Q. Tell me about Von Schrader, Host and the Bane Clean Machine. Bob A.Hi Bob- Host does indeed own Von Schrader- it is run, or rather has been run by 2 brothers, and just this month, the brother that has run Host retired, and the brother that ran Von Schrader has now taken over both companies. They are both located in Racine Wisconsin. Both the Host and Von Schrader systems are mainly used by newcomers to the cleaning field, and both systems are very simple to operate, and have little chance of causing a problem on carpets or furniture, but by the same token, do very little to remove the soils present in carpets or on furniture compared to the steam system. Both systems are very labor intensive, compared to some other systems, but they are simple to learn, and the results are usually pretty good. Neither compares to the results of a steam cleaning system, especially the truck mounted machines. All of the fiber producers- du Pont, Monsanto, Allied, and BASF recommend the steam system, and most of the carpet mills do, also, because of superior results, and most of these companies will stand behind a warrantee claim if steam is used, but not other systems. The main problem with Host is that it leaves a lot of powder behind that is not removable. Not with any amount of vacuuming, raking, or anything. The powder is made of ground corncobs, and some diatomacious earth, with just enough solvent to make it moist. The solvent dries in a few minutes when the powder is spread, and it dissolves a small amount of the soils, which is them absorbed by the powder, then vacuumed up. Only about 50 to 60 % of the powder is ever removed, and when the cleaning process is repeated, directly the carpet is full of un- removable powders that contain a certain amount of absorbed soils. The main problem with the Von Schrader process is the residue from the shampoo that is left behind. It depends on the operator of the machine, and his techniques, and the shampoo detergent, how fast or slow the machine is run across the carpet, how biodegradable the shampoo is, and how well the shampoo is extracted after applying it, how much shampoo is left behind, to attract soil. That said, there are a lot of professional cleaners who use both systems perfectly satisfactorily, and I would never say that these systems are no good, because they are perfectly fine, if a person knows their limitations, and works within them for best results. I have used all of the systems at one time or other, including these both, and have on hand some Host, for certain jobs, where nothing else will work as well. For instance, in an elevator, where the carpet cannot be wet, because of a slipping hazard, if a person's shoes pick up some shampoo, then walk on a tile floor, and their shoes are now slippery, and may fall. No water- no slipping. Perfect here, see? I used to clean several bank lobbies, and would use Host in the vault, because water, or even water vapor can disrupt the alarm system. Perfect here. Some others, too, but you get the idea. But for most homes and businesses, in my opinion, Host is a waste of time. The Von Schrader will remove about 10 times the amount of soils present on any given carpet, compared to Host, so in my opinion, stay with the Von Schrader until you are ready for a steam machine- down the line sometime. As you are cleaning a carpet, overlap 2/3 the brush width, each time you move left or right, to minimize streaking. Always move the machine at the same speed, not faster in some areas, slower in some areas. In heavily soiled traffic areas, or in front of a sofa or chair, where the soils are more ingrained, make a pass at 45 degrees to the first ones, then another pass at 90 degrees to the first one, then extract in the first direction, to dig out the embedded and now loosened soils. The bonnet cleaning systems, such as Chem-Dry, Ultra-Dry, Magna- Dry, Heaven's Best, and mine- Bio-Dry, all work on the same principle- shampoo is sprayed onto the carpet, and is absorbed by cotton, or other material bonnets, which is turned by a horizontal rotating machine like a floor buffer, or carpet shampooer. This system is about as effective as the Von Schrader system, but a lot faster on most carpets. With my Chemstractor and doing the Bio-Dry, I can clean up to 2000 square feet per hour, on a big, empty room such as a conference room. Would you like some internet addresses of other forums? There is a lot of Q & A on all of them, and a person can learn a lot, and possibly avoid a mistake that someone else has made. I am a member of the Carpet Cleaners Institute of the Northwest, a group of cleaners, who get together monthly, and have a yearly convention, where a lot of vendors display their wares, and speakers on various subjects bring us the latest information on them. There are cleaners in Newport, and Lincoln City that come sometimes, and if you contact them, you might like to come to some meetings with them. You can get acquainted on the drive if you ride together, and possibly help each other out on occasion. For instance, if one of your customers has a flood, and someone else can handle it, or if one of your customers has a rug that needs washed instead of shampooed, he could handle