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To listen to 97.7 Fox-FM on your Blackberry:
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Inflatable Attraction Instructions...
How to Set-up
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Check ground for a
flat level surface void of any rocks, sticks, pine cones, etc. (Anything
that may puncture the bottom of the Inflatable). Also check height clearance
for trees, power lines, or overhead obstructions. Tarps should be placed
underneath all inflatables before proceeding to Step 2. ( Never
operate the Inflatable on a hard surface without under padding (i.e. tarp).)
Unroll the inflatable in the
direction you wish the Inflatable to face.
Unfold the inflatable and attach
the blower(s) to the “Port” (extended air hose / blower tube). The “Port” is
generally located in the very back or on the sides of the Inflatable. Tie
off any additional “Ports” by turning the material clockwise and tying the
Port to itself. (Rope can also be used to close off additional Ports. Some
inflatables allow you to tuck away additional ports).
Close All Velcro / Zipper
compartments.
Attach heavy extension cord(s)
from power source. (Designate One 20 amp fuse for each blower. Generally,
this equates to One 110-volt Outlet for each blower.) Use 14 gauge or
heavier extension cord(s) that extend no more than 100 feet from the
inflatable to the power source. (The lower the gauge number, the thicker the
cord. Most household / garden extension cords are 16 gauge and are mot
sufficient and can harm the blower- reducing the air source to the
inflatable.)
Turn the Power on. (Some Blowers
have an on/off switch located on the blower.)
While the Inflatable inflates,
check to make sure no air is escaping from vents or ports.
Check to make sure the port (air
hose) leading to the blower is not twisted.
Secure the inflatable by staking
the unit on all 4 corners. Drive stakes half way in at a 45 degree angle
away from the inflatable. For larger inflatables tie-outs will need to be
staked.
Safety Instructions / Operation
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Adult supervision is required at all times.
Never
leave the inflatable unattended or unwatched.
Most inflatables
only allow 4-5 Guests on the inflatable at a time. (Check
inflatable instructions.)
Guests
must
remove shoes, pocket items, glasses, jewelry, etc.
Diving and
flipping are strictly prohibited. No back flips,
roughhousing, horseplay or bouncing against walls. Guests
should not take unnecessary risks.
No food, drink,
or gum on or in the inflatables.
*The Inflatable should not be operated if
winds exceed 20 mph.
*The Inflatable should not be used in rain or lightning
conditions.
How to Takedown
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Check for any loose items left on the inflatable. (Sweep or
vacuum where appropriate.)
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All Guests should
be completely clear of inflatable. Including: stakes,
flagging, weight bags, etc.
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Turn off or
unplug blower. Disconnect the blower from the inflatable.
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Open all velcro /
zipper flaps, vents, and ports to allow air to escape and
the inflatable to deflate. Deflation time varies on the
inflatable. (10 – 20 minutes is normal.)
How to Roll an Inflatable
The Key to a good roll is to fold the material
neatly in to the middle of the inflatable.
-
Fold all material toward the middle of the inflatable and
find the bottom seams of the inflatable.
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Fold the
inflatable like a large bed sheet. Be sure to tuck all
colorful designs inside your folds to avoid contact with the
ground.
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Fold sides in 2-3
feet lengthwise.
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Continue to fold
inflatable from the outside-in until folded layers overlap
leaving a fold of 2-3 feet.
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Tuck in any extra
material. (Leave ports out to allow air to escape as you
roll.)
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Walk air out of
the inflatable by walking on the inflatable towards the port
(blower tube). (Doing so pushes air and allows air to
escape.)
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Where the
inflatable roll is to end. tuck in rope or strap that is to
be used for tying. The rope or strap should be tucked 2-3
feet underneath inflatable. (Doing so will allow you to not
lift the entire roll to tie off.)
-
Begin rolling
from the furthest point away from the port (blower tube).
(Doing so forces air to escape as you roll.) Roll as tightly
as possible. Keep the roll lined up, tuck any in extra
material, and do not allow any part of the roll to sag.
Slack rolls are difficult to move. Take your time and roll
it tight.
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Tuck in Ports
(Blower tubes).
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Tie off roll with
rope or strap. Tuck in hoses and any extra material. Place
in bag when applicable.
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Placing in a bag:
Turn inflatable to a “standing position”, pull bag from the
top down to ground level. Rotate inflatable in bag for
transportation.
