Confused about inline sprayers and how to use a rinse

[Alexander14]

Hey all,

I’m new to this so apologies for any ignorance. I have a friend who owns a bunch of carpet cleaning equipment that he is going to let me start using it on the side. He no longer uses it. He’s gonna be showing me how to use it in the next week or so, but to prepare I’ve been reading this forum and watching videos as I go to be prepared beforehand. I even bought some of Rob’s chemicals and the HWE course.

The equipment is a portable and a 175 rotary - not sure as to what specifics.

Now, I’m still confused by a lot and I feel that his methods aren’t 100% so I want to make sure I do it right. For one, I asked if he had a sprayer and he told me he pre sprays with the wand on since it’s the same. I was shocked because after googling I haven’t seen or heard of anyone doing that!

Now I was going to buy an in-line sprayer but I’m quite confused on how it works and what exactly it is vs. a pump up. I see it hooks up to the portable but I don’t see what the purpose is?

Secondly, I don’t understand how to apply a rinse. I understand you use the same chemical for a pre spray and the actual extraction, but then how do you do the rinse? You dump out the machine, put new water, and then add rinse product?

Maybe I’m just very ignorant about how to actually use a portable because the hot water extraction course didn’t actually go into detail about how to use the equipment, specifically a portable. Adding water, chemical, set up, pressure, etc. if someone could point me in the right direction of where to learn stuff like that, that would be great. I was thinking of doing an IICRC course.

 

[mrotto]

I understand you use the same chemical for a pre spray and the actual extraction

you do?

 

[Alexander14]

you do?

Maybe I don’t? Like I said, I’m not afraid to admit my ignorance. Just want to learn as much as I can.

 

[Alexander14]

Maybe I don’t? Like I said, I’m not afraid to admit my ignorance. Just want to learn as much as I can.

I see the chemicals mention they can be used as a pre spray or for the actual cleaning so that’s what I mean.

I understand the process of vacuum, pre spray, agitate (using 175 or CRB), and extract.

 

[OxiFreshGuy]

In real simple terms - most soils are broken down in a chemical pH range of 8-10pH. This is usually the chemical you would pre-spray with.

Those same chemicals are neutralized by chemicals in the 4-6pH. So no, the rinse in your portable is not the same as what you pre-spray with.

Again, that is extremely simplified layman terms.

 

[Jim Davisson]

You can extract with just tap water, soft water, or water with diluted prespray, water with a rinse formula, RO water. The task at hand will eventually tell you which and how much and what pH is best. No simple answer.

Everyday residential soils don't have to stray to far from neutral, greasy soils from a kitchen or parking lot you should run hot, 11 pH on stain resistant a 10 (not much out there in spec to sweat), urine you should run low, below a 6 in your prespray. More to it than that, but a basic primer.

 

[Luky]

I see the chemicals mention they can be used as a pre spray or for the actual cleaning so that’s what I mean.

I understand the process of vacuum, pre spray, agitate (using 175 or CRB), and extract.

Hey, how are you? So, you're asking valid questions, because you're not sure how to proceed and that's okay Your friend didn't have time or knowledge ( or both , to give you viable advice. When comes to presprays, they can be on alkaline or acidic side. If you dont have injection sprayer available, you can use 2 gallon ( 1 gal, 3 gal) hand pressure pump to disperse prespray of your choice. If you're just starting out, less chemistry is all right, since you don't want to leave carpet with soap residue and crusty. I suggest not to run any chemistry through the portable system other then rinse. Most of available presprays are going to be alkaline, ideally , for residential carpeting you want to stay around 12 on Ph value or lower, on commercial carpeting you can up your game. After mixing your prespray with warm or hot water, depending on directions for the product, you apply it on the carpet evenly with a slow swaying motion of your pump wand
( nozzle) keep distance of the nozzle about 15" frombthe surface to avoid excessive spraying in the air, so you don't have to breathe vapors. To break soil in the carpet and achieve faster soil suspension agitate surface with a carpet rake( CRB or 175). After that you may add a few oz. of rinse product to your fresh water tank in your portable( mildly acidic aeound 5, 6 on Ph scale.), especially if alkaline product was used as a prespray agent. This step will ensure that carpet will stay soft and free of soap residue. That'll prevent risk of gast resoiling. To enhance cleaning effects of presprays you can add in your fresh water tank detergent of your choice( just info for the future jobs) If you're satisfied with outcome of your extraction process, you can groom carpet with a grandi broom or the same carpet rake
( black short bristles ) just make to rinse the bristles before you groom the carpet. You're making your way out from the furthest point in the house. You've protected customers walls with a corner buddies ( guards) and covered surrounding surfaces ( hardwood floors, tile, linoleum) with floor blankets
( tarps), while doing pre inspection ( walk through)If you do have in your equipment arsenal air movers
( 900 - 4500 Cfm -cubic feet per minute of moving air), you're welcome to use it. It'll speed up drying process by large margins, customers like to walk on almost dry carpet while carpet cleaner is still in their house.
Learn, work, make the moneee and enjoy your life.....

 

[Luky]

I was hoping that @OxiFreshGuy and @Jim Davisson will chime in. Numbers may vary, but concept stays the same....

