dirty carpets

[toon30s]

OK guys, time for summer cleaning. How do I get a carpet belt clean after it has had a leaky motor over it? What would it hurt to use a power washer on it? Any recomendations on cleaners? Thanks!!
TOON

[John_Galt]

Re: dirty carpets

I have seen other mechanics take the carpet belts to a carwash and spray the h-e-double hockey sticks out of them.
I have used a VLS-type lane stripper with spray-vacuum attachment to clean them with equal results.

First, get the carpet nice and soppy wet (with it running and sweep down).

Then press the vacuum down between the back of the bounceplate and the front of the front roller. Go across with more attention to very dirty areas (like where gearbox is leaking and balls sit).

Do that until you don't pull up any more liquid, then hold a big dry terry towel against it while it runs for a few minutes.

Also a good idea to pull the rudder drive belt in it's natural direction with a damp rag (both BE's plugs pulled, of course). Gearbox will leak on it too and make it nasty. After you've pulled it around a few times, it will stop leaving black marks on your rag.
That's when you know it wont slip on the drive sheave anymore.

I ran my fingers through a rudder drive pulley once. It really sucked. Now I pull the plugs.

(should-be) stubby

[deadwood_dup1]

Re: dirty carpets

Chaddo: Nothing like gettin your fingers ran through a Shure Stuck upper pulley, the one with the most tension on it. I thought my finger was going to be flat forever [img]/content/btubb/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif[/img]

My only suggestion with your carpet cleaning is I would avoid doing it to the amf carpets if there aged. We had a guy who cleaned them and got them to wet and they expanded so much a few now ride the odd front roller hindge. Heh, I never saw much use in cleaning carpets. I guess if you had a pit maintence routine then it serves more of a purpose.

deadwood

[8270king]

Re: dirty carpets

With applying an ounce of oil per lane a couple times a day....it will be no time until the oil attracts more dirt.

The quick and easy method of cleaning.

1. Fill bucket with hot H20 and lane cleaner.
2. Swab carpet with solution.
3. Wipe with terry towel.
4. Do the above only if you are extremely bored.

Jerry

[8270 pinspotter]

Re: dirty carpets

I have never cleaned a carpet in my life. Like Jerry said, they are dirty again in no time. My pins stay clean so I don't worry about it. By the way, I use the Vantage Premium carpets.

[Lampie]

Re: dirty carpets

I've seen this discussion before, Jonas/JJ can you bring this back(YOU ARE THE SPECIALIST !!),I can't find it(or it became too dirty, that it had to be removed).
Thanks,

Martin

[TheGMan143]

Re: dirty carpets

We picked up one of those "carpet magic" machines (the kind you can rent at some stores) that has the solution tank/pump and vacuum recovery tank. I use a solution of 1 cup of Castrol Super-Clean to 2 gallons of hot water for the really scummy carpets and the 'summer maintenance' cleanings, and 1 cup to 5 gallons for light regular cleanings. Any bad oil or dirty spots get full-strength cleaner spotted on them with a spray bottle before I start vacuum cleaning.

Nice thing with this unit is that the sprayers and vacuum head are right together... it sprays the cleaner on, and picks it right back up...carpets dry in no time, and there's a lot less chance for shrinking, stretching, or swelling from soaking the carpet too much.

Drop the sweep, start the pit running, and then just hold the vac head against the carpet. Squeeze the solution trigger and hold until the carpet makes a couple revolutions, then move over a bit and do it again. Done in short order.

Before that, I used to use a shop-vac and one of those pressurized (pump-up) 3-gallon garden/tree sprayer tanks full of solution. Worked good, but not as easy as with the carpet cleaner machine.

I also found that if you spray Scotchgard fabric protector on a new carpet when it's installed, it picks up less dirt and cleans easier than the nontreated ones.

[Jimmy Jam]

Re: dirty carpets

Originally posted by Lampie:
I've seen this discussion before, Jonas/JJ can you bring this back(YOU ARE THE SPECIALIST !!),I can't find it(or it became too dirty, that it had to be removed).
Thanks,

Martin

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I HATE TYPING!!!

[Lampie]

Re: dirty carpets

Thanks JJ, freak, my tears are rolling..

For ever yours,

The Lampman

[deadwood_dup1]

Re: dirty carpets

JJ: Looks intresting. Have you used them. They seem pricey. If you have used them have you had luck with them? How well do they clean?

deadwood

[toon30s]

Re: dirty carpets

Thanks for the help JJ, I knew this topic had come up before. I was asking because I'm trying to buy my own center, and a few of the machines were quite dirty. As was said in the other thread, a clean bowler is a happy bowler. Also, at the center I work at now (82-30s) I have one machine leaving a grey residue on the pins, even though I've cleaned everything I can think of. Any ideas?
TOON

[deadwood_dup1]

Re: dirty carpets

toon: what color are your dist belts?
Or do you have pieces of carpet rivited to your plows?

deadwood

[8270king]

Re: dirty carpets

The dirt on your pins is from where the original style Amf carpet is breaking down by the ball door.

This is why it is prudent to use the Vantage premium carpets. They do not break down from the oil like that.

Jerry

[toon30s]

Re: dirty carpets

The distributor belt on this machine is (was) white. No carpet on the plows. King, as much as I have seen the Vantage carpet recomended, the next one we buy will be from them.
Funny thing about this machine, the carpet looks cleaner that most of the others. Thanks again for the help!!
TOON

[Jimmy Jam]

Re: dirty carpets

Switch to 501 oil. Its a conditioner AND cleaner.