Photos for How to Roll an Inflatable:
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Cleaning Inflatables! (We do this on
a weekly basis.) |
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Admittedly we've tried the easiest ways we could find.
We've also tried the fastest. I
believe we have even done it the hardest way, and we've done it the
hardest way several times more than once. Once we
got the hang of it, cleaning inflatables became second nature and
we are now providing our customers with clean
respectable units that we're proud to offer! |
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Introduction. |
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Cleaning and maintaining an inflatable can be a
daunting task especially for someone new to the business and not
sure of how often and to what extent these cleanings should be. A good
point to remember however is that a clean inflatable that is in good
repair is always more highly recognized by customers and helps
build a good name for our business so we take great pride in the
cleanliness and appearance of our inflatables.
There are generally a few types of cleanings and
maintenance routines that should be performed. It is very important that
anything other than a "quick" cleaning, or "spot" clean be documented
for maintenance purposes as well as for legal protection. |
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Cleaning Chemicals. |
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There are as many different cleaning products as
there are inflatables and some can be harmful to our units or more
importantly can be harmful to the occupants or users of the inflatable.
You need to make sure that any cleaner you use is free of bleach or
chlorine which will weaken the threads, methyl ethyl ketone which will
break down the vinyl and weaken its integrity, or any cleaner which
specifically states its use is not intended for soft or pliable vinyls.
Avoid any cleaner with caustic agents in them.
Some of the most common agents used by operators
include, greased lightning, orange blast and simple green. Eco friendly
cleaners such as the citrus based cleaners do a wonderful job of
removing often hard to clean substances such as tar, grease paint or
face paint and sticky candy or gum residues. Another benefit is the
orange aroma they emit which is much more pleasant than harsh chemical
odors. You'll also want to make sure that any cleaner you use is safe
for human contact and does not leave any residue behind. Any cleaner
used should contain a disinfectant or a disinfectant should be used
after cleaning the unit for sanitary purposes. Sometimes units are set
up in parks or locations near fire pits or barbeques and a smoke removal
solution is needed to remove the smoke odor. Make sure this is done
immediately so the odor does not remain in the unit.
A specialty cleaner available in most boat and marine
stores is Nautical Ease Inflatable Cleaner which is made specifically
for PVC vinyl's like those used for rubber rafts. This agent is
excellent for helping maintain the pliability of the vinyl and removes
the oxidization often associated with the red colors and other colors as
well. Another cleaner is Matt Kleen which is used widely in schools and
institutions for cleaning and disinfecting mats and padded surfaces. |
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Spot/Quick Clean. |
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One of the first methods for cleaning is actually
prevention. No matter what the surface set up area may consist of,
grass, asphalt, concrete, gymnasium floors, tile, sand, dirt, etc., you
want to keep as much of the substance out of the unit as possible.
Providing a large enough ground cover such as a tarp, piece of outdoor
carpet, etc., usually does a good job but will not stop
everything from entering the unit.
At each entrance/exit place this material on the
ground, make sure it is properly secured in place and no trip hazards
exist. This ground cover should be big enough to allow for participants
to move around the entrance, put on and take off their shoes and
footwear and wait for their turn in or on the units.
Moving onto the first method of cleaning we cover the
"quick" or "spot" cleaning. This generally takes place before the
rental period at the customers location, or after the rental period at the
customers location. Customers love to see you cleaning a unit and it
assures them that you take them seriously by providing a clean unit. Do
not be afraid to let the customers see you clean the units. The major
purpose behind spot cleaning is to prepare the unit for its next use.
For a spot cleaning it is advised you start from the
inside of the unit and work to the outside. This way anything inside
that gets pushed outside does not dirty a freshly cleaned exterior
area. Using a soft bristle broom, sweep everything to the outside walls
and then to the corners or exit where you can sweep it to the outside.
A vacuum may be used and often is by many operators. Most portable
cordless vacuums will maintain a charge good enough to clean 2-3 average
units. Some use small 1 1/2 to 2 gallon canister vacs which will fit
through most entrances.
