Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Matt Read on April 01, 2005, 05:14:05 pm
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As this is the microsplitters appreciation society these days and i do understand the concept and it all sounds very good ....but i'm baffled as to how detergents that state "no sticky residue" or the self neutralising type causes resoiling .
Or is there another reason why microsplitters are becoming so popular ?
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Extraction pre-sprays and detergents used correctly do not promote resoiling. But just look at the list of TLC's, pre-sprays, detergent and acid rinses available from the industry's leaders, and you'll see that there are an enourmous range of variables to allow things to go wrong. Good training and experience will virtually eliminate this risk of resoiling.
Modern detergents usually leave a dry crystaline residue. Very small quantities which should not promote resoiling whilst dry. However, detergents are water loving and can absorb moisture. If this happens, the residue can then become sticky and do what it's designed to do ie attract soil. To be honest, from straight forward correctly executed cleans, this is not a problem. Most problems tend to come from dirty traffic before the carpet had dried. Remember, a typical wool yarn will absorb upto 30% of it's own weight in water and still feel dry, and in humid conditions this will apply BEFORE you've cleaned it. A good rule of thumb, regardless of the equipment used, will not return to it's driest possible state until about 48 hours after cleaning, even though it felt dry within a few short hours.
The free rinsing detergent pre-sprays such as Spitfire Advanced and CitraFresh along with Micro-Spliitters are all rinsed with just tap water, so there are virtually no resoiling problems associated with these types of products, again if used correctly. My own experiences of using regular type detergents was that, because of the way I work, almost all of my HWE was done with Fibre and Fabric Rinse. Resoiling, for me, was usually down to traffic before dry or from other cleaners.
Safe and happy cleaning :)
Ken
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With such an excellent reply from young Ken, what more is to be said?
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Thanks for taking the time to reply Ken,
I didn't think these detergents caused resoiling ...i haven't had a call back for that problem in my time.
I was just curious because the general opinion on here was than MS avoided the problem completely and detergent was being made to sound like the old foamy shampoo's used years ago which i couldn't quite understand.
The MS prespray agitation and rinse method sounds like another string i could add to my bow...but i have to say it does sound like extremly hard work compared to very hwe and detergent...particuarly as i do a lot of rental work.
How do you get on in large heavily furnished houses ? With detergent cleaning i would vac and then clean ,say, under a bed as i go along...with the MS system do you have help or get customers to remove everything from rooms ?
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Matt,
My general approach has not altered much with the advent of micro-splitters - even conventional pre-sprays require agitation to function fully!
The main difference is that with an in-tank detergent I pre-sprayed only those sections of a carpet that actually needed chemical pre-conditioning, whereas with micro-splitters and other products where fresh-water rinse is employed, the entire carpet is pre-sprayed.
The degree of agitation is greater , partly due to the very small amount of product applied to the carpet, but with the mechanical means employed that is no great burden.
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Thanks John,
Nice to get a reply from the man everyone uses as a sounding board ...i seemed to get involved with this forum just as you had your ill health...hope you're feeling a lot better now.
I have some ms coming next week to try ..when you say mechanical are you talking rotary machine ?..would a good stiff brush do the trick ? I'm keen to get using as a lot of the old hands on here have been converted and that doesn't happen often so they must have something to them...I will talk to the supplier when i get them....is very hot water used with them etc etc...
Being honest have you completely got rid of detergents ? or do u keep some as a back up for that really grotty job ? on a previous thread i saw someone say detergent = wow factor ms =average to good results. but they use ms all the time for resoiling and env issues now.
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I have never had a recall from resoiling, in 22 years. That said, I have had to deal with areas of detergent soiling from past cleaners.
I have actually lost work with NCP and a hotel group because the contractor accused me of cleaning the carpets TOO well. Normally they get called in every 3-4 months but they have not needed cleaning for 9 months since i used ms solution ;D
Since using ms, i have had an easier time due to the ease with which it is rinsed. Customers are unable to point the finger when you highlight the patches they have caused with the DIY spotters.
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How long have microsplitters been available chris ? and what method did you use before assuming it wasn't detergents. I was under the impression ms were a newish product or did you always pre spray and rinse with water but find ms now get better results than the traditional presprays ?
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I have only been onto ms for year or so ( only use Solutions. )
Always used Prochem presprays and Fibre Rinse.
I was just very consciencious in my rinsing/neutralising 8) now I just find it easier and do not have the cost of a rinsing agent.
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Hi Matt,
I would recommend at least a Sebo Duo or better an Envirodry or Host Machine for agitating any pre-spray. I have been using a Host for the past 20 years or so as adequate agitation with a broom is just such hard work that it is seldom accomplished to a fully satisfartory level.
A rotary machine will agitate well and would be my choice for large areas of low-profile commercial areas. With any carpet that has more pile however, the twin contra-rotating brushes of the machines designed for granular cleans, because they work in the vertical plane, not only do a better job of distributing the pre-spray throughout the pile-depth but also have a pile-lifting effect. This 'opens' rather than flattens the pile, which not only enhances cleaning depth but leave the carpet far bouncier.
As to conventional products, I do carry a large range of spotting agents and, though rarely used, a small range of extraction detergents to solve specific problems. An example would be carpet heavily contaminated with road salt. I have yet to revert to conventional extraction detergents simply because a carpet is heavily soiled as I have learned to make micro-splitters work on even the dirtiest.
Like Chris, I have never had a problem with rapid re-soil even with detergents but the other benefits of this new technology are enough to make it my mainstay.