Carpet Pro CPU2

Make: Carpet Pro   Model:CPU2

Upright: x     Cannister:

Weight: 20lbs     Cord Length: 40′

Uses:

Commercial: X     Residential: X     Heavy Duty:

 

Have you ever gone to the vacuum store, looked at a few top quality machines, decided on one, and then  changed your mind when you learned the price? Instead you bought a cheap machine from a giant retail store and have regretted it ever since. If that sounds familiar the Carpet Pro CPU2 just may be the vacuum you’ve been looking for.
At a retail price of about $230 I knew that Carpet Pro had a good reputation for building tough reliable machines, but until I tried one for this review I had never had an opportunity to use one. The result; the CPU2 did not disappoint me. Ten amps of power, metal skid plate, metal roller bar, and an above average filtration system add up to a machine worthy of high praise.
Before writing this review I used the vacuum in ten different homes over four days on numerous different styles of carpet. It worked equally well on all of them, and was perfectly safe on wool.
The machine I used was the very basic model with no on-board tools, or headlight although both are available on other models. The power was great, it was very easy to push, and has a very low noise level. It has a 40’commercial cord so you can clean numerous rooms from one plug which is always handy. The push of a lever allows the handle to go all the way flat in order to get under the furniture. The cleaning head itself is fairly tall so it won’t go under most beds, but tables, chairs, chests and things like that were not a problem. The CPU2 did an acceptable job of getting right up close to the wall from both sides and the front of the machine, but as always, for that final touch though I like to use an edge tool (it’s rough being a perfectionist). The vacuum I used did not have built in attachments, but I keep all the tools I need on my carpet cleaning truck. I hooked up a 12′ hose and an edge attachment and again the CU2 had exceptional suction and did a great job.
In my world having a vacuum that works well on upholstery is also important. Once again I hooked up a 12′ hose, this time with an upholsterty attachment, and used it on three sofas and one recliner. Pet hair, food crumbs, lint, dust and any other debris were no match.
Getting a 12 – 15 foot extension hose is something I always recommend getting when you purchase a new vacuum. It is much easier to set the machine in one place and be able to do all the edges and upholstery without moving it. There was not an extension / attachment kit  available specifically for the Carpet Pro, but any vacuum shop can easily make one up for you.
As much as I liked the way the Carpet Pro performed there is one feature that I wish it had. It does not have a switch to turn off the brush bar and use suction only. This is an important feature when using attachments. You don’t want the bar spinning when the vacuum is sitting in one place because that can damage the carpet. So when using attachments I tipped the machine back against a chair, wall, sofa or whatever far enough to lift the brushed off the carpet. No big deal, but having a shut off switch would be nice. Hardly a reason to knock the machine, but hey, I call em like I see em.
So there you have it. My full stamp of approval  for a basic machine that is well built, works great, and is a huge bargain.

Update: As of a few days after this review the machine I used is now the very one on my carpet cleaning van.

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Green Cleaning

Seldom in the cleaning industry will you find a topic that stirs more differing opinions than that of “Green Cleaning”. What is it, does it really get carpet clean, and why is it more expensive? The questions go on and on, so I will try and attack a few of them here from a practical point of view.

Many industry professionals feel that any environmental benefits of green cleaning are negated by the facts that the cleaning supplies are still made in factories that burn electricity, are shipped in plastic bottles, delivered by large fossil fuel burning trucks, and ultimately used in your home by a guy using electricity and a machine that runs off gas.

All these things are true, and to tell you the truth I have no idea if the benefits of green cleaning outweigh the negatives. It would also not surprise me to learn that nobody else does either. Whichever argument you want to support is up to you, but today I want to talk about how it makes your homes environment a more appealing place to live.

Have you ever walked into a hotel room and although the room looks clean there is that overwhelming smell of cleaning chemicals in the air; or how about that annoying smell of glass cleaner that lurks in the air when you’re cleaning the inside of your car? These are the types of issues that Green Cleaning can very successfully make go away. I clean in homes every day, some not so dirty, and some extremely dirty and it is a very rare occasion that  I can’t get the carpet  or upholstery perfectly clean with green products that have no harsh chemical or perfume smell of any kind. All of the green products I use also leave no undesirable residues behind in your carpet. For the record there are residues that are perfectly OK to leave and cause no undesirable effects. More about those in a future post though.

The whole question of which chemicals can be considered green and which ones can’t is a tricky one right off the bat. Remember I’m a professional carpet cleaner not a chemist or a guy who actually makes soap. That said I’ll do my best to share with you what my research has taught me.

