3 Years and Still Learning.......Off White Olefin - YUCK

[Samson]

Ok, I started my cleaning business 3 years ago after spending 1 afternoon with a carpet cleaner, then getting certified, then came the trial by fire. I have learned a ton and feel very comfortable cleaning.....with one exception.

Off white Olefin berber style carpet that has a dark traffic lane - like where the feet go in front of the couch.

I can rarely seem to get it looking really good (not up to my standards anyway). I prespray with a strong cleaner (PowerMaxx commercial spiked with Sodium percarbonate and citrus solv), then use the RX-20 to prescrub with a red pad, then rinse with the star head. I sometimes even spray it again after rinsing the first time. But there is still a ugly dark area left.

What am I not doing? Are my expectations too high? Help!

Samson

 

[Jim Nazarian]

Have you tried Encaping? it just might do the trick...& if it doesn't then you might be out of options & the carpet might be to old & worn.

HWE followed by "Encap\Padcap" is pretty much all we can do.

I see you use a TM, get it dry & Padcap it.

 

[Doug Cox]

Have you tried wanding it? I believe some have the opinion that the RX20 isn't effective in recovering the water on berber carpet. It might just be grayed out due to abrasion.

 

[ACE]

Why are you using a stair tool? Berber always cleans up great for me. I think the trick is not overwetting. You might try letting your prespray set a little longer turn you psi down and wanding followed by a dry stroke. Just my 2 cents. You'll find something that works.

 

[Walt]

Try this after you've cleaned it once. Prespray again with double strength solution applied with spray bottle, then spray 40 vol over the top. Scrub in with red pad, come back in 10-15 minutes. Rinse. Post pad it with a cotton pad to get it really dry.

 

[ACE]

Wow, 40 Vol to clean traffic lanes? That's pulling out the big guns and more work then most customers are wanting to pay for. I would try a few other things first. Try a different prespary, if you have a TM turn PSI down and dry stroke, if prty finigh with bonnet.

 

[Mike Draper]

I did a test once in the summer on olefin Berber. I cleaned with temps atw about 175 then turned the heat all the way up to about 235+ and re-cleaned the same area. I used pro's choice extreme clean both times. the difference was huge. It's Pretty much like Chem-who had just cleaned and then the pissed off custy called me to come out and re-clean the area they tried to clean.

 

[Nate The Great]

Why are you using a stair tool? Berber always cleans up great for me. I think the trick is not overwetting. You might try letting your prespray set a little longer turn you psi down and wanding followed by a dry stroke. Just my 2 cents. You'll find something that works.

I believe it's the Star tool for the RX20.


As for olefin carpet, get it dry quick and maybe padcapping it might do the trick. If not, you can't expect olefin to clean up like nylon does.

 

[hogjowl]

Your expectations may be a bit high. It's hard to say without actually seeing a before and after picture. Most berber style carpets are olefin. I am assuming the one you are talking about is olefin, too. Olefin is not as resilient as nylon and will abrade much easier by foot traffic. The soils in these abraded areas is very difficult, if not impossible to remove. Combine that with olefins love of oily soils, and it's matted appearance in the abraded areas and you are left with an area that will never clean as well as the less traveled areas and will always look different due to the matting of the pile, and the way the light is reflected off the distorted pile.

A good, high quality olefin cleaning agent (ask your supplier) with some dwell time, followed by a good agitation with a rotary machine (you might try a shampoo brush as opposed to the red pad) and a hwe rinse with a good glided wand and extra drying passes is usually all that you can do. This is, however, one of those rare times when I believe a post bonneting is warranted. That bit of extra soil the post bonneting will remove MAY improve the area somewhat.

 

[Guest]

It is called distortion,and it is plastic,and the gray is not nessesarily soil,so do everything you can,then move on.

 

[alazo1]

Put the super dupper pre-spray in your 1/2 g. uph. sprayer and use it on those areas. Dry asap. The rest is wear.

It's Pretty much like Chem-who had just cleaned and then the pissed off custy called me to come out and re-clean the area they tried to clean.

I get this all the time. FROM HACK SUPER SOAKERSSSSSSSSSSSS

Albert

 

[joe harper]

Samson,
All great info in previous post (see:martys post) We used basically the same prespray
combo as yours for years..... Now all off-white berber we clean with BP (Hation Cotton
Powdered shampoo) Has completely stopped any call-backs for browning & wicking!!!!!

 

[Brad_Smith]

Samson
Sounds like you did all that can be done. Probably has to due with the way the olefin reflects light when worn. I get frustrated when I can't get a carpet perfect too. This business would be more enjoyable if everyone had nylon and wool. Although on the nasties I do prefer pure olefin berbers.

 

[Samson]

Hey, Thanks for all the replies I will be trying some of them to see how they work.

Samson

 

[Curtis Pennington]

Your expectations may be a bit high. It's hard to say without actually seeing a before and after picture. Most berber style carpets are olefin. I am assuming the one you are talking about is olefin, too. Olefin is not as resilient as nylon and will abrade much easier by foot traffic. The soils in these abraded areas is very difficult, if not impossible to remove. Combine that with olefins love of oily soils, and it's matted appearance in the abraded areas and you are left with an area that will never clean as well as the less traveled areas and will always look different due to the matting of the pile, and the way the light is reflected off the distorted pile.

A good, high quality olefin cleaning agent (ask your supplier) with some dwell time, followed by a good agitation with a rotary machine (you might try a shampoo brush as opposed to the red pad) and a hwe rinse with a good glided wand and extra drying passes is usually all that you can do. This is, however, one of those rare times when I believe a post bonneting is warranted. That bit of extra soil the post bonneting will remove MAY improve the area somewhat.

GASP!!!!
Post pad works wow, I didnt know that!!..lol

Actually we post pad all commercial glue downs and berbers...best 1-2 punch.

 

[Larry Cobb]

Samson;

You may be overwetting the traffic lanes.

All that solution is soaking to the backing and may be wicking back to the surface bringing soil with it.

I would try cleaning a section with a concentrated prespray & wand extract only...
and comparing that section to your normal multi-step process.

Larry