Pit Carpet Cleaning

[AMFBowl]

I was just wondering what you guys use to clean you pit carpets, and how often you clean them.

I have used lane stripper, or tide/amonia solution. What have you had luck with?? People have told me that they take their carpets out and have them steam cleaned. Some use home carpet vacuum/steam cleaner with attachments.

What do you think?????

[8270king]

Re: Pit Carpet Cleaning

I think the guys doing the steam cleaning were on brunswick machines. Just a mop with lane cleaner and water will do the trick.

merry x-mas
king

[Guest]

Re: Pit Carpet Cleaning

I use simple green and a towel once a week and it seems to work well.

[Guest]

Re: Pit Carpet Cleaning

We use a water based degreaser its mixed about 2 to 1 and a mop get it real good and went but the key is to try to get as much of it back up as you can with the mop after you ring it out and it has worked well for us for the last 13 years

TIM

[Dutch]

Re: Pit Carpet Cleaning

We mop with lane stripper once a month. 2 buckets, 1 to apply the stripper & the other to dry, rinse & dry again. Then dry the carpet again with a towel that, now that it’s damp, can then be used to wipe off the pinwheel, plows, dist. & cushion weldments & the pin wheel shroud. Change the rinse water every pair.
Dutch

[felix]

Re: Pit Carpet Cleaning

24 lane center-20years young cant see cleaning carpets and afraid getting them even alittle bit wet would cut its already short life (5years max)

[Universal Revolutions]

Re: Pit Carpet Cleaning

I always prepped a rolling mop-bucket with HOT soapy (simple green) water. After wheeling the thing down back I would wring out the mop fairly well. While the machine was running, I would start the mop on the side opposite the ball door working slowly towards the other. Two lanes per mop. Once per day and sometimes twice on Sundays. Mop strings and water in the roller bearings depended on how closely I was paying attention to what I was doing. I didn't like getting the carpets too wet while moping, and soaking of the bearings I don't recommend. I like the steam/vac idea, maybe only once in a while would be good. On the old 4400's (closed elevator wheel) we had to reach the mop over in front of the curtain, which meant climbing up and down all the ladders with the mop in hand.

I think it pays to keep all the areas of the ball contact clean. A cleaner bowler is a happier bowler….. hopefully.

[Coors]

Re: Pit Carpet Cleaning

I still use carpet brushes. i take the brushes out and clean them whenever im really bored

[Jimmy Jam]

Re: Pit Carpet Cleaning

I use carpet brushes too. Every couple of years I'll re-bend them. They tend to sag in the middle over time.
New a mech. that took his to the car wash every summer. Cleanest old belts you ever seen!

[Dutch]

Re: Pit Carpet Cleaning

Felix,
Most of the carpets I’ve seen come with instructions on how to clean them. All of them say to use some type of water/detergent mixture. I’ve never seen water damage a carpet & we keep very thorough records. The only thing I have seen is with Vantage Premium carpets, they grow… across, not length ways. When they get too wide for the front roller, we just trim them with a utility knife.
Keeping the carpets clean is the best & easiest way I know of to keep the pins, balls & everything that they come in contact with clean.
Dutch

[felix]

Re: Pit Carpet Cleaning

dutch;does the oil track go away at the ball door??? I use ball wipes and pan covers, cant see the real need for the carpet cleaning unless it becomes a problem. How long are your carpets running?

[Dutch]

Re: Pit Carpet Cleaning

It’s tough to get rid of the dirt/oil at the ball door unless you keep on top of it. Sometimes if we get one that is particularly bad, we’ll use a piece of black buffer pad to scrub that part of the carpet. That usually does the trick.
We average 45 lines per bed per day. We were only getting about 3-4 years out of the AMF carpets. Now we’ve switched to Vantage Premiums & we’re at 4-5 years for most of them & it's hard to tell them from the 6 month old carpets.
Dutch

[Ed Fox]

Re: Pit Carpet Cleaning

On the carpet brushes does any one know where I can get them? I havnt been able to find any one that still manufactures them!
Ed

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[This message has been edited by Ed Fox (edited 01-04-2001).]

[BowlEquip]

Re: Pit Carpet Cleaning

You're not going to believe this but on carpets like the AMF Pumpkin and A-1's (Stahl's Tuffy), Chlorinite gets ALL the oil out (except for some staining still at the ball exit) and makes the carpets look like new, with no damaage to the belt since it dries so quickly. I know- - - brain cells and skin damage. Using an old 20-inch fan to circculate air and nitrile gloves should keep you safe.

Soak a folded rag (about 8" square after folding); Turn the pit on and start soaking the belt at the ball door side, slowly moving toward the center, at which point you need to resoak the rag. Continue toward other side. May have to do this more than once if really oily. Your final wet wipe should be with clean chlorinite and rag. Then start drying with clean dry towels. Let the pit run for about 15 minutes and redry because oil will continue to come out. Test by wiping with your bare hand, watching for oily residue on your hand.
All rags and towels should be terry cloth for quickest results.

Good lick, chloriniters!

[Pindecked]

Re: Pit Carpet Cleaning

I just have a local carpet cleaning guy run his hoses in the back door 3X /season.

He charges $5 /lane ...it's quick,thorough,& frees up my time a tad.