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Cotton pad questions

I recently started cleaning with the Challenger and am impressed with the results. However, I'm seeking advice on how to get the best use out of the cotton pads - how dirty can they get before you should flip it over or use a clean one?

On the handful of jobs I've completed, none of the carpets were trashed. Some did not even look visibly all that soiled. But my gosh, those cotton pads/Challenger just keep picking up dirt like there's no end! It seems like you could go through "40+" pads and still end up with a very soiled pad.

As an example, I recently used 8 cotton pads, both sides, on only about 300 sq. ft. of residential, sculpted carpet that was by no means trashed out and with no spills or stains on it. The pads all looked pretty darn dirty, but the carpet did look great though. Should I have kept using more pads until they showed little to no soil absorption?

When and how do you determine when to stop cleaning and move on to another section of carpet?!

Any input is appreciated!

Re: Cotton pad questions

IMHO, you'll never get to the point where you have a clean pad, but in an effort to get there you'll quite likey tip bloom the carpet.

Re: Cotton pad questions

Tip bloom, schmip bloom. I've been using OP since the mid-90s, and I've yet to have a single customer say anything even remotely like: "Gee, it looks like you've made my carpet look all frizzy." So I think the whole tip bloom thing is a bogus issue, or, if I might use lawyers' terminology, a red herring.

On the matter of "How clean is clean?": it's true. You'll get diminishing degrees of grey on the pads the longer you keep at it. Clean is a relative term.
You will never get it "all" out, the way you can with an area rug that can be picked up and sent out to a plant. I think about stopping when I ask myself: do I know anyone who will get this carpet cleaner? If the answer is "no", then I feel comfortable wrapping things up, and heading on to the next job.

Re: Cotton pad questions

You sound like another OP salesman I know.

Re: Cotton pad questions

Hmmm,
Wonder who that would be.

I caused my own tip bloom on my carpet when I started using my Challenger. It was my own fault.

Used the holy glid, and a very dry pad and not enought spray.

Have not done it since.

Tip bloom is operator error from what I can tell.

Re: Cotton pad questions

Yes, you are quite right. It IS operator error, and going over the same darn section of carpet time after time while trying to get a clean pad to come up is operator error, and WILL bloom the carpet fiber.

I dare say Mark has never tried this, so has no experience with the results of doing this, since he is the resident expert. I, on the other hand, HAVE tried it, being the hard head I am, and know what it will do.

Now, of course, if you try it on a nice hard CGD, then you can say it won't cause damage. However, just try doing that on a nice, fine denier, cut pile, saxony and tell me what happens.

Re: Cotton pad questions

I agree Joe, I did the same thing when I first got my challenger. T.B was a real worry for me, But it is no longer a big concern, also the glad pads from the "other salesman" help alot. And I happen to think he is a nice guy.
Mark I wonder if the two ply pads you use play a part in you never having a problem with T.B? I haven't tried them yet.

Re: Cotton pad questions

Guess I don't clean as "hard" as my Forum posters.

Re: Cotton pad questions

I tend to agree with Admiral here, though as I've posted many times before, I may be paranoid re. tip bloom. Nylon frieze's and some nylon saxony's are very prone to tip bloom. Going over an area over and over again to try to get that tough spot out can easily bloom the spot. Have you guys not seen that? There are many spots I won't do that on simply b/c I know it would happen, instead I saturate with cyclone, use bone scraper, blot, etc.

I carry a few microfiber pads for these carpets, that helps a lot. As Andy mentions the Gladiator pads are much easier on carpets than cotton too.

Re: Cotton pad questions

Posting comments on the subject matter of this Forum won't get you banned, Grant. The only banning going on right now is if a poster attempts to root for the NY Giants to win the Super Bowl.

Getting back to the subject, whose microfiber pads do you buy?

Re: Cotton pad questions

I got them from HOS. They are pricey and I'd recommend first only buying one to try it. It doesn't always run smooth on the challenger. Usually can get it to work ok if I make sure it's perfectly centered on the pad driver. Should last a very long time though.

I'm not really rooting for anybody in the Super Bowl. My two favorite teams are out-- Seahawks and Packers...

Re: Cotton pad questions

Mark needs to put some pressure on Clark to get those 3 part pads in from Vietnam.

Giants :)

I'd like to see the Pats win ONLY because it would be cool to see a team go 18-0. But...after that, I'd like to see the Pats get spanked for the next five years.

Those of us outside NE are kinda sick of em by now.

I hope you get your 3-some this year mark. ;)

Re: Cotton pad questions

Re. pads & Clark, I e-mailed him earlier today asking re. the pads.

Re. teams we love to hate:
I understand why the Pats are very few people's choice to win, even giving that the other team is from
"gasp" New York. Until the Red Sox started to win World Series recently, we all around here loved to hate the Yankees. Most still do, despite the Sox sitting on top of Baseball Hill. And I recall well when everybody outside of New England hated the Celtics, since they used to win the NBA Finals every year, for years and years. For a while nearly every NBA Finals was between the Celtics and the Lakers, and the Lakers never won. Must have been discouraging for them.

Re: Cotton pad questions

I suppose the NFL would rather see evry team go 8-8.

That would be boring though.

But I do hoe you get your tri-fecta.

Re: Cotton pad questions

glad pads have been a life saver for us, is clark going to copy that other salesmans pads now?

Re: Cotton pad questions

Who cares, John? At least we won't have to buy them from YOU.

Re: Cotton pad questions

Allan/John's been outed again. Starting to become like the Emporer's new clothes.