Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: rich hand on August 27, 2009, 09:22:28 pm
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How would hot solvent cleaning compare to dry compound cleaning on carpets? Or any other methods known?
I have a white 100% viscose carpet to clean next week and I am finding information on the best methods very difficult. 'Risky' methods welcomed, I will be experimenting on highly controlled small areas beforehand.
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check out cleansmartsupplies.co.uk
they have a technical section on there.
you should avoid getting viscose wet, it is made of wood fibre which will swell and burst when wet
hope this helps
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So there are viscose carpets out there, why haven't we heard of lots of damage by unsuspecting CC?
Surely it's not the same as velour pile on suites it will be a yarn.
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This is probably a stupid question - but what the hell !
Any reason you can't use dry mineral solvent on a viscose carpet, other than the amount of it you would probably use ?
Steve
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I would avoid any solvents on a carpet, have you seen what a small amount does to the backing, apart from the health and fire issues regarding fumes. As for dry compound, I have used it and never been impressed with the result. It is a fact that there are some carpets out there and I suggest one of viscose is one of them, that its just too risky to clean. I'd pass.
Dave.
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There may only be one supplier of Viscose carpets in the country and they sell alot of the stuff at half the price of silk carpets which is still extremely expensive and their owners need them cleaned.
If I damage it they will just replace it, it is a demo on a piece that will be replaced anyway.
There are solvents and solvents, im probably going for heavy duty soil lifter, towel agitation with low moisture CFR tool extraction.
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Let us know how you get on Rich - I have just started to get in with designers, so would be useful to know for the future.
Steve
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Will do Steve, it will be interesting :)
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Just finished demo and ended up with the usual cold water extraction with the scorpion and glided wand!
Dry compound cleaning did nothing. Towelling off Heavy Duty Soil Lifter did nothing but with spray extraction soil did remove to a degree, maybe 50%, there was black gallon of water in the tank after cleaning 6 m. I did try the CFR tool at low psi but it didn't seem to keep the pile much drier than the wand. Only light agitation was allowed to avoid the pile disintegrating.
Where the carpet was still in good condition round the edges, the pile was hardly affected and looked fairly normal after drying. But where the carpet was worn and soiled the pile was left distorted, the individual fibers being bunched up. These areas I had to leave wet so maybe they will improve on drying.
Makes me wonder if a water based pre spray could have been used.
I brushed the pile the way it wanted to go and of course it looked clean and shiny from one direction and not so clean and bright from the other.
The director of the place understood the situation and was fine with this. I advised him that customers should have their carpets dry cleaned regularly before they get dirty.
Might pop my head round the door over next couple of days to see final result :o
The only other option left is hot solvent extraction, would it improve on the dry compound clean but fall short of the CWE, maybe but pile distortion wouldn't be a problem.