Riva
Riva
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March 14th, 2015 at 11:00:59 AM permalink
Perhaps some of you that have worked in a casino might be able to help here. Looking to clean our table layouts for our charity games (60 tables). Anybody familiar with what processes and/or commercial products casinos use to clean & protect their layouts?

Thanks.
RS
RS
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March 14th, 2015 at 11:26:02 AM permalink
If you mix 1 part honey and 7 parts Gatorade, you come up with a pretty strong carpet/felt cleaner.

If you don't want to wash the felts, just get a horse brush. (I imagine they're called horse brushes. I don't know what else they'd be called. They'd be perfect for brushing horses, seen all the time in casino table games area, especially on roulette tables.)
beachbumbabs
beachbumbabs
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March 14th, 2015 at 11:50:13 AM permalink
Most felts are no longer felts. They're silk-screened polyester fabrics with a slight nap. I would suggest a gentle detergent like Woolite upholstery cleaner and a shampoo canister vac with a good hose.

If you have actual felts of felt fabric, you're probably going to have to try a spot-cleaner and dry vac instead, but I hold out no hope for getting stains out of actual felt. Felt is pressed together, not woven, so it won't put up with wet cleansers very well, especially water-based, and if you get it wet then try to vacuum it, the fibers will just come up and you'll have a hole.

I've also seen the horse brushes; you might check an electrical supply house, as they carry the softest ones for use on switch panels (they get the dust without changing switch positions). However, the really soft ones won't get into the fabric to bring up the dirt. The hardest ones will tear your felt, but probably work ok on silk-screened synthetics. If you use a foaming cleaner (again, Woolite carpet cleaner has worked great for me - different product than upholstery cleaner mentioned above) that you let dry and vacuum up, it might work the best, and shouldn't run through to any padding you might have below the felt.

You might also look into commercial dry-cleaning fluid. Tetrachloroethelene is about $3/oz, and it only takes a little. Hazardous fumes and skin damage can result; take precautions.

Woolite specializes in not taking color out of fabrics and fibers; Resolve is a miracle product (the original carpet cleaner) but does sometimes take color, and requires a damp clean rag (so some water exposure/damage possible). I suggest you try the product you choose in an inconspicuous place and see if it takes the color with it when you wipe it away.
If the House lost every hand, they wouldn't deal the game.
Riva
Riva
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March 14th, 2015 at 12:45:49 PM permalink
Quote: beachbumbabs

Most felts are no longer felts. They're silk-screened polyester fabrics with a slight nap. I would suggest a gentle detergent like Woolite upholstery cleaner and a shampoo canister vac with a good hose.

If you have actual felts of felt fabric, you're probably going to have to try a spot-cleaner and dry vac instead, but I hold out no hope for getting stains out of actual felt. Felt is pressed together, not woven, so it won't put up with wet cleansers very well, especially water-based, and if you get it wet then try to vacuum it, the fibers will just come up and you'll have a hole.



All of our tables have casino quality digitally-produced layouts. Probably have $15,000 in replacements costs over the last 5 years. All work done by Digi-Layout in California http://tinypic.com/r/257hw5z/8
Dieter
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Dieter
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March 14th, 2015 at 12:53:24 PM permalink
Quote: Riva

All work done by Digi-Layout in California



How do they suggest cleaning them?

As for brushes, all the brushes I've seen in use at casinos appear to be identical to those used for sweeping off pool and billiard tables - you might check with a supplier in that line.
May the cards fall in your favor.
beachbumbabs
beachbumbabs
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March 14th, 2015 at 12:56:08 PM permalink
Quote: Riva

All of our tables have casino quality digitally-produced layouts. Probably have $15,000 in replacements costs over the last 5 years. All work done by Digi-Layout in California http://tinypic.com/r/257hw5z/8



I'd go with a non-water wet cleanser like Woolite Upholstery and a wet spray-vac then. That's what they were using at Harrah's Gulf Coast and it worked really well on the bacc table I saw them cleaning; it had gotten drinks spilled and it all came right up without disturbing the inks. Still, I'd test it before going whole-hog, a place under the rail of a table or something. Those felts start out all-white, so even the background color should tell you what's going to happen. Not a 5 minute test; should be 24 hours before you trust the result.
If the House lost every hand, they wouldn't deal the game.
Riva
Riva
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March 14th, 2015 at 1:07:02 PM permalink
Quote: Dieter

How do they suggest cleaning them?

As for brushes, all the brushes I've seen in use at casinos appear to be identical to those used for sweeping off pool and billiard tables - you might check with a supplier in that line.



We have casino table brushes however, they do not remove stains and grime.

Digi-Layout had no specific recommendations, which I understand; they're in the layout replacement business!

Just found this stuff on the Internet: http://www.diamondcasinoproducts.com/cleaningsolutions.html
Dieter
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Dieter
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March 14th, 2015 at 1:22:45 PM permalink
I don't work for a casino, so I have no firsthand knowledge.

That said, I'd try something like Zorb or HOST first. I understand that the fabric type is different, but I am guessing that it might have an effect. I fully expect you'll need to brush it in by hand, and that a shop-vac or similar will remove it.

What I have seen is brushes and backpack style vacuum cleaners, and that layouts just get replaced from time to time.
May the cards fall in your favor.
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