Hi Robert

Welcome to our Forum!!

We at Kleen Kuip are not a Host Dry distributor but have sold them used from time to time.  We have customers who do very well with this system.  The only serious complaint we have is, it is to slow and the actual Host product is extremely expensive.  When you compare it to detergent and water as most cleaners use.

My personal preference if I was to go back into cleaning is that I would want both to offer alternatively.  You may want to look at our new Krystal Dry Cleaning System, we put up only today on our forum.

Best-Dry-1 wrote: I just Opened a Dry Carpet Cleaning company in WA state.

Now you have good gentle agitation for your presprays. Buy a high quality extractor with a good vacuum system  and pump and really WOW! your customers. Apparently, the Host machines work well with encap product as well.I think you'll find the cost of using the Host powder high, as well as not as effective as extraction. My supplier sells Host and we've done side by side comparisons - hot water extraction won hands down. This was tested in an apartment building, as well as a nasty towing yard office. The cost of doing the powder may reach resistance from customers as well , as you will have to add in extra costs for the labour aspect.

Robert

I used to be a huge Host user and had up to 6 crews cleaning with it.

We used upwards of 4500lbs per month.

I was Host's poster boy and I am sure I made them and my supplier rich.

I was always happy with the beautiful job it would do and my clients loved the way it left the carpet dry!

Unfortunatly the process is very slow in comparison with other dry systems and the product cost is extreemly high.

I was very busy and cash starved all the time due to such high overhead.

Many of my clients would not come back because of the "sponges" left behind. The only clients that would continue to come back were elderly clients with poor eyesite.

I now encourage any Host cleaner to take a good look at encap cleaning using a cimex or orbital pad machine. It does such a beautiful job and never any issues with drying. It is dry in minutes and does not cause resoiling. Clients love it and will never complain about the "corn cobs" left in the carpet.

We now rent out the host system as we have 18 machines and because it is bullet proof safe for a client to use and I make a good markup with the sponges.

Good luck.  Call me anytime if you want to talk more to someone that has been-there-and-done-it.

Dusty.

ps. Do make sure that whenever you do host clean use the stand-up tent cards that explain that the sponges are benificial for the carpet.