wickbacks

[prestige cleaner]

did a job yesterday, 1 house over from mine vacant no furniture. so, prevacced pretty good focusing on heavier traffic areas, did have some spill stains from what I could tell. small children in the house normal everyday soiling. applied my ps using my hydroforce aggiatated with my sebo dual brush, rinsed with o2 rinse, gave multiple dry strokes with glided wand, job looked good i was done. went back today to see how it looked completey dry and noticed some spots that wicked back up. i cleaned my home with some of the same spills and spots didn' return, when can you tell that some spots are going to return, is there some method to prevent these returning spots when you can't see them after the cleaning besides, setting airmovers, multiple dry slow passes? carpet was plush nylon cutpile light colored.

 

[Doug Cox]

Less water pressure, leave carpet dryer. Some fibers like olefin can cause more wicking issues. Apply a fiber rinse after cleaning to stains. Remember, when cleaning stains, the water is aggravating the stains, so you have to leave the stained areas as dry as possible.

 

[Hoody]

What doug said, and if you have a feeling spots are going to wick. Using an encap product and post padding is another option.

 

[Goomer]

i cleaned my home with some of the same spills and spots didn' return

Why are you ass-u-ming they are the same?

 

[alazo1]

Same as Frank. Asking if they have spots that always return will identify but doesn't look like you had that opportunity. I only wand rugs and use an rx for everything. The agitation from that machine seems to help. I stay on it longer when I see spills. With that said I have a few homes that I clean regularly that have a few spots that come back. I have one spot in the hallway at home that always comes back (cat piss). Must have cleaned it 10 times but never used the claw on it.

On the other side of the coin, bonnet cleaning it may hide it long enough till the next hot water due cleans it

Albert

 

[Goomer]

I think the question you have to ask yourself is do you want to get aggressive and go after the source of the wicking, or do you want to leave the source, yet try to lessen/avoid future wicking?

 

[encapman]

Easy as 1 2 3

1. Clean the spot keeping it as dry as possible.
2. Force dry the spot with air movers, or even post-bonnet.
3. Apply a strong concentration of a good CRYSTALLIZING encap detergent (i.e.50/50 Releasit Encap-Clean) and work that solution down into the carpet fiber.

If you follow these steps closely - this technique fixes recurring spill stains 100% of the time.


P.S. I sell Releasit so I'm biased. But yes, this really does work. Ask around if you don't believe it.

 

[Jeremy]

It does work well, the main thing is sticking with a crystalizing encap vs a film former for this type of spot correction. I sell a few different products... Most will do the job well. Some dilutions may vary but the result is comparable. Releasit, Vacaway, Snake Oil, CCSOP or Surround all are capable of handling this type of situation quite well.

One thing I would emphasize in what Rick said is that if the time available & situation are permitting on a known problem spot I'd place an airmover/post bonnet just as a precaution with any method but particularly after HWE. No one likes a first let alone a second call back especially your customer. Besides, lets face it: It really isn't too heavy to carry in from the truck, even if it is a double safe/ dog & pony show... Beats driving back out there and/or finding another customer.

 

[ruff]

Driving back, taking great great of the client will cement your relationship.

It's a must for the intelligent/sophisticated cleaner !gotcha!

 

[Jeremy]

Of course if the situation arises, you take care of it and do so gladly... But as for great service, doing it right the first time is the best practice.

 

[sweendogg]

Asking good questions is always one way to ask. Though in this situation sounds like that wasn't an option.

Being able to identify the spots will be helpful in predicting the potential for wickback. (size of the spot can sometimes being and indication as well) Most hot liquids spilled have a large potential for wicking: Coffee, Tea, Urine, Gravy, blood ext. Also if a customer knows they had a large spill that they didn't get to quickly if at all.. also a red flag. Also be sure to find out how many times a customer has treated it and how they are treating it such as if they are pouring a spotter on and hoping for the best. (happens qute a alot).


If I find out from the customer that a spot has reappeared or that they can never get it to go away I try to go after the source and use a spot claw to extract.. atleast on a padded carpet that is. I'm almost always successful if I can identify a potential wickback situation and remove it via water claw. Typically I'll start with a hot water flush of the area.. (cold water for fresh blood), then water claw. open qd on solution like works well for flooding. I then follow with the spotter of choice.. tannin/acid side for urine coffee's, Tea's, and alkaline side for oily spills, sodas, gravy's. I dilute the spotter and flood the area and extract.. If i'm on the alkaline side i prefer to use an encap spotter or encap detergent as well for minimum residue. For Urine contamination, I'll use an odor urine specific product as my spotter to flood the area with dwell time such as osr. I finish with a clean water or fiber flood and extraction.. The process goes relatively quickly, but you need to charge extra for such service as well.

In the situation described where i'm walking unknowingly into the house. You have to prequalify with the customer that their is potential for wickbacks. And either charge enough up front that you can afford to follow up with a treatment or make it known that there will be a charge for a return visit.

 

[J Scott W]

Good encap product is like insurance against the wickback. A few products specifically designed to prevent wicking. Try Bridgepoint's Encapuguard or Encapuguard Green.

This can be used immediately after HWE cleaning or it can be used to correct a spot that has wicked back.

If your experience tells you that wicking is likely, just apply and brush in.

 

[prestige cleaner]

thanks sweendogg, you always have great advise as usual, also keep reading about post padding- on cutpile nylon carpet wouldn't that cause the fibers to bloom if there isn't any chem to lube the carpet? only post padd berbers in my exper.

 

[Jeremy]

Yes, Presdtige Cleaner your bonnet should be lubed but if the carpet is just steamed a light mist of encap on your pad/bonnet and on the carpet will do it. If the carpet is bone dry, more on the pad an a tad more on the carpet... You get a feel for it after a while. Once the correction is complete an anti wicking treatment of encap or solvent based protector should be misted on and worked into the fiber & then place fans...

 

[steve r]

if its brown and i think its coffee or pop or beer or something like that i spray it with spray n go before i start cleaning.

if its yellow and i suspect urine i use molecular modifier instead.

its been working for me.