Mermaid101

I need some ideas for the best product to use to clean carpet... Its really bad and I really need some suggestions.



Thanks

ccarlisle

If I understand you right, let me say there are hundreds of chemical products out there that "clean carpet" but using one or the other of them will not guarantee "clean carpet"...clean carpet has more to do with other things than just using the right 'chemical'.

For example, a clean carpet is one that has been vacuumed well and regularly because 80% of the soils found in the average dirty carpet can be vacuumed up. So once that done, you're left with 20% of oily, sticky soils that the carpet cleaning method is meant to take care of. Now most agree that this 20% ought to be removed...not spread around, so "extraction" is the method of choice by 80% of the carpet cleaners out there I'm sure.

The machines you use to extract soil from carpet are big and expensive and the ones you can rent, like the RugDoctor are not strong enough and leave more of their soap residues than you had before, so I normally suggest you rent a proper carpet cleaning extractor from a rental company. But please bear in mind that it'll cost you as much if not more to rent the equipment + buy the chemicals (presuming you know which ones to buy) than it would be to hire a professional to do so. God knows there are no shortages of carpet cleaning companies out there with bigger and better equipment that do a better job than you could ever hope for. And prices are reasonable...the better companies fall over themselves earning your business. Stay away from Chem-Dry as they only move the dirt around.

But it depends on the size of area you have to clean. From small hand-held machines to do a few square feet on up. But the RugDoctor type machine that most grocery stores rent are more intent on leaving you with more sticky soap on your carpet so that you'll need to rent it again in 6 months - way before you need to. But for anything over a 150 sq ft room, hire the pros.

rusty baker

Just be careful of the hot water extraction cleaning. Many of those companies hire kids for the summer and send them out with a couple hours of instruction. If carpet gets too hot it will lose its twist and flatten, if it gets too wet it will delaminate. I have seen carpet shrink as much as 3 inches away from the wall. And the dry cleaning methods, such as host, just push the dirt under the carpet.

ccarlisle

?

"Delamination" is the separation of the backing from the carpet and is not caused by hot water extraction. Most often is caused by adhesive breakdown.

The hotest truckmounted carpet cleaning system puts out heat at approx. 212 deg F. At the carpet itself, it is nowhere near that. Most carpet fibres are heat-set at something like 450 deg F, so how could a carpet cleaner flatten the carpet?

rusty baker

Delamination can happen anytime a carpet gets wet. The latex adhesive is water soluable. I have seen many a carpet delaminate because of moisture. Whether it's from excessive cleaning, urine or floods.

ccarlisle

Well, I am not about to split hairs with someone with 36 years in flooring, - too much respect. But I work in the water damage industry so have also seen first-hand the effect of water on carpet.

And I will point out that only the lesser quality latexes can and will break down and delaminate a carpet (oftentimes the characteristic fishy smell accompanies this process, known as "Indian Rubber"). Most prevalent in area rugs and so-called orientals, but the principle is the same.

In these cases I will agree with you and say that the latex used is I guess, "water-soluble" (actually water-reemulsifiable) and will break down into it's components. Same thing happens with tile mastics upon wetting because there they use a different polymer based on polyvinyl acetate since it is not really meant to be water-resistant. Same resin used in cheaper carpet adhesives - but the better adhesives have to be water-resistant because of the cleaning processes (most manufacturers recommend steam cleaning) and therefore the adhesive technology is different. These adhesives are only water-based, but far less water-soluble, if at all.

Admittedly, if soaked for 24 hours, there is a good chance you will witness carpet delamination - but my point is that that circumstance alone is no reason to dissuade people from steam cleaning their wall-to-wall carpeting.

Similarly, I have seen carpet delaminate by urine overdoses, but that's a pH and microbial action-derived delamination due in part due to the lack of antimicrobials in the latex formulation, not just because it was wet but I take your point. I'll add solvent overuse to the mix too, but not a valid reason IMO to shun steam cleaning...

Finally, I think delamination and shrinkage are very minor 'negatives' amongst the 'positives' that good carpet cleaning can bring.

Personally I encourage people to clean their carpets more often than perhaps they already do.

rusty baker

I agree people should clean their carpets. I was just pointing out that many "carpet cleaners" soak carpet because they don't know what they are doing. There are many installers that don't have a clue on the proper way to install also. And also do serious damage.

ccarlisle

Amen to that!!!

Up here, good carpet installers who know how to use a power stretcher are scarce...sometimes we can't even find one with proper IICRC credentials!

porkergirl

I've had so many tragic experience hiring carpet cleaners, you might think that they really cleaned your carpet till you finding out days after that they just ruined it. So, what I did was take matters into my own hands, I bought this high traffic carpet cleaner and it was great, it solved each and every problem those cleaners had left.

ccarlisle

Would you remember what cleaners you used? was it a franchise like Stanley Steamer, a local cleaner with a business and a nice looking van, or JimmyJoe Bob down the corner with his floor machine?