mystery stains

[Joel D]

I got a call to look at some spots at a commercial building.
yellowish brown blotches every few feet between a kitchen area and entry area both with ceramic tile
carpet is commercial olefin
I did my normal procedure-pre spray with zone perfect then extract with end zone. It looked alot better, but you could still see the spots. Then I cleaned again with traffic slam and no difference.
Then I smelled the spots and they had a flowery cheap bathroom cleaner smell just where the spots are then the guy tells me 2 other people had been there to try and clean it.
I asked if the spots were there before they came, yes. I thought maybe someone spilled a mop bucket with some kind of cleaner in it.
I rinsed and extracted several times until the smell was gone or greatly diminished but spots remained.
Then tried brown out and several other things just for fun and nothing.
We tried to find a cleaner with the same smell in the closet but couldn't. He said someone could have brought something in though.
Any ideas what caused this?

 

[Doug Cox]

Tar spots

 

[Joel D]

What makes you say that?

Is that just a guess?

If I'm missing something please let me know. I've never worked with anyone I just jumped into this business so theirs alot I don't know.

HEY, HOW COME 95 READERS BUT ONLY ONE RESPONSE?

 

[Shawn Forsythe]

Doug's answer was a reasonable response for the information given.

Olefin rarely presents a spot clean-ability problem unless it is due to two things:

1. Oil or grease
2. Physical fiber damage(i.e. uglied out due to abrasion), which holds particulate soils and/or other soiling.

Your choice of cleaning agents is a little light if you are trying to break an oil bond on olefin. You might try a more aggressive degreaser cleaner and/or solvent booster, made for olefin specifically.

What was the pH of the spot? That would help in ascertaining whether we have just oil/grease/tar, or something else.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

I agree with Doug

When oily materials, such as tar, are not completely removed from olefin, they often leave a brown mark.

Also, if a solvent based spotter (especially a citrus solvent)was used and not flushed away, the residue of the solvent will attract soil and also often turn yellowish brown.

Of course, every cleaner who tries to get the brown out adds more citrus solvent, and that tends to make it worse.

Push down on the brown area and see if it feels softer; that could indicate damage to any foam backing or adhesive.

I've had some success with volatile solvents in removing these oily stains. You might also try a peroxide based stain remover or a powdered additive that contains a peroxygen bleach.

 

[Joel D]

Thank You! Wow great answer

 

[Doug Cox]

My answer was based upon the fact that the stains are near an entry. Usually the "Brown Blotchy" spots are the way they are because someone made an attempt to remove them and only partially dissolved them. The second time around is much more difficult if possible at all.

 

[Joel D]

O.K. next dumb question, how do you ph test a spot? Do you have to wet it first with water or something?

And what ph is tar, grease etc. Thanks

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Its not a dumb question, Joel.

A digital pH pen that is made to be used by direct contact (rather than immersion) would work. Solvents don't respond with a pH reading, and pure oil probably won't either, though contaminants from spotters and the soil attracted by the oil might.

 

[Joel D]

Thank you again

p.s. the ecleanadvisor is great

 

[-JB-]

suck-up :roll:



















8)

 

[Joel D]

learned it from you

 

[-JB-]

Dur!