How justified is washing carpets in a car wash - perfect cleanliness or irreversible effect?

Owners of carpets at least once a year are faced with the need to carry out general cleaning of ingrained dust and dirt. Often, measures taken at home are clearly not enough. Chemical cleaning of carpets requires serious financial costs. All that remains is to take advantage of the numerous market offers. Washing carpets at a car wash combines speed and affordable price. The algorithm is simple: hand over the carpet and receive a clean one. However, not all so simple. There is a lot of evidence that after such washing the product loses its consumer properties. For the most part, this is due to a violation of the technology and technical requirements for performing this work.

Drying matters

After washing in the autobox, the carpet is hung to dry. This cannot be done, especially with fabrics made of natural fibers. The carpet, already heavy, stretches under its own weight and becomes deformed. Often glue bumps appear on the surface and the edges curl. No matter how they assure you that they will disappear later, this is not true - the process is irreversible.

Another disadvantage is that car washes are usually located near roads. The pile will inevitably absorb dust, soot, and exhaust gases. Therefore, when you decide to wash your carpet at a car wash, think about whether you are ready to inhale clearly unhealthy “odors” for the next few months?

On the issue of drying. At a car wash there are only two options for how to do this. In the warm season - outdoors. However, if the sun is scorching, there is a risk of colors fading. In winter, only a car box is available - a room with high humidity. In such conditions, the carpet takes a very long time to dry and eventually acquires an unpleasant musty smell.

Drying carpet at a car wash

How to promote your carpet cleaning service

The choice of ways to promote carpet cleaning services will depend on the target audience. If you are going to work for private clients, the best means would be to post advertisements in entrances, distribute leaflets and flyers to the mailboxes of residential buildings, place advertisements on the Internet, as well as create a selling website and advertising configured for it with Yandex.Direct and Google AdWords .

What information should be on the site

x
carpet cleaning :

• A video that clearly shows exactly how cleaning occurs and other convincing information that confirms the effectiveness of the work.
• Portfolio. A gallery of works of varying complexity that you have completed will certainly increase your confidence.
• Cost calculator. Since the final price is influenced by many parameters, for the convenience of the customer, give him the opportunity to calculate the total cost of the order himself. To do this, the user will need to specify the carpet material, square footage, degree of soiling and pile length.
• Reviews. There must be reviews of your work with client photos or reviews in video format.

Additional advertising may include advertising on a work vehicle, participation in specialized exhibitions on construction, design and cleaning, or advertising in the media. The latter is more acceptable on a barter basis, since the cost of placement on radio or TV is quite high for beginning entrepreneurs.

Keep in mind that the carpet cleaning business is seasonal. The period of high demand is the warm season - from March to August demand increases, from September to February (except for December, when it is observed) - it decreases. It is most effective to time your advertising placement around the holidays.

To work with organizations, it is advisable to have a sales specialist or a call center specialist on staff who can make hundreds of calls a day using a ready-made conversation script and offer services.

You should not forget about maintaining the loyalty of old customers. In order not to miss them, it is advisable to introduce a discount system or provide free dry cleaning, for example, when ordering the service 5 times.

Cleaning is a delicate matter

Pseudo craftsmen can ruin the carpet even before drying. If it is synthetic, then you do not need to worry about its safety. “Artificial” products are unpretentious, and they are practically not afraid of anything.

It's a different matter when it comes to natural materials (cotton, linen, silk, wool) and the composition of dyes or glue used in their production. Hand washing or treatment with a powerful Karcher jet will not work. This requires delicate cleaning using special equipment and products. If you don’t want to throw money away and voluntarily damage your own property, contact a dry cleaner.

Disadvantages of the method

Now let’s look at the disadvantages of this method of saving money and time.

1. Unprofessionalism! The workers are trained to wash cars, not carpets. Of course, conscientious people study the information in order to carry out quality cleaning, look at the labels, and study the manufacturer’s recommendations. But, judging by the reviews, this is done infrequently, and those who have applied for the service more often share negative experiences.
2. No one guarantees the availability of carpet cleaning products. Often the procedure is carried out using auto chemicals, which leads to damage to the pile and base.
3. Carpets are most often dried simply on a fence next to the road.
4. They can wash the carpet on the floor where the car recently stood.
5. High-pressure devices, knocking out all the dirt, are also capable of unwinding the pile threads.

I can assume that a lot of bad reviews are a consequence of the fact that the car wash employees do not know how or do not want to test detergents in inconspicuous areas of the product. Agree, if we don’t know whether a new product is suitable for cleaning our carpet, then first we try to apply it somewhere in the corner?

