Hello, I have been glued to my screen for weeks searching, reading, asking, calling trying to get better educated about this pad type of cleaning. I have been exposed to lots of info but not sure who is truthful and who is not. Posts similar to the one i write here are on boards all over.
I want to get into carpet cleaning to ad to my current window washing business. I am not sure why, but it seems like these two would go well together.
I am very finicky and want great results. Can someone share with me the results they get and compare this machine to the machines sold by other guys who say they stared this typ of service? (name withehld on purpose)

Some have told me encap works just as good with a rotary...others say it does not. HELP!

I can only speak for the results from the challanger, becuase I have not used another system, but I get great results and I always guarentee my work and have never had to refund a customers money. The challanger gives great results, even on the worst of carpets.

Phil, while it is indeed important to use a method that performs well for your customers, it may be more important that you enter an industry in a manner in which you are not just one of the "herd" - that group of traditionalists, all of whom do things in more or less the same old manner. In the carpet cleaning industry, this Old Guard is made up on those who perform what is referred to as steam cleaning in one way or another: truck mount, portable, or, in a more recent incarnation, the Roto-Vac. Steam cleaners like to say that there is no better method than steam cleaning, but in competing against each other, all each can really do to win the customer is to try and be the cheapest. Being the cheapest is usually the fastest way to go out of business.

If you enter the fray offering excellent service, rapid-drying low-moisture methods, and a chemical-free, all-natural cleaning solution, you will find yourself a very responsive market "niche". You will be competing on the basis of quality AND perceived unique benefits, not on price. You will win stronger customer loyalty, and a higher proportion of repeat and referral business than if you try to be just another steam cleaner. OP is a great way to do this, and the Challenger is the best OP machine out there.
All of my company's residential work, and a good percentage of our commercial work, is performed with the Challenger. We have received a coveted "Best of Boston" award in our field from BOSTON Magazine, and have a straight "A" rating in every category on AngiesList (www.angieslist.com).

Thank you Mark. I seem to get that very message everywhere I have asked.

Mark, I agree with 90% of what you just said. Having factors that set you apart from the others can make a huge difference in your business. However, the big issue is getting the customer to see it. I use my website to communicate the pro's of my method and get a decent response from it.

Why do you say that the Challenger is the best OP machine, as if it's an undisputed fact? I know it's a good machine, and I use mine often. It has some strong points, notably it's light weight, low profile, runs relatively quietly, and seems to be reliable. But IMO in some applications there are better options. Low weight means less pounds per square inch which means less scrubbing action. Also the positive of having a low profile is because it has an all velcro on wood pad driver, while the "brush" pad drivers on some other machines help scrub deeper/faster on some carpets, most notably berber IMO.

However, there are other machines which all have their strong points too. I own two machines so can only compare them. I see the Challenger as the "best" for certain applications, and my other machine as the best for berber jobs and commercial glue down carpets, and larger jobs. The Challenger weighs less, making it more maneuverable, easier to get in and out of the homes (and van), makes less noise, and has a lower profile so it fits under a lot of furniture. Other machines have a brush driver which helps them to dig deeper, and/or a wider cleaning path (17 or 19 inch models for example), and/or more oscillation so you (theoretically) make better time. The HOS/Vento folks don't seem to visit this board any more, but they all seem very happy with that machine though I've never tried it. Have you tried the Orbitecs which you've often said that you sell? How would you compare them?

I'm not trying to be negative, my Challenger is always on my van and I use it probably 5 times a week, I'm just saying that in my experience it's not the best tool for "every" job, though it is A tool that I like having on the van.

Alright. Let me re-state that. I'm a little dubious myself when I see superlatives used in any marketing medium. I think the Challenger is a terrific machine for starting a c.c. business. I believe it's the best size for doing residential work, and can make you good money as well if/when you start to get commercial customers. Weightwise and sizewise, it offers the ability to be carried up & down one or several flights of stairs without being a body builder. When you need extra "digging" power, I just replace the terrycloth pad with either a FibrePlus pad (medium-aggressive) or a FibreMax pad (highly aggressive). These are the same pads I use when doing large-job encap cleaning with either my Orbitec CX-20 (marketed elsewhere as the "Brute") and my Cimex 24" model. Once the heavier-than-normal soil has been liquified via either of these pads, I then simply mop it up with terrycloth pads. I find these fiber pads to be more effective than the brushes
(Adjust-a-Glide) that I used several years ago.
Hope this explains things. (You'd be a good English teacher.)

Continuing on from my previous post: I fully believe that the Challenger-based "Start Your Own C.C. Business" PACKAGE of equipment, essential supplies, and my Training Manual is the best (oops, superlative again) offering of its type on the internet. Buy a vacuum cleaner and pump-up sprayer locally, and you have just about everything you need to begin doing serious profession-level work. I've been doing this successfully (running a service business) since 1990, and stand ready to help you with advice based on my own experience, as well as the experience of others with whom I am familiar. Just try getting the head of Roto-Vac on his home phone some weekend! And even if you did succeed in doing so, by his answers I'm willing to bet you'd quickly determine that he's just a manufacturer selling a product, not someone who slowly but consistently built a small local service company.

Sound advice!

What about a dry / foam / VLM upholstry cleaning system to go with what is offered by Challenger? any advice on what kind or where to buy.

I have also been looking for a Bio-Based / Green wood floor cleaner and if there is something available for granite / marble. Not wanting to strip / wax/ yada-yada. just looking to clean and make the customer feel satisfied.

If you are just looking to "clean" the vacaway bio-smash or abstraction products should work just fine. I'm sure Steve Smith would reply if you sent him and email. I used it to clean a wood floor last week and turned out great. I followed with a white "buff" pad to shine it up a bit. Just lightly mist it on though.

It would work for cleaning on hard surfaces too, use the stronger dilutions. I don't think it's going to clear up the grout lines much, but with some dwell time should work much better than regular mopping.

Thanks Grant!
This is a good board to come to for thorough advice.

I am also looking for a Upholstry machine, any suggestions?

What about a spotter?

Peace,
TK

The best spotters I've used are those sold by vacaway/ccs, and nobody else's I've tried is even close. Get them, get them all, they will make you look like a hero.

Also, the vacaway hot knife at 4 oz in a spotter bottle works really well, but has butyl. If you're doing "butyl free" green cleaning even on the spots stick with cyclone.

If you're interested in some information about the upholstery system I use, email me I'd be happy to share it with you.