Freeze Warning!

As we move toward the end of October, temperatures in the the northern part of the US and all of Canada will begin to drop below freezing at night, and in the next couple of months perhaps during the day. Cleaners are aware of the need to protect their equipment during this season, but often overlook the damage that freezing might do to their cleaning products.

While most products will work as well after freezing if they are thawed out, there are a few categories that may be permanently damaged if left out in the cold overnight. These includes:

• Carpet Protector
• Liquid Enzyme products
• Floor Finishes

Some of these products, especially protectors, are sold as "freeze/thaw stable", but most are not. Leaving such products in an unheated vehicle overnight when temperatures go below freezing risks a loss of the product's performance.

Even though most other cleaning and spotting products do not lose effectiveness when frozen, the fact that you'd start your day trying to pour a frozen bottle of prespray (as an example) into a measuring cup is not likely going to be pleasant or productive for you.

If you cannot store your vehicle in a heated garage overnight, remove all of your cleaning agents and other treatments and bring them inside for the night. It will protect those very important (and expensive) protectors, deodorizers and floor finishes. It will also make the use of all of your other products easier and less annoying while you cope with the unavoidable annoyances cold weather brings to us all.

Stryker Cleaning & Extraction Wand

This new carpet cleaning wand is changing how carpet is cleaned! The primary reason that this tool was invented was to create a wand that minimizes repetitive stress issues with what used to be called "the trigger hand".

The Stryker eliminates two key stress areas in the following ways:

1. Solution Flow. On the Stryker wand, this is controlled by an ball valve that is activated by the left hand. This allows the right hand (or opposite if you are left handed) to simply push the wand.


2. Wand Use: The handle on the Stryker is designed to be used like a wood plane, or saw handle. This "straight push" design allows for easier movement of the arm, and eliminates the "45 degree" grip needed when the operators hand has to reach around a conventional wand tube and activate the solution valve.

In addition to these two ergonomic improvements, the design of the cleaning head enabled hot water to flow out of several small holes instead of jets, which means that the hot solution pours directly onto the carpet yarns, rather than allowing heat and pressure loss into the air.

Finally, the rotomolded body gives unimpeded airflow for better extraction and drying.

Try this wand out with our 30 day "no questions asked" money back guarantee!

Upholstery Pro Tool

This tool has changed the way that I clean upholstery, and it can for you too.

The Upholstery Pro is more than "just another dry tool". Instead it combines a shearing effect to keep cleaning solution from penetrating into fabric, along with a light weight design and a few never before used features that put this tool head and shoulders above the rest.

The features that make this tool so unique include its ability to use either a conventional "off on" trigger, or a "constant flow" design that only needs to be turned off when the fabric is vacuumed or the tool is moved. This enables the operator to have maximum solution flow control on delicate natural fibers when needed, and constant flow for increased heat and decreased fatigue on heavily soiled synthetics.

Perhaps the most overlooked feature is the design of the face of the tool that contacts the fabric. The rounded design and jetless flow has nearly eliminated cleaning tool marks and texture distortion during cleaning. This makes this tool ideal on microfibers, velvets, and chenille.

If you wish to try a tool that is easy to use, easy on textures, and yet aggressive enough to clean the most soiled fabrics, give the Upholstery Pro a try. As with any Pembertons purchase, you have the security of knowing that we will honor our 30 day, no questions asked, money back guarantee if you don't love this tool.

FAQs - Is It Really Possible to Dry Carpet Before Leaving the Job?

Question:
Hey Jim,
Do you have some thoughts on this Dri-Eaz Studebaker AirPath? I heard that the carpet dries when you leave the job.

-------------------------------Answer:
Thanks for your interest in the Dri-Eaz AirPath.

The speed of which the Airpath will dry a carpet varies with the cleaning method used, the carpet fiber type, and the atmospheric conditions in the structure.

More simply put:
Heavily soiled carpets that require extensive preconditioning treatments take longer to dry.

Carpets cleaned with portable machines with weak vacuum and high pressure pumps take longer to dry.

Wool carpet takes longer to dry than do synthetic fiber carpets.

Carpet cleaned in a dwelling without air conditioning when there is high humidity outside will take longer to dry.

Homes where the entire carpet as well as the upholstery is cleaned, will generate a great deal more water vapor during the evaporation process, and will take longer to dry than they might when only a living room, dining room, and a hallway or stairs are cleaned.

Carpets that have protector applied will take longer to dry.

With all of the above factors in mind, our experience has been that nylon carpet cleaned in an environment of controlled humidity (A/C in summer, as an example) with a truck mount system in good operating condition and 300 CFM or more airflow will dry in about 15 minutes in the room that the AirPath is running. If you add any of the above factors into the equation, the drying time can extend to a few hours or more even with the AirPath.

