Cleanfax, August 2013

Q A ASK CLEANFAX Q Cleaning and restoration questions asked and answered Waste tank filters are a pain The other day I barely got started on a job and I started to lose vacuum Took me an hour to figure out what it was The waste tank filter was totally plugged up and I had cleaned it out just last week What can I do about this George Rochester MN The easy answer is clean it out daily But there are steps you can take so that you dont have to climb into the truck as often to clean out the filter The first is a basic step in cleaning Prevacuuming Your waste tank filter is clogging up because you are filling it with all kinds of debris that can be vacuumed up before you start cleaning the carpet Is prevacuuming a pain It may seem that way but the benefit far outweighs any inconvenience Your entire cleaning process will be improved if you prevacuum Something else you can do to keep you main waste tank filter from frequent clogging is to consider an in line filter This attaches to your vacuum hose and will collect the debris as it is picked up during cleaning The concept is solid After each job it is easy to clean that filter out and also should you choose to do so show the customer what you collected You will still need to clean the main waste tank filter on a scheduled basis but it will be much less frequently 8 Cleanfax AUGUST 2013 CLEANFAX COM Photos courtesy Traymark Ultra Cleaning Systems I have been asked to clean a restaurant carpet on a regular basis Every three months it looks like I dont think it has been cleaned in two years One concern is the heavy amount of grease coming from the kitchen into the dining area You can skate on this stuff What should I do Allen Baltimore MD Q Not much compares to cleaning restaurant carpet and the challenges due to the amount of grease that can build up Not only is this difficult to clean but it can add an irritating greasy film to your hoses tools and anything you bring into the building Add to this that restaurants should be cleaned regularly some monthly but many wait a year or more between cleanings It is assumed you are using a truckmount and have the ability to control your heat which will make this job much easier from the start Plan on using as much heat as you can create Prepping the job is important You will have chairs and tables to deal with and it would be nice if they were moved for you but dont count on it So plan out how you will clean this Putting together a grid in your mind and keeping it organized works great You want to use a preconditioner that can break down the soil which will contain proteins and oils for the most part So a quality enzyme preconditioner might be your best choice as the enzyme action will keep working as long as the carpet is damp from the preconditioning process After the preconditioner is applied allow at minimum 10 minutes contact time and be sure to agitate thoroughly preferably with some type of electronic brush system You will probably have to reclean a few areas as you go as the grease will seem to be in layers as the soil load will be completely throughout the carpet pile It wont be easy but after this first time restoration cleaning you will find subsequent cleanings to be much easier CF FREE INFO Reader Service 206 or Cleanfax com freeinfo