Welcome!
» Log In
» Create A New Profile
Home
>
Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
>
Topic
Carpet information.
Posted by Jim Hammill
|
Carpet information. October 10, 2003 03:28AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 751 |
<HTML>ok, after the post the other day where Bud asked how does soil etc get it to carpet fibers, I got curious as to how to clean carpets and just what chemicals are in the extractor fluid.
1/
I didnt realize just how many different types of auto carpet there is , 100% Nylon, 80/20 Loop etc. I have also been told that some carpets are a polyester/wool blend. Not sure on this , so feel free to correct me here. Apparently the most common type used now is "cut pile".
As for cleaning, well I sure learnt a lot about chemicals that I thought were good things to have in an extractor fluid, but turn out not to be according to some professionals. Optical Brightners being the example. I was always impressesed with this term until I read up on it today ...
Optical brighteners are actually ultraviolet dyes that may be invisible under many lighting conditions. They work by fluorescing the ultraviolet light into visible light, thereby making surfaces they have been applied to appear brighter. This results in a cleaner, brighter appearance in these areas. Used properly on carpets and upholstery and other fabrics, this may result in a “cleaner clean.” There are additional potential problems with the use of optical brighteners. One of these is its tendency to yellow with age, which is one the reasons that carpet manufacturers discourage its use. If yellow spots, “bleached spots,” and loss of stain protection don’t concern you, then go ahead and use them. Fortunately, many chemical formulators particularly those that cater to the carpet and fabric cleaning industry, have stopped using optical brighteners. However,optical brighteners are still used quite often by formulators that supply the janitorial industry.
2/
Cleaning. Like a lot of other people we use an Extractor and it works very well, but I got educated today on what causes the problems with carpets and here is what I found out, it might also help you to sell more carpet cleaning services.
The dirt , or soil etc , if not vacumed reguarly , will slip down below the surface of the pile , where it is far more difficult to remove , and may also damage the fibers. This is where it becomes critical to use an extractor, a regular vacum wont do it , neither will these products that you spray on and vacum off, as they dont penetrate deep enough in to the base of the carpet.
Even though vacuuming can remove most of the dry soil, it is also necessary to clean your carpet on a regular basis to remove the oily, sticky soil that builds up in the pile as a result of air pollution and tracked in dirt from outside. The particles of oily soil deposited on carpet fibers can cause gradual but significant dulling of lighter colors. The color is not lost but is hidden under the film. If this kind of soil is left to accumulate it begins to attract and hold dry soil. This is the reason cleaning is so important when dulling of the color is first noticed, if allowed to remain to long, it becomes gummy and difficult to remove.
3/
How carpet protection works .
The technology of how these topical treatments work is really quite simple. They work in a similar manner in which dyes attach to the carpet fiber. Fibers have dye sites, which allow dye to penetrate the fiber. In residential fibers, these dye sites have a positive electrical charge. Dyes having a negative electrical charge are applied to the fiber and these opposite charges neutralize one another. This allows the dye to bond to the fiber. Many food items like Kool-Aid®, and Gatorade® use the same negatively charged dyes to add color to the drink. When spilled on untreated fiber, these dyes bond to the fiber in the same way as dyes used in coloring fibers. This bond results in a permanent stain.
The principle of stain-resist chemistry is such that in dyeing carpet fibers, not all dye sites are neutralized by the dyes. These positively-charged dye sites remain available to accepted unwanted dyes. In essence, a clear colorless dye is added to the carpet face fiber after dyeing, which neutralizes all remaining dye sites and limits the acceptance of new dyes from common household spills. While the technology is a bit different from this description, this is a simple explanation of the theory involved.
Ok , none of this is my own work, just picked it up from several different places and thought I'd share .
Jim.</HTML>
1/
I didnt realize just how many different types of auto carpet there is , 100% Nylon, 80/20 Loop etc. I have also been told that some carpets are a polyester/wool blend. Not sure on this , so feel free to correct me here. Apparently the most common type used now is "cut pile".
As for cleaning, well I sure learnt a lot about chemicals that I thought were good things to have in an extractor fluid, but turn out not to be according to some professionals. Optical Brightners being the example. I was always impressesed with this term until I read up on it today ...
