"I want the allergens out"

Old Coastie

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I'll look at this one Monday. Now, there are a few ideas I have, but do you readers recommend any specific products or have you dealt with this request in a specific way?

I know Interlink offers anti-allergen products; should I consider using them as a flushing agent or as a pre-scrub in a carpet?

Assume the carpet is one owner, no pets or gross stuff, not too old. Hit me with your best shot.
 

Jim Pemberton

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I'm afraid I don't want to assume on this one Stephen, so I need to ask some questions, and they might pay for you to ask your customer:

1. What do they believe they are allergic to? Or did an allergist suggest that they were allergic to something?

Reason: Some people confuse "chemical sensitivity" to "allergies", and they aren't the same thing at all.

2. Is it an allergy to dogs, cats, cockroaches, or dustmites? If they are allergic to cat or dog danders, cockroach feces, or dustmite danders/exoskeletons, then the Masterblend treatment has been effective for this problem, but the related anti allergen cleaners themselves will not take care of the problem alone. Cleaning will reduce the materials present, but not remove all of them. You will need to apply their allergy relief treatment after cleaning as well.

Dustmites are more likely to be present on the mattress and bedding materials, and possibly upholstery that is frequently used and slept on. They need a humid and warm environment to thrive, which the human body provides by its regular contact to bed and some furnishings, but not as likely to carpet.

Dogs, cats, and cockroaches will leave residues over a more widespread area, including carpet, and as such are not limited to beds and furnishings, though many pets sleep with pet owners. (If Jimmy Ladwig is reading, I cannot wait for his rant on this subject!)

Also bear in mind that the treatment may cause resoiling, but the customer will usually find enough relief that they won't mind.

Even if they don't have pets in the home, if they are just moving into a home that had a pet, they may need the treatment.

To your initial question: You won't need anti allergen products if they just want cleaning, and if there is no evidence of all of the above mentioned issues. They just need a good "H.E.P.A. vacuuming" and hot water extraction with the exhaust of the vacuum outside of the home (no portables). You might want a "low or no odor" product for your cleaning process just in case what they are calling "allergies' is really sensitivity to perfume oil or solvents.
 

ruff

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All of Jim's points are excellent.
Since you did not provide enough info about the specific client (didn't meet them yet) it is hard to give an exact answer.

In my experience, most people don't know what the cause is and just use the terms "allergens" (substitute chemicals if you wish) as an explanation. Some time a phobia, other times real. Many times just a good cleaning with fragrance free product and heavy duty flushing does the job quite well. It will give you an indication if you need to take it further and proceed with allergen residual treatment, which otherwise may not be necessary.

In other words: Rule out the simple stuff before you do your "full Monty" :winky: I've had many cases where previous cleaning was sub par, carpet loaded with cleaning residue, dust etc., and I suspect the landlord may have cut too many corners. In these cases the good cleaning alone solved all problems.

Always emphasize that if indeed allergies, the carpet is but a small part of their home environment (drapes, upholstery, ducts etc.) that need to be dealt with as well.
 
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Old Coastie

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I just spoke with her and her concern is dust mites. No particular sensitivity to fragrances etc. Thank you for the advice. Jim and Ofer, do you have an opinion on the effectiveness of using an encapsulant on this carpet? In other words, what doesn't brush and flush would be encapsulated and vacuumed next morning.
 

Jimmy L

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Allowing pets to sleep with you is like sleeping in a CESSPOOL .........spreading FILTH.........BACTERIA......VIRUSES.

Why not just live in a barn with the rest of the animals.

Probably most democrats live this way. treating their animals like they are human.

PATHETIC!
 

Old Coastie

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Jim Pemberton

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Allowing pets to sleep with you is like sleeping in a CESSPOOL .........spreading FILTH.........BACTERIA......VIRUSES.
Why not just live in a barn with the rest of the animals.
Probably most democrats live this way. treating their animals like they are human.
PATHETIC!

Every time I see an ad for these things, I think of your tender feelings toward those little creatures that bring so much love into many homes...
upload_2017-1-4_13-13-0.png
 

dealtimeman

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Allowing pets to sleep with you is like sleeping in a CESSPOOL .........spreading FILTH.........BACTERIA......VIRUSES.

Why not just live in a barn with the rest of the animals.

Probably most democrats live this way. treating their animals like they are human.

PATHETIC!

I expected no less.
 
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Jim Pemberton

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I just spoke with her and her concern is dust mites. No particular sensitivity to fragrances etc. Thank you for the advice. Jim and Ofer, do you have an opinion on the effectiveness of using an encapsulant on this carpet? In other words, what doesn't brush and flush would be encapsulated and vacuumed next morning.

If you are going to treat her carpet with MB Anti Allergen Treatment, I'd stick with their system and not do any post encap.

Was there any special reason why you wanted to encap it though?
 

Old Coastie

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If you are going to treat her carpet with MB Anti Allergen Treatment, I'd stick with their system and not do any post encap.

Was there any special reason why you wanted to encap it though?

Well no, but since mite castings are particulates I just thought it made sense.

Don't worry Marty, I always leave a lasting impression.

Of some sort.
 

Jim Pemberton

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Well no, but since mite castings are particulates I just thought it made sense.

I wouldn't make the leap of connecting the theoretical way that encapsulates are supposed to work on particulate soil and make an assumption that they would do likewise and assist in dustmite feces and skeleton removal.

The best thing you can do for any residential carpet that you clean is to precondition and extract using as little material as possible and leave as little as possible in the carpet. Regardless of what allergy or sensitivity that the customer has, this is a good course of action in such homes with such people.

I still have doubts that there is much in the way of dust mite feces/skeletons in the carpet. They just don't thrive there. Pets can produce enough danders to keep them happy, and you do live in a more humid region, so you could have some in the carpet if pets are present, but that's likely not where they are being bothered by them.

When you think of where the dustmites really are, think of this song and you'll get the picture:



I would concentrate on mattresses and window sills in the bedrooms, and recommend they launder their bedding materials in hot water. And if dad annoys mom often, perhaps the couch...
 

ruff

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Yea Stephen.
Add encapsulant. That way the client will be getting two residues for the price of one.

Personally, even though I know it does help some, I am not a big fan of what the Cobster calls- "denaturing". Supposedly it changes the nature of the protein in the dust mites castings. In other words it turns their all natural turds into something else the client supposedly is not allergic to. If you strike Jimmy the right way, he may expand :winky:

Just a good cleaning with the least residue possible IMHO is the best strategy. And the good news- they need to do it on a regular basis. No more cleaning every three new white house administrations. And have them buy a Hepa vacuum and advise them to vacuum regularly as if they were applying to work for Werner.
 
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Old Coastie

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Well, it is a move in, so I am going to suggest a thorough vacuuming of all surfaces as well as doing the carpets.

But hey, are you suggesting that Jimmy doesn't like encap?

Well, crumbs! Hahahaha
 
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ruff

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No!
I am suggesting that Jimmy may dudgan translate what "danaturing" actually means.

Take it away, Jimmy.
 

Mikey P

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I used this on a pretty bad doggy job today.

Worked great and smells just like Butler Green Apple deodorizer, which imo is the best smelling product of them all.

This UrineLock, Harvard's Piss Be Gone and the Unleash Unduzit are all 4to1 products and appear to work about the same.

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