USING A RECIRCULATING PET BATHING SYSTEM

I am writing this in order to answer recurrent questions and misunderstandings that groomers have about using a recirculating bathing system, such as the Hanvey Bathing Beauty.  

First, let me outline my “come from”:I have been grooming since 1971, have owned my shop since 1977. I entered the profession as a bather, with rigorous training. (Alright, it was a painful process of not being good enough.) I bathed by hand for over 20 years. I have used a recirculating bathing system since 1995. My first unit was a Hydrosurge and later units were Hanvey Bathing Beauty.  Since 1995, I have used one Hydrosurge and three Bathing Beauties.  I am getting about 5-8 years work per unit.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How much water do I need?  You need to cover the bottom 1/2 inch of the recirculating pump.  Tilted tubs or a tub with an indentation for the pump needs less water than a flat-bottomed tub.  Another consideration is how much coat there is to get wet.  If a pump starts to groan, or you lose pressure, you need to add more water to the tub.  This can also happen if there is too much sudsy foam, which can “choke” the pump action. Again, add water. 

How much shampoo should I use?  This will vary according to the products you use. For most professional pet shampoos, you should use about 1/2-1ounce shampoo per 1.5 gallons of water in the tub.  I recommend that you experiment with each shampoo to find the LEAST amount of product per bath that gives a satisfactory cleansing result.  You might be surprised to discover you have been using way more shampoo than necessary.  While bathing, if you do not think the animal is getting clean, you can add a squirt of shampoo.  In my shop, we keep a jar of ShowSeason Grime Time by the tub to use directly on filthy feet, or to boost the detergency of a bath solution.  Using too much shampoo will actually impair performance.

Do I need to bathe every dog twice?  NO!  One of the features of a good recirculating system is that you DON’T NEED to bathe each dog twice.  It is the purpose of the technology.  The purpose of the recirculating system is to reduce the use of water, reduce the amount of shampoo, and reduce the time in the tub, while providing great cleaning and conditioning.  By bathing every dog twice, the user is defeating the purpose of the technology. 

Do all pet shampoos work well through a recirculator?  Unfortunately, some of the shampoos that are being marketed as “natural” or ultra mild do not clean as well through a recirculator as our traditional products.  Some manufacturers are following the trend in human shampoos away from sulfate ingredients and these cleansers to not hold up in the dilution used in recirculating systems.  Here are some points:

• Sulfates are not the enemy.  Cleansing ingredients such as Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth/Lauryl Sulfate, TEA Laureth/Lauryl Sulfate are the heavy lifters of shampoos.  Look for these ingredients in shampoos for the recirculator. Dirty dogs need serious cleansing agents.  
• “Sulfate-Free” shampoos may not perform as well in your bathing system.  There is one exception. Alpha Olefin Sulfonate, aka Sodium 14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is a detergent surfactant that has cleaning power similar to Sodium Laureth Sulfate.  

TECHNIQUE MATTERS: How you use the Bathing Beauty is important to successful cleaning.  

In order for the technology to work, you have to work the technology.  Here are some tips: 

• You cannot simply spray over the dog and get great results.  The shampoo solution needs to be worked SYSTEMATICALLY through the entire coat. Start behind the head and work the solution down the back of the neck and down the front leg to the foot.  Lift the feet up and wash the bottoms.  Don’t assume the feet will get clean from standing in the solution;  feet need water pressure, too.  Also, be sure to address the elbows and “armpits”.  Work from top to bottom over the whole dog.  Save the head and ears for next-to-last. Under the tail can be the last area. 
• Don’t forget the underbelly. The underside of most small to medium dogs can be addressed by gently standing them on their rear legs. 
• A gentle back-and-forth movement of the spray worked closely to the skin will help dislodge dirt and gently exfoliate the skin.  
• Work the water through the coat with the grain of the hair growth. The hair shaft is naturally constructed in such a way that the edges of the outer hair cuticle point toward the tips of the hair shafts for natural cleaning.  Our cleaning is best achieved when we honor that.  
• Hand scrubbing should not be necessary except for stubborn stuck-on dirt and debris on whiskers, feet and butts.
• The amount of water pressure needs to be adjusted to the dog in the tub.  Too much water pressure results in the solution bouncing off the coat rather than washing through the coat and cleaning each hair shaft.   

Is my DIY recirculator as good as a manufactured unit? There are several performance and safety features of the Bathing Beauty that go beyond simply putting a pond pump in the tub.  Some of these features are easily duped, others not so much.

• Flexible hose - this makes the unit less likely to tip in the tub and also creates less stress on the user’s wrist. 
• Built-in screen on the pump bottom.  ESSENTIAL to keeping hair out of the mechanism.
• Feet on the four corners of the bottom.  This allows easy flow; important to performance.
• Plexiglass platform on top of pump.  Important to balance the pump and to protect the connecting wire from rubbing.
• Reinforced wire at connection and for 3 feet.  Important to avoid electrical mishaps.  
• Handle on top of pump.  So you NEVER pull pump by either the cord or the hose. 
• Nozzle with specially designed spray pattern essential for deep cleaning.
• Volume control lever that can adjust the volume and pressure of water into the coat.
• Air button for foot or knee on/off control.
• Built-in GFCI plug to prevent accidental electrocution.
  

Check out our podcast: The GroomPod Episode #280 for more discussion of this topic.
www.thegroompod.com