it. Or if one of his customers has a rug that needs shampooed, and you could handle it- see? Anyway, you can come to the meetings- you don't have to be a member, to come. Our May meeting was yesterday, so the next one will be in June. I will let you know where, and when, if you like. Our convention was in April, at Coeur D' Alene Idaho. There are also many classes on subjects like furniture cleaning, water damage cleanup, rug and carpet repair, carpet dyeing, fire and smoke cleanup, etc, these are held in different locations around the Northwest- there is one coming up next week- I forget the subject- here in Portland. I can get you the details if interested. You are welcome to come with me any day, or as many days as you like- just give me some advance notice, so I know where and when to meet you. There is no fee, and I do buy your lunch ( I get your labor for free.) I have converted my garage into a rug washing plant, and do some each week, but it varies- I don't do them every day, and sometimes I go a couple of weeks with none, and then I have 14 to do all at once. Forget Bane Clean machines. They are an intermediate between a portable and a gas powered truck mount, They are electric, and have the same limitations as any portable, but have a bigger capacity, is all. When you are ready for a truck mount, I will have some suggestions. I recommend a gross business of at least $3000 to $4000 per month, to need a truck mount. They are expensive, and a big nut to crack every month. I am helping a friend and his brother to get started here in Portland. They bought a truck, and truck mount a few weeks ago, and quit their jobs, and are now scrambling to find work for it. I think it is a mistake, as they now have no income, and a lot of expenses, and are trying to make it fly. Good luck to them. It's tough that way. A lot of people do this, and that's why there is a lot of used equipment for sale, from those who could not make it. I think you are going about it right. Begin with a low priced machine, and low expenses. Build your business, and let the business buy more and larger equipment. I began with a machine similar to the Von Schrader called a Clarke Micro-Mist. That bought a rotary shampooer to do bonneting, That bought a used portable. That bought a used electric truck mount like a Bane. That bought a used gas powered slide in truck mount. That bought NEW truck, and truck mount- a Clutch Drive System, powered by the truck's engine with an electric clutch similar to an air conditioning clutch. That's paid off, and now, I am putting toward retirement, and basking in Hawaii. Re heat for the solution. The hotter, the better. It's that simple. My truck mount gets 180 to 190 degrees. Some truck mounts get as high as 240 degrees. For some real heat, fast, you might get a portable propane fired unit that connects to the outside hose bibb, and when you draw water, it instantly heats to 180 or 190, into your bucket. This is sitting on a hand truck, and waits outside by the front door, while you are working inside. These units are available from the carpet cleaners suppliers here in Portland. I don't know the cost, but would imagine $300 to $400. I will check, if you want. Or you can come up, and see them yourself. For getting along the edges, corners, etc, get yourself a swivel headed dust mop, on a pole. Dip the dust mop into a bucket of solution, wring it out, and use that wherever the machine will not go. I do this. Also use this on stairs. It's better than a brush on your hands and knees. The wrung out dust mop- not a regular floor mop- will leave the carpet damp, and it will not need extracted. You can also use it under dressers, beds, desks, dining tables, etc, without having to move these to clean under them. Gary Help!! I am on line, and can't get off!! --------- Q.I am just starting in the business, can you help with some marketing ideas? A.Hi Mike- I have been cleaning since 1956, and have a pretty good idea of how to do it. I have written four manuals, and sell them in cleaner's suppliers, and on the internet. Have you been to my web site? http://www.heacocks.com Have you been to several cleaner's forums, to see the discussions on various subjects? I can give you these internet addresses, if you want. In my manuals are some marketing ideas that have worked for me, and others, and I am happy to help, with ideas whether you buy them or not. Starting out is tough, and advertising is very little help. You have to call on business people, such as realtors, property managers, carpet and furniture stores, moving and storage, interior decorators, drapery cleaners and manufacturers. These types of companies who will refer you and send a continuing stream of business to you is a lot better than knocking on residence doors, and doing a single job once, then knocking on more doors to get a second job, etc. It is better with several businesses sending you a stream of jobs that you will get without competition, because of the initial referral. Doing spot removal for a mover, for instance, or a furniture store that the delivery men got smudged in delivery, or sweaty fingerprints on a $10,000 sofa, etc. Then these customers are yours for life, because you saved