After removing the large debris, dirt, etc. Use a
wet rag and your cleaner of choice to wipe down all areas that customers
come into contact with. The mattress floor, the exit and the supporting
columns. Move to the outside and wipe down the entrance, the mattress
and the base of the unit and columns. This is a perfect time for some
quick inspection of the unit for any damage that may have occurred, or
any material failure due to normal wear and tear. This is not a
substitute for a deep cleaning or thorough inspection. Make sure the
unit is completely dry before rolling and storing. When rolling the
unit, you may want to quickly wipe down and check the bottom of the
unit. Again, make sure the unit is dry before storing. |
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Thorough/Deep Clean. |
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The second method of cleaning is the "deep" or
"thorough" cleaning. Its hard to determine how often you should deep
clean a unit as it is based on the use of the unit. How often its
rented out, your rental season length, what types of set ups, etc.. It
may be a couple weeks, or it may be a month or two. We deep clean ours
once each month, with the units being rented out about 9-10 times each
month. A thorough inspection of the unit is advised before a deep clean
is accomplished. We'll cover the inspections in another section of the
web site.
For a deep cleaning it is recommended you do this
on a soft surface where water can not puddle up, or a hard surface
where the water can easily run off. This will aid in the drying of
the unit. Several methods are used for deep cleaning. We fully
inflate each unit, then deflate the unit so the roof area is flat.
There are many portable mops and such, avoid those with harsh
scrubbing pads and sharp metal. We start with a mop and bucket of
water with cleaner in it. We completely rinse this off and then
inflate the unit. We then work on the inside of the unit and
thoroughly cleanse every single surface, rinsing it well. Cleaning
the mattress area last. We then move to the outside of the unit and
do the same starting from the top and working towards the bottom.
If you use a pressure washer, make sure you use the absolute lowest
pressure setting you can and maintain a great distance from the
fabric. Pressure washers can literally wash away any protective
coatings and can cut the fabric and ruin the threads.
It is important that the unit has ample time to
completely dry. Both inside and outside the unit. It helps to use
some dry towels or even car wash chamois cloth to dry off as much of
the unit as possible. pay special attention to seams and crevices
where different parts of the moonwalk meet each other such as roof
support tubes and the roof itself. The seams will hiss and spit, and
you will see large bubbles form. This is completely natural. The
unit may take upwards of all day to dry depending on the weather. A
nice dry sunny day is always the best. In cooler temperatures some
folks have placed a small heater near the blower, set on LOW, so the
warm dry air helps dry the unit from the inside out. Do not operate
a hose near teh heater. make sure no standing water is in the area
if you choose to do this.
The other method is very similar to the spot cleaning
method, however, you are using the rag and spray method to clean all of
the surfaces. This is completely acceptable but may take up precious
time especially when you have multiple units to clean. Either way, make
sure the unit is completely dry before you roll and store it. If your
units are equipped with zippers, leave one open to aid in the drying of
the unit. This applies for units caught in rain storms, sprinklers, or
other wet situations as well. These units should be dried out as soon
as humanly possible to prevent mold and mildew from forming. |
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Face Paints, Mold/Mildew. |
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Some of the most major concerns with cleaning units
seems to be the never ending face paint issues, or the silly string
battle. For face paints, orange blast has always worked well for us.
Quickly and efficiently taking it all off. Other agents include skin so
soft by avon, goo gone and goof off. For silly string, prevention is
the best method. We flat out tell rental customers it reacts with the
vinyl almost like an acid and is not allowed in or near the units. We
actually have recently added a separate form outlining the cleaning and
damage charges for this product. The cleaning agents mentioned may
remove it, but the vinyl becomes damaged regardless. You may not
visibly see it right away, but the vinyl's protective fire retardant
coating is ruined and the vinyl loses strength as well as resulting many
times in permanent discoloration of the fabric. Silly string takes a
lot of scrubbing and hard work and areas as small as the safety ramps
can take hours.
Another major threat to your units is mold and
mildew. These culprits usually manifest with longer term storage and by
the time you discover them you have a real mess on your hands. This why
it is important to store your units dry and away from causes of
moisture. Most citrus based cleaners will do a good job of removing
mold and mildew but stains may still persist. We have successfully used
a home version of a steamer to remove as much as we possibly could, and
felt comfortable returning the unit to full service. With a steamer you
have to be very careful not to get too close to the material at first.
Slowly work towards it and wipe away the steam and water continually
with a dry rag or cloth, preferably white in color so as not to have any
dyes bleed onto the material. Steam is hot so please be careful |
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Bio-Hazardous Materials |
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The most common items being, vomit, urine/feces and
blood. And keep in mind this may be as simple as a drop or two, a
band-aid, or worse.
