Using acid rinse, how?

Old Coastie

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I am confused about using acid rinses. I understand they neutralize an alkaline extractant, but how do you apply them?
1: inline at some low dosage rate (can this be done through the Hydroforce sprayer?)
2: After dwell time of the extractant, presprayed just before flushing with water.
3: some magical way that only Real Carpet Cleaners know and jealously guard from portyhacks.

How much is enough? Are there ph levels or products which really do not need acid rinsing? If I continue to not do acid rinses, am I harming my customers? What do I not know that I should be considering?

So here’s me asking.
 

Jimmy L

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And don't be a stupie like a franchise company and POST spray a acid rinse to nuetralize the carpet. HOW STUPID!

And just because it's an ACID rinse product doesn't mean it won't leave a residue. So choose one wisely.
 

Hack Attack

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How much is enough? Are there ph levels or products which really do not need acid rinsing? If I continue to not do acid rinses, am I harming my customers? What do I not know that I should be considering?

So here’s me asking.
you don't need much, dont get confused too much by the numbers its not maths its chemistry

generally I always use a rinse (its cheap) but I do way more nylon and wool than most you guys

On polys I still acid rinse or alkaline rinse if trashed
 

BIG WOOD

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First place I'd go to would be the local water department. Find out what the average ph the city tap water is. If it's around 7, you're fine with just a water rinse on synthetic carpet. Check the hardness of the water also. If it's harder than normal, you need to go the opposite on the rinse. More like Sodium carbonate, soda ash, arm and hammer washing soda
 
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Hack Attack

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First place I'd go to would be the local water department. Find out what the average ph the city tap water is. If it's around 7, you're fine with just a water rinse on synthetic carpet
wrong, water is neutral it never changes pH of what is on the carpet. it only takes as many ions as it gives. Its not maths its chemistry
 

BIG WOOD

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wrong, water is neutral it never changes pH of what is on the carpet. it only takes as many ions as it gives. Its not maths its chemistry
Our synthetic carpet is Plastic. I was stressing the importance of focusing on the hardness of the water, not the ph.

The only time you need to adjust the ph is on natural fibers.
 

Hack Attack

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That's not always true.

Example: Kansas city water ph is 9.9 from this report in 2017
https://www.kcwaterservices.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2017_Water_Quality_Report_05_2.pdf
there is a difference between alkaline and alkalinity just like there is difference between acid and acidity

water being the universal solvent changes pH from what it has dissolved or is carrying locally but its not likely to be well buffered so will snap back to 7pH without much chemistry added

7 pH for water is a standardisation
 

Bob Pruitt

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Using Mark's Blue Rinse...very slightly acid...near neutral. I use it because it helps clean... emulsifiers? Today I used my little porty on the 5th floor over looking the Gulf of Mexico. 4 gallon bucket of water gets a quick squirt... an acidr1.jpg ounce or 2. Did a very nice job. Dries nice and soft.
 

hogjowl

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Using an acid rinse was all the rage in the 90’s. Due to idiot gurus on ICS. They were supposed to be the perfect rinse for everything. And they were the answer to wicking, resoiling and “hand”.

I can’t wait for it to come back into fashion.

So I can make fun of y’all.
 
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Hack Attack

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The soap salesmen must have you hypnotized.

Can someone snap some common sense into Dan above?
7pH is standardisation ie the formulators are assuming you have 7pH water.(its what they are testing products with)

If you don't you are not USING THEIR FORMULA

the main reason to use a rinse is that as its name suggests it rinses easier better faster.. does what it says

can you get away without a rinse? Of course you can but you will use more prespray (the $$$ one) and spend more time (another $$$ one)

If using a porty I'd say always use a rinse you need every advantage you can get
 
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Old Coastie

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Okay, thanks for all the answers. I gather that a rinse helps, but I don’t know what it does to help. And I cannot put it in the porty tank because I use direct feed from the faucet. So I’d have to spray it on or meter it inline with the Hydroforce.

In real life, should I really care about this?
 

Hack Attack

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Okay, thanks for all the answers. I gather that a rinse helps, but I don’t know what it does to help.
In real life, should I really care about this?

It helps to clean but only if it is running through your wand (no point spraying it on after just for the sake of it)

You would probably notice a difference on the worse ones, if you wanted to you could play with an inline feed from a resevoir but I've never played with one like your setup
 
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Old Coastie

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It helps to clean but only if it is running through your wand (no point spraying it on after just for the sake of it)

You would probably notice a difference on the worse ones, if you wanted to you could play with an inline feed from a resevoir but I've never played with one like your setup

So for a crappy one, I could use the Ranger’s reservoir and pump (with a splash of rinse agent), but for most, just not worry about it. I’ll do that tomorrow and see how it works. I have some “End Zone” to play with.
 

Cleanworks

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With your porty or truckmount, if you're not using a well formulated extraction detergent, you are only doing half a job. Your traffic lane cleaner begins the process by breaking down soils and the extraction detergent added to your porty or metered through your truck mount, removes those soils as well as the traffic lane cleaner. Residential cleaning agents should be 10 ph or less. There is no need to use an acidic extraction detergent as the pH of your cleaning agents is lowered by the acidic nature of the soil in the carpets. Acid rinses are handy for cleaning delicate upholstery fabrics, minimizing dye bleed on rugs, completing urine removal treatments and the like. No need to use on every job.
 

Hack Attack

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You wont notice the visual pop with an acid rinse on polys like you see with wool or fine fabric

but you do get more 1 pass cleans imo

I carry 3 rinses bout 80% my residential gets acid rinse, the other 20% split between either an alkaline or self neutralising rinse

if you dont want to prespray under furniture or have to respray an area thats dried or could do with a little more is where a rinse that has cleaning ability is golden

try it on a grubby 1 where you've got time to try with and without and you can see if it suits your setup and system etc
 
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