releases very easily.

Another selling point that I have used when recommending low moisture over HWE is that with the low moisture system, traffic lanes clean better because of the mechanical agitation that HWE doesn’t have. The HWE carpet cleaner may rely on high PH chemicals (that can leave a dirt attracting residue behind) and water pressure to blast the dirt off of the fiber. This can cause the traffic lanes to be even worse next time and over-wetting the carpet causing slow drying and wicking.

Sometimes a job will require both. I don’t know if you have HWE capabilities but what I do is sell the fact that I have HWE along with several low moisture methods and that we will use the appropriate method or a combination of them to obtain optimal results. I also mention the fact that all of our methods (including HWE) utilize encapsulating technology and tell the client that this advanced technology, encapsulating residue is better than no residue because it goes one step farther than cleaning methods of the past in that it encapsulates microscopic soiling that used to be left behind (great for those with allergies).

I talk a lot about residues with clients. I also tell them that it is simply impossible for this cleaning agent to attract dirt later on and this will help the carpet to stay clean longer. If the last cleaning left a dirt attracting residue behind I let the client know that the encapsulating technology is very effective in removing residues from previous cleanings and also the dirt attracting residues from drink or food spills. People tell me a lot that the carpet looked great after the last carpet cleaner finished however a week or so later the same spots would reappear. This is a good selling point for encap cleaning. I tell the client that it is easy to get the dirt out and make the spot go away. The trick is to remove the invisible residue that caused the spot in the first place so that it doesn’t come back.

Give your client a strong guarantee. Let them know that the pride in your work and the care that you take in maintaining their carpet is actually more important than the method used. Most poorly done carpet cleanings are because of the rushed or inexperienced technician, not the method used.

Hopefully the above will give you some ideas that you can use.

Richard,

I love the way you explain your system to prospective clients!

I hope you fellas are taking notes. Richard has captured the essence of explaining the benefits of his cleaning systems. This is an excellent example of marketing the technical aspects of the cleaning process to a commercial client. Well done!







Rick Gelinas
encapman

Your responses are appreciated.
Jeremy

Thank you Rick, that means a lot coming from you.