Thread: Crazy question from the greenhorn....

I started cleaning carpet two weeks ago for a local company that sells and installs carpet, wood, tile, and vinyl. The carpet cleaning side has been long neglected and never taken seriously. They cut me a pretty sweet deal with a good deal of autonomy to build the business. Hence I'm here trying to learn as much as possible.

Anywho, on to the crazy question...

In the last two weeks I've done about ten jobs total. Towards the end of two of them, most recently on Friday, I began to feel like I literally had the flu. Friday in particuliar was the worst. The job was at the very end of the day, and I went straight home afterwards. I could barely take a full breath, much less a deep one withpout seering pain in my lungs. I don't have asthma, but I've heard people who do describe it as breathing through a straw, and that's what I felt like. It was 95 degrees outside, but I was shivering like it was 35. I took my temperature when I got home and it was 102. After it happened the first time, I figured it was a severe allergic reaction to cat dander being aerosolized by the wand, but I've done other houses with multiple cats in them and have felt fine besides my usual runny nose and a few sneezes. Weird thing is, both times I woke up the next morning and felt fine, like nothing had happened the day before. I should add, both places were large rent house make-readies with no furniture in them. What on God's green earth is going on here? Our wand doesn't have a splash guard on the back and really steams the air. Am I inhaling too much humidity from the wand spray and giving myself artificial pneumonia or something?

On an unrelated note, what does "175" refer to? I tried a search and turned nothing up.

Harv;

It could be several things you are sensitive to.

One very common allergen is mold toxins.

Another could be something they performed in the make-ready process.

It could also be that you are sensitive to one of the chemicals you are using in your cleaning process.

The most important thing is to determine what is affecting your lungs.

Pay careful attention to when you have the symptoms.

Larry

P.S. A "175" is a 175 RPM floor machine.

Sounds like the plain old flu

Originally Posted by Larry Cobb

Harv;

It could be several things you are sensitive to.

One very common allergen is mold toxins.

Another could be something they performed in the make-ready process.

It could also be that you are sensitive to one of the chemicals you are using in your cleaning process.

The most important thing is to determine what is affecting your lungs.

Pay careful attention to when you have the symptoms.

Larry

P.S. A "175" is a 175 RPM floor machine.

Thanks Larry,

I hadn't considered mold, but that's a possibility. Neither of these places are a typical trashed out rental though. They were both very nice houses renting for a good amount of money. The carpet looked so god in both of them, I wasn't really sure why I was cleaning it. I hate to admit this, but we only have one chemical on the truck, so that's not it. I'm lobbying them for some variety so I can do a better job, but they're reluctant to spend money.

Just because you only have one chemical on the truck I would not rule that out especially if it is a traffic lane cleaner. What is the name of that chemical btw? Who makes it? Just because it does not happen every time does not mean the chemical is not the cause. I'm betting you vaporized some of that chemical and breathed in the fumes.

Oh boy, here we go. Let me say that this is the hand I was dealt... They use Purple Power degreaser. No joke. The stuff that's like $4.50 a gallon at walmart. Sadly, I'm not joking.

I think that is your problem. No joke. Just because that product will clean a carpet cheaply doesn't mean it's the best way to go. There are many highly concentrated powdered and liquid traffic lane cleaners on the market that cost more per gallon or per pound, but go a very long way. Also, there are liability issues to consider. When you clean carpets with that stuff that are still under warranty you will void the warranty. You can pm anyone on here and ask for advice on what to use. I would strongly suggest stopping the use of that product. It may be fine for other things, but I would not use it on carpets.

Originally Posted by UFgatorHarv

Thanks Larry,

I hadn't considered mold, but that's a possibility. Neither of these places are a typical trashed out rental though. They were both very nice houses renting for a good amount of money. The carpet looked so god in both of them, I wasn't really sure why I was cleaning it. I hate to admit this, but we only have one chemical on the truck, so that's not it. I'm lobbying them for some variety so I can do a better job, but they're reluctant to spend money.

You told them this was making you sick and they said they don't want to spend money on something that wont make you sick?

Sounds like a great place to work.

Originally Posted by wandwizard

I think that is your problem. No joke. Just because that product will clean a carpet cheaply doesn't mean it's the best way to go. There are many highly concentrated powdered and liquid traffic lane cleaners on the market that cost more per gallon or per pound, but go a very long way. Also, there are liability issues to consider. When you clean carpets with that stuff that are still under warranty you will void the warranty. You can pm anyone on here and ask for advice on what to use. I would strongly suggest stopping the use of that product. It may be fine for other things, but I would not use it on carpets.