their pride and joy, and the movers are happy, because the customer is not suing them, and they will continue to refer you, and they are the ones that pay you for the spot removal. See? The customer is happy, the movers are happy, you are happy. It's a win-win-win situation. Carpet and furniture stores and interior designers and decorators can refer you for furniture cleaning, carpet and rug cleaning, and I assume you can also do dyeing, and repairs, because you have been in the business for such a long time, and know this stuff. Property managers use you for routine cleaning for their tenants, and for common areas of buildings, such as lobbies and hallways, etc. and flood work. Are you set up for water damage cleanup? Do you do mattress cleaning? Every home has several, and every motel and hotel have from a dozen to hundreds. They ALL need cleaned. Make a flyer, or put on your business card- "Mattress Cleaning Specialist" to get this easy business. Clean them just like any upholstered item. They don't need anything special or different from Mrs. Jones sofa. It's just that they never thought of it. What is your business name? Forget Joe Polish. Yes, his ideas work, but there are more, and a lot of them are free, or a very low price. Joe markets himself very successfully. His ideas work. He is rich. He got rich from marketing his ideas. You market something that has a niche, such as mattress cleaning. It can be anything. Don't be just another rug sucker, like a thousand others in your town. What does the most successful cleaning company in your town do? They have a certain niche. Don't compete with them, find a niche for yourself. Don't compete with the bottom feeders that charge $9.95 per room, or whatever, as there is always someone who "Will do it for less". When you worked for your Dad, what aspect of his business did you like the best? I always liked to clean furniture. I am "The World's Greatest Furniture Cleaner". I have a niche that I am famous for. Just like Joe Polish. I advertise, and push furniture cleaning, and my results are ALWAYS better than any other cleaner who cleans furniture. I also clean carpets, rugs, draperies, toys, purses, luggage, ceilings, office sight dividers, I do water damage cleanup, sell cleaning products and accessories, manuals, and write jokes. Other cleaners here in town refer me for their customers when they cannot clean something, or are afraid to tackle it, or don't have the right equipment for it, etc. This is my niche. A friend in the cleaning business is the best carpet repairer in town, and this is his niche. A lot of other cleaners refer him for repairs to their customers. Another cleaner is a whiz at dyeing. He gets referrals from me and other cleaners to do spot dyeing, and re-coloring when needed. See? Someone else is a water damage drying specialist. Several of us refer him when the job is too big for us, or needs special equipment that we don't have. So, do whatever you like, and are very good at- make that your niche, and let other cleaners know this, and they will refer you for that specialty. Gary Help!! I am on line, and can't get off!! -------- Q.Can I use anti-static to remove filtration lines? Dan A. Hi Dan-Re the soot in soot lines- a good definition is- "The burned byproducts of petroleum". I have never tried to remove it with anti-stat. It may work, but I think using anti-stat is going to create a problem. Carpets are in fact anionic. Most cleaning products are anionic. A few are nonionic- Bi-O-Kleen's products are all nonionic. All anti-stats are cationic. This is a positive charge- anionic is a negative charge. If you put an anti-stat on the carpet, and it is cationic, it will remove the negative charge on the carpet, and on the anionic protector that is there. It will probably void the warranty- if any- on the protector, and the carpet. Most all antimicrobials, all defoamers are cationic. Any time these are used, the protector must be re-applied, re- establishing an anionic charge. Sometimes these are judgement calls whether to use them or not- sometimes you are forced to use them anyway because of specific problems. Anyway, I don't know if the soot is nonionic, anionic, or cationic. I do know that the individual particles are - while microscopic- are very large. I think of them the same way as a spill of graphite, like under a recliner, or office chair. I have found that using a soap and water type spot remover, followed with brushing action, then steam rinsing, is more effective than just a steam type cleaning by itself. Based on this thinking, the soap and water, and brushing, loosens and suspends these particles better than the very thin solution of a steam cleaning, even with the greater heat and water pressure. A spot remover solution has about 1 ounce of detergent (soap- whatever) concentrate per quart of water. The steam solutions have an average of 8 to 16 ounces of detergent concentrate per 100 gallons of water. As I see it, the detergent (soap) is needed to loosen the electrostatic grip of the particles, and hold them in suspension, for removal with a towel, or steam rinse- or bonneting, shampooing, etc. O.K. so, what brush to use? I have tried a lot of them. When I found one