Errors are not immune

Is it possible to wash a carpet in a car wash? Definitely yes. The only question is how well it will be done.

Common mistakes when cleaning at the sink:

• High humidity. Excess moisture leads to deterioration of the glue, which swells, forming lumps. The base loses its shape. Without having time to dry out, the carpet begins to deteriorate.
• Excessive water pressure. A powerful jet often leads to unwinding of the pile threads.
• Incorrectly selected cleaning products. Car shampoos and other compounds from the same series destroy the canvas. As a result, it becomes hard, sticky, and spots appear. In addition, such substances can trigger allergies.
• Incorrect drying. Leads to product deformation and re-contamination.

Car wash employees, as a rule, do not have sufficient knowledge for proper processing, while a dry cleaning employee has the necessary skills, experience and an arsenal of special equipment.

Perhaps the only advantage of cleaning carpets at a car wash is the price, which does not hurt your wallet. But savings will be meaningless if the result does not live up to expectations.

Carpet cleaning at a car wash

Carpet washing

When organizing carpet cleaning with a Karcher automatic washer, it is worth considering that different models are designed to supply different powers of the outgoing water flow. Minimum pressure readings suggest 160.0 bar. Such pressure, if used inappropriately, can lead to loss of consumer qualities of the product. Events are organized as follows:

1. Place the carpet or rug on a platform or table surface that has been pre-cleaned, possibly using a washing unit.
2. When placing the product, I provide for a general slope of the surface to ensure drainage of excess water.
3. It is not recommended to clean products with a high content of adhesives under high pressure in order to avoid squeezing the latter out of the base. The same requirement applies to products with a low wool fiber content.
4. First of all, it is worth dry cleaning from fine suspension and dust formations using a powerful household vacuum cleaner.
5. Having set the minimum possible pressure of the washing equipment, pre-wash (moisten) the fleecy surface of the carpet.
6. Then prepare the detergent composition with its consumption determined by the standards for processing carpet products, in the proportions specified in the instructions for use.
7. Allowing a little time for the cleaning elements to work will allow them to do their job.
8. Rinse the carpet, remove excess water and arrange for the product to dry until it is completely dry.

Washing equipment

Important! If the complete drying regime is not observed, there is a high probability of mold formation and, as a result, the appearance of an unpleasant odor and rotting of the product.

Why don't carpet manufacturers recommend cleaning carpets yourself?

Manufacturers warn that when washing or cleaning carpets, the structure of its pile deteriorates - some of the fibers become hard or holes and gaps form on the surface.

After a wet wash, the product may lose its appearance, stretch on the sides, and acquire “wavy” ridges.

Also, when cleaning carpets, water washes out all the impregnations used in the manufacture of floor coverings, in particular, anti-allergenic, dirt-repellent and coatings against insect pests.

Many carpets cannot be washed because they may be damaged by the detergent, the color will be uneven or even stained.

From all this it follows that in many cases, after washing, the carpet may lose its presentable appearance, so decorating your interior after this is out of the question.

Is it allowed to wash a car near a private house and pond?

It is strictly prohibited to wash a car near a body of water. The driver’s actions cause damage to nature and have a detrimental effect on the natural object. That is why the law prohibits this.

You can clean up your car relatively calmly in your garden plot or in the courtyard of a private house. Consider the proximity of water bodies and other environmental sites. See how close your neighbor's property is to you. Streams of water flowing from the machine along with pollutants should not fall into water bodies or into the territory of neighbors.

You should not wash your car using auto chemicals, because they contain substances harmful to the environment. Washing a vehicle near a private house can be done relatively calmly, but it all depends on the neighbors who can send a complaint.

Automatic operation

Automatic car washes are more common abroad, but they are gradually gaining popularity here. They are divided into two types: portal and tunnel. The first are a U-shaped portal arch with brushes and spray nozzles attached to it, which moves back and forth relative to the car. The latter are similar to a conveyor belt, where a car, using a moving floor, moves through a tunnel with various cleaning mechanisms. For the client, the type of wash differs only in terms of time costs: tunnel washes work noticeably faster, and you don’t have to wait in line for a long time - the system can wash several cars sequentially at once. However, fast portal systems can wash a car in 5-10 minutes.

It is much more important to know the washing method, which, just like with manual stations, is divided into contact brush and non-contact.

Removing stains and odors from carpet with home remedies

During use, carpets inevitably become dirty and lose their original appearance. It’s even worse when, as a result of accident or careless handling, stains appear on your favorite carpet.

