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...Is exactly what I thought until I read the post about how its like a dishwasher and no different than scrubing around dirt the old way. I bought all the supplies and made mine today(thank you neanea!!) then I forgot to buy the plug for the tub..ooops. but I cant wait to use it tomorrow I go through so much water on the bigger dogs being mobile! I cant wait to see how much water I save.
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Your welcome
Hopefully you will read this BEFORE you go out today, but make sure to take a spray bottle of diluted fabric softener with you to "kill" the suds when you are draining. Also, don't use to much shampoo. I know you will at first tho! It takes a while to get used to not using as much. You don't need a lot of shampoo to get the dog squeaky clean, but we get used to seeing a lot of suds and they are really just not necessary.
You'll save a ton of water and it also makes rinsing so much quicker (no fear you didn't get all the shampoo out). -
I've used one for years and if it broke today, I'd have another by tomorrow! I have a septic system and am really careful about how much water I use. It's great. One tip though: if the dog has really oily ears...put a little (diluted) shampoo directly on them first and then turn on the machine. Sometimes the diluted shampoo doesn't get the oil out the way I'd like.Comment
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I love mine in the mobile; I am making one for the shop where I groom. They are excited about it too.
DeidreComment
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Can you direct me to the thread talking about building a system? I'm curious...That Tenacious Terrier!
www.thattenaciousterrier.com
https://www.facebook.com/ThatTenaciousTerrierComment
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Here are a few other tips to help:
1- Buy a small piece of screen mesh (material for screen doors and windows). Cut is to fit the bottom of your pump. Depending on your pump you can either place it into the bottom or you can sit your pump on it. This is just another way to keep that water pure.
2- I don't use fabric softener for many reasons but I do use Cleansing Alcohol (you can purchase this from a Sally' Beauty Supply). I keep it in a spray bottle so it can help sanitize as well as it dries fast so no residue.
3- Get a remote plug, similar to what people use at Christmas time, They run about $10. It has a main piece that you plug into your wall, you then plug your pump into this main piece. There is a small remote control that you can mount anywhere to turn your pump on and off. I prefer this method so that I never touch the plug and the ease of off and on.
Enjoy~Comment
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A day too late!
I tried out my new bather yesterday on my westie and I loved it except for trying to get all those suds to go away so I could rinse. I was also trying out some new shampoo that my daughter had gotten me for christmas. She knows I love Paul Mitchell hair products and she is a hair stylist. Well, where she gets her supplies now carries a line of Paul Mitchell products just for dogs. She bought me the whole line. You don't have to dilute it so I think I put too much in thinking I had to use more...wrong! On the label its kinda lf cute...says cruelty free, tested on humans! Anyway, thanks for the tip. I will be getting some fabric softner today.Comment
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I have used both the fab softener idea and the alcohol idea. I think the fab softener idea works better, but then I used extra water to rinse it away, so what's the point? However, if you do go that route, why not buy or make a grate for the dogs to stand on so that they are not sitting in suds or alcohol or fab softener? You can also switch to low-sudsing shampoos, such as Best Shot or Quadruped. I personally like to apply shampoo by hand to the grubbiest areas then follow up with the recirc. I have gotten pretty good at not over-using shampoo and don't have too much in the way of suds, but the bath grate was the best idea to keep em' out of it. Another suds trick: if you add a glop of Chris Christensen's After Bath Rinse to the shampoo water and go over the dog and the tub before rinsing, it will cut the soap from the dog making them easier to rinse and guess what? It zaps the suds just as good as the fab softener! It doesn't take much, either. Then you follow with rinsing the way you normally would. The After Bath would be my top recommendation for suds and it makes the coats prep so nice!Comment
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PAWS, that's a great tip!
As I've gotten used to using the recirc, I hard ever have to use a suds-cutter any more. I have a rack/grate to keep dogs up out of the water as well and while I'm rinsing, that is usually enough to eliminate the suds. I think the key is how much shampoo you use and as a newbie to the recirc, we (I) tended to add to much at first.
I like the idea of the After Bath
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I hope I can post this...(if not...Admin, motioning karate chop...)
Last Summer I stumbled on a great find at our local WallyWorld.
Mine sells about 8 to 10 different shampoos by Hydro-Surge for 6 bucks a bottle.
Lower sudsing and a bottle lasts FOREVER!
I tend to re-circ/pre-bathe w/ them...not alot of suds, then 2nd shampoo is whatever I determine.Often it's not what you say, but how you say it.Comment
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Hey neanea,
Could you direct me to the post that tells you how to make your own recirc? I used to use a Bathing Beauty System, but it finally went out on me.Comment
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Originally posted by 4Sibes View Post
Like 4Sibes, I pre-bathe with the recirc. system, and bathe by hand for the second bath. No matter what shampoo I use, they don't feel as clean to me if I do one or even two baths with the machine. I wash the head/ears twice by hand regardless.
I use the Luxury Spa bathing system---or you can buy all the parts and just buy the sump pump for about $65 at Lowes/The Home Depot, and make it yourself. I love my bathing system---for the large dogs, I do the dog twice with the bathing system, not by hand. Except the head.
Anyway, make sure you do the sniff and "feel" test on a number of dogs before sending them out, that is how I found out they weren't getting clean with the bathing machine alone.
Tammy in UtahGroomers Helper AffiliateComment
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