Unfortunately
there is probably as much confusion in the carpet cleaning industry
about carpet protectors as there is about cleaning. Uneducated and
sometimes downright unscrupulous carpet cleaners cause a great deal of
confusion by giving out false information or intentionally
misrepresenting the product.
A nylon
stain-resist carpet is made with two protective properties: The first is an acid dye
blocker that is basically a clear dye that fills the extra dye sites in
a fiber. This helps to keep "foreign" dyes (such as red dye in a
beverage) from penetrating the carpet fiber. The second property is
called a "fluorochemical". It is commonly known as 3M
Scotchgard® or DuPont Teflon®. This treatment helps
keep spillage from actually getting to the acid dye blocker, but its
biggest job is to resist dry soil.
By resisting dry soil, less soil sticks to the carpet, therefore it is
picked up by your vacuum or cleaning. Making sure that you have a
sufficient amount of protector on your carpet will help keep the soil
from sticking to the carpet. Once it sticks to the carpet, it acts like
sandpaper on your traffic area. Once the traffic area yarns are broken
down, there is no way to bring them back to their original state.
2 primary ways that factory protector is
removed from a carpet
1.
Regular foot traffic. Over a period of 6 - 18 months depending on the
traffic, a significant amount of protector can be removed from your
traffic areas and needs to be reapplied.
2.
High alkaline cleaner. Uneducated and sometimes downright unscrupulous
carpet cleaners use harsh chemicals on the carpet that will strip it's
protection. If one of these rascals has been in your home, you may want
to have the carpet re-cleaned and re-protected soon, as those harsh
chemicals left in the carpet may do more harm than good.
4 Mistakes
Other Cleaners Make In Applying Protector
1.
Not using high quality protector. Discount protectors are not as
effective and sometimes void the warranty of the carpet.
Our
Company uses only the highest quality, recommended protectors.
2.
Not using a dedicated container. Using the same container for carpet
protector as other cleaning solutions can contaminate the carpet
protector making it gummy and ineffective. Our truck has a dedicated
container reserved ONLY for carpet protector.
3.
Not applying the product properly. Some cleaners either under apply or
over apply the protector. Under applying it doesn't allow for complete
penetration on the carpet yarns. Over applying it causes the carpet to
become overly stiff and crusty. Our Company is diligent about proper
application.
We dislike having to mention this, but some companies have been known
to spray down plain water in order to make more money. It is hard to
tell, but you can always ask your technician to show you the chemical
prior to application. If you are having Teflon or Scotchgard applied,
it should be a milky-white (in color) solution and if it is a solvent
protector, it is clear though you will be able to tell by the feel.
Solvent will be very thin and dry up very quickly.
4.
Not grooming the carpet. For the best performance on pile carpet, the
product should be groomed into the carpet fiber for maximum
penetration. This ensures contact with all surfaces of the carpet yarn
and proper distribution and drying.
Our
Company thoroughly grooms the protector into the carpet pile.
5 Reