Damaged Traffic Lanes?

[Mr Clean Carpet]

Just wondering how often you guys come across traffic lanes in light carpet that the fibers are scratched and dont look that great when you're done cleaning? They are pretty dark when I start and they are much lighter when Im done. Is it 1in 10, 3 in 10? I'm sure some carpets are more suseptable than others.

 

[carpetcleaner]

Not very often. If the customer is willing to pay, modern chemistry and equipment allow for most neglect to be reversed. I will guess that 1 or 2 per month. I clean 3 jobs a day 6 days a week.

 

[Mr Clean Carpet]

So what do you use on the dark areas in front of the couch, heavy traffic area, ect.?

 

[Hoody]

Mix up your pre-spray of choice heavier in a pump up, or quart bottle and hit those darker areas with that FIRST before pre-spraying.

 

[Goomer]

I think it's very important to set the customers expectations appropriately upon noticing potential problem areas. If the problem areas fibers are matted or damaged, I like to get down low and show the customer the difference between undamaged areas, by running your hand across it to show the difference between undamaged and damaged areas. I don't think it can be taken for granted that the customer actually understands how fibers can be damaged, and that some things are not 100 percent correctable. We cleaners "see" these areas differently, and I find most people don't give it much conscious attention until pointed out and explained correctly.
Assuming you are confident that you have cleaned it to the best of your ability, I know some guys like to mist these areas with 40 vol, especially on lighter carpets.
There is a product made specifically to improve the appearance of these areas that has gotten good reviews, but I have not tried myself, is Pros Choice Dinge Away.
http://www.proschoice.com/html/dinge_away.html

 

[SamIam]

If it is wear and not soil Cti has dinge away for white brown and gray carpet mist it on groom it in and walla dinge gone.

Also any peroxide or percarbonate in your PS will help make it less noticable. the Perc in most HD PS like enzall or slop and gobble will help alot.

 

[trojancarpetcare]

We run into that problem about once a week.

 

[Mr Clean Carpet]

Think if I make a mix of strong prespray with 40 volume peroxide instead of water this would do the trick? Spray the dark lanes, then prespray as normal. How strong should I make the prespray(2x Normal)?

 

[ruff]

Not very often. If the customer is willing to pay, modern chemistry and equipment allow for most neglect to be reversed.

Soil? Mostly, yes.(not always.)
Abrasion- No.

Supposedly "Dinge Away" may help. Never tried it, so I don't know: 1) How well it works. 2) Long term effects on carpet 3) How well it blends with non treated areas. 4) Is it unhealthy?

Be interesting to find out.

Ezra, some time a little extra dwell time and agitation, does wonders.

 

[jcooper]

I see it all the time! Assuming it is clean, It's called wear and tear. Unless you guys have something that grows plastic I don't know about.

 

[SamIam]

Dinge away pros choice they have videos online. YouTube

 

[floorguy]

I have been wondering about this myself and was going to post about "cleaning traffic wear"....I mean its got me irritated to say the least.....only way i try to help it....get the custy half way through...then they see the diff, and you can explain it there...

i have to reall combat the urge to clean re-clean...clean again.....knowing its just TRAFFIC WEAR

 

[Mardie]

So what do you use on the dark areas in front of the couch, heavy traffic area, ect.?

Understanding the souurce and cause of the discouloration comes first. Let's take in front of the sofas or arm chairs as an example.I find that the hardest areas to clean are any ares that is subject to feet twisting and turning on the carpet such as in front of sofas,bottom of landings or areas on traffic lanes where people are taking corners or turns when they are walking.These areas are subject to much more wear than an area that is just being walked on in a strait path.When properly cleaned they should not have a blackish color to them.If their is wear and the carpet is properly cleaned the appearance should be a faded color of the unworn area or depending on the way the mills applied the dyies and the dyies are severly worn of it will in most cases be the color of the carpet before the dyies have been applied which in most cases will be a straw color.
I have come to the conclusion after interveiwing my clients that a lot of the black on traffic areas that is the most difficult to come out is caused from the dyies comming from the slippers or foot wear that are being worn in the home. So if you address this with your pretreatment, life will be good.

 

[steve_64]

i try and inform customers that if it looks dirty then damage is being done and therefore it may still look dirty or gray after its cleaned. sometimes i show them how the fiber twist gets untwisted from not vacuuming enough also and how that can cause a dirty look after cleaning. i tell them to use rugs where wear is starting to show to extend the life of thier carpet.

by doing this i get them to have me clean more often or at least take better care of thier carpet and not blame me for the carpet not looking like new when im done.

i also use this line a lot. if you take a sheet of new plexiglass you can see right through it nice and clear, but if you take a handful of sand and rub it on the plexiglass you cant see through it anymore. carpet is plastic and has this same effect. its the way light reflects off of it that makes it look grey or dull.

i had one lady who i told her it looked like someone sat in the chair and twisted thier feet all day. sure enough she said thats exactly what she does. so now she is to blame not me. i also advised her to put a rug there or she will wear a hole through it.

if you can explain how these things occur and explain it correctly or so the customer can understand it and do so before cleaning, lowering expectations or at least giving honest expectations to them they will be much happier with the outcome. i love that look i get when i tell them things they do or things that have been done to the carpet that they may have forgot about or didnt realize themselves.

 

[carpetcleaner]

I wasn't claiming that I can add material back to worn carpet. The carpet still looks worn, just not soiled any more.

 

[floorguy]

you have to remember that it reflects light differently...if there isnt the full fiber, then it absorbs more light, reflecting less...thus the "dinge" look....

 

[SamIam]

Singe away white is a white colored polymer that you spray on and rake into the affected area it fills the scrstchmsrkd

 

[ruff]

Makes no sense. Why will it only fill the scratched areas and not coat the rest of the fiber.
Could it be a substance that reflects light?
Due to extra reflection of light even scratched and damaged areas will look o.k.(abundance of light- the damage will not be visible.)

Or maybe not. Maybe the manufacturer can shed some light.

 

[Hoody]

Makes no sense. Why will it only fill the scratched areas and not coat the rest of the fiber.
Could it be a substance that reflects light?
Due to extra reflection of light even scratched and damaged areas will look o.k.(abundance of light- the damage will not be visible.)

Or maybe not. Maybe the manufacturer can shed some light.

Dinge Away is a light reflecting enhancement product to make the dark worn areas appear lighter. It coats the entire fiber and can be removed by bonnet or HWE before it dries. After it dries it becomes more permanent.

 

[Larry Cobb]

Dinge Away for white, is a white pigment that has been used to increase light reflection on carpet fibers.

It does work in the cleaning class testing that I have done.

In the past, I have always used an oxidizer to lighten up the dark traffic lanes on light colors.

They need to be tested side by side.

Larry

 

[floorguy]

VS

Both filthy...yet one has a place where they rub ALLLLL the time....

ohhh also....and this is from the 1st set of pics....there is a girl that has braces on her knee