Grandi groomer ?

[White Collar]

I use the rotovac so I don't use a power scrubber. However I would like something that does a good job working the prespray into the carpet. Is the grandi groomer my best bet or is there something else fairly inexpensive for manual scrubbing?

 

[Larry B]

Only thing cheaper is the shoe

 

[White Collar]

I didnt say cheaper. I want something better but not real expensive.. just curious.

 

[Josh Adler]

prochem procaps would work ok...costs more then a groomer but less then a 175

 

[TimP]

You can get a push broom that many use. The grandi don't do much of a job scrubbing....a shoe does better. If I was you I'd run some emulsifier and put down the right ammount of pre-spray (enough to wet the fibers but not the backing about 200 ft or less per gallon) and strong enough stuff first, then if you needed more go to the hammer and 175 it.

 

[Chads]

I thought the rotovac and rx-20 did the scrubbing for ya, what your problem you need more than that you need either better chemicals or change your complete method of cleaning.

 

[Art Kelley]

Thats why I stopped using my RX-20 after less than a year. I had to bring in the 175 on many jobs. It was like "what the duck?", why am I bringing in this big stupid machine if I also have to bring in the 175? Lose the rotovac. A glided wand beats it every day of the week.

 

[White Collar]

I'm wasnt saying I am not happy with the rotovac. I think it does a great job, I was just wondering if there was even a bit more I could be doing.

I have never prescrubbed and wanded, but I have used a wand quite a bit and was never very impressed.

 

[White Collar]

As far as chemicals, Ive used judsons and just started using cobbs powermax today.

 

[Bill Soukoreff]

Thats why I stopped using my RX-20 after less than a year. I had to bring in the 175 on many jobs. It was like "what the duck?", why am I bringing in this big stupid machine if I also have to bring in the 175? Lose the rotovac. A glided wand beats it every day of the week.

Man is that the truth.

 

[Greenie]

Might as well just get a 15" pushbroom, you are looking for one step up from a grandi, but not quite a mechanized machine right?
Also look on ebay and such for 2nd hand HOST machines, pretty cool tool.

btw: not all wands are created equal, so don't give up on that approach so easily, some jobs just don't need a rotovac, and it's your opportunity to make some time and cash.

 

[jstucky]

A Sebo Dry Cleaning Scrubber is the cheapest power scrubber you will probably find...I think $300 or so to buy one..maybe a touch more..plug in and scrub...two cyldrical brushes loaded with bristles..

 

[Walt]

prochem procaps would work ok...costs more then a groomer but less then a 175

??? Procaps is over 1000. You can easily find a 175 for 500-700 - used much less.Check craigslist.org

BTW - The local prochem dealer thinks the procaps is a poorly designed. Several have been in multiple repairs with in a month. If you are spending the money on a crb - get a whittiker. I bought mine used for 300. I don't think the guy new what it was.

 

[steve g]

use a better formulated prespray and you will not need to do much scrubbing, guys that are 175ing every job aren't using the right juice, I don't see a lot of difference scrubbing residential generally, I do see a difference if its a trashed low loop carpet in a greasy warehouse and I am running an olefin preconditioner, I mostly use a carpet brush if I feel the need to agitate, enough of a properly formulated prespray will get get job done. I think alot of this goes back to guys not using enough volume of the prespray, a multisprayer flat out doesn't put out enough volume

 

[Guest]

Get a deck brush from home depot,it about a foot across and 6inchs thick,works good for times when you dont want to use a big rotary.(push broom? :roll: )

 

[J Scott W]

For sme carpet styles the Grandi Brush works better than the Grandi-Groom. I always had one of each on the van.

If you want to work faster, you can get a double Groomer, esssentially two Grandi Groomers bolted together to do twice the width carpet with each stroke.

Scott Warrington

 

[XTREME1]

rake it in and dwell time is your friend. You don't need much more than that.

When I use the Rotovac I clean with the rotovac then rinse again with my glided wand

 

[TimP]

rake it in and dwell time is your friend. You don't need much more than that.

When I use the Rotovac I clean with the rotovac then rinse again with my glided wand

Way too much work right there....


