Today I answered the question what type of carpet cleaner is the best. This can be simple or complicated question depending on the type of cleaning you are doing.
- Different carpet fibers react differently to soils, spills, cleaning agents, traffic, pH levels, etc.
- Different backing systems react differently to various pre-treatments or cleaning agents
- What type of carpet are you cleaning? (Nylon 6, Nylon 6.6, Polyester, Olefin, Wool…)
- What type of soils are you trying to remove? (oil base, protein base, organic base)
- What type of cleaning equipment are you using? (dry/low moisture, portable, truck-mount)
- Do you pre spray and rinse or blow and go with heavy cleaning agents mixed in the rinse water
- Some pre-sprays will instantly neutralize the topical protectors applied by the mills
- Some pre-sprays will void the manufactures warranty and you could be replacing the carpet if there is a claim that is inspected by a savvy carpet inspector (seen it happen)
- Some pre-sprays are engineered for specific types of fiber
- Some pre-sprays are engineered for specific types of soils
- Some require flushing or to be rinsed and neutralized some can be left behind and will not cause rapid re-soiling.
When my brothers and I use to clean 30 to 50 apartments a day we did not worry about the pre-spray, they were always very dirty, did not have a warranty or topical treatments to void or neutralize so we just blasted then. Try that approach on a $50.00 to $75.00 a yard light colored commercial grade carpet or on a $300 dollar yard hand tufted wool with silk highlights and you will become very good friends with your insurance agent real quick.
I realize I did really answer the question and probably raised even more questions, but the “one widget solves all of the world’s problems” rarely works. What does work is to understand what you are cleaning and adjusting your process to do what is best for each individual situation.
For more information on specific situations send me a note. Cary
Cary the Carpet Guy 