encapulate cleaning-better or worse for the industry

Ron Werner

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The main question, is this method really as good as it claims?

I keep seeing it come up more and more. Its simple, quick, cost effective, leaves the carpet looking clean. I do realize that in some cases that HWE just isn't an option, do to lack of access, requirement to reduce humidity to bare minimum, time, etc.
But is the carpet actually "clean" or is all the soil still there waiting for someone to actually clean it out?
Does the tech that encapps wait till its dry or come back later to professionally vacuum the carpet to ensure this soil is removed?
Is this just the "other" method because 1)HWE would take too long, ie require too much work 2) HWE isn't possible due to lack of access 3)its more profitable, ie time and money?
Or is it just one more method designed to be "just as good as a HWE" because of all the pride issues?

I read a while ago, I believe it was in the Carpet Cleaning Standard, that a carpet cleaners job was to remove the soil from the carpet. I know from first hand experience that left up to the custy's normal vacuuming ability, well over 50% of the 80% that is dry particulate will remain in the carpet. Now add to this the remaining 20% that was bonded to the fibres. All this soil sitting in the carpet "encapsulated" in a crystal. Just how is this getting removed? Would this not create build up of soil, ecapped or not, that eventually wears the fibres even more?

Someone posted a short while ago about a challenge with a black backed comm carpet that he had encapped repeatedly with good results until this last time. Could it be that long term encapping creates other challenges?

HWE is the only method I know that physically extracts soils. Even then, thorough dry vacuuming is necessary to physically extract the dry particulate that even HWE won't. I know there are a lot of guys that don't HWE properly, ie bait and switch cleaners or just lazy cleaners. How would all the methods rank if measured by the "real" effectiveness?

If measured for profit, HWE would probably rank last. If these other methods are just as good, or even "appear" to be, and that they are much more profitable, why spend 1000's of $ extra to HWE???

Comments/Opinions

BTW how would encap work on vomit or pet urine or feces?
 
G

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"BTW how would encap work on vomit or pet urine or feces?"

That's quite apples to apples, is it?

What's one of the most common challenges associated with HWE?

Wicking.

What's one of the most common benefits of encapsulation?

It eliminates wicking.

Each tool has its place. In the same way HWE can't tackle wicking, encapping wouldn't be the tool of choice for vomit or feces.

In my experience it's an awesome tool when it's appropriate. The trick to believing it is understanding the mechanics of how it works and witnessing it yourself.
 
Joined
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Wayne, There are no problems with wicking and HWE, there is a problem with wicking associated with operator error.

encap, SHAMpoo ect do not actually remove soil when used as a stand alone method. So technically, no actual cleaning is taking place. Smear tactics.
I would bet that any building that has been encap cleaned will yield 100's of gallons of filthy black water when properly HWE! Something I DON'T see with my regular accounts.
 

ron markam

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Oct 7, 2006
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Been watching this debate for years and cannot figure where does the dirt go? How does it also keep carpet looking good?Is encapping ,padding and bonnetting the same or just similar?I read the banter back and forth but bottom line people are gonna continue to use this method.Why, cause most love the money it produces. Where does the dirt go, I don't know BUT I do know where the cash flow goes.Better or worse no effect at all.THE customers want clean (or clean looking) carpet
 

diamond brian

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I've done a little glue-down padding with a 175 rotary, but wouldn't use it for anything else. We use a mop bucket and wringer to rinse the pads for reuse, and I can attest to the great quantities of soil removed.

IMO, it's had little effect within my market. Folks here would run you off if you showed up with an OP machine. But, with all the hoopla on the boards, I'm sure it's doing something somewhere.
 

John G

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ROFLMAO, we do a little padding with a 175 and a rotary?
We use a mop bucket and wringer to rinse out the pads?

Folks here would run you off if you showed up with an OP machine.

But they let you in to clean like that? LOL

Many have gone from hwe to op, and some of them converted ALL thier customers, some not. How could this possibly be?

BTW Diamond, we have some (OP) padders in Tulsa, they sure don't have any problem staying busy. So that statement seems a little bit off.
 

Jeremy

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A brief overview...

Remove dry soil prior to cleaning. (I prefer pile lifting then vacuuming) This leaves you with the oily binder to deal with.

