[stevegunn]

A customer has been told to use a solution of 3% tannic acid  to get rid of dust mites how true is that statement?

[woodman]

Hi Steve

Medical tannic is an anti-bacterial agent,  if that is what she has been advised to use.

Incorrect use on carpets could cause browning so she might have altogether different problem once she has temporarly removed the dust mite, I'll wait for the chemists on here to advise further

[Dynafoam]

Steve,

Tannic acid, produced traditionally from the fermentation of oak galls, has the ability to coagulate proteins and penetrate tissue. Its' ability to do this explains its' ability to transform raw hide into leather.

It is also strongly astringent.

These two properties enable it to kill both bacteria and other micro-organisms, including house mite and is responsible for my tea allergy.

However, as Trevor has indicated it also has a detrimental effect on the dyes of many fibres, both natural and synthetic, so would not be recommended for the treatment of soft furnishings.

Non-medical quality tannic acid may contain traces of gallic acid.  It is commonly used as a mordant for cellulostic fibres such as cotton and for the chemical staining of wood. This is an additional reason not to use it of soft furnishings in that it can set certain stains, rendering them permanent.

PS.

Tannic acid is not actually a true acid, but a polyphenol.

[woodman]

Hi John

That's explains it,

I believe that polyphenol can help with signs of ageing,not being able to drink tea would explain why you look so much older than your 25 years

[Dynafoam]

Trevor,

Quite so young whippersnapper, but if I were 86, I'd be quite young-looking

Interestingly,. polyphenols (catechins, isoflavones, and flavonoids) are a class of phytochemicals found in high concentrations in wine, tea, grapes, whole grain cereals, and a wide variety of other plants. These compounds are responsible for the brightly coloured pigments of many fruits and vegetables. Polyphenols are among the most potent plant antioxidants and may reduce the absorption of excess reactive metals (i.e. iron, zinc, and copper). Polyphenols may have protective effects on several disease processes like some cancers and forms of heart disease, and Parkinson's disease. They may protect LDL (bad) cholesterol from becoming oxidised (a key step in developing atherosclerosis), lower blood pressure in hypertensive subjects, and reduce the tendency of the blood to clot. They are also believed to have a preventative effect regarding breast cancer.

It seems that as a coffee-drinker I am destined to suffer congestive heart disease, breast cancer, high blood pressure and goodness knows what else in addition to being an insomniac old wrinklie 

[Bryan H]

Have you ever been on Mastermind John ??

Makes me feel a complete dumbo !   

Bryan

[Dynafoam]

Bryan,

I am no more than a dumbo who had no other way of learning about carpet and fabric cleaning other than to do a LOT of research. Much of what I learned had no practical application, but when entering a completely new field of study every avenue need to be explored.

Decades of stuffing info into the noddle does not make someone clever - it just means that you have a mind like that certain drawer found in many kitchens that contain everything from a piece of knotted string to a funny plastic thingy that broke off something forgotten, that was probably thrown away years ago.

[woodman]

Or as a teacher once put about me in a school report;

"Unfortunately Trevor is a pupil who has gargled at the fountain of knowledge"

 

[Derek]

Trevor

I didn't just gargle...I choked   

Thanks for the lesson and the laugh guys...you made my day and what's more its Friday

"Young" Derek

[Dynafoam]

Trevor,

My Physics master once wrote:

"If John applied an equal effort to listening to what he was told as to questioning half the facts, he would have a future in science"

And I always thought that an enquiring mind was a prerequisite to science 

[howgood]

I've only been in the cleaning business for a couple of years, been in business for 33. Loads of experience with insecticides and with this exact problem in another business and in particular with the chemical industry. As a cleaning company and as a result of not being able to obtain either an effective, or, more to the point SAFE mite and flea killer I formulated my own, or rather my contract chemists did under my specific directions on what I wanted. Most of my competitors products are in a powder delivery system with whacking concentration levels that I would not touch with a barge pole. We formulated a product that is in a liquid delivery system, carries only the minimum amount of chemical 'hit' required to do the job without putting a drawing pin in with a lump hammer! and is operator safe, and when the carpet has only just been treated is "wet baby skin proof" that is to say, immediately after treatment you could take baby out of the bath and lay them on the carpet - there would be NO TRANSMIGRATION of chemicals, because they're all gone.

If you need any further info just ask.

[howgood]

I've only been in the cleaning business for a couple of years, been in business for 33. Loads of experience with insecticides and with this exact problem in another business and in particular with the chemical industry. As a cleaning company and as a result of not being able to obtain either an effective, or, more to the point SAFE mite and flea killer I formulated my own, or rather my contract chemists did under my specific directions on what I wanted. Most of my competitors products are in a powder delivery system with whacking concentration levels that I would not touch with a barge pole. We formulated a product that is in a liquid delivery system, carries only the minimum amount of chemical 'hit' required to do the job without putting a drawing pin in with a lump hammer! and is operator safe, and when the carpet has only just been treated is "wet baby skin proof" that is to say, immediately after treatment you could take baby out of the bath and lay them on the carpet - there would be NO TRANSMIGRATION of chemicals, because they're all gone.

If you need any further info just ask.