Are You Doing Enough? By Jason Hensley
Are You Doing Enough?
Question: Which is the biggest enemy of carpet?
a. Pet urine
b. Red wine/Kool-Aid
c. Dry soil
d. Paint/oil/grease
e. Bleach
Answer: c. Dry soil
Of all the things we find in carpet, dry soil is the most problematic. Ironically, it is probably the least addressed. The S001 Carpet Cleaning Standard, Section C states:
“One of the most critical, though often neglected responsibilities of carpet owners involves routine maintenance.”
Section D Sub-Section 3 e. states: “All carpet must be pre-vacuumed carefully before other cleaning techniques are employed, regardless of the method of cleaning used. Special emphasis should be placed on vacuuming major entry areas where soils accumulate.”
Who do you think can do a better job at vacuuming carpet-you or the client?
At a recent chapter meeting, I spoke to cleaners who have the client pre-vacuum prior to the commencement of the job. It is my experience that most consumers don’t realize the importance of vacuuming. So, they only do it once every 1-2 weeks, AND, don’t do a very thorough job. Couple this with the average $100 department store vacuum, and what you have is a severe buildup of dry soil in the carpet, which you are attempting to clean.
Even for those cleaners who do pre-vacuum, walking into a house where the vacuuming is not done frequently by the consumer can pose a daunting task. In those situations, even the best commercial vacuum is only picking up a little more than HALF the dry soil present in the carpet. Many cleaners believe that they don’t need to pre-vac. They have the notion that their truck mounts, with waste tank filters and in-line filters are sufficient to remove the dry soil present in the carpet. The IICRC recommends that, ‘A top fill upright vacuum with brush agitation or a canister vacuum with a “power head” incorporating brush agitation should be selected and used with routine frequency.’
I choose to pre-vacuum each and every job I encounter. Even if the client told me they just vacuumed, I still do it. Why? Because I know I will do a better, more thorough job than they will. That is because I am more practiced at the art of vacuuming. I know that they did not vacuum under the furniture I am moving. Nor, did they vacuum the crevices and corners and up the walls and around the ceilings where cobwebs accumulate. If you are not in the habit of pre-vacuuming, you may feel that it just adds too much time to the job and costs you more time, which equates to money lost. My answer to that is to charge more and get a better job and happier customer from the experience.
As members of Carpet & Fabricare Institute, we set ourselves apart as professionals who care about the consumer. Even our Code of Ethics drives the point home. May I submit, that as professionals, we should pledge to bring the very best of customer service to our clientele in every situation?
Submitted By Jason Hensley
CFI Orange County Director
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