Emulsify oily binder soils via encapsulating shampoo & agitation. (OP guys absorb out a percentage of these soils via cotton towels/pads)

Encapsulating shampoo laden with emulsified soil then dries to a crystal (or film in some cases) which is then removed by vacuuming either by the customer or their cleaning staff or you. Price accordingly.

That's basically how it works... Try it for yourself.
 

diamond brian

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John G--I'm sure you're a fine person, so don't take this the wrong way:

Now I know that you are definitely full of shit :lol:

I know my market far to well...Save it for your own board.
 

Shorty

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The good, the bad and the ugly.

You get them in all professions and in all walks of life.

Jeremy pretty much said it all when he refers to removing the dry particulates.

With all systems, this should always be the first step.

Unless of course, you own that biggest, baddest, mother of all man made machines that can suck the top of off a cream custard at a hundred yards;-)

Even these abominations can still pull fine WET particles from the base (and under) the carpet to the surface, but still not allow full retrieval, thus leaving dirty, or wicked, carpet.

Some people still do not understand the principles of encapsulation cleaning, (sorry JimmY, shampoo);-)

You really do have to empty your head enough that your brains don't fall out, and rethink the entire cleaning process.

Encapsulation works, BUT, it is not the B all, and End all in my arsenal.

I also find this works well on a lot of opponents that won't be open minded about any system apart from their own.

"Get the facts first. Then distort them as you see fit."

Thanks Jeremy, I like it ;-)

Cheers,

Shorty.
 

Jimmy L

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Its the SHAMPOO method , do your research.

Interim method at best....appearance management.
 

John G

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Yes actually I have cleaned quite a few carpet in Tulsa, next time I go through I will give you a holler and maybe we can do lunch.

Eat and argue, cool!
 

ShawnB

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May 25, 2007
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HWE, encap, OP, bonnet, padcap, etc... all have their place. You mention pet crap, urine, etc...typically that isn't found in a commercial environment. Personally...that's HWE time.
 

Dolly Llama

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encRap is about making money for acceptable results for many com applications.

It also helps HWE cleaners who don't know how to clean, I guess
(which is why so many meatballs out there have wicking probs)

Is encRap good for the industry???

If it helps a CCer make mo-money and they can make their custys happy with it, I say, "sure, you betcha" it's good for the industry.

It's all about catching crawdads.
as long as everyone is happy.
(CCer and custy)
they're good crawdads

Is the method over hyped by salesman?
(or some cleaners that don't know sheet from shinola)
Yep
imHo, it sure is


..L.T.A.
 

Greenie

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better clean first, John ain't worth a shit after he eats.....oh and you better order up some extra the big guy can put it down.

and maybe, just maybe there will be a lil' cigar smokin' after.
 

John G

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you got that right Greenie, all cleaning done FIRST dinner and a seeger later...
 

alazo1

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I guess the main question should be what the manufacturers say about it. Is it interim that has to be flushed by hwe periodically. Will it void a cgd carpet that's never been hwe?.

Albert
www.crystalcd.com
 
G

Guest

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I guess it's okay for commercial Janitor maintenance cleanings,but no way for residential.
Creeps me out just thinking about it.
How could you charge for that? Move the dirt around, then leave. The customer has to complete the job tomorrow by vacuuming. Hmm..

I don't think anybody around here does it in homes.
Not since the 70's.
 

XTREME1

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I only had one wick back in four years, that doesn't make me a meatball :)
 

Larry Cobb

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hcciam;

Encapsulation chemistry was developed by DuPont several years ago.

According to one of the testers @ Disney, several different systems were tested including HWE (portable), bonnet, rotary brush and cylindrical brush.

The best results were obtained with the bonnet system, but rotary cleaning was not in favor at that time. They eventually went with a cylindrical brush system.

Even the mills have introduced encapsulation cleaners.

With daily vacuuming, the carpet will have less accumulated soil in a month than conventional HWE.

Larry Cobb
 
G

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When did DuPont get into it, Larry? I remember hearing bits and pieces some years ago. What's interesting to me is that Chem-Dry was using encapsulation 20 years ago to remove soap residue when nobody was talking about it.
 

Mikey P

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I encapped a doctor's with office the other day.

Used a 175 and a green pad and plenty of Hot Knife from Vac A Way.

Looked pretty darn good with just that.


The real magic happened when I rinsed it with my V though, now that's cleaning buddy.
 

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