Carpet, Technical Resources

Commercial Carpet

Posted on by Rebecca
Commercial Carpet Cleaning
23
Sep

 

8 Steps to Clean Commercial Carpet

Introduction

This page covers the cleaning of commercial nylon carpet. Olfin and wool carpet are discussed on another page. Commercial carpets come in cut and loop pile, and the cleaning is the same for both. These carpets come in tufted,  bonded or woven construction. Most woven carpet will be made of wool and is not covered on this page (see wool) Refer to the fiber/construction page for more information on fibers and construction.

Procedure

The following procedures are recommended by the IICRC in the S001 Standards Reference Guide Document and the appropriate Cleaner’s Choice  product to be used is listed.

 

Step 1   DRY SOIL REMOVAL

Begin by vacuuming the carpet to remove dry soil. It is easier to remove many soils before they are mixed with cleaning solutions.

Step 2   SPOTTING

Determine which spots will need extra attention prior to cleaning and go to work with a spotting kit (see spotting)

Step 3   PRESPRAY

Apply DOMINATOR  to the carpet using a quality sprayer . A quality prespray will soften and loosen the soil for quicker more thorough cleaning. Although optional, it i soften a good idea to agitate the carpet with a grandi-groomer. This will work the solution into the carpet and the physical agitation will loosen the soil. For heavily soiled carpet add CITRUS SOLV to your prespray to enhance your cleaning action.

Step 4   EXTRACT

This step is the “rinse cycle” where you wash the dirt away that was loosened in the preconditioning phase. Use GOLD LX in the chemical injection system of the truckmount or in the solution tank of your portable machine.

Step 5   NEUTRALIZE

Spray the carpet with a dilute solution of POWER RINSE. This will neutralize any alkaline residue left from the prespray or emulsifier in the rinse stage.

Step 6   PROTECT

Apply STAIN BLOCKER 5:1 to the cleaned area.

Step 7   PILE SETTING

Groom the carpet in one direction to remove wand marks and footprints. This creates a good visual impression but more importantly it aids drying by straightening and separating the fibers.

Step 8   DRYING

Take all steps necessary to dry the carpet quickly. This would include using ceiling fans, opening windows, or preferably the use of an AIR MOVER.

 

HELPFUL HINTS FOR COMMERCIAL CARPET

  1. For large commercial jobs a power extraction head like the RX-20 will make the job easier. It takes much of the manual labor out of the cleaning process.
  2. A “Solution T” will help you move faster. This is an item that splits the solution line, allowing one technician to prespray with the Hydro-Force sprayer while the other keeps the wand moving. It will cut your processing time significantly.
  3. In extreme cases you may wish to use GREASE RELEASE. This hard-hitting prespray will loosen soils that others leave behind.
  4. To limit wicking, go over the entire carpet with a dry bonnet after neutralization to speed up the drying process.

CAUTION – Be sure to do a thorough pre-inspection. Commercial installations may have hidden problems such as loose seams or delamination. Finding these before you begin the work and qualifying your customer will prevent you from being blamed for existing problems.

 

OVERVIEW

Procedure:

  1. Pre-vacuum carpet
  2. Pre-spot difficult spots using a spotting kit
  3. Pre-spray with Dominator boosted with Citrus Solv
  4. Extract with Gold LX
  5. Neutralize with Power Rinse
  6. Apply carpet protector Stain Blocker 5:1
  7. Groom carpet where needed
  8. Quick dry with air movers

Products Needed

More Info: Technical Bulletins, Test Methods and Information From CRI

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