| The article is about how to deal with some of the | | | | water hose and completely incased it in foam |
| situations you find yourself in as a carpet cleaner | | | | insulation. This is the type you get to protect |
| in an Alaskan type environment. Hi, I have been a | | | | pipes from freezing. This keeps the hose off of |
| professional carpet cleaner in Anchorage Alaska | | | | the cold ground and insulates it from heat loss. |
| for more than 30 years. I know of which I speak. | | | | If your hoses do freeze up you will first notice |
| The weather | | | | that you have less water pressure. Immediately |
| As professional carpet cleaners we never like | | | | bring the hoses in and put them in a bathtub full |
| turning away work or having to call and | | | | of hot water. Always have a section of hose with |
| reschedule jobs and sometimes we might not use | | | | you to replace the frozen section. Bring it in the |
| the best judgment when it comes to weather | | | | home or building with you so it does not freeze in |
| conditions. | | | | the van. |
| Having cleaned carpets in Anchorage Alaska for all | | | | If you are doing a flooding extraction job where |
| of these years and with our long winter season, | | | | the water you are extracting is not warm then |
| we have had plenty of opportunities to learn | | | | you might encounter problems with your waste |
| these lessons. | | | | hose freezing up. The best thing you can do is to |
| Lesson number one- Respect the weather and | | | | change out your waste line periodically. |
| the conditions. | | | | Be aware that even with your van mount running |
| When the temperature drops below zero it is | | | | in your van your remaining hoses could freeze up. |
| time to make some decisions, telephone calls and | | | | Using one or two heat lamps strategically placed |
| reschedule your jobs, risk damaging your | | | | should take care of that problem. |
| expensive van mount steam cleaning units or do | | | | Remember that your water is not going to be as |
| you park the vans in the shop and take the | | | | hot as it usually is. We know how important this is |
| portable equipment to the jobs? | | | | to getting those carpets clean. If you are at a job |
| What is the best choice? | | | | with really dirty carpets and with a lot of oil in the |
| In my company, our policy is to reschedule those | | | | carpets, then perhaps it would be best to |
| that can be rescheduled and use the portables | | | | reschedule that job for a warmer day. When you |
| when we could not reschedule. When we used | | | | explain to the customer that your decision is |
| the portables we scheduled extra time for the | | | | based on their best interest they will understand |
| job because quality cleaning is still the number one | | | | and be grateful. The last thing we want is to do |
| goal. | | | | that that work and have them call and complain |
| If you are a carpet cleaner I would recommend | | | | later and then we still have to go back anyway. |
| that you invest in a good portable system with a | | | | This is usually not an issue with carpets not |
| built in water heater to handle these kinds of | | | | heavily soiled. |
| situations. They also come in handy for cleaning | | | | Driving on snow and ice |
| places where our hoses can't reach. Always let | | | | Each van should be equipped with the following |
| your customer know that in order to do that job | | | | materials; |
| you will need to use the portable system. Give | | | | Plenty of Ice melt |
| them the choice to decide if they are okay with | | | | Tire chains |
| that. After your marketing has probably boasted | | | | A snow shovel (good for both soft and hard |
| about your van mount equipment and how | | | | packed snow) |
| effective it is. | | | | A tow strap |
| If you have to go. | | | | Ice grips for the bottom of shoes |
| If you find you are in a situation where you have | | | | Road flares |
| to take your van mount out in the extreme cold | | | | Other precautions are; |
| here are a couple of tips that will help you. | | | | Make certain the studded tires are in good |
| Park as close to the house as possible, the more | | | | condition. An accident will cost you much more |
| hoses exposed to the cold the more problems | | | | money and inconvenience than having to buy |
| you are going to have. Make sure the van mount | | | | good studded tires will. |
| exhaust is pointed away from the house. | | | | Train your technicians on your policies for what to |
| As long as you are running the hot water through | | | | do in certain situations. Telling them after they let |
| the incoming hose and the waste water through | | | | the van slip down hill and off of the driveway into |
| the outgoing hose you are usually okay. It is when | | | | oncoming traffic will not be as helpful. |
| you stop to work on a stain or to do the extra | | | | Another safety tip |
| drying passes that your hoses begin to freeze up. | | | | Those of us who use van mount units need to |
| The solution is to do the stain work before you | | | | always be careful about the exhaust we are |
| start the actual steam cleaning and when you | | | | generating. Carbon monoxide poisoning happens |
| make your drying passes, instead of cleaning an | | | | much quicker and more easily than you might |
| eight foot area and going back and make your | | | | think. Never park your vans with the van mount |
| drying passes, do two cleaning passes and go | | | | running in a garage, an underground garage or |
| back and do two drying passes. | | | | even a multi-level garage that is not fully enclosed. |
| If you need to have the incoming hot water off | | | | There is nothing worse than a phone call saying |
| for more than thirty seconds then it is best to | | | | "we have a problem." The ambulance is taking |
| disconnect the hose from the van mount and | | | | your customer, your technician or the neighbor to |
| bring it inside. | | | | the hospital because of carbon monoxide. |
| Something we have done to prepare for cold | | | | I hope this helps those of you who clean carpets |
| weather is we took about 80 feet of incoming | | | | in cold weather areas. |