I have been learning my machine by doing a synagogue that had very high traffic floors, and tons of stains, and a total yucked up carpet in the kitchen. The carpet is a commercial grade low pile. I have been doing an area or 2 a night experimenting with different chemicals. I used a Prochem chemical with a booster last night in the kitchen. It cleaned nice, but it stinks, very bad, and still stinks. I went back to Outsolve. I know the obvious answer I think, is if the customer says it's clean, then it's clean. When doing really trashed floors - lots and lots of foot traffic, food stains, in general a floor with not that great a carpet, that is a solid color. When you are done does it really look like new? or does it just appear cleaner, healthier, but still have some stains, and discolorations. This is what I am getting. It is 1000 times nicer - but it sure don't look new either. I've been spotting as I go along. If you have a whole traffic lane very soiled, do you guys spot the whole lane? Am I especting too much? Whenever we have had HWE guys out to our house, they always tell us up front - this may not come out, this won't come out. Am I just unrealistic? Would I be getting more with HWE? I am changing pads OFTEN - whenever dirty. So I would like to know when it's really soiled, does it really "look like new?". I appreciate my posts getting answered - guys if you have drain questions ask away....

Think of the carpet you are cleaning as a once-georgous movie actress who is still around. Even if she still looks good for her age (Raquel Welch, for example) she still doesn't compare with how she looked when she was 25. Reasonable owners of older, frequently trashed carpet realize the limits of what you or anyone can do. Ask them in advance what their expectations are. They will usually say something like "Do the best you can." It may help to use the green-striped scrubbing pad first, then the cotton pads.

"Would I be getting more with HWE?" Thank you Steven. I got a kick out of that one.

ditto everything Mark said.

i use either the green-stripe pad OR my old used HOST machine to pre-scrub with. then rinse with wrung-out cotton pads.

not all carpet will look new again. but, i AM getting better results with OP than i got with HWE.

thanx --- Derek

Steve Bateman - what is your point? Does that mean I would get better results using HWE or would not? I really am asking a serious question. I know everyone here is Pro- Challenger (obviously me too - I purchased one, and have been quite please so far), but some of you guys must do both at times (maybe I'm wrong).

Both methods, HWE and OP, have their place. I suggest you try HWE followed by dry pads. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. To learn more about this combination, go to the ICS Magazine formum and do a search under "post padding."

The website address for the ICS Board is http://www.i-boards.com/ics/

Good points made above.You can take what Rodger said one step further...use your OP to pre-pad/agitate then HWE followed up with post OP.That really brings it up a notch!Now do I follow that every job...no.I haven't serviced any 2 homes that were equally soiled.Just a toolbox my friend.Clean'em All!