There are many solutions with which to clean these
materials with, and many can be dangerous to skin contact during and
after clean up. Check you products you choose carefully and make sure
they kill all germs, bacteria, and the HIV virus as well. A simple
solution of of bleach and water will do the trick efficiently if
properly applied. The solution should be no less than 10 percent bleach
which is recognized world wide as sufficient to kill these harmful
agents. 20 percent is recommended as the maximum for our equipment.
The first thing is to make sure you wear appropriate
universal precautions. This includes latex or latex free gloves, eye
protection, and even a nose and mouth mask similar to those used in
hospitals. You should have no open wounds, breaks in your skin, etc..
If so, these should be covered. You will need ample clean rags, the
solution, and a couple of garbage bags. Preferably a small garbage can
so you do not have to handle the bag with contaminated gloves when
placing materials inside.
The first step after donning your protective wear is
to use a clean rag and wipe up as much of the material as possible.
Then throw away the rag. Never re-use them in any cleaning step. Spray
an ample amount of the solution, or apply it with a dampened rag, not
soaking, and wipe the immediate area. Throw this rag away. With
another rag, slightly expand the cleaning area. Expand the area once
again with a third rag and cleaning solution. This should be the only
incident in which bleach makes contact with your thread. Blood and
other substances may leave stains, just be aware that if properly
cleaned they will not be hazardous.
Next, you should seal the garbage bag and then place
it inside another garbage bag along with your protective gear which you
should dispose of in accordance with local or state laws. In many cases
such as the small amounts you'll see, the household garbage may
suffice. Some localities may require the material be placed in a
special container and taken to a specialized dump area. Check just to
be on the safe side.
After you have finished cleaning, wash your hands a
minimum of 15 seconds, rubbing vigorously with an anti-bacterial soap.
You may also follow this up with a alcohol based hand lotion/cleaner for
added assurance. Make sure any clothing that came in contact with this
material is thoroughly cleaned as well in a similar solution. Do not
take your personal health for granted. Your health is worth more than
any equipment you own. |
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Tricks We Use |
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Here a few tricks we use:
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Goof-off - works miracles on greasy, oily, or sticky
spots such as scuff marks, tree sap, gum, hard candy, etc. Be
advised this product can sometimes pull some of the color out of the
vinyl and temporarily make the vinyl feel "sticky". This is due to
the solvents effect on the vinyl. Test on an inconspicuous area
first, then let the area dry out for at least 10 minutes for the
vinyl to return to normal.
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Bleach (diluted with water). Works well on mildew
stains, biological messes (urine, feces, vomit) and really bad
"funk". Dilution ratio depends on the severity of the problem, but
it can range anywhere from 10% bleach to 50% bleach. You must rinse
thoroughly with water when finished.
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Degreaser - A good degreaser, properly diluted, when
used with a medium-stiff brush will scrub out ground-in dirt and
grime that the degreaser and a towel alone will not remove. Also
test in an inconspicuous area first and make sure to rinse with
water before drying.
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When all else fails: Mr. Clean Magic Erase Bar - works
well on some (not all) ground-in dirt or stains. It will brighten up
"dingy" vinyl in some instances. USE AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE
AS THIS ALSO REMOVES THE TOP LAYER OF THE MATERIAL!!!
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The most discouraging part of the inflatable industry is RAIN!
Properly drying inflatables is one of the most time consuming but
required things we have to do to maintain our equipment. Some inflatables have
the big access zippers were small people can actually climb in and vacuum / dry
out the units. If you have these units, please do not go into them without
someone around to help in case of an emergency.
Some operators say if it is a light rain, leave the units blown
up, problem with that is the blower will suck in water to the unit. Deflating it
will allow water to enter through the seams. Having the customer fold it and
covering it is the best thing if there is no one available to roll it up.
When an inflatable is blown up the air pressure will hold water
up against the vinyl and not allow all of it to blow out the seams. Some of the
baffle material and netting will also absorb and hold moisture.
When I have wet units we blow them up and tilt them to one side
(facing the sun) with a hand truck under it for support. This allows standing
water to go to one side and blow out of the stitch work. When it appears dry
from the outside remove the hand truck, deflate the unit and allow any water up
in the columns and support tubes to run back down. After it is deflated, blow it
back up again. This will allow water to move around and drain out again. We
repeat this operation several times to allow it to dry completely. We also spray
Microban® into the unit which will kill and prevent mildew from starting.
