Hacked some wool

Jim Morrison

Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2006
Messages
783
Location
Canada
Name
jim
You ever have one of those days were nothing seems to go right...today was it. 2k of wool on 2 levels in log home. Light beige cut pile around 15 years old. Arrived at job, realized I can't plumb into water line upstairs. Head back to shop for 100' garden hose.

I eventually finish upstairs (real wonky layout) and start downstairs. Homeowner had a bee infestation in their roof and gobs of honey dripped onto living room carpet. About 8 spots varying from golf ball to baseball size.

Used my wax method, had 2 kettles boiling and poured the hot water over honey while sucking up with vac cuff. While I am working on wax Ninga overflows while filling. Don't know where my head was but I did it good, probably 7 gallons of water laying on this wool carpet. AAAARRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Extract extract extract.

When I did the upstairs there was some browning on the carpet (pre existing) in front of shower and also where a plant had been sitting. I think cellulosic browning (jute back). When I left I could see a bit of discoloration appearing where water overflow occurred. Told custy I will call in am to see how things dried up. Suspect I am going to have a call back. If this carpet is browned out what can be done to remove the stain?

PS I won't even tell you about the pile distortion where the honey was removed. Double AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!

Jim
 

alazo1

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
2,567
Location
San Jose, Ca.
Name
Albert Lazo
That totally sucks Jim. At least the day is over.

I would pre-srpay something acidic for the browning then clean.

Albert
 

Jack May

That Kiwi
Joined
Oct 7, 2006
Messages
2,423
Location
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Name
John
Hey Jim,

Did you run an acid rinse?

Do you have a penetrating moisture meter to check for complete dryness?

Do you have any browning reversal products? (I don't know names over there sorry)

There's heaps of ways of reversing it and being fresh, it should be relatively easy.

If the carpet and underlay is not totally dry, be very careful on the amount of moisture you put on.

Here's my first preference. Mix up a weak solution of peroxide based browning remover and lightly spray over the top. If it's fresh, it should foam and fizzle slightly and then when it settles down the browning should be reduced or gone. Do a small area as a test first.

Being wool, remember it will absorb a lot so if it doesn't work, try a bit more solution.

If its bad, you may want to apply it to your (if you have one) rotary bonnet and lightly run over the area. If this works, you may have to do a light encap treatment of the room to blend all through and then groom.

Another option is the sodium metabisulfite based products but they tend to be more in the preventative range (CHEMSPEC Browning TREATMENT verses Remover) but they can also work. Possibly safer for wool but IMHO not as effective and they stink out the house real quick.

Definately speed dry even if it means leaving the air mover there and coming back another day.

If you clean, remember to flush with an acid rinse and dry dry dry. The acid rinse will reduce the possibily or extent of reappearing browning.

If its not really bad, I've had occasional success with Releasit DS in the Cimex and FPPads but that wouldn't be my first preference here.

Hope this helps.

John
 

Jim Morrison

Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2006
Messages
783
Location
Canada
Name
jim
Did you run an acid rinse?

no



Do you have a penetrating moisture meter to check for complete dryness?

yes

Do you have any browning reversal products?

have sodium metabisulfite...also Esteam Vanish 2 part (peroxide / ammonia) would this be the peroxide based browning remover you are referring to ?

Thanks for all the tips John!

Jim
 
C

C. Copplepot

Guest
If you saw you are going to have problems when you were leaving, then why did you leave? You don't want this small problem to become a big problem.

[/quote]
 

GRHeacock

Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2006
Messages
1,406
Sorry to hear about your problems.

And it is a bit late now about the honey- but think about it. Honey is organic. Mostly sugars. A digester most likely would have taken care of it better than the hot water and extracting it. Not really much wax in honey. Sure, there might be some, but it is organic too, not petroleum based wax like a candle.

The browning can be removed with an oxidizer- peroxide type formula better than a reducer- or at least the peroxide type does not stink.

Gary
 

carl goodson

Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2006
Messages
48
You can use white vinegar 4 oz to 8 oz per gal and bonnet it in. Pretest first that's what we use to do. Did a lot of that in the 70's and 80's.
Believe it or not, back then they had dyes in nylon carpet that had adverse reactions when cleaned with an alkaline chemical. Acetic acid worked 99.9% of the time, I can not spell the other acids we had to use.
Acetic acid always worked on wool. works on other fabrics too.


PS never use boiling water or extreme heat on wool!!!!!!!!!
 

Jim Morrison

Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2006
Messages
783
Location
Canada
Name
jim
If you saw you are going to have problems when you were leaving, then why did you leave? You don't want this small problem to become a big problem.
What would you have you done different Brent? At 8pm there was not much I could think of other than getting home, and seeing how things dried up. I had extracted the area 5 times.

BTW she called this morning and sure enough there is a big brown patch where it flooded. She mentioned she had browning issues before, required repeat visit for another cleaner.

Going back tomorrow am, think I will mist prespray on offensive area and follow with a light acid rinse. If that is not working I will try the ammonia/H202 mix.
PS never use boiling water or extreme heat on wool!!!!!!!!!
Some of us have to learn the hard way.

A buddy of mine says "Some people change because they see the light, some people change because they feel the heat"
I tend to be the latter
 

minuteman

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2006
Messages
447
Sorry you have had such bad luck, Call a local Bane-Clean operator and get some of his Brown Out, this stuff works great when following directions on wool carpets! Med. heat, and lots and lots of DRY STROKES! Good luck, Greg Minuteman P.C.S.
 

Jack May

That Kiwi
Joined
Oct 7, 2006
Messages
2,423
Location
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Name
John
carl goodson said:
PS never use boiling water or extreme heat on wool!!!!!!!!!

You may be surprised what you can get away with.

I use heat all the time of carpets and 95% of the carpets I clean/treat/repair are wool or wool rich blends.

I had an issue this morning when doing a repair that the poly fibres in the primary backing were curling with heat but the jute secondary backing and wool face yarn were all ok. Not heaps, just the odd end sticking out but it still happened.

Care MUST be taken with wool but moderation is the key to all aspects in dealing with it.



Jim, seeing you were aware of the situation last last and knew you were probably going to have a problem, file it away for future reference but if you had done a topical spray of an acid rinse and groomed it in and left it, you may be surprised in that it may have prevented it occuring in the first place. Not having a go at you, just giving you something to remember in case there happens to be a next time.

I very rarely get browning on my water damage jobs because of that and a few other things. Then if I do get one, it is usually easily reversed.

John
 
G

Guest

Guest
If you have a browning problem...pick up a product specifically for browning. I use Butlers Browning Treatment. Good stuff. If you have a 175 rotary and some of John Gs pads (or cotton bonnets). Spray the area that browned out, spray the pads and go over the areas that browned. Works like a champ everytime.
 

carl goodson

Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2006
Messages
48
Acetic acid and white vinegar are the same, look at your chemicals folks. A lot of your browning or yellow removal chemicals is nothing more than white vinegar (acetic acid) at different dilutions. It has been used since the sixties if not the fifties

Hay there is a great chemical in Tibet go to the third mountain take a right cross two rivers and ask for Ming.



Why are all of you making it so difficult?
 

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom