Carpet SHAMPOOing

[travstyles]

Hi everybody, I have a recently bought NIB Koblenz clean machine with carpet shampoo brushes, and I wanted to give my carpets a shampoo--without extracting. I know there are soaps designed for this, can anyone give me a suggestion on a brand and/or where I'd find one? For extraction I use "Zep" from Home/o Depot, it runs $9/gallon which is substantially cheaper than anything else and works just as well.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Trav

 

[danemodsandy]

Travis:

The theory behind carpet-scrubbing cleaners was always a little off-base, so if you use one, I'd really recommend a going-over with an extractor once you're through scrubbing. Here's what goes on:

With a scrubber, you're supposed to use a special shampoo that creates suds that - in theory - bind to the dirt in the carpet. Once you're through, you're supposed to let the suds dry, then vacuum the carpet thoroughly with a power-nozzle vac. The dirt is supposed to come up with the dried suds residue.

I grew up when this was pretty much the only home method for shampooing carpets, and I'm here to tell you that it didn't work all that well, although it was probably better than Glamorene. It also could leave the carpet looking somewhat beat-up if the scrubber was being used by someone inexperienced or someone of the "Tim-the-Tool-Man-Taylor" school of testosterone-driven excess.

If you use the scrubber, I'd recommend the following: Use a regular carpet-cleaning solution. Don't overwet as you use the scrubber. Follow up with an extractor filled with plain water; go over everything twice to rinse well. Get up as much moisture as possible. As always, while the carpet dries, I highly recommend the use of a Grandi Groomer to fluff and reset the nap; a Grandi Groomer is a rake-like tool that separates and lifts the carpet's fibres. I use mine several times while my carpet dries; once the carpet is completely dry, I vacuum, using the power nozzle on my TriStar. You can get a Grandi Groomer here:

http://rx4carpets.com/grandi-groomer.html

 

[danemodsandy]

P.S.:

Travis:

If you're really, really insistent on using the Koblenz with the type of shampoo it was made for, Aerus still make it. It's called Turbo Shampoo; a link is below. You can order it online, and if you have a local Aerus store, they'll have it or they can get it for you.

http://www.aerusonline.com/products/bagsandaccessories/accessories.cfm?tab=3

 

[animasinsulin]

Shampooing

Hi, Travis. I get all my vac. parafanailya from Super Vacuum and Janitorial supply at 43rd ave and Bell rd. Super smart guys and every vac. part you could ever think of.....Bill in Phx....

 

[danemodsandy]

Forgot to Say....

The main problem with the scrubber system was that a certain amount of soap residue was always left in the carpet - that is why defoamer is often necessary when using an extractor on older carpeting; carpeting that has been around for a while may have been cleaned with a scrubber system. The soap residue also contributes to fast re-soiling, particularly in traffic lanes. This is why I recommended following up with an extractor to do two rinses; you really need to get the soap out of the carpet.

Scrubbing, in and of itself, is not necessarily bad for carpet; new extractors like the Bissell ProHeat are set up to do exactly that, plus extraction. So, as long as you're getting the soap out of the carpet, scrub away.

Sorry I didn't make this clear in my previous post.

 

[swingette]

Look for the words "dry foam" somewhere on the package. You might try Kirbys carpet shampoo. Most cities have stores that specialise in janitorial supplies. Dry carpet shampoo IS nearly impossible to find at supermarkets or Walmart.

Some more advice if extraction is not possible:

Do the shampooing on a low humidity day. Ceiling fans are great for drying. Sandys carpet rake idea is excellent, it really speeds drying.

Be certain the carpet is as clean as possible beforehand. Use a deep-cleaning, full sized upright with a clean bag, fresh belt and good sweeping brushes. Vacuum SLOWLY against the nap.

Remove obvious stains manually the day before. You dont want to overwork or overwet the carpet with a machine in an effort to scrub out stains.

Unless you are confident of your skills, think twice before tackling wool or luxurious/expensive carpet. Also, good results are nearly impossible on neglected carpet that hasnt been maintained (vacuumed) regularly.