Cleanfix Floormac

[Adam Eastman]

Newbie question I'm afraid guys, I've started to put together my wish list of kit to get me started, and researching machinery for cleaning low profile carpets. Would the floormac be suitable for low moisture cleaning or would I need something like the victor?

Many thanks

Adam

 

[John Bolton]

Adam,

Though the Floormac is capable of cleaning large areas, for most commercial work the time taken would be greatly reduced with a larger, heavier machine such as a 15" or 17" rotary. (toothbrush against yard broom). On both durability and performance the Victors score very highly.

I note from your profile that you have not yet received any training. I would suggest that before you act on your wish list, you attend a formal course ( preferably one that offers hands-on training) as with a little more background information you may wish to edit the list.

 

[Adam Eastman]

Thanks for the info John. I think what I may do is start with the floormac, until I have built up the cash to purchase the bigger machine.

I have done a couple of courses, didn't realise this could be added to the profile though, shall get it added this afternoon.

 

[Andrew Evans]

Adam the floor mac is great for agitation on domestic carpets. John's point about tooth brush and yard broom is good.
A second hand 17 inch rotary machine will cost less and will do a better job on commercial jobs.

 

[Trevor Ives]

My Victor had a safety sticker from HMS Amadaeus from 1965 so must be from well before that.
Still going strong until 2 years ago when I retired.

 

[Adam Eastman]

If looking for a second hand rotary, what exactly would I be looking for? Are there certain specifications that are more desirable?

 

[Andrew Evans]

Ideally around 150 up to 230 rpm with a bit of weight.

Microfiber pads and a good scrub pad.
Hope this helps

 

[justyn ransley]

Solutions do a great super scrub pad. Think it's the best I've used.

 

[Adam Eastman]

Thanks for the advice guys, one other question if I may, could a floormac or rotary be used instead of a Sebo dual for dry cleaning natural floor coverings ie sisal and sea grass etc?

 

[John Bolton]

Adam,

The Sebo Duo is a 'toy' version of a contra-rotating brush machine (a CRB). CRBS work in the horizontal plane, which not only results in pile being lifted but more importantly for VLM cleaning with moistened granules, the granules are lifted up and then drop back onto the carpet.

Conversely both rotaries and OP machines work in the horizontal plane. Granules tend to be thrown out centrifugally rather than being recirculated through the pile.

So though the Floormac (an OP machine) could be used for VLM cleans it will be much less efficient and would require many more passes to achieve a similar result. This might have an adverse effect on pile and worse damage to a flat weave.

 

[Adam Eastman]

Thanks John. Your comments with regards to extra passes causing damage to flat weave flooring with the rotaries and OP machines has got me thinking, would these machines be suitable for agitation on a wool loop pile or are they likely to cause pilling?

 

[John Bolton]

Pilling is always a potential on wool carpets, as you doubtlessly learned on your training course.

 

[Adam Eastman]

To be honest, everything I have been leaning about cleaning wool loops goes against the grain of what I have always been previously taught from the retailers point of view. I have always been taught to recommend customers to use a suction only Hoover on wool loops.

I had a customer just before Christmas whom rang the store with a complaint of pilling on her wool loop carpet that had only been down 8 weeks. My boss went out to inspect the carpet to find the damage was being caused by the beater brush on the customers vac. To be fair it was a cheap Belgium manufactured carpet, and although I would always recommend a customer to buy a half decent PP rather then a cheap wool, they don't always take your advice and there is a lot of cheap wool loop carpets available on the market, mainly through the UK wholesalers bringing them in. Which is making it difficult to get right in my mind how I would want to approach the cleaning of a lesser quality wool loop.

At the moment I'm thinking I would mist over with a suitable micro splitter, light agitation by hand with a brush and extract.

 

[John Bolton]

You were previously taught by a salesman. Follow the teachings of a good carpet cleaning trainer

 

[Shaun Ashmore]

It's like the old bleach cleanable carpet adverts, would you really want to leave bleach on your carpet and if you do what will it do to the stain irrelevant of carpet fibres? My point being that the marketing can overtake the practicalities.

 

[Adam Eastman]

Hi Shaun, we don't sell hoovers in the store, so advice that we give customers isn't really anything to do with marketing or getting and extra sale, it's just based on what I've always been taught by colleagues and speaking with the manufactures, and having seen what a beater brush can do to a lesser quality wool carpet, just makes me a little concerned about the first time I come to clean one.

 

[Shaun Ashmore]

Perhaps I haven't made my point very clear, manufacturers know their items but don't know how they wear at a later date or how certain machines and/or products will react when they need cleaning, agitation is a key factor as are the correct products, the more you learn the more you'll be confused and then unconfused.

As uncle Ken would say, "happy learning"

 

[Adam Eastman]

Sorry Shaun, see where you were coming from with the original post now.

May I ask your preferred tool for agitation of a let's say lesser quality wool loop?

 

[John Bolton]

I have seen many wool carpets with pilling caused by suck-only vacuum cleaners - in fact the worst examples I have seen have been caused in this manner.

 

[Shaun Ashmore]

There's a few ways remember the cleaning pie CHAT? It doesn't have to be in equal measures of 25% of each.