Carpeting of all types and styles are subjected to a variety of soiling problems. The leading causes of rapid soiling problems are: Life styles, Carpet yarn type, Yarn abrasion and Improper cleaning.
Life styles: most people periodically wear street shoes on their carpeting, consume foodstuffs over it, and keep house pets that are not house broken, nor do they vacuum their carpeting as often or as thoroughly as they should. Since soil invasion is continuous, more filth is coming into our homes than going out. Daily, the quantity increases. Without controls, rapid soiling is inevitable.
Carpet-pile yarn types: Of the five yarns commonly used in carpet pile construction; (wool, nylon, olefin, acrylic and polyester) wool being the exception; all are byproducts of petroleum and are oil friendly. Certain petroleum products will actually bond to olefin fibers permanently.
When one treads over oily parking lots and streets day after day, returning home to tread over one’s carpeting, these yarns readily accept the soil. Further, the gummy consistency of oil-based soils collects other soils, adding to the rapid soiling problem. If these soils are not cleaned away, pile packing and crushing will result; creating ugly traffic lanes.
Yarn abrasion: New pile yarn has a highly polished finish that normal soil cannot easily adhere to; oily soil however will attach to new yarn and begin to collect normal soil. Normal soils contain huge quantities of abrasive grit; under foot traffic grit scratches and gouges the yarn’s polished finish; leaving a rough finish that soil can adhere to far more easily.
We all collect oily soils on our shoes and when we return home these oily soils are tracked directly onto carpeting (indirectly if you remove your shoes). The point: It is wise to clean carpeting immediately when soil begins to show; otherwise the resulting yarn abrasion will facilitate rapid re-soiling and ultimately premature carpet wear.
Improper cleaning: Whether one is removing a spot from carpeting or cleaning it wall to wall, rinsing is an imperative part of the cleaning process: Cleaning agent, which is and must be used by all carpet cleaning methods, is designed to penetrate and loosen the soil that has adhered to the pile yarn. If the cleaning agent is not rinsed away it too will collect soil causing rapid re-soiling.
Proper rinsing being necessary, one should know that four of the five carpet-cleaning methods have no facility for rinsing whatever. Only the hot water extraction method (steam cleaning) can rinse; yet few professional cleaners who employ this method properly rinse.
Reason: In selecting a professional carpet cleaner most people shop price; for this reason most professional cleaners sell price. When the carpet cleaner reduces his charges he is forced to concentrate on volume to meet his financial needs. Concentrating on more jobs he has less time for each. Quality workmanship is lost to cleaning procedures that will get the job done quicker; such as employing less expensive (and highly residual) cleaning agents and or running such chemicals through the cleaning water (which negates the rinsing process).
Shopping price the customer may initially spend less; but poor cleaning procedures results in rapid re-soiling and the constant need to clean the carpet. Improperly cleaned carpeting also deteriorates more rapidly as a result. For reasons of carpet life, appearance, and health, ‘cheap’ cleaning can prove very expensive in the long run.
“When you are fortunate enough to find a qualified, quality-oriented professional cleaner, you’d be well advised to pay his price and stick with him. He’s a rarity in an industry inundated with ignorant handymen.”(Quote by, Dick Ragan – Cleanfax magazine – 1998)
Beware of a carpet cleaning firm that claims not to use chemicals in their cleaning process. They are misrepresenting their services. Just as you employ cleaning chemicals while washing your clothes and dishes, they must also be used to clean carpeting. Additionally, rinsing the carpet with fresh water (free of cleaning chemicals) will provide a residue free carpet.