Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Doctor Carpet (Ret'd) on January 30, 2009, 10:07:13 am

Title: white powdery residue
Post by: Doctor Carpet (Ret'd) on January 30, 2009, 10:07:13 am

Morning all.

Last week I HWE some localised staining on green low profile, good quality, carpet tiles in a commercial setting.

I had encouraged the facilities manager to come back to me if the problem wasn't resolved so the fact that he did doesn't make me look (too) foolish.

Where I cleaned there is now left a fine, white powdery residue. The marks are essentially gone and there are no sweal marks apart from these powdery rings.

My thoughts are that there is some sort of wick-back going on. I'm wondering if the powdery substance is some sort of residue from whatever the regular cleaners tried on it before I was called in, and possibly I didn't flush out enough.

So my question is, do you have any thoughts as to what may be going on and any ideas of how to resolve it?

From reading the forum I'm thinking that a LM bonneting may simply remove the powder without generating any more wick-back.

And now, over to all you clever people for your thoughts and suggestions.

Roger

Title: Re: white powdery residue
Post by: sherco on January 30, 2009, 10:39:25 am

I know this is a real stab in the dark, but with all of this cold weather we have had could it be road salt walked in from outside and once you added water its dissolved it thats whats going white maybe.

Title: Re: white powdery residue
Post by: The Great One on January 30, 2009, 10:41:20 am

Hi

LM would probably solve it, cannot it not just be vacuumed up?

Has someone dropped something or trodden something in?

Regards

Martin 8)

Title: Re: white powdery residue
Post by: Ian Gourlay on January 30, 2009, 01:26:22 pm

Happened to me in a Surgery

Just went back and extracted with plain water.

Title: Re: white powdery residue
Post by: Ken Wainwright on January 30, 2009, 05:26:15 pm

Roger

It's difficult to analyse these type of problems without seeing the job, but I'll try.

After considering the environment, type of soiling you'd expect, nature of the original spillage etc, lift one of the tiles if you can and see if you can shake out any residue. Do a pH test so that you can use the right sort of product to neutralise.

If it's a white powder, yes it could be residual product from other cleaning, perhaps Sebo type of symthetic "sponges" or a stain absorber. I doubt that it would be a wet product residue, but be prepared for anything.  My approach would be similar to your suggested bonnet clean, but only after a thorough vac.

Safe and happy cleaning :)
Ken

Title: Re: white powdery residue
Post by: clinton on January 30, 2009, 05:54:54 pm

Hi roger

Think the above post is right ???

Think a good vac and a bonnet over them might rectify the white marks.

The wick back was from maybe you uing h w e on them ???

Title: Re: white powdery residue
Post by: clinton on January 30, 2009, 05:59:03 pm

Roger

Just another thought was i did a house a while ago h s l where a fire extingiusher had been let off in the house and it left white powder/sand on the carpets ???

Title: Re: white powdery residue
Post by: expro on January 31, 2009, 12:55:06 am

No body has askeds what products were used or whe the  exact location werw likein the doorways.or where  cleaner culd have putbuckets. etc// MUCH EaSIER TO SOLVE PROBLEMS WITH INFORMATION  GLEANED FROM SITE FIRST HAND.
ITS not rocket science

Title: Re: white powdery residue
Post by: Doctor Carpet (Ret'd) on January 31, 2009, 09:39:09 am

Couple of vomit stains and a couple of cold drink spillages. They were spread out across 2 waiting rooms of a large doctors' practice.

The carpets were well inside the building, nowhere near entrances.

This answers some of the questions raised but I don't think sheds any more light on the potential answers given so far.

Any more thoughts, guys?

Title: Re: white powdery residue
Post by: clinton on January 31, 2009, 09:48:49 am

Hi roger

How long did it take to dry as you h w e the carpet ???

Think its a l profile in the surgery ???

Title: Re: white powdery residue
Post by: John Kelly on January 31, 2009, 09:58:03 am

Sometimes on very low profile carpet on a concrete slab you can get efforescence which is the salts leaching out of the concrete and remaining on the pile surface as the water evaporates. The concrete has to become wet or be in a wet state for this to happen. A localised spillage, overwetting or defective floor slab can all cause this. Vacuming or wiping with damp tery towel should be adequate to remove it. If the slab is defective and moisture is continually passing from the slab to the carpet then the problem may be ongoing and difficult to eradicate.

Title: Re: white powdery residue
Post by: Doctor Carpet (Ret'd) on February 16, 2009, 02:32:22 pm

Guys

Thanks for all your comments and suggestions.

THanks also to Clinton.

Just over a week ago he and I went back with his LM machine and went over the affected areas.

10 days on I've had no adverse reports from the client, so fingers crossed that the problem has been resolved.

Title: Re: white powdery residue
Post by: clinton on February 16, 2009, 04:35:35 pm

Roger :)

Glad to hear that mate sounds as though we got the areas cleaned up :)