that seemed to work better than the others, I bought a lot of them, and now sell them to cleaning suppliers, as well as on my web site. Get one, try it yourself, and see if you like it. Assuming you do like it, then buy a bunch, and sell them to other cleaners in your area, or sell them on your web site- like I do. Let me know how the anti-stat works- it certainly could, and you may be onto something. Just remember to re-treat with a protector when finished cleaning. Gary Help!! I am on line, and can't get off!! --------- Q.What do you use for different cleaning methods? Mark. A.Hi Mark- I use, and recommend for steam cleaning the Bi-O-Kleen Fiber-Glo. In my opinion, I prefer the powder to the liquid. The powder needs hot water to dissolve it, though. The liquid concentrate is ready to dilute and go to work. The powder is about twice as concentrated as the liquid. For portables, I use 1 ounce of powder to 5 gallon bucket, or 2 ounces of liquid. My portable is a 10 gallon model. In my truck mount, I use 8 ounces per 5 gallon chemical tank, which feeds into the system at a rate of 1 ounce concentrate to 10 to 12 gallons through the wand. Naturally, there is more heat, and pressure on the water, to make up for the difference in chemical. The Bi-O-Kleen products, are all rapidly biodegradable, and do not leave a residue to cause re-soiling. However. if these apartments have been cleaned a bunch of times with varying systems, and cleaning products, the liklihood of getting all that old residue completely out is slim. Shampooing prior to steam cleaning will dislodge a lot of it, as well as embedded soils of all kinds. Applying a protector will also help to prevent re-soiling, but, again, what is already on there? Who knows? Cheap stuff, I will bet, and cheap products ALWAYS cause more problems than they solve. Fighting this is an uphill battle. I have been where you are, and it is not easy. Getting a truck mount will help, but that is not the entire answer, either. Same with a more powerful portable. There is nothing wrong with yours, and if it still works fine, why change? My portable is a 1980 model Cleanmaster, with a clear plastic fresh and waste water tank. Still works fine, thank you. Pet stains, odors, other old stains are always tough. Bac-Out helps with the pet deposits, and peroxide helps with some old stains. you might add some peroxide to your cleaning solution- whatever it is. Add 1 ounce per 5 gallons of solution. Ordinary store bought peroxide,the 3% kind, usually found in the skin care, or first aid sections of any supermarket. About 50 cents per 8 ounce bottle. The peroxide will brighten the appearance of anything in this amount. Peroxide dissipates rapidly, and leaves no residue. don't spill the concentrate on fabrics, though, as it might slightly bleach it. Pour the concentrate from the bottle over the pail it is going in to. If you get some peroxide on your skin, it will begin to burn, and turn white. Just rinse it off with plain water. You might also buy an in-line heater. the hotter the water, the better it works. I have a U.S. Products heater. It draws 10 amps, and needs it's own circuit. It heats the water going through it between 160 and 180 degrees. It has a thermostat to keep the temperature where it is set. It takes only a couple of minutes to pre-heat it, and it then keeps up with the water flow through it. Put it by the portable, from the pump outlet quick connect on a short length of pressure hose, and from there to the wand. There are other manufacturers of these items. I think they are better than an immersion heater, and since they heat only the flowing water, it is a better idea. Set it up, when you set up the portable, and by the time the clean water tank is full, it is ready to go to work. Are you vacuuming prior to cleaning? This helps the total job- no question. If you have a vacuum, what size and brand? If you don't have one, I might have a suggestion. Are you using a pre-spray prior to cleaning? If so, what product do you use, and how do you apply it? I have suggestions here, if you are not doing this. Have you taken any courses, or read manuals on the subject? Been to conventions? How did you get started in the cleaning business? Where is Langley BC from Vancouver? What is the population there? Gary The Alzheimer's meeting will be at...... -------- Q.I have a Von Schrader, and am about to clean a greasy restaurant. Can you give some advise? Bob. A.Hi Bob- Unless you are using a truck mount, there are several options for getting hot water in a restaurant. In my opinion, and I have cleaned LOT of restaurants, with ALL systems- the best source of hot water will be at the dishwashing sink in the kitchen of the restaurant. It is the law that all restaurants must have 180 degree water for washing dishes, so all you will need is a bucket. Once, a lot of years ago, I was doing just that, using a portable steam machine, filling it with a 5 gallon bucket, as that would fit fine in the deep sink for the dishwasher. Lifting the full 5 gallon bucket, with 180 degree water in it, and trying not to spill it on me, I threw out my back. Well, the job still had to be done, and I just about killed myself, with the sore back, and