Optical brighteners are actually ultraviolet dyes that may be invisible under many lighting conditions. They work by fluorescing the ultraviolet light into visible light, thereby making surfaces they have been applied to appear brighter. This results in a cleaner, brighter appearance in these areas. Used properly on carpets and upholstery and other fabrics, this may result in a “cleaner clean.” There are additional potential problems with the use of optical brighteners. One of these is its tendency to yellow with age, which is one the reasons that carpet manufacturers discourage its use. If yellow spots, “bleached spots,” and loss of stain protection don’t concern you, then go ahead and use them. Fortunately, many chemical formulators particularly those that cater to the carpet and fabric cleaning industry, have stopped using optical brighteners. However,optical brighteners are still used quite often by formulators that supply the janitorial industry.
2/
Cleaning. Like a lot of other people we use an Extractor and it works very well, but I got educated today on what causes the problems with carpets and here is what I found out, it might also help you to sell more carpet cleaning services.
The dirt , or soil etc , if not vacumed reguarly , will slip down below the surface of the pile , where it is far more difficult to remove , and may also damage the fibers. This is where it becomes critical to use an extractor, a regular vacum wont do it , neither will these products that you spray on and vacum off, as they dont penetrate deep enough in to the base of the carpet.
Even though vacuuming can remove most of the dry soil, it is also necessary to clean your carpet on a regular basis to remove the oily, sticky soil that builds up in the pile as a result of air pollution and tracked in dirt from outside. The particles of oily soil deposited on carpet fibers can cause gradual but significant dulling of lighter colors. The color is not lost but is hidden under the film. If this kind of soil is left to accumulate it begins to attract and hold dry soil. This is the reason cleaning is so important when dulling of the color is first noticed, if allowed to remain to long, it becomes gummy and difficult to remove.
3/
How carpet protection works .
The technology of how these topical treatments work is really quite simple. They work in a similar manner in which dyes attach to the carpet fiber. Fibers have dye sites, which allow dye to penetrate the fiber. In residential fibers, these dye sites have a positive electrical charge. Dyes having a negative electrical charge are applied to the fiber and these opposite charges neutralize one another. This allows the dye to bond to the fiber. Many food items like Kool-Aid®, and Gatorade® use the same negatively charged dyes to add color to the drink. When spilled on untreated fiber, these dyes bond to the fiber in the same way as dyes used in coloring fibers. This bond results in a permanent stain.
The principle of stain-resist chemistry is such that in dyeing carpet fibers, not all dye sites are neutralized by the dyes. These positively-charged dye sites remain available to accepted unwanted dyes. In essence, a clear colorless dye is added to the carpet face fiber after dyeing, which neutralizes all remaining dye sites and limits the acceptance of new dyes from common household spills. While the technology is a bit different from this description, this is a simple explanation of the theory involved.
Ok , none of this is my own work, just picked it up from several different places and thought I'd share .
Jim.</HTML>
|
Re: Carpet information. October 10, 2003 04:38AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 3,550 |
<HTML>Jim:
I compliment you on doing your "homework." With the internet just about anything a person wants to learn is there.
For example, go to Google, my search engine of choice, and type in words like "caustic or sodium hydroxide" the common ingredients used in engine degreasers and white wall cleaners. Read that and a good detailer would never again use a degreaser on carpets.
Or type in "amino-functional silicones" to learn how they function in a paint sealant.
Type in "silicone emulsions" and you will learn how this is used in water based dressings.
Type in "pH scale" to learn about acids and alkalines.
Just about anything a detailer wants to know is as close as their computer.
CARPET
By the way Jim, I am told by the automobile carpet manufacturers that automotive carpet is nylon. The low cost version is hook and loop. The more expensive is called, like in home carpet, plush. They sell two versions. But both are nylon.
That is why it is easy to dye automobile carpeting if you buy a system that uses a heat-actived acid-based dye which is what is used in the mills to originally dye the carpet.
Keep up the good work.
Bud A</HTML>
buda
I compliment you on doing your "homework." With the internet just about anything a person wants to learn is there.
For example, go to Google, my search engine of choice, and type in words like "caustic or sodium hydroxide" the common ingredients used in engine degreasers and white wall cleaners. Read that and a good detailer would never again use a degreaser on carpets.
Or type in "amino-functional silicones" to learn how they function in a paint sealant.