Other than the Federal Governments Leeds Program, which can be quite vague, there is no real binding standard for what qualifies as green. So just because a bottle of soap has a certified green seal on it doesn’t necessarily mean it is any safer than one that doesn’t. In many cases manufacturers can put a “Green” or “Organic” stamp on just about anything without breaking any laws.  Fortunately though, I have found all the certified green soaps I have gotten from the major makers of carpet cleaning supplies to be perfectly legitimate.

Most of the major makers of carpet cleaning supplies now offer certified green cleaning supplies. They don’t contain any VOC’s, perfumes, solvents, or other chemicals that many customers find offensive. They clean just fine, do not have objectionable odors, do not aggravate allergies, and leave carpet safe for children and pets to crawl on. Personally, I think these are all huge pluses when it comes to the indoor air quality of my home.

Finally, consumers should be wary of clever marketing schemes designed around scare tactics. Companies use words like: toxic, dangerous, chemical, or unsafe, when describing carpet soap. In the same commercial they will use words like: all natural, organic, environmentally friendly, or certified green. These terms are carefully used to provoke a reaction from you. Remember, words like “toxic” should be used when referring to things like: nuclear waste, raw sewage, poison gas etc Carpet cleaning soap though? Maybe not so much. On the same note, as Dr. Dean Edell used to say “hurricanes and rattlesnakes are all natural, but that doesn’t mean they are good for you.”

The bottom line is, consumers need to ask enough questions until they are satisfied that they have  found a reliable professional. Do this and your home will be a clean, healthy place.

Riccar SupraLite

Make:	Riccar	Model:	Supralite 1A
Upright:	x	Canister:
Weight:	8 lbs.	Cord length:	30’

Available at:

Danny’s Vacuum Shop

1 Padre Pkwy.

Rohnert Park Ca. 94928

707-584-0225

 Uses:

 Residential: yes   Commercial: yes   Heavy Duty:no

 

 Summary:

Anyone who hates lugging a heavy vacuum cleaner out of the closet and then fighting to push it across the carpet might want to take a good look at the Riccar, SupraLite models. At only eight pounds these machines are very easy to carry and push, but boy do they pack a punch.

When it comes to lightweight vacuum cleaners there are many makes and models to choose from in today’s market. The SupraLite 1A is the most basic model in the series and works great for basic carpet vacuuming. The 5.5 amp motor gives plenty of power to pick up every type of household debris that you may throw in its way.  I’ve used almost every vacuum you can imagine and the amount of air this machine moves and the suction power it has is really impressive. Sand, pet hair, dust, etc. were no problem, and even though it does not have an edge brush I got the dust right up to the wall with no problem. Now that said, if you are vacuuming behind a dresser or bed where the dust is really built up along the wall, you will have to hook up a vacuum with an edge tool.

Being the most basic model the 1A does not have all the fancy features of the more expensive models, but I found nothing that took away the machines performance. The rubber handle grip was comfortable and easy to hold and the 30’ cord allowed me a pretty good cleaning radius. It laid all the way down flat so going under furniture was easy, and the bag is one of the biggest vacuum bags on the market. I found the big bag to be important because with the power of this cleaner a normal size bag would be constantly filling up. There is no HEPA or other fancy filters on this machine, but if you use the genuine Riccar bags it should give you all the filtration you need. The power switch is on the base so you have to turn it on with your foot rather than flipping a switch on the handle (I didn’t find this at all inconvenient). There is a headlight that worked fine but I didn’t notice it to be anything out of the ordinary.

Like most lightweight vacuums the SupraLite1A does not come with attachments. Riccar does make a small (about the size of a shoe box) machine though, that is the perfect compliment for uses where attachments are needed.

One warning though before you buy this machine. Most of the carpet I used it on it worked just fine. There are some carpet styles though that it was all but impossible to push it over. The suction is so good that the carpet gets sucked up into the brush bar and you can’t push it. So if you have one, bring a piece of your carpet to the store, or make sure they have a return policy.  The only other real drawback of the 1A was that it is pretty loud. You won’t be able to talk over it or hear the telephone or doorbell. Depending how sensitive you are you may even want to consider ear plugs.

All in all I’m a huge fan of this American made machine for all your residential or commercial needs. I actually own one and have cleaned tens of thousands of square feet with it and it has never let me down yet.

 

Golden  Gate Carpet Cleaning

643 Martin Ave.

Rohnert Park Ca. 94928

707-588-8779

 

Vacuum Review: Roomba

 

Make:	iRobot	Model:	Roomba 530
Upright:		Canister:
Weight:	12lbs	Cord length:	none

Available at:

Irobot.com

Or

Department Stores

 

Uses:

 Residential:x      Commercial:      Heavy Duty:

 

 Summary:

Since the first time I saw one of these machines about ten years ago, I’ve thought, what a great idea, the house gets vacuumed and I don’t have to do it; simply brilliant. Now, after all this time, I finally got to try one and I was not disappointed.

