Police fingerprint powder

Cleanworks

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I have a job on Monday for one of my regular customers who suffered a break in. Police got fingerprint powder all over the white carpet. Customer tried to clean with Rolex and smeared it all over the place. Customer will have it replaced on her insurance claim if I can't clean it. Any ideas?
 

Mark Saiger

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Oh boy.

Depending how bad they messed with it the Prevac again and again and again.... Is one of the most important steps.

Alkaline cleaner, De-Limolene, can't remember if Pogo (Pog) also helped.

And I cannot remember the last one if we got it all out to our satisfaction but the clients were happy.

I can even remember the location and specifics of the last one I did about four years ago
 
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Cleanworks

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That's pretty well what I was thinking. I have some pogo as well as Prochem volatile solvent. Was thinking of following that with some code Red. If I don't get it out, it's no big deal but if I do, it adds to my rep as a magician.
 

Wand Slinger

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It's funny you got one of those jobs. I had one from a residential customer that had a break in. Some how they got through a window on the second floor and got into a large gun safe. The police came, got the powder everywhere in the room.
The customer challenged that if I could get it out he would give me a $50 tip.
Like Mark said, vacuum, vacuum, vacuum!
I even used the attachments to get as much suction on every square inch as possible.
Afterward, I used a solvent based prespray, and filtration soil remover as a follow up.
It came clean and he paid me the tip he promised.
 

Desk Jockey

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We see them pretty regularly. Like Mark said you're best if you vacuum as much as you can dry so it doesn't spread when wet.

You need a spotter that will suspend the detection powder. We used Ultrapac Renovate as a spotter but any NVDS spotter will do. Filtration type spotters also work well.
 
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Cleanworks

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We see them pretty regularly. Like Mark said you're best if you vacuum as much as you can dry so it doesn't spread when wet.

You need a spotter that will suspend the detection powder. We used Ultrapac Renovate as a spotter but a NVDS spotter. Filtration type spotters also work well.
Thanks, that makes sense.
 

Dolly Llama

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Examples of materials
  • Metal powders

Of these, one of the more common powders in current use is Aluminium powder, as it will show up on a variety of surfaces.


they put pigment in them too....like lamp black


Customer tried to clean with Rolex

don't know what a "Rolex" is
but if water or solvents are part of it....I wouldn't promise anything on white carpet

otherwise, if not emulsified and color dye nano dispersed into fiber ...think I'd start with a vac hose, compressed air, tooth brush and dry microfiber towels



..L.T.A.
 

Cleanworks

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Examples of materials
  • Metal powders
Of these, one of the more common powders in current use is Aluminium powder, as it will show up on a variety of surfaces.


they put pigment in them too....like lamp black




don't know what a "Rolex" is
but if water or solvents are part of it....I wouldn't promise anything on white carpet

otherwise, if not emulsified and color dye nano dispersed into fiber ...think I'd start with a vac hose, compressed air, tooth brush and dry microfiber towels



..L.T.A.
Fooking spell check. Folex.
 

Jim Williams

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I used Prosolve gel on this one.
87388
 
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Acp

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I have before and after pics somewhere of a really bad one I did. Police got it all over the place and customer scrubbed it in trying to remove it.

Kleenrite Dissolve took it out very easily, stuff smells terrible but its a unique product.
 

J Scott W

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There are a variety of finger print powders. They may include aluminum which can be removed with rust remover, carbon black which responds best to a solvent and dyes that respond to reducers.

If you want an article I wrote with all the details on the topic check the Cleanfax archives or send an email to Schyler Lewis -slewis@interlinksupply.com
 

randy

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I would CRB it DRY with bins a couple of zillion times. THEN vacuum, vacuum, and vacuum. DRY compound, more CRB and allow to dry. Then vacuum, vacuum and more vacuum. If anything is left dry solvent and rinse, rinse , rinse and repeat.
 
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I have a job on Monday for one of my regular customers who suffered a break in. Police got fingerprint powder all over the white carpet. Customer tried to clean with Rolex and smeared it all over the place. Customer will have it replaced on her insurance claim if I can't clean it. Any ideas?
Perhaps you should fail so they can get new carpet?
 
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Cleanworks

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Perhaps you should fail so they can get new carpet?
Carpet is 18 years old. Remarkable condition for its age, always well vacuumed and cleaned regularly. Been my customer for at least 15 years. The insurance would only give them a pro-rated settlement. Carpet came out real nice and they have company coming today. That was more important to them.
 

Cleanworks

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We've never had any issues as long as you dry vacuum first. If you don't it's like dealing with toner and spreads into a bigger mess.
The customer vacuumed before they applied the folex. The police told them to do that. I vacuumed a little more. The folex had smeared it but didn't really do any harm. The solvents I used separated it from the carpet easily.
 

Willy P

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Examples of materials
  • Metal powders

Of these, one of the more common powders in current use is Aluminium powder, as it will show up on a variety of surfaces.


they put pigment in them too....like lamp black




don't know what a "Rolex" is
but if water or solvents are part of it....I wouldn't promise anything on white carpet

otherwise, if not emulsified and color dye nano dispersed into fiber ...think I'd start with a vac hose, compressed air, tooth brush and dry microfiber towels




..L.T.A.
You have to really watch it using Rolex spotter.
 
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