in those days, there was no light weight scrub wand, I was using a 20 lb drag wand. OOOHHHH!!! My back still twinges, when I think about it. Anyway, use a 3 gallon bucket, not a 5 gallon bucket, and you should be able to lift that out of a deep sink, just fine. Portable extractors, truck mounts, VS, Host, bonneting, etc- the results depend strictly on the operator, not the system. I have used them all, and I have had people say- this one is no good, because of........... It does not matter. You can get excellent results with any system. Any system is NOT better than any other system. Some systems are faster, some are more labor intensive, etc. No system is truly "DRY"- without water. Host, and Capture powder systems use a pre-spray of water and detergent to dissolve the soils, which is then absorbed by the powder, then removed by vacuuming. When the powder is vacuumed, the carpet is still as damp as with any other system. Don't let anyone tell you different. The steam systems should be as damp when finished, as with a bonnet, or VS "Dry Foam" system. Or as "DRY". They all DRY in about 2 to 4 hours, when properly done. It is when a cleaner who does not know what they are doing, that there is a problem. This goes for any cleaning system. O.K., that said- what the difference between systems is the total amount of removal of soils present that makes the difference. What this depends on is the amount of water used. Powder systems that use say- 2 ounces of water per square foot, dry foam systems that use 2 to 4 ounces of water per sq. ft, bonnet systems that use 2 to 4 ounces per sq. ft, portable steam systems that use 5 to 10 ounces per square foot, truck mounts that use 5 to 20 ounces per square foot. Think about it for just one second. Which system will remove a higher total of soils present? The Truck Mount, because of more water. Higher pressure, and more heat, plus more vacuum for removal. That's why Shaw, Du Pont, etc all recommend truck mount steam. Simple physics. The more water used, the more soils removed. All systems remove most of the soils present in any carpet. The limitations become apparent when more soils are present than a given amount- call it x amount. The less water used systems simply will not remove y amount of soils. How to remove these? More chemicals, and more water to carry these chemicals. When faced with z amount of soils, in order to remove these maximum soils, then more water and more chemicals are needed. A plant washing, using 50 to 100 gallons of water for a 9 x 12 rug is frequently used, for maximum soil removal. In heavily soiled rugs, sometimes several plant washings are needed for best results. The absolute proof of this point is traffic lanes. If you only make one pass, the same as under furniture where it is relatively clean in comparison, there will still be a lot of soils remaining in that traffic path. How to get more soil out of that traffic path? More water- and chemical with pre-sprays, traffic lane cleaners, more cleaning passes, with more water, and more cleaning chemical. See? Ideally, all cleaners should have a variety of systems available. A truck mount is not NEEDED for light to medium soiling, as dry foam, powder and bonneting will be perfectly satisfactory. The amount of total soil removed of the soils present, is fairly equal between the dry foam, the bonnet and the portable steam systems on all carpets. Which ever system a cleaner selects for his work depends on several factors, but in the hands of an expert cleaner, he can achieve equal results with any of these systems. So don't let anyone tell you that your system is no good, or that you NEED another system, or that theirs is better than yours. The main benefit of a truck mount is labor saving. It is the least labor intensive, for the maximum soil removal, with the least labor. Bonneting is the least labor intensive of all the systems, but it does not remove the maximum soils. All right- down to brass tacks- regarding the coming up restaurant. I would suggest first a VERY thorough dry vacuuming. Then apply a digester to partially dissolve the grease and oily bonds of the soils remaining following the dry vacuuming. Begin cleaning in one direction, clean say, an 8 x 10 area, go over that same area at a 45 degree angle, then again at a 90 degree angle, then back to the original direction for final cleaning and extraction of dissolved soils. Then the next section, the same. Re coming to Portland- sure- any time you like- just let me know when, so I will know where to meet you. Re loose rugs of all kinds. Unless you have a facility, such as a shed, or garage, I suggest doing them at the customer's location. Using the VS system will not harm whatever is under them. Just clean them the same as any carpet, except make cleaning strokes crosswise, not end to end. Gary The Alzheimer's meeting will be at..... ----- Q. A.Hi Mark- Re Bi-O-Kleen products. At present, there are no distributors in Canada. (It could be you.) Since you are so close, think about taking a day off, and coming to Portland, and hauling a truckload back. Or maybe a case. I go to Vancouver a couple of times a year- it is a 6 hour drive each way, so a person could drive both ways in 1 