Being new to Glides

I had mixed feelings on glides, after using one I can see why they are really worth using....especially after a wool carpet cleaning recently...What I don't care for is the lack of being able to vac up something missed with the vacuum and chasing it down with the hose, bending etc....I also dont care much for having to clean it as lots of stuff gets caught up in and on it....I think using my new CRB will change this problem.....one other thing is, if and when it breaks through the "seal" silicone doesn't dry fast so if it fails you have to take it off or deal with the leak and high pitch whistle from the leak until the day is done and you can fix it.

Is this the same problem you guys run into? since Ive installed mine its only broke the silicone seal once, I can see its getting ready to do it again.

When it came to wool...I was all about them. My day to day Im glad to have them but sometimes I feel like im not at 100% in extracting...I know I am but it feels wrong and I cant put my finger on it.

I have never had a green glide break its seal on me yet, but I do run a bead of plumbers goop around the sealing edge when I installed them. Some cheaper glides can lose that seal and even slide off on you at times because the didn't fit very tight to begin with. GG's you have to basically pound them into the vac slot on your wand with a mallet.

As for the junk getting caught in there....slots work the best at preventing that problem, but you still can get a piece of gravel or something in there at times.

As for the feel of extraction or not.....you are extracting more with a glide every time. It doesn't feel like it, but that added vac lift is there and doing its job.

I would never go back to not using a glide. I would literally get out of the biz. There is no downside to glides that would make going without one worth it.

I'm with Ken, I really need to put a glide on my stair tool. It really is worth it.

Once I went thru 3 different types of silicone. The first one shrunk. 2nd stayed gooyish, only hardened about 60%. Then it unsealed.
Current one has held for a year or so.

Quality interruption would be the downside with me....I would probably get out without a glide as well but need to know its really doing better....mine fit great and was hard to get on....I added silicone to really close it up. I think the glide allowing you more agility makes the second pass more frequent because its easier....but if you are a habitual one pass guy and add a glide you will lower the quality I think. Double wanding is easier with a glide than single without.....this is what I think makes it better.

I have always done a two clean pass with a third dry....with the glide I do the same except i have added a backgammon dry as a fourth.....this is in traffic and dirty areas....under furn and beds I do not do this method.

To clear up my method...I have a total of four steamed passes(forward then back is one, I do this twice) and then forward and back dry.....then the whole worked area in the final backgammon swath for some extra dry. Cleaner areas are done one steam up and back then one dry up and back. I dont know if this is clear or not. My speed is adjusted based on the level of need or lack of.

I go wet pass forward (fairly quickly just to warm up the water) and back (slow), followed by slow dry pass forward and back, then move to the next row in a block fashion. I don't really like the diamonds approach, I think block fashion is more effective for drying.

I have used this pattern since the beginning on both commercial and residential. Might not be the best, but for a direct drive unit it is pretty effective.

My diamond or backgammon is just quick swath for dry...I dont think I need it but the glide has me on edge...old school I guess.

It's all good that looks good if you're getting paid and call backs and referrals.

I however do not see a need for a glide on a stair tool.

Ken Raddon wrote:It's all good that looks good if you're getting paid and call backs and referrals.

I however do not see a need for a glide on a stair tool.

Depends on the size of stairs.....Amen to the statement about "all good that looks good" Ken.

Agreed with Ken, glide on stair tool will not work well on the edges of the steps, that's why I still clean with unglided stair wands.

And regarding extracting quality with glide is much better, you should do test cleaning in your home Scott, do one room with glide and another without, check the dampness every hour or so.