Examples of effective home remedies:

Removing stains

1. The greasy stain should be covered with starch or fine salt, then rinsed with water and a few drops of ammonia. After 5-7 minutes, rinse the mixture with warm water and dry.
2. Coffee and tea. Blot fresh stains with a cloth and wash with soapy water. Old stains must first be treated with glycerin and left for 12 hours.
3. Blood. Fresh stains can be cleaned with cold water. If the stain does not come off, additionally use simple laundry soap.
4. Juices are eliminated with an aqueous solution of washing powder with soda, which is sprayed onto the stain and washed off with water after 5-10 minutes.
5. Stubborn stains will be removed by a mixture of 100 ml of peroxide with 2 tbsp. spoons of baking soda. Apply to carpet and rub. Repeated applications of the solution are necessary until the stains disappear. Then, remove the remaining mixture with a vacuum cleaner.
6. Lemon juice or citric acid applied to the carpet for 2 hours will help remove dried dirt and ink.

Elimination of odors

1. The musty smell can also be eliminated with a mixture of 2 liters of warm water with 1 tablespoon of soda and 2 tablespoons of acetic acid. Apply the solution for a few minutes and then rinse with water. Dry the carpet thoroughly.
2. Smell of vomit. It is enough to add two large spoons of soda to 1.5 liters of warm water. Rub the resulting solution into the carpet with a sponge and leave for several hours. After drying, you need to vacuum the rug.
3. Smell of dampness and mold. For this purpose, fungicides in the form of sprays are suitable: “Fongifluid”, “Prosept Fungi Clean”, “Glutoclean”.

Restoration with salt

Another way to restore long pile carpet is to use salt. This is a particularly effective way to recover after washing. The process consists of several stages.

Sprinkle salt on the damaged areas and distribute evenly. Leave the damaged areas alone for several hours, or better yet, overnight. Wet the brush and spread the salt over the surface. Remove the remains with a vacuum cleaner.

Instead of salt in the same way, some housewives carry out cleaning and restoration with pine sawdust. They not only clean well, but also fill the room with an incredible smell.

How to wash a carpet with Karcher: procedure

Cleaning carpets at home with Karcher takes a long time. Make sure in advance that nothing distracts from the work process.

Carpet washing

Follow this procedure:

1. Fill the device with clean water.
2. Rinse the rug so that it is well saturated with water.
3. Fill the foam container with carpet cleaner.
4. Attach the foam nozzle to the hose.
5. Apply foam to the entire surface of the carpet.
6. Treat heavily soiled areas thoroughly.
7. Wait 15-20 minutes for the active foam to take effect.
8. Remove the foam nozzle.
9. Rinse the pile with clean water.

For the best rinsing of dirty foam, we recommend pointing the nozzle at an angle of 15-20 degrees. It is undesirable to direct the jet at an angle of 90 degrees, i.e. almost vertical. Otherwise, dirt will penetrate deeply into the structure of the pile.

Details on how to clean carpets from various stains

Suitable devices and accessories

The best models of Karcher vacuum cleaners

1. Washing vacuum cleaner SE400 with extraction function. Equipped with a shock-resistant perimeter bumper, tubes with extractors, and numerous attachments.
2. The SE6.100 washing vacuum cleaner operates using a spraying and simultaneous extraction system.
3. Puzzi 8/1 is a washing vacuum cleaner equipped with a suction hose with water supply.
4. Puzzi 10/1. The device has a wide spectrum of action.
5. Puzzi 10/2 Adv: Washing vacuum cleaner with antifoam dispenser.
6. Puzzi 30/4 vacuum cleaner with extraction function.
7. The WD 3 Premium Home vacuum cleaner is compact in size, powerful and inexpensive.
8. VC 4 s CORDLESS PLUS vertical compact vacuum cleaner for dry cleaning.
9. DS 6 PREMIUM vacuum cleaner with extraction function, removable aquafilter, and long (11.2 m) cord and hose.

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Karcher products for wet cleaning of carpets

1. RM 519 carpet wet cleaner, 1 l. Liquid, quick-drying agent for periodic cleaning of carpets, carpeted floors, etc.
2. Carpet impregnation agent Care Tex RM 762, 500 ml. An effective long-term protective agent for all textile coverings. Creates a dirt-repellent protective layer on carpets that slows down re-contamination.
3. Powder detergent RM 760, 0.8 g. Effective powder detergent for general cleaning with the CarpetPro RM 760 Classic washing vacuum cleaner.

Well-known detergents from other companies

1. Carpet cleaner “Cinderella”.
2. Amway cleaner.
3. "Vanish" for carpets.
4. “Shine” product for cleaning carpets.
5. "Pure cover."