The Exhibitor (1954)

mi THE PROPER EQUIPMENT AND THE PROPER CLEANING PROCEDURE ARE THE KEYS TO KEEPING THEATRE CARPETS ALWAYS LOOKING THEIR VERY BEST Theatre Floor Covering Will Last Longer And Look Better With Proper Carpet Cfeaning FORWARD-LOOKING theatremen rec¬ ognize two marked advantages in regular systematic cleaning of carpets. Both advantages reflect in the cost and the profit aspects of theatre operation. First, the appearance of a theatre’s furnishings has a definite effect on boxoffice results. Patrons are favorably im¬ pressed with a theatre that can boast of bright, clean carpeting, and prefer it to one that has dingy floor coverings. Second, good carpet maintenance plays an important part in keeping operating costs down. Routine cleaning removes the dirt and grit that injures carpet’s pile and prolongs the handsome appearance and service life of the carpet. The cost of cleaning carpets is, without a doubt, far below that of replacing them. It is recommended that two men, if possible, handle the carpet cleaning job. One man can operate the vacuum machine and do the hand-shampooing in areas not reached by the scrubbing machine. The other man prepares the solution and oper¬ ates the scrubber. If only one man is available, he should do the hand-shampcoing after the first vacuuming, and before the scrubber. The Right Start All carpeting should be thoroughly vacuumed before shampooing. If dirt or mud is heavily caked in the pile, it should be broken up by brushing vigorously with a dry, stiff bristle longhandled brush, then removed with the vacuum machine. Immediately after vacuuming, make a thorough inspection of rugs for fading, dry rot, stains or moth damage. Irregu¬ larities of any kind should be noted before shampooing. There are three basic tests commonly used to determine the effect of certain shampoos on colors. (1) Rub a damp towel over the carpet. On a majority of materials you will find this test sufficient and colors unaffected; in which case you will be perfectly safe in using a quality shampoo preparation. (2) If the first tests runs the colors, use a weak ammonia test solution — 26 degrees. If colors are unaffected a very mild alkaline solution may be used (3) If colors run in the ammonia test use a 28 per cent acetic acid solution. If the colors hold fast, a syn¬ thetic detergent, with or without added sour, should be used. Determine Pile Direction — This is done PHYSICAL THEATRE Vol, 10, No. 1 January 5, 1955 by rubbing the pile with the fingertips. It is important because the machine, in completing each lap, should lay the pile rather than raise it. To achieve this, you must operate the machine against the pile, starting at the left comer and moving across to the right. Then, on returning from right to left to complete a lap, and because the brush revolves counter¬ clockwise, the forward edge of the brush will lay the pile properly. Shampooing For highly concentrated products add one part shampoo to 16 parts of luke¬ warm water. On this basis, one gallon of solution will shampoo about 80 to 100 square feet, depending on pile depth. These figures are for hard-water areas. In water with average softness mix one part shampoo to 20 parts of water, and in soft water the ratio is one to 24. In shampooing carpeting, it is important that you work in the proper direction in reference to the pile, as previously men¬ tioned. Select the proper “starting” left corner by facing in the direction whereby the pile lies from your right to your left. Remember, the brush rotates counter¬ clockwise, so raising or lowering the handle moves the machine to the right or left. Open windows a few inches top and bottom when starting to shampoo; be sure the theatre is well ventilated until carpeting has dried. January 5, 1955 PHYSICAL THEATRE DEPARTMENT of MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR PT-5