 

[Alexander14]

Hey, how are you? So, you're asking valid questions, because you're not sure how to proceed and that's okay Your friend didn't have time or knowledge ( or both , to give you viable advice. When comes to presprays, they can be on alkaline or acidic side. If you dont have injection sprayer available, you can use 2 gallon ( 1 gal, 3 gal) hand pressure pump to disperse prespray of your choice. If you're just starting out, less chemistry is all right, since you don't want to leave carpet with soap residue and crusty. I suggest not to run any chemistry through the portable system other then rinse. Most of available presprays are going to be alkaline, ideally , for residential carpeting you want to stay around 12 on Ph value or lower, on commercial carpeting you can up your game. After mixing your prespray with warm or hot water, depending on directions for the product, you apply it on the carpet evenly with a slow swaying motion of your pump wand
( nozzle) keep distance of the nozzle about 15" frombthe surface to avoid excessive spraying in the air, so you don't have to breathe vapors. To break soil in the carpet and achieve faster soil suspension agitate surface with a carpet rake( CRB or 175). After that you may add a few oz. of rinse product to your fresh water tank in your portable( mildly acidic aeound 5, 6 on Ph scale.), especially if alkaline product was used as a prespray agent. This step will ensure that carpet will stay soft and free of soap residue. That'll prevent risk of gast resoiling. To enhance cleaning effects of presprays you can add in your fresh water tank detergent of your choice( just info for the future jobs) If you're satisfied with outcome of your extraction process, you can groom carpet with a grandi broom or the same carpet rake
( black short bristles ) just make to rinse the bristles before you groom the carpet. You're making your way out from the furthest point in the house. You've protected customers walls with a corner buddies ( guards) and covered surrounding surfaces ( hardwood floors, tile, linoleum) with floor blankets
( tarps), while doing pre inspection ( walk through)If you do have in your equipment arsenal air movers
( 900 - 4500 Cfm -cubic feet per minute of moving air), you're welcome to use it. It'll speed up drying process by large margins, customers like to walk on almost dry carpet while carpet cleaner is still in their house.
Learn, work, make the moneee and enjoy your life.....

Thank you!! This really helped a lot. The entire time I was thinking the same product goes in the pre spray as well as the extractor. That answers that question.

I’m slowly understanding the chemical part and the theory of carpet cleaning, but not the part of actually handling the equipment and how to use the equipment, since I haven’t had a chance to use it. That’s the part that’s confusing me.

 

[Luky]

Thank you!! This really helped a lot. The entire time I was thinking the same product goes in the pre spray as well as the extractor. That answers that question.

I’m slowly understanding the chemical part and the theory of carpet cleaning, but not the part of actually handling the equipment and how to use the equipment, since I haven’t had a chance to use it. That’s the part that’s confusing me.

It's important to know what are you working with. Do you know make and model of portable you're going to be using?
We'd have a better idea on how to help you depending on strength of the unit. Is it 100, 200, 500 psi, how many vacuum motors does it have, how strong it is ( 2 stage, 3 stage, diameter, etc.) What is a length of the vacuum hose, its diameter ( 1.5", 2"), how many jets on your wand , what are the numbers on jets. We can walk you through cleaning techniques step by step. Once you start, common sense will kick in.
Send me your email address, I might be cleaning my house tomorrow, and I can show you a few steps if you like.

 

[brian3180]

It will all come together a little easier once you have the equipment in front of you.

 

[OxiFreshGuy]

I think Luky pretty much outlined it for you. Honestly, as long as you use good quality chemicals like TMF or Bridgepointe and follow the instructions on the bottle you will be fine.

 

[Alexander14]

It's important to know what are you working with. Do you know make and model of portable you're going to be using?
We'd have a better idea on how to help you depending on strength of the unit. Is it 100, 200, 500 psi, how many vacuum motors does it have, how strong it is ( 2 stage, 3 stage, diameter, etc.) What is a length of the vacuum hose, its diameter ( 1.5", 2"), how many jets on your wand , what are the numbers on jets. We can walk you through cleaning techniques step by step. Once you start, common sense will kick in.
Send me your email address, I might be cleaning my house tomorrow, and I can show you a few steps if you like.

Hey lucky, I appreciate that. I’ll PM you it

 

[Dream Clean]

I may have passed it too quick but I didn't see much about the injection sprayer question. The purpose of it is you mix a more concentrated version of the prespray you use in the 5 quart jug on it. Most prespray will give you the amount you should add for that. Then you attach it to your solution line and it mixes it properly for you. The benefit of this is you're basically carrying around 9 gallons of RTU prespray in a one gallon size. It cuts down on trips to the truck to make more especially if it's a larger gob. It also cuts down on weight when you would be using a 2-3 gallon pump or electric sprayer.

The usefulness of one of these for you depends on the type of portable you'll be using. If it has an auto fill feature it would work well because you have unlimited water. If you need to fill the portable by bucket, its 6 of one half dozen of the other. Fill your sprayer more or fill your portable more. Either way you need to leave the wand to get more water. Hope this helps!

 

[rob allen]

Watch this?

 

[Scott W]

Basic steps of Hot Water Extraction (HWE) carpet cleaning method. Their are other methods of carpet cleaning. Even in the general HWE method, there are some accepted variations and a few more variations done simply to save time but may not produce good results.

1. Move furnishings. Some move only a few items while others move everything. I usually moved anything that did not sit flat on the carpet.
2. Vacuum the carpet
3. Prespray with the cleaning agent. Different products for different fibers and soils. Prespray can be done with a pump-up sprayer or an in-line sprayer that gets pressurized by water pressure rather than by your arm pumping it. There are also air pressure sprayers.
4. Spray an are you can clean in 10 to 15 minutes. This allows dwell time for the prespray chemical to work but not so much time that it can dry out.
5. Use some type of agitation to work the chemical into the carpet and mechanical action to separate soil from fibers. This can be by hand with a rake or grooming tool or any of several mechanical tools including your 175 RPM floor machine with the proper type of brush for the fiber and carpet style.
6. Rinse with hot water. Usually a very highly diluted rinse agent in the rinse step. This is the water that is in your fresh water tank of the portable. Acid rinse for less residue, softer feeling carpet, stays clean longer. Alkaline rinse for more cleaning punch on heavy soils.
7. Rake or brush or groom to stand up the fibers and look like new.