[Neil Williams]

I'll try and keep this short:
Got my hands on some carpet samples, some 50/50 and some 100% wool.
I decided to make up spillages just for testing various solutions but I'm guessing that the samples are already 'protected' because orange juice, coke, milk etc just sat on the surface (wasn't quite what I had in mind......)
Then I put hot black coffee on it and then hot white coffee, both instantly soaked into the fibres.
So the question is.....
Is carpet protector only any good against cold spillages?

[Ken Wainwright]

Neil

Have you ever been called out to treat a spillage/stain on a new carpet? Did the treated area turn lighter in shade than the rest? It's happened to me with just a cold, freshwater rinse from my spotting machine and I've ended up cleaning a whole carpet (and charging for it).

New carpets are rarely clean. Sometimes, the yarn has been treated with a lubricant that will walk off in time, but this can retain soil too. This lubricant can help reduce friction from the yarn when passing through the looms.  One of my local CD franchisees claims that a CD cleaned carpet can stay clean longer than a new carpet, and that this has been tested by CAMRASO. They're not telling lies, but, IMO, they're only drawing a rough sketch, not painting the full picture.

It may be this lubricant that is resisting yarn penetration from cold liquids, with the hot spillages suspending the lubricant immediately. Try cleaning the samples first, finish with an acid rinse if appropriate to your protector, allow to dry and then do your testing.

Safe and happy cleaning
The Ken

[Mike Halliday]

the viscosity of the fluid will have a bearing on how quickly it soaks into the carpet, perhaps this the reason for the difference

let the coffee cool, then try it again then you will have a definitive answer as the only variable will be the temp

[Neil Williams]

Ken
So it's quite possible that carpet salesmen will be showing potential customers these samples and saying "Look these have been protected I'll prove it" yet all they have on them is a lubricant.
Tomorrow I will take one of the samples with me, clean it then do a re-test as per today.

Mike
I will try some cold coffee. Likewise I will try try various temperatures of just water.

[John Kelly]

Just try it with hot and cold water. You'll probably find the cold will skit over the surface and the hot will soak in.

[Neil Williams]

So this is opening a right can of worms:
New carpet could be sold as protected but it isn't
So if you were asked to protect it, you'd have to clean it first to get rid of the lubricant as clearly prtector (water based) wouldn't be able to penetrate into the fibres.

[Mike Halliday]

Neil you need to take note of Kens use of the words 'sometimes' & 'may be'  he's not saying all carpets will suffer from this lubricant problem. the times I've heard of this problem it has caused stripe on the carpet almost like  single roller has been contaminated putting a stripe down the carpet as it runs through the machine

[richie]

I have been called out many times over the years to clean a NEW carpet that is only oneor two days old due to a spillage. As Ken has stated new carpets are rarely clean and by just spot cleaning i have left a clean patch on the carpet.  About 4 years ago i was called out to clean a spill on a cream 80/20 carpet that had only been fitted 2 hours.  Removed the spillage & this left a highly visable clean patch.  Called the customer in to show her.  She called the carpet shop & demanded the manager come out immediately.  The manager arrived and tried to accuse me of using the wrong chemical and said i had bleached the carpet.  I started the machine up and ran the hand tool over the carpet using nothing but water......another clean patch.  The manager was lost for words and gave the lady a load of bull.  He then asked if i would clean the entire carpet (at his expense).  The lady point blank refused this.  She requested a new carpet saying there was no way she would accept a new carpet that required cleaning.  The manager of the carpet shop ended up agreeing to replace the carpet. He took a card from me before leaving.  He called me & asked if i would clean the new carpet before it was delivered to the lady to be fitted which i did and yet again there was quite a difference. Got loads of work from the carpet shop after this not only cleaning but also guarding.  He issued every customer that bought carpets from his shop with one of our cards.

Richie.

[Neil Williams]

Sure enough, after cleaning the sample piece using m/s just incase it was protected it now absorbs liquids
So for those of you who have a deal going with carpet shops/fitters do you clean the brand new carpet first before protecting? I'm only asking because what ever is on these 'new' carpets would repel the protector without it being removed first.