I mix up about 5 gallons of prespray, after I vacuum of course. Start at the furthest point and spray my way out of the house (heavily) as far as I can go with the 5 gallons up to 1000 sq ft. Then I start pulling hoses, by the time I pull the hoses the first bit of prespray has dwelled and saturated the carpet plenty no groomer required unless it's really bad, I may shoe scrub some spots. Then I rinse with an emulsifier through my greenhorn.....the emulsifier gets the tough spots the ps couldn't get all of. If that don't get it then it's time for the 175 or in my case a pad on my rx-20. I've been saving tons of time with this method. The prespray wont dry for sure since it's way wetter than when I leave after extraction and it takes at least 2 hours to dry after I leave.

 

[XTREME1]

When I use the Rotovac

 

[Ernie G]

Tim, I agree with giving it dwell time, but to prespray 1000 sq. feet at one time is alittle much. If its heavy soil conditions, maybe you spray two rooms at a time, but we would never prespray never prespray 1000 sq. ft at a time.

 

[sweendogg]

Tim, I agree with giving it dwell time, but to prespray 1000 sq. feet at one time is alittle much. If its heavy soil conditions, maybe you spray two rooms at a time, but we would never prespray never prespray 1000 sq. ft at a time.

And he means it... doubly so.

 

[TimP]

Why would you not????? Give me a good reason!! Come on. Having it dry isn't a reason cause I don't mist my carpet. Slip and fall isn't a reason cause I let my custy know when it's wet plus most custys are affraid to touch the carpet once I do. And dry times aren't an issue either.

 

[Larry Cobb]

White Collar;

If you need more agitation...

why not just run the RV360 quickly over the prespray.

It would provide more agitation in those tough spots.

If the prespray is given 10-15 min., the RV 360 extraction pass should get the soil out.

Larry

 

[Ernie G]

Tim, I don't mean to give you a bad time about this issue, its just my opinion and the IICRC that you don't prespray that far ahead. You are right that one of the reasons is because your prespray drying, but also if you spray to heavy you will over wet down to the pad(its not worth the risk) jmho.

 

[TimP]

Tim, I don't mean to give you a bad time about this issue, its just my opinion and the IICRC that you don't prespray that far ahead. You are right that one of the reasons is because your prespray drying, but also if you spray to heavy you will over wet down to the pad(its not worth the risk) jmho.

I'm very aware of what the IICRC teaches. I have plenty of patches myself.

I don't mist my prespray. And water doesn't move once attached to fiber, and to penetrate the latex backing takes a ton of moisture. The moisture is suspended. I have never had my carpet take too long to dry and have very very few call backs. But you have your opinion and I have mine. The only worry would be drying and if you don't under apply or over apply your prespray (very difficuilt to do) then you have no worries. Everyone is so worried about putting too much water down with prespray and I find that's the biggest problem cleaners have is that they don't get the fiber wet throughout to get it clean. I don't use a hydroforce so I don't use high pressure to apply my prespray. I use a battery sprayer and mix up 2 2.5 gal tubs. Talk with greenie he will tell you how he applied his prespray, and I guarantee he put more moisture down when he was cleaning than I do.


Oh and think about this. I apply 5gallons to 1,000 sq ft. That's .005 gallons per sq ft. There are 128 oz per gallon and 1% of that is .64 ounces per square ft. Now how that can wet the padding is beyond me. Or is my math wrong.

 

[Ernie G]

Well, I guess you put me in my place with all your two years of experience, EXCUSE ME!!!!!

 

[TimP]

Don't get all pushed out of shape. Unless you try something you shouldn't feel you know that it don't work. I have tried it both ways and I have found that I save a lot of time especially fuel/wear and tear by not having my truck mount run while pre-spraying. I'm not saying that everyone should do it. If it caused me problems do you think I'd continue to do it. No I wouldn't. Plus I've been around on the boards long enough to know that there are many who put more PS down than I do and have great dry times. Plus IICRC states carpet should be dry in 8 hours or less. I guarantee that my PS would dry in less than 8 hours. How's that food for thought since I don't inject moisture into padding with a battery sprayer.

 

[Ernie G]

Thats great Tim, sounds like you got it all figured out.

 

[joey895]

I'm pretty much the same as Tim. I pre-spray pretty heavy and as far ahead as I feel I can without it drying. Then I set up my hoses and start cleaning my way out. Those last rooms to get cleaned have had a ton of dwell time and they are usually the dirtiest rooms in the house and after all the more dwell time the better. I find that I rarely need to scrub a carpet to get excellent results. I also have an orginal rotovac that rarely gets used but I find that I never need to pre-scrub when I do use it.

 

[TimP]

Thank you Joey.


I guess us 2 yr Veterans have to stick together huh. :mrgreen: