[Tom Lawrence]

Right,

Quick question. A competitor near me in Dartford is posting in every buy sell swap group on Facebook showing these amazing videos making chessboard like patterns in carpets. But it appears to go completely white from a very dark brown.

Is this detergent foaming up rather than actually cleaning the carpet.

I generally pre spray and extract with plain tap water/ acid rinse but don't see results anything like that from a portable. When he lifts the wand you can see all the white detergent coat the carpet. I've heard detergent in tank just resoils quickly. Is this true? Or do you literally just go in, vac, no pre spray, extract with detergent first, then extract again with acid rinse? I'd be afraid of overeating.

[Robin Ray]

The main manufactures have invested lots of money to ensure in-tank detergents are designed not to leave a residue which can create re soiling. Most detergents are design to crystallize when dry and then be simply vacuumed away. Others contain polymers which encapsulate any remaining soils and prespray residues and dry to what can be described as a plastic film which cannot be reactivated by moisture, in fact some of these impart a protective property.

As a general rule it is best to use an acid rinse on carpets where it is necessary to leave then in a neutral state for example wool.  Other carpets don't need to be left in a neutral state as the alkalinity has less effect on them, polypropylene for example.

Using an in tank detergent will remove more soiling than using just plain water. The choice of detergent depends on the situation. Detergents can be both acid or alkaline.

There are also more factors to removing soils than just chemicals. Cleaning principals rely on T.A.C.T or... Temperature, Agitation, Chemical action and Time. The best clean possible will incorporate all of the factors. When one is reduced another needs to be increased to compensate.

It is worth going on a good training course to learn these basic principals and techniques, it saves time effort, gives you confidence and prevents potential problems.

[john martin]

Ha Robin was posting while i typed  ... it think he touched on what im saying here ...


its too hard to say without seeing ,  it could be genuine ... like pick a really bad patch , give it lots product and a hell of a going over just to show a difference for the picture  .... or it could be a visual trick ... wet the carpet to make ot look dark , the cleaned patch will stand out more , it could be a creative camera angle or even some sort of foam like u suggested .

regarding resoiling ....    the origins of whole detergent free movement is now so mixed up its hard to tell what or who its suppose to benefit  ,the reasons for its existince  seem to swing between , care for the carpet , envionmental concerns , health of the user or customer concerns ...     its gathered these as marketing interests latch onto the latest public concern fads .

The origin as i see it is somethimng like ...  started in germany , guy makes soap free cleaning solution .... soap at the time was linked to resoiling carpet ( soap is not used in any carpet cleaning product now though )
The product finds uk investers and somehow takes on the name microsplitter  ( we now know this product was a just a basic component used in many detergents ie phosphate )
microsplitter catches on amongst  the uk carpet cleaning community ,  who are eager  to buy into the idea of using a ' new technology '    and addition claims become accepted , like it dosnt need heat or that it ties in with the whole eco sales strategy ( none of which really stack up )
Other carpet cleaning chemical suppliers now latch onto this market and its takes on the collective name ' detergent free '
most contain sodium carbonate or phosphate , basic detergent ingredients ... there is no new technology

So from the original product which omited soap ....  as soap is now no longer a component used in modern carpet cleaning ....   they seen to have latched onto the modern synthetic surfactants as the ingredient to be left out  ....
so if you take a product like ultimate master ... which would be class as a detergent ...  a detergent free product would be just like ultimate master ... as in sodium carbonate ,phosphate , ... but they would leave out the ethoxylates and small bit of citrus solvent

But why .... where is there any proof that these modern ingredients cause either resoiling or health or environmental issues ....none  ...    marketing has created the detergent free sector
So to answer you question  .... no most good carpet cleaning detergent products will not cause unusual  resoiling if used correctly either intank or prespray .
I get do some plush places ... i almost always have ultimate master in the tank beacuse i see a benefit in th eresult , if there was unusual resoiling i would see it in the repeat customers carpets .... or i would not get back in the first place .

[John Kelly]

Spot on John