For those of you not familiar with the Roomba it is a small round, battery operated, robot vacuum cleaner. You turn it on; it vacuums an entire room, then finds its way back to the charger and parks itself there. It charges overnight and then it’s ready to go again. It doesn’t get much easier. So how good does it work?

As much as I liked the Roomba, it’s not ready to replace my regular upright just yet. What it will do though, is cut down on how often I have to use it. The Roomba does not have the power of my upright, but who cares; it’s a robot and I can turn it on every day. If the soil never gets ground down into the carpet, you don’t need much suction to pick it up. Also if you have hardwood or tile floors, this little machine will do wonders at picking up the dust and pet hair.

The Roomba works just like most vacuums in that it has suction, a counter rotating brush and beater brush, and a debris container. It’s programmed to work its way around the room and it does so very well. I set up a few obstacles and was very surprised when it maneuvered its way around all of them. Its entire circumference is a non marking rubber bumper that compresses when it hits a wall, furniture etc. The machine then turns and keeps on working. There is a spinning brush that sticks out from under and does a good job of getting right up to the wall. My favorite feature though is that the machine is short enough to go under the bed. Yes, it dodges the bed posts and gets up all that dust that you normally leave behind. A few people have also asked me how come it stays in one room and doesn’t fall down the stairs. Magic would be the cool answer; but in reality it comes with two battery operated virtual walls. They put out a beam (kind of like a laser pointer) that the Roomba won’t cross.

Like anything else though, there are upkeep costs and it is up to you to decide whether they are worth it or not. The batteries are NiMH (nickel-metal hydride) and will probably last six months to a year depending on
how often you run the machine. At about $70 to replace; to me it’s worth it. I like the carpets vacuumed and if I don’t have to do it, well, all the better. The brushes (especially the soft one) will also have to be replaced every six months or so in order to keep the machine working its best.

So, all in all I liked the Roomba. On a coolness scale I give it 5 out of 5 stars. On how well it picks the dirt up from the carpet I give it 2 ½ stars. If I can get away with taking out the regular vacuum every three to four weeks instead of every week, then the Roomba is for me!!

Golden Gate Carpet Cleaning

643 Martin Ave. #3 – Rohnert Park, Ca. 94928 – 707-588-8879

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                            

 

Choosing a Company

So you’re looking at your carpet and decide that it is time to have them cleaned. You call around to some local carpet cleaners and an hour later your head is spinning with terms like:

• Hot water extraction
• Encapsulation
• Rotary jet extractor
• Empowered water
• Surfactant
• Green Cleaning
• Low moisture

Each company claims to be the best and to have the best equipment this side of Yonkers; sound familiar? Let’s see if I can get you through all the argot and help you with a more common sense approach to finding somebody to just clean your carpet.

When choosing a carpet cleaner the first thing you should do is simply ask around. Just remember to ask somebody who has similar quality standards as you. If you are meticulous about your house don’t ask your untidy neighbor who is only interested in the cheapest possible job. After you have a few names it’s time to call.

While on the phone  you will begin to get a taste of their sales pitch, and here you can learn a lot about the company just by listening. Were they friendly and polite? Did they sound like a true professional or like somebody just spewing out meaningless drivel he read on the internet?

If the company passed your initial screening it may be time to have them come to your house in order to give you a written estimate. If the company will not do this it should be a huge red flag. Having somebody come to your house for an estimate will most likely answer any questions you may still have about hiring this company. When they show up take some immediate mental notes: were they on time or did they call if running late? Is the person wearing a uniform and have a clean appearance? In my 25 years in the business I have never seen an unkempt individual do a good cleaning job (that’s pretty much a no-brainer). Dirty boots, inappropriate clothing, baseball hat on backwards, unshaven, reeking like cigarettes or alcohol, would all be reasons for me to not even let the person in my house. You might want to take a look at the van too. Is it clean?

If they are still there, now it’s time for some more sales pitch. He should ask quite a few questions about the carpet and the traffic it gets. The main things you want to know are:

• Does his cleaning method meet manufacture standards (if he has no idea what the standards are, don’t hire him).
• Is he properly trained? IICRC certified (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification) is the most common level of education.
• Does he seem to show respect for you and your home? Little things can tip you off here; e.g. shoe covers, wiping feet before entering house, asking permission to look around at the areas to be cleaned, remembering your name, etc. etc.

At this point if no red flags have arisen you may have found a cleaner. Remember all these small things are important to the end results and it’s not just about who will do the cheapest job.

Next time I will address all the different methods of cleaning.

Remember

Avoid Uneducated, Uninformed, and Sometimes Downright Unscrupulous Carpet Cleaners!

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• Leave Your Carpets In The Hands Of The Pros (boldstate.com)