Carpet Cleaning Products
Did you know that vacuuming must first be done before any cleaning method is applied? Up to 89% of the soil in your carpet can be removed by thorough vacuuming. Below are three different groups of carpet cleaning products:
Dry Cleaning Products
Although the only true dry extraction method is vacuuming, dry cleaning agents can be natural, synthetic, granular, or powdered compounds or solutions and are sprinkled or applied on to the textile. These solvent or adsorbing/absorbing products have less moisture and are ideal for spot cleaning.
SOA tests conducted by The Carpet and Rug Institute (www.carpet-rug.org) however, reveal that these products remove less soil. Better results are obtained by increasing time, mechanical intensity, and frequency. Vacuuming or pile lifting vacuuming is necessary to remove residue.
Note: there is a difference between “adsorb” and “absorb.” Adsorb is to collect (gas, liquid or dissolved substance) in condensed form on a surface; absorb means to suck up (as in blotting paper absorbs ink).
Wet Cleaning Products
These products are usually associated with higher levels of water. Water is used as a rinsing agent. When combined with heat and with properly specified cleaning products, hot water extraction can be quicker and more effective. SOA-approved truck mounted and portable water extraction units remove more soil than currently tested dry compounds according to the Carpet and Rug Institute (www.carpet-rug.org).
Low Moisture Cleaning Products
These products are commonly referred to as encapsulants. They are usually distributed by a mechanical action and are usually associated with appearance or interim cleaning systems. Encapsulants loosen, surround and crystallize soil. Vacuuming or rinsing is necessary to remove encapsulated soil.