Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: fenman on June 03, 2010, 05:37:35 pm

Title: Protector - lumpy
Post by: fenman on June 03, 2010, 05:37:35 pm
Had a nightmare attempting to apply protector to a carpet today.
Nozzle on sprayer kept getting blocked so every few metres had to take apart and clean out - took forever.
I have now strained the protector ( craftex ) into a bucket and it was full of lumps of rubbery stuff which when squeezed together was about the size of a golf ball.
Is this normal.
Is the rubbery stuff a vital component of the protector i.e. do I have to throw whats left or can I still use it.
I guess the protector was probably a few months old.
Is there a shelf life.
Are some protectors more prone than others to have this problem.
David
Title: Re: Protector - lumpy
Post by: sherco on June 03, 2010, 06:11:33 pm
Sounds like it may have got frost damage during the winter....
Title: Re: Protector - lumpy
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on June 03, 2010, 06:39:50 pm
Protector has 'solids' in it and that is why you get the balls, Sherco could be right and it could have been frost damaged in the Winter.

Shaun
Title: Re: Protector - lumpy
Post by: fenman on June 03, 2010, 06:47:55 pm
The more I think about it I reckon frost damage was the cause.
Title: Re: Protector - lumpy
Post by: M.Acorn on June 03, 2010, 07:39:07 pm
I would say frost,lost a full 5 ltr,and a half full of pre spray gold this year,when it defrosted it was all grainy  :-[  Had to chuck it
Title: Re: Protector - lumpy
Post by: John Kelly on June 03, 2010, 07:53:20 pm
Extreme cold will cause the Teflon in the product to seperate from the solution. This is the rubbery stuff you has and is the resin which provides the protection. Unfortunately once that has happened it can't be re-constituted. Protectors are one of the main products to protect from frost damage.
Title: Re: Protector - lumpy
Post by: Fintan_Coll on June 03, 2010, 11:03:42 pm
Frost most likely, however if you only took delivery of it a month or two ago the damage must have occured at the  supplier. No doubt they will replace for you.
Title: Re: Protector - lumpy
Post by: Doug Holloway on June 04, 2010, 08:06:14 am
Hi Guys

The rubbery stuff as you put it is the protector, polytetraflouroethylene, otherwise known as Teflon.

Once it has come out of solution which can be caused by among other things heat, frost or ageing, then it is useless.

It is quite possible suppliers have experienced problems in the cold winter and worth checking when you buy protector, it shouldn't have lumps in it.

Cheers

Doug
Title: Re: Protector - lumpy
Post by: Ken Wainwright on June 05, 2010, 02:00:55 pm
When I attended a Scotchgard training course, many, many years ago, they told us how to recover frost damaged product. Whether this information applies to other brands or indeed any current formulation, I don't know, but it won't hurt to try it.

Simply, heat the product in a bain-marie type of saucepan, stirring all the time.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Don't use her best cookware and be H&S aware.

Safe and happy cleaning :)
The Ken
Title: Re: Protector - lumpy
Post by: Michael Smallwood on June 06, 2010, 09:37:26 pm
Thanks Ken,

I have a little bit of water based protector that has has separated and I shall try your suggestion.

Cheers
Mike