Jim Pemberton-------------------------------Question:
My equipment has a vacuum 16" Hg: 280 CFM with installed SOVC. I always connect
my auto pump out for my recovery tank and also a inline aqua filter to reduce
debris getting inside the recovery tank. My question is: Will the CFM decrease?
Jim, thank you for your response about the performance of Dri-Eaz Studebaker AirPath.-------------------------------Answer:
Your equipment specifications are such that you should be able to have carpet fairly dry if not dry when you leave the job, although you should still bear in mind the variables of "heavy preconditioning wetting", wool absorbency, the extra moisture left behind after protector application, and the environmental conditions.

In line filtration devices are a great convenience, and will help to prevent clogging in your automatic pump out. However, they do restrict airflow; the amount of which varies somewhat with design, but mostly with how often you clean the filter.

Jim

FAQs - Dry Cleaning Equipment

Jim,

We are looking to do on-site drapery cleaning and looking for a portable machine that will accommodate water and solvent (depending on the material) and a low moisture tool like the DryMaster. Can you offer any suggestions? Thanks a lot.

- Eric
--------------
Hello Eric,

Thank you for your interest in our cleaning equipment. The machine that we offer for dry cleaning of draperies, as well as "wet" and "dry" cleaning of upholstery is the Kleenrite 204.

You can find information about this machine on our on line catalog at:
http://pembertonstore.com/portable-kleenrite-c-1_9_48.html

Regarding Your Question About The Drimaster Tool:
The Kleenrite machine (as well as other wet/dry cleaning machines) is designed to use water or solvent at low liquid pressure and volume. This design was the safest way to clean upholstery until the advent of "dry" tools, such as the Drimaster.

Unfortunately, the Drimaster tool requires more solution pressure and more vacuum to function properly, so while technically advanced in nature, it does not suit the Kleenrite system of cleaning upholstery.

Cleaners who want the advantages in safely and performance of the Drimaster Tool will purchase the Kleenrite Sphere, which does not dry clean, but can produce solution pressure up to 200 PSI, and has a large, 3 stage vacuum motor so that the machine best suits the Drimaster Tool.

You can find information on the Sphere on the same page with the Kleenrite 204.

Whichever machine you purchase from us, we are also prepared to train you on how to test and identify what you are cleaning, and also how to clean all fabrics and get results that you can be proud of.

- Jim Pemberton
----------------
Portable with Solvent (continued)

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the info. I was given your info by Gary Funari at Unsmoke. He was in So. Cal last week teaching a IICRC class on smoke/fire/odors and he gave you high marks as a pro in our industry.

We are a textile restoration company that has traditionally removed drapes and cleaned them in-house. Drapes and upholstery only account for about 5% of our volume but i wanted to get a portable to do some of the work on-site. The info on the KleenRite machines is great. Thanks for sending me the link. Is there an advantage to "Recirculating Solution" feature offered by the 214Hx? What tools come with the unit, or what are the recommended low moisture tools compatible with these units?

Next big question...What about solutions and solvents? Given our niche do you have recommendations?

What is the shipping turn around on the unit and chemicals? We have jobs we would like to take to coming up. Thanks for your help.

- Eric
------------
Eric,

I believe the systems you've looked at will help you toward your goals. I met with Gary Funari at an instructors conference in Washington last weekend, and he told me that you would be contacting us. I'm sure you enjoyed what you learned from him.

He likely told you that we train those who invest in our cleaning systems; I'm not sure how your time demands and the distance will allow for that service, but it is here for you to take advantage of.

To your specific question:
The recirculating feature does not give you enough advantages to pay the extra money for the feature. It is especially difficult to switch your system from water based solutions to solvent based solutions and back again with ANY system. The recirculation system makes that task even more tedious.

Thus for someone who likely wants to use this system for dual purposes, I feel you are better to use the Kleenrite 204 than the Kleenrite 214.

Regarding tools:
While dry tools are rarely suitable for units such as the 204, I have found that you can use the following tool found at the same link as you observed the machines:

Hydry Deluxe - 4.5" Upholstery Cleaning Tool
This improved version of our former HyDry tool will revolutionize the way upholstery is cleaned! With the new internal valve...

There is a vacuum adjustment on the tool that will allow you to balance the vacuum and pressure and get some of the benefits that most want from such a tool. The Drimaster Tool on the same page would not be useful in this application.

We have two choices in drapery tools that are not on the site. I can get you more information on them if you like; they essential are "cheap, light, easy to use", versus "technically advanced, heavy, and difficult to use".

I can prepare a list of the cleaning products that you should need if you can give me a clarification on your goals.

1. Are you going to attempt to clean all soft contents with this system, from small area rugs, textile upholstery, as well as draperies and other window coverings?


2. Or are you simply buying this system to clean window coverings that might not be safe to clean in an in-plant process?

Finally, please understand that this system cannot clean soot and smoke damaged draperies as deeply as an in plant system. It does work very well for draperies that have been damaged by infiltrated smoke and dust, but does not remove "hot smoke" residues or oily soot well.

Turn around time can be a few weeks, depending on the manufacturer's inventory. You can receive products from us in one week from our location here in Pennsylvania.

Thank you again for your interest,
Jim Pemberton