I know and completely agree with you. I'm leaning on them to really make some improvementss , but it's onlhy been two weeks. Hopefully when I get back from the CCT two weeks from now I can talk some sense into them. Hell, even Sam's Club sells carpet detergent that is relatively inexpensive, and, I am sure, far better for carpet. This is a floor store that sells mohawk, lees, shaw, and others. They tout the warranties on the showroom floor, then send me to clean with stuff that strips grease off of automotive parts. Change is coming, whether it is with who runs it for them or the process they use.



Either way, I understand the respiratory distress, but could degreaser cause me to spike a fever like that?

It's the Purple Power dude. When I read that I swear sirens went off in my house. That stuff makes me cough when I open the bottle and all those vapors come out. It's probably eating away the lining of your lungs. When you spray it on the carpet it's atomizing and getting all over the place and you breath it in without even knowing it.

I know because everyday when I get home and blow my nose white snot comes out from inhaling atomized prespray mist that blows back off the ground when pre-spraying. Use a different chemical, preferably one designed for carpet cleaning, and if you want you can get a non-atomizing tip for your sprayer.

BTW, once you start using a real prespray you'll be shocked at how crappy that Purple Power cleans carpet.

Originally Posted by Scott Otis

You told them this was making you sick and they said they don't want to spend money on something that wont make you sick?

Sounds like a great place to work.

No, I've kept it to myself up to this point. I know "macho" can get you killed, but I don't want to start whining two weeks into a new job. Plus, I'm not or wasn't sure this was the problem. I just don't get tthe fever part. If it was just breathing trouble, I could see it being mold, or cats, or chemicals.

Originally Posted by TheEyeball

It's the Purple Power dude. When I read that I swear sirens went off in my house. That stuff makes me cough when I open the bottle and all those vapors come out. It's probably eating away the lining of your lungs. When you spray it on the carpet it's atomizing and getting all over the place and you breath it in without even knowing it.

I know because everyday when I get home and blow my nose white snot comes out from inhaling atomized prespray mist that blows back off the ground when pre-spraying. Use a different chemical, preferably one designed for carpet cleaning, and if you want you can get a non-atomizing tip for your sprayer.

BTW, once you start using a real prespray you'll be shocked at how crappy that Purple Power cleans carpet.

Trust me, I already think it sucks. I see the befores and afters you guys manage in an hour or two w/ the good chemicals, and it takes me 4 hours, an aching back, psuedo-flu, and a hundred gallons of water to pull that off in a two bed + living room apartment. I know I'm new and still slow, but is it supposed to take me 7-8 passes to get a minor spot out? I know the answer is no; it's a rhetorical question. I just can't stand leaving someone's house if the job isn't perfect though.

Get your cct, get yourself a portable and get the hell out of there. This is supposed to be the "honeymoon" stage of the job, this is probably as good as it's gonna get.

Good luck!

Some of your best money will be spent on the best chemicals you can find. The best cleaning chemicals will not make you sick and will make your job significantly easier. Even if you buy some of the top dollar cleaning supplies the actual cost per job will not be a great deal higher than using Purple Power. In general, to do a whole house top to bottom the chemical cost is maybe 2. to 10. bucks unless you get into some special spotting situations. I can fill my Hydroforce Sprayer with Grand Slam for maybe 5.00 and it will normally last through several average jobs. There are excellent powders on the market that are much cheaper than that. Try to get some Cobbs Powermax or something like that and see how far that goes. If you make a customer sick or even kill them as a result of using Purple Power your employer may wake up to what I'm saying, but it will be too late. I cannot emphasize enough how important good chemicals that are professionally formulated are. I am a 23 year veteran of this industry. I've been where you are now and I'm telling you flat out to stop using Purple Power. I mean don't open another jug of it. Use it to degrease your engine, but don't take it into anyone's home to clean their carpets. If you must go to a local janitorial supply and buy a case of traffic lane cleaner or order some from one of the vendors you see here on TMFs. This may be the best advice you will ever get on this subject.

Thanks guys, I sincerely appreciate all the advice. I'll keep you guys updated. Seems like there's gonna be a serious discussion this week at work.

Hey Gator, I normally don't post here but I happened to see your post and had to chime in, I'm not going to say it's not the chemicals but I don't think the chemicals explain the fever.

I've had the feeling just like you describe and its always been when I've gotten very hot and not drank enough fluids. This is physical work and during the heat of the summer it would not take much to give yourself a heat stroke.

That being said ditch the purple power even if its just to switch to something you can get from home depot like ZEP.

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