Type in "silicone emulsions" and you will learn how this is used in water based dressings.
Type in "pH scale" to learn about acids and alkalines.
Just about anything a detailer wants to know is as close as their computer.
CARPET
By the way Jim, I am told by the automobile carpet manufacturers that automotive carpet is nylon. The low cost version is hook and loop. The more expensive is called, like in home carpet, plush. They sell two versions. But both are nylon.
That is why it is easy to dye automobile carpeting if you buy a system that uses a heat-actived acid-based dye which is what is used in the mills to originally dye the carpet.
Keep up the good work.
Bud A</HTML>
buda
|
Re: Carpet information. October 10, 2003 06:41AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 42 |
<HTML>Hi all. I dont have any type of carpet cleaning equipment. I've done the following recently and it seems to work and just want to see what others think.
1) Pre-spray carpet or upholstery with carpet shampoo using as little as chemical as possible. Basically just mist surface. (You don’t have to see it's there, just know that it is).
2) Scrub surface with scrub brush.
3) "Scrub" surface with dry cotton towel turning frequently and switching to new towel when required. (This is when you will find out there is cleaner there)
4) Mist surface very lightly with fabric softener and redo steps 2 and 3. (I find that fabric softener makes surface slightly water resistant and also helps makes the cloth soft again, the pre-cleaner I use is known for making the surface kind of "crusty" and the extraction chemical combats this. But I don’t have an extractor so I’ve been using Downy [if it’s good enough for my Perry Ellis polo’s its good enough to sit on]).
======
Sure you don’t get the "deep down" cleaning effect that a steam cleaner can do but you also don’t have the $1000 expense of buying one. I think for someone doing a quick detail or cleaning a newer car where there isn't that much dirt this might work. It's working for me.
If I have an area that is really bad I can use extra shampoo and my shopvac with an upholstery attachment I found. It's basically an attachment with an opening about 6" by 1/4". I think I remember reading that my shopvac has about 16lbs of vacuum, plenty of pull to get out anything that might cause "wicking" action. I just don’t have the steam to make life easier.
The most important thing I’ve found is to use professional quality shampoo. If you use store bought stuff you'll be sucking shampoo out of the material for days. I found no matter how long you vacuum for if you scrub afterwards you’ll get foam. The professional stuff I use does not do this. Gain some wisdom and learn from me on this one. This whole system cost me about $20.
Ok, let me have it.
~Rick</HTML>
1) Pre-spray carpet or upholstery with carpet shampoo using as little as chemical as possible. Basically just mist surface. (You don’t have to see it's there, just know that it is).
2) Scrub surface with scrub brush.
3) "Scrub" surface with dry cotton towel turning frequently and switching to new towel when required. (This is when you will find out there is cleaner there)
4) Mist surface very lightly with fabric softener and redo steps 2 and 3. (I find that fabric softener makes surface slightly water resistant and also helps makes the cloth soft again, the pre-cleaner I use is known for making the surface kind of "crusty" and the extraction chemical combats this. But I don’t have an extractor so I’ve been using Downy [if it’s good enough for my Perry Ellis polo’s its good enough to sit on]).
======
Sure you don’t get the "deep down" cleaning effect that a steam cleaner can do but you also don’t have the $1000 expense of buying one. I think for someone doing a quick detail or cleaning a newer car where there isn't that much dirt this might work. It's working for me.
If I have an area that is really bad I can use extra shampoo and my shopvac with an upholstery attachment I found. It's basically an attachment with an opening about 6" by 1/4". I think I remember reading that my shopvac has about 16lbs of vacuum, plenty of pull to get out anything that might cause "wicking" action. I just don’t have the steam to make life easier.
The most important thing I’ve found is to use professional quality shampoo. If you use store bought stuff you'll be sucking shampoo out of the material for days. I found no matter how long you vacuum for if you scrub afterwards you’ll get foam. The professional stuff I use does not do this. Gain some wisdom and learn from me on this one. This whole system cost me about $20.
Ok, let me have it.
~Rick</HTML>
|
Re: Carpet information. October 10, 2003 10:53AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 237 |
|
Re: Carpet information. October 10, 2003 06:27PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 42 |
<HTML>Dan,
Yeah, somewhat correct. From what I remember they are called extractors but they dont shoot shampoo. They shoot an extraction chemical. The "sampoo" is in the prespray which you use before you use the extraction machine.