In some worst cases where a unit has been left out in hours of
rain we resort to slitting a small hole on the BOTTOM of the unit towards the
front corner and tilt the unit on its side to allow water to flow out of it on
site. This can be easily patched when you get it back and dried out.
By doing it in the same area for your units it will also make it
easier if it happens again. Just pull the patch off the next time. It is on the
bottom of the unit so looks are not all that important.
You will find that some manufactures use material that can hold
up longer than others. I do set a priority though. Any thing with digital
graphics or clear vinyl gets cleaned first. The water seems to want to damage
the graphics before plain or painted vinyl.
The most important thing is to get them dry ASAP. There is a
substantial investment in this business and once mildew has set into the scrim
of vinyl it is impossible to get out.
Attitudes are Infectious!
I recently took a family trip to a nearby theme park. My
3-year-old daughter and her 3-year-old cousin didn't have a wide variety of
rides they were allowed on, so they ended up riding the "baby" swing ride about
5 times.
While they loved the ride, by about the 4th time, the excitement
was gone and they just sat quietly on the ride as it spun them around. I asked
them, did they REALLY want to go again? Yes! Yes! Yes! They cried. So, we went
around to the entrance and loaded them up again.
This time, things were a little different. Directly in front of
the two of them was a little girl about the same age with curly dark hair. Her
excitement was obvious! She hopped and danced and chattered while waiting for
her dad to settle her in her seat. Once settled, she called out to him over and
over, See me? I'M RIDING!
My girls were quite interested in this little girl and watched
her intently. As the ride started up, she started to laugh wildly. My girls
started to laugh too… and the children in front of this girl started giggling
and making noises as well. Soon, the whole ride was laughing it up as they spun
around- what was previously a bunch of tired children going through the motions
was suddenly an excited group having fun.
One happy little girl made the difference.
On a similar note, we went to many rides and attractions
throughout the day where the employees were also going through the motions. As
long as they worked efficiently, the expression in their face didn't really
matter; it wasn't a negative impact, per se.
But there was one small coaster we rode where the ride operator
was obviously having fun. She good-naturedly threatened not to let the ride
start until we yelled loud enough for her. She cracked jokes at the beginning
and end of each ride, all while dispensing instructions and safety cautions. She
made that ride fun, and I actually listened to her. I believe her ride was safer
than most, because she actually had our attention.
Are You Really Delivering The Fun?
Have you had an attitude check lately? Stop a minute and remember
back to your first season. Every rental was like a gift and you were thrilled to
be delivering that equipment. Each completed rental not only left you with a
rental fee, but also a warm feeling of making kids happy. Do you still feel that
way?
Or, like most of us, have you gotten so bogged down in the
details, the timetable, the delivery schedule, the fee collection and the WORK
of it all, that you've forgotten to have fun? It's way too easy to slip into the
harried, fast-moving equipment-installer role and away from the idea of
delivering FUN.
5 Ways to Be Fun
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Smile a lot
No matter how behind you are, remember that every customer is important. You
may deliver 5-8 moonwalks to today, but they are only getting one, and they
are excited about it!
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Talk to the kids
The kids are what make our jobs possible. Sure they get underfoot, get in
the way, and some are overexcited to the point of insanity, but showing them
a little attention not only makes their day happier, it reminds you of why
this is such a wonderful business to be in. Parents who observe you being
nice to their kids are much more likely to recommend your company to other
parents.
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Bring a Little Something Extra for the Birthday Child
Prizes are inexpensive- consider investing in some small stuffed animals or
other small prizes and leave a gift behind for the birthday child. Will they
remember you? You bet!
Why Worry About Being Fun?
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It's Good for YOU!
Staying positive and acting happy (even when you are stressed) actually
helps to relieve stress. Often you can turn a bad mood around when you see
the delighted reactions of the children and family at the event. This can be
a stressful business- focusing on fun helps to keep you motivated.
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It's Good for Business!
In a family-oriented business, personal impressions count for a lot. Being
fun can make the difference between a "yeah, we had a moonwalk for the
party" and a "you have GOT to get your next moonwalk from this company, they
are great!"
If you promise great service, than go the extra mile. Deliver the
fun!
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