day. Better to make it an overnight, though. There is a chapter of the Carpet Cleaners Institute of the Northwest (CCINW) in Vancouver- you might think of going to some of the meetings, and get acquainted with some other cleaners. Ken Lister, who is located in Surrey, is the President of the chapter. If you want, I will give you his e-mail address, and you can contact him directly. He is very knowlegable, and contributes to forums such as Dri-Eaz's. Re Truck Mounts- there are used ones for sale, that might be less cost, and be a starting point for you. I recommend a gross business volume of $3000.00 to $4000.00 per month, before they become really beneficial to a cleaner. They speed up the work enormously, but you must have the business to support it, as the operating costs are higher, too. A new van, with a new truck mount can cost anywhere from $30,000 to $60,000, and monthly payments of $600 to $800 per month. You can buy a used van and machine for around a third of these figures. They last for many years, so don't be put off by the idea of a used one. Lots of people do this. I did. I had 2 used ones, before they bought me a new one. What kind and what year of van do you now have? If it is a fairly new one, consider a used truck mount. These cost around $3000.00 U.S.- probably $5000.00 Canadian. Re the in-line heater. I use a U.S. Products machine. They have a web site- I am not sure, but try http://www.usproducts.com Anyway, Janitor's Warehouse, and another supplier- Fiberclean, I think, are in Vancouver, and probably carry them, or a similar model. there are several manufacturers of these in-line heaters. The in-line heaters are connected from the outgoing water from the pump, into it, then out to the wand. Very simple. They have a thermostat to keep the temperature right. The water goes from your tank, into the heater, then to the wand. Who is your present supplier? Someone in Langley or Surrey? If you get some Bi-O-Kleen products, and like them, they would probably become a local supplier. Re spraying the pre-cleaning chemicals. I recommend an electric sprayer. I used a pump-up for a long time, and know their drawbacks. I think an electric one is better. The pressure always stays the same, it is always ready, it is easier to clean out when changing chemicals, and you LOOK more professional. They last forever. Mine is about 15 years old, and I use it almost every day. I have spent nothing for repairs on it. Re the formula a former cleaner gave you- ------------- 1.Pre-spray carpet with cleaning chemicals. 2.Clean with hot ( in my case warm ) water.(Just clean water) Also he give me his prescription what to use and how to mix it. So.. There we go.. 2 1/2 gal.spreyer. 1 cup - De greaser 1 cup - T.S.P. 1 cup - Laundry Detergent (cheap) 1/2 cup - TKO ( orange ) Citrus Based Cleaner . (very expensive I paid $ 85.00 for gal. ) Please let me know your opinion. -------------- AAAAGGGHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!!! No wonder he is a former cleaner. He must have ruined a lot of carpets with that formula. The de-greaser is a solvent, which may or may not mix with the other ingredients, but will create some problems with it. The TSP will boost any cleaning formula- and I use it occasionally. The problem with it is very high pH. It is 13. Same with the laundry detergent. I am not familiar with the TKO, but I would imagine it is full of d-limonene, which attacks the latex backing of a lot of carpets. Forget it. This formula will work like this- very high pH, leaving residue from the laundry detergent (it has to be rinsed- your rinse cycle on the washing machine does this- in a carpet- no chance.) that will attack tha backing of a carpet. Wow!! It sounds like he wants you to be an ex-cleaner, too, and be sued for damages from customers whose goods he has wrecked. PLEASE, PLEASE, Please, do not use this kind of formula. It will only create nightmares for you. All carpet manufacturers, all fiber producers recommend a pH maximum of 10, and preferably less. Do you know the pH scale? 7 is neutral, above it to 14 is alkaline, below down to 1 is acidic. If the formula is over 7 for cleaning, everyone recommends an acid rinse to bring the pH down to neutral, or close to it. I think a self-neutralizing, biodegradable formula is best, and that's one reason I use Bi-O-Kleen's products. No secondary hassle. Alkaline cleaning formulas that are not neutralized can cause yellowing, or browning, and other residue problems. There is a difference of opinion on whether to spray the cleaning chemicals onto the carpet, or run them through the machine. I have done it both ways, on hundreds, or thousands of carpets. In my opinion, I prefer to put the cleaning product into the water. If some more is needed, say in a traffic lane, then I will spray that on where and how much is needed. I think it is too hard to judge when pre-spraying to get the exact amount where it is needed, and if it is all removed in the clean rinse. Leaving residue is the biggest problem cleaners have. The way I see it is- why make more work for yourself? Gary Gary Heacock should be King. When I am King, everyone gets a Million Dollars. Vote for me. Send me one dollar with your vote.