Brian R said:
Is there a protectant left on the carpet after cleaning with encap?
I know the crystallization and the vacuuming part.
Are there different encap solutions? IE: One leaves a protectant and the other doesn't?
Chem-Dry had an additive that protected the carpet as you cleaned although it wasn't an encap type cleaning.
Is this technology still used?
Thanks
In fact there are some fairly significant differences between encap products.
I'll start off by saying, there are a few decent encap products on the market. And there are a bunch of duds too.
So what makes a good encap detergent? Here's a brief list of things you might want to consider...
1. First of all - how does it clean? At the end of the day that's what matters most. And not all encap detergents clean as well as others.
2. What are the dilution rates? And does the product really perform well at those dilution rates, or do you need to bump it up to get the desired cleaning results.
3. Is the product cost effective to work with? It may be cheap to buy off the shelf, but does it truly work out to be cost effective to work with in its RTU (ready to use) state?
4. What kind of polymer is it made with? Does it contain a polymer package that readily absorbs soil? How does the product dry down in a saucer? Does the detergent stick to the dish or does it flake away from the dish? Is it sticky, or is it soil-resistant? (Keep in mind that the polymer is the package that absorbs soil - without a good polymer there won't be a way for the soil to be extracted during the post-vacuuming process).
5. If you add water to the polymer will it re-solublize? Will it return to a liquid state, and then dry to a crystallized residue all over again? This assures you that there's no way the product can ever "build up" in the carpet in the event that all the encapsulated residue doesn't get vacuumed up.
6. Does the product handle a wide range of soil conditions? How does it do with oily soils?
7. Does it produce a light foam that makes it easy to see how much product you've applied - so you've got a visible usage indicator as you're working?
8. Does the product have a built-in soil protector?
These are a few key differences between different encap (or so called "encap") products.
Releasit products have all 8 of these characteristics nailed. I think that's why the
Releasit line of products are as good as they are, and why we're setting the standard for encapsulation detergents in the industry.
P.S. Regarding the benefits of having a fluoro-chemical built into the detergent... Fluoro-chemicals lower surface tension. That's why the egg doesn't stick to the frying pan; because the surface tension of the pan is lower than the egg. Similarly, by lowering the surface tension of the detergent it helps to (1) make the water wetter - which aids the detergency of the cleaner, (2) it helps to get the polymer to release from the fiber more easily, (3) it helps to slow the wicking process, and (4) it adds a measure of soil-resistance.
P.P.S. But don't mistake the built-in protector with a full blown application of carpet protector. For maximum protection benefits you can apply a stand alone (after cleaning spray-on) protector product like
Releasit's Soileze which is completely compatible with the encap polymer in the
Releasit detergents.
P.P.P.S. I feel like Steve Toburen with the P.S.'s
