Can you successfully white towel test after cleaning

[leofry]

would you feel comfortable white towel testing you cleaning job once done ?.

I do realize if you the cleaner cleaning carpet that is cleaned every 6 months then this test would be more successful.

I have never tried it but i can't help but think that this could be a hard test to pass especially if its a really dirty carpet.

I had a client tell me (10 months after i did a job) that his day care carpet showed dirt or something on the children pants the very next day and still today. The carpet really never looked that dirty when i cleaned it from what i remember and it looked fine after is it possible that it could be something else besides dirt ?

 

[OldCarpetVet]

Back in the 1980's Stinky Steemer tried that idea and it failed them miserably. I, on the other hand used their stupid advertising to my advantage. And it worked tremendously for me.

They also used to advertise...."It's Not Clean Until YOU Say It's Clean".
That too failed miserably as the uneducated customer didn't realize that you can only get a carpet to a certain degree of wetness before you start doing damage to the carpet face fibers and backing, so naturally when the carpet still looked/was dirty Mrs. Harry Home Owner said DO IT AGAIN.

Yeah......You know those techs back then weren't too happy about now doing 24 jobs a day.

 

[OldCarpetVet]

Also leofry.....Always remember that there is no system available today that is capabe of removing every, single particle of dirt.

As for you question if there could be something else besides dirt? I'd have to see it in person to answer that question honestly.

 

[SAA]

The only way you will know for sure as to what to expect, "Do the test yourself"
You are the only one that can really answer your own question. No one here could do anything except guess, at best, as to what results you would get.
I lived through those days, there was a lot more to it than it might seem.

As to the kids clothes getting marks on them, that should give you a real huge clue as to answering your question about what may happen if you were to do a white towel test. You may have indirectly done your tesring already.
Understanding proper soil suspension, wicking and the actions that can occur when a carpet is not finished properly, goes a long way to understanding your very questions.
Let us know your results if you try to do more

SAA

 

[1ST CHOICE CLEANING]

I don't white towel test carpet but occasionally do on upholstery.

 

[leofry]

Not sure i will be dong this job again, I have gotten to a place in my life that i try not to over think things, he is a good guy but he like i said he dint tell me this until yesterday and i did the job back last June. He also wants a deal but the job can't be done until 6 pm so just me i don't give deals at that time, truth be know i think all my prices are a deal so. i could say i don't give a deal or i give a deal every time lol

 

[Scott W]

If the goal is white towel clean - and I am not saying that should be our goal or always be the goal - I would post bonnet with cotton or microfiber bonnets. That is essentailly a white towel test right there. If the bonnets are picking up soil, so could a white towel. If I continue until the bonnets don't pick up any more soil, then I can be sure that a white towel is not likely to pick up any more soil.

 

[leofry]

Thanks Scott great idea and if i was paid to do all that i would post bonnets but when they are looking for a great price i just don't want to give up my time.

I would love to post bonnet most jobs

 

[Spotless Flooring]

You might offer a "White towel package"

I think with a rotary you may have a much better chance to get that white towel kind of clean. It would be impossible with a wand unless the carpet had little soil in it. (Something to test before marketing, of course.)

I did a white towel test on some carpet that had already been cleaned. The owner was renting it out and said after the previous cleaner it still looked dirty. She called me in. I did a white towel test and it showed a little soil. I cleaned it for her and it looked exactly the same. Because of this experience I have learned that the white towel test can be used to get an idea of soil levels but should not be a key indicator as to black/white clean/dirty kind of deal. It's subjective we should say.

Anyhow, I really like the idea of doing a white towel test to get an idea of soil levels in the future. Getting a really nasty one on video would be great media material.

 

[Mangyan-US]

We do post bonetting, if nothing is being transferred that i say atleast we do what we could to make it clean.

 

[EverythingFlooring]

I once asked a hotel inspector how he judged cleanliness...he said white towel just inside the doorway.

 

[SRD]

Had a Marriott hotel try to not pay me once cause 2 days after cleaning it didn't pass their white towel test (we cleaned the entire hotel top to bottom front to back every square inch of carpet). Let me tell you something guys you will never and I mean never pass a white towel test.....the scale in our machines will fail it....minerals in hard water will fail it...a few hours or even minutes of dust settling will fail it....someone walks from a hard surface area onto it that will fail it .
Not to mention when we clean we clean to the base of the fiber any further your doing damage when it dries it will pull something up to the surface even if it's miniscule it will be something and you will fail it.
Just my experience and two pennies on the matter

 

[SRD]

I once asked a hotel inspector how he judged cleanliness...he said white towel just inside the doorway.

That asshole should have been kicked in the balls before "white tow" finished falling out of his mouth.

 

[Prosteam-sonomacounty]

Easily.
After pre treatment, pre scrub, rotary rinse and speed dry,...the carpet isn't even wet enough to transfer visible soil let alone have enough soil to show any dirt transfer...

I used to work for Stanley and am well aware of their "white towel test"..so I've tried it on several occasions...

 

[mikevee]

If you scotch guarded the shit out of a towel, I bet it would always pass the test

 

[Pinosan]

not to sound as rude as I really am but...
how about if the guy is being legit and has a valid point.
How about if the kids clothes really got dirty and the guy decided not to bother you and let you know next time he called you

I would not give him a discount but I would not take it lightly either. If his complaint happens to be legit, leaving carpets in those conditions could be the end of one's business.

There are times when I would dare to do the test and others when I explain that we can only do so much and brought the carpet / furniture to "the best possible shape"

Steve gave good advice. Do the test to yourself and see if you need to improve your cleaning results.

 

[Ed Cruz]

I do it sometimes. And yes I pass the test most of the time.

 

[Spotless Flooring]

Easily.
After pre treatment, pre scrub, rotary rinse and speed dry,...the carpet isn't even wet enough to transfer visible soil let alone have enough soil to show any dirt transfer...

I used to work for Stanley and am well aware of their "white towel test"..so I've tried it on several occasions...

Is that your way of white towel testing, with the dog? lol

 

[SRD]

When we failed the hotel's test 2 days after the cleaning the inspector wet a wet a white cotton towel wrung it out and proceeded to scrub the carpet sorry nobody is gonna pass that ....dry towel maybe and I do mean maybe

 

[robert 1]

Not sure i will be dong this job again, I have gotten to a place in my life that i try not to over think things, he is a good guy but he like i said he dint tell me this until yesterday and i did the job back last June. He also wants a deal but the job can't be done until 6 pm so just me i don't give deals at that time, truth be know i think all my prices are a deal so. i could say i don't give a deal or i give a deal every time lol

Not knocking anything bad about your business practices at all. We all do things different. Today I had a new employee that was training for first day, and he asked if we ever get rude customers, which in my eyes means unsatisfied. I told him maybe one a year and told him whatever their issue was we try to make it right because , eating one a year won't kill our business. I also said if it's something that is constantly happening(customer complaints) then the problem is with our business and not the consumer. So I would say eat it and try to make them happy it will go a long way. Also i do a pre consultation to find out what are any issues and their expectations. Followed by letting them know what we can deliver. And then it's up to them.