Went to check on the job i did last week(the one i posted on another topic below which had great success) and the entire carpet was tip bloomed. I am using my challenger, no glider, just 21 inch Monarchs. I was under the impression that this pad was less agressive than the gladiator. The carpet was cleaned, but was very fuzzy/hard to the touch and the fibers were basically all tip bloomed.

Should microfibers be used with any type of gliders on the challenger? Has anyone tried it yet and seen how it actually turns out. When i was at the home the first time i cleaned it looked great, but had to go back today for an UPH job.

I do know the carpet is over 10 years old, but was in decent shape, there are pictures of it on my previous topic under "monarchs & hydrox=results".

Used HydroX on that job, 2-3 gallons of it at the recommended dosage. Small 600 sq ft condo apt. Waited 8-10 mins to dwell, just like any other cleaning.

Please help - I am not a fan of tip blooming.

Hi,

When i first used my monarch with my Vento I learned very quick that plenty moisture is needed. Lots of juice especially with no glider. I did not use a glider so if I didn't put enough juice down the pad wood grab and even pull away from the driver.

On the other hand when I use plenty nough moisture, that monarch cleaned like a champ. I couldn't afford to allow it to grab again cause the owner of home was micromanaging so i learned very quick as i mentioned.

Thanks
Your Servant Alex

Cultivate the "OCCD" you had at first for the industry!

I'm sorry to hear that you had a problem. The Monarch bonnets are a combination of Microfiber and polyester. The blend gives it a nice combination of effective agitation and the benefits of Microfiber. It strikes a nice balance of cleaning efficiency and absorption.

Microfiber bonnets are going to be less aggressive to the fiber than other typical bonnet materials, such as cotton or synthetic fiber. So they are a good choice for more delicate carpets. However, you ALWAYS need to exercise caution using any bonnet, especially on a residential carpet with twisted yarn.

And although Microfiber is less stressful to the carpet than other bonnet materials; ALL bonnet or pad cleaning should be performed with the same degree of caution:

1) Spray the carpet with the detergent. You will need plenty of lubrication. The sprayed detergent provides the cleaning power. It also LUBRICATES the yarn. So don't skimp on the application of your detergent.

2) Wet the pad or bonnet before using it. Dunk it into a bucket of water. Pull it up. Wring it lightly. You want the pad or bonnet to be slightly wetter than "damp". Now that you have a wet bonnet, plop it onto the carpet.

3) If you are cleaning a cut pile carpet, always use a glider. Place a glider onto the carpet (velcro side up). Place your wet bonnet on top of the glider. Then place your machine over the top of the bonnet.

4) Always keep the machine moving. Avoid any tendency to stand in one one spot for more than a second or two. If it is a cut pile carpet, there is a tremendous potential for tip blooming, regardless of what kind of bonnet you are using. So exercise good judgment and be very careful running the machine!

5) Don't let things dry up. If your detergent is drying up before you clean a section, re-spray the carpet. If the bonnet is beginning to get dry, it's time for a fresh bonnet - or else dunk the used one back into your dunk bucket again. The bonnet has to be wet. You need good lubrication.

These guidelines must be followed very carefully, or you may experience problems, especially on cut pile carpet (critical on residential cut pile carpet). A lot of residential cut pile carpet is not built very well. A lot of it is cheaply manufactured with a light twist to the fiber. So extreme caution should always be maintained. Assume the worst. It's always better to err on the side of caution.

If you'll exercise due care whenever you're cleaning any cut pile carpet with a bonnet or pad, you will minimize the risk of tip blooming. Notice I used the word "minimize". That's because nothing can eliminate the risk of tip blooming entirely - there are too many variables. However applying the guidelines above will overcome most of the problems you may encounter with tip blooming.










Rick Gelinas
rick@excellent-supply.com

Thanks Rick, I do not recall ever reading that before. It should be a sticky.

Bill,
I notice that some carpets absorb a lot of moisture and after a 10-15 min dwell time are basicaly dry, so you need to pre spray extra for those.I just got a battery sprayer from Rick a few days ago BUT, I used a pump up for a long time. I learned real fast to always feel the carpet to make sure it was wet enough before running the machine. With the pump up the spray is heavy for 10-15 seconds and then I would have to slow my walking speed as the spray slowed down, or re pump every 10-15 seconds.

Take your pump up and practice spraying your drive way, you will be able to see how wet your getting it, then you can see what adjustments are needed, as far as walking speed, how long before you need to pump/slow down, how fast your hand speed should be for even coverage(if you spray side to side) and so on and so forth. This will give you a basic idiea on how to develope your spray technique.
And again, feel the carpet before running the machine.

Thanks For the tip Rick & Andy.

I spoke to Jeff and I believe also what happened was that i forgot to wash the brand new pad before using it at this job. The pad was basically like it came out of the package when i received it. I threw it into the hot bucket w/ the bucket heater for a few minutes till it got very hot.

I wringled the pads out, the same way as i do with glads, twist 'em out of the bucket, no dripping. Maybe the monarchs should be a bit more wet than the glads before use?

For pre spray i did use a 3 gallon B&G pump up. So Andy, i will look into the spraying pattern on the driveway as you mentioned. For chems, it was 2-3 gallons of HydroX.

I think these pads may be somewhat too aggressive for OP on resi nylon carpets, though possibly with a glider. I suspect this will be a very good pad for commercial OP work.

Lubrication is the key!

Thanks
Your Servant Alex

Cultivate the "OCCD" you had at first for the industry!

Used the micros today again with hydro, hydro is working great...today was the only time i coughed from the product, before no coughing, maybe it has to do w/ the weather who knows.

Decided to play it safe and use the thin gliders on with micros on my challenger, did an entire room to test it out, pretty wet micro, sprayed the room twice w/ my pump up, and still saw tip blooming. So next room changed it over to thin glider, not much fan of gliders don't think they do a good job cleaning, but i'm not a fan of tip blooming either.