The shampoo usually leaves the surface kinda crusty feeling. But it's clean. That's where the extraction chemical comes in. It's like adding fabric softner to your wash. Helps get out the shampoo and leaves material feeling soft.
~Rick</HTML>
Yeah, somewhat correct. From what I remember they are called extractors but they dont shoot shampoo. They shoot an extraction chemical. The "sampoo" is in the prespray which you use before you use the extraction machine.
The shampoo usually leaves the surface kinda crusty feeling. But it's clean. That's where the extraction chemical comes in. It's like adding fabric softner to your wash. Helps get out the shampoo and leaves material feeling soft.
~Rick</HTML>
|
Re: Carpet information. October 10, 2003 06:39PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 237 |
|
Re: Carpet information. October 11, 2003 12:14AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 3,550 |
<HTML>An extractor does dispense shampoo. It is not a foaming shampoo but a non-foaming shampoo to rinse the dirt and foaming residue out of the carpet.
The foaming shampoo, if it is in fact, a carpet shampoo and not an engine degreaser which will, in fact, leave the carpet hard and crusty because of the caustics in it.
A carpet shampoo will have no caustics in it and will only have a pH of 8 to 9 whereas an degreaser will have a pH of 12 to 14 which is hot, hot, hot and will damage the carpet fibers and fade the dye.
A carpet shampoo is formulated with softeners and brighteners to overcome what you describe as hard crusty feeling. That means you are using a very cheap "carpet shampoo" or more likely an engine degreaser and not a true carpet shampoo.
Regards
bud abraham</HTML>
buda
The foaming shampoo, if it is in fact, a carpet shampoo and not an engine degreaser which will, in fact, leave the carpet hard and crusty because of the caustics in it.
A carpet shampoo will have no caustics in it and will only have a pH of 8 to 9 whereas an degreaser will have a pH of 12 to 14 which is hot, hot, hot and will damage the carpet fibers and fade the dye.
A carpet shampoo is formulated with softeners and brighteners to overcome what you describe as hard crusty feeling. That means you are using a very cheap "carpet shampoo" or more likely an engine degreaser and not a true carpet shampoo.
Regards
bud abraham</HTML>
buda
|
Re: Carpet information. October 11, 2003 12:18AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 3,550 |
<HTML>Rick:
That sounds like a nice method of cleaning, but I can only repeat what I have learned about this business of cleaning carpet and it appears to me to be logical.
If you put chemical in the carpet fibers, no matter how little, you need to rinse it out. You are leaving shampoo residue and dirt residue, no matter how little, in the carpet fibers and this will cause resoiling.
I am not disagreeing with you or saying you are wrong to do what you are doing other than to say it is contrary to what the professionals in the carpet industry tell me.
Regards
Bud Abraham</HTML>
buda
That sounds like a nice method of cleaning, but I can only repeat what I have learned about this business of cleaning carpet and it appears to me to be logical.
If you put chemical in the carpet fibers, no matter how little, you need to rinse it out. You are leaving shampoo residue and dirt residue, no matter how little, in the carpet fibers and this will cause resoiling.
I am not disagreeing with you or saying you are wrong to do what you are doing other than to say it is contrary to what the professionals in the carpet industry tell me.
Regards
Bud Abraham</HTML>
buda
|
Re: Carpet information. October 11, 2003 01:46AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 42 |
<HTML>Hi all,
I have to be careful how I use my terms here. From what I understand you¡¦re using shampoo to describe both what I call "pre-spray" and the "extraction" chemical. The two are different to me.
The "pre-spray" (actually called that by my local rep) I'm using is professional quality and designed for use on commercial carpet and residential carpet by trained professionals using an extraction machine. I don¡¦t have an extraction machine but I do have a Wet-vac with 16 pounds of vacuum. If that isn't enough to remove any residual chemical I'll give up right now. I've had to make due with what I have. The only thing missing from the equation is steam.
The first step I do is to spray carpet using the pre-spray in a hand spray bottle. I usually let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, mostly scrubbing during that time.
The second step I do is the extraction process, which is the extraction of the dirt and pre-spray. The professional way is using steam, vacuum and an extraction chemical. I have two out of three (aint bad). I use the extraction chemical in a separate spray bottle and mist the area then vacuum with the shop vac. As I mentioned in a previous post I have a special attachment for upholstery. It¡¦s the only way this works because it focuses the vacuums power to an area of 6" by 1/4".
The stuff I use does for some reason leave the carpet a little crusty if you don¡¦t get it all out. This is know and it¡¦s just characteristic of this particular chemical. It's not crusty enough to really even notice, but who are we talking about here. We notice everything. It's designed to be used with the extraction chemical and when used with one works brilliantly.
I know adding the steam to the equation helps out a ton with stain removal and drying time but I have no way around this. Well around the drying time anyways. When I have really tough stains (since I don¡¦t have steam) I use an iron and a rag soaked in water + the pre-spray. I pre-spray the area lightly, then place the rag over the area and put the iron on the rag. I let the whole setup sit for say 2 min then remove and scrub area with a brush then "scrub" with a dry cotton towel. I then follow up with my extraction routine. If this doesn't work it might be time for a specialty chemical. I¡¦ve used a chemical called ¡§Red Relief¡¨ for Red dye stains in the recent past. This is the only way I could find to get Red out. It worked. ƒº
~Rick</HTML>
I have to be careful how I use my terms here. From what I understand you¡¦re using shampoo to describe both what I call "pre-spray" and the "extraction" chemical. The two are different to me.
The "pre-spray" (actually called that by my local rep) I'm using is professional quality and designed for use on commercial carpet and residential carpet by trained professionals using an extraction machine. I don¡¦t have an extraction machine but I do have a Wet-vac with 16 pounds of vacuum. If that isn't enough to remove any residual chemical I'll give up right now. I've had to make due with what I have. The only thing missing from the equation is steam.
The first step I do is to spray carpet using the pre-spray in a hand spray bottle. I usually let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, mostly scrubbing during that time.
The second step I do is the extraction process, which is the extraction of the dirt and pre-spray. The professional way is using steam, vacuum and an extraction chemical. I have two out of three (aint bad). I use the extraction chemical in a separate spray bottle and mist the area then vacuum with the shop vac. As I mentioned in a previous post I have a special attachment for upholstery. It¡¦s the only way this works because it focuses the vacuums power to an area of 6" by 1/4".
The stuff I use does for some reason leave the carpet a little crusty if you don¡¦t get it all out. This is know and it¡¦s just characteristic of this particular chemical. It's not crusty enough to really even notice, but who are we talking about here. We notice everything. It's designed to be used with the extraction chemical and when used with one works brilliantly.
I know adding the steam to the equation helps out a ton with stain removal and drying time but I have no way around this. Well around the drying time anyways. When I have really tough stains (since I don¡¦t have steam) I use an iron and a rag soaked in water + the pre-spray. I pre-spray the area lightly, then place the rag over the area and put the iron on the rag. I let the whole setup sit for say 2 min then remove and scrub area with a brush then "scrub" with a dry cotton towel. I then follow up with my extraction routine. If this doesn't work it might be time for a specialty chemical. I¡¦ve used a chemical called ¡§Red Relief¡¨ for Red dye stains in the recent past. This is the only way I could find to get Red out. It worked. ƒº
~Rick</HTML>
|
Re: Carpet information. October 12, 2003 01:25AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 137 |
|
Re: Carpet information. October 12, 2003 01:56PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 74 |
<HTML>Bud-
Just wondering if you think a little bit of caustic degreaser would harm the fibers on a floor mat if used to break up grease spots prior to rinsing the mats with a hose or pressure washer? Obviously the degreaser would only be on the mat for a few seconds, and a thorough hose rinse would leave no trace left behind. This might be a more cost effective solution for grease spots on floor mats as opposed to the solvent-based grease and tar remover that would be used for grease spots on interior carpeting. What do you think?</HTML>
Just wondering if you think a little bit of caustic degreaser would harm the fibers on a floor mat if used to break up grease spots prior to rinsing the mats with a hose or pressure washer? Obviously the degreaser would only be on the mat for a few seconds, and a thorough hose rinse would leave no trace left behind. This might be a more cost effective solution for grease spots on floor mats as opposed to the solvent-based grease and tar remover that would be used for grease spots on interior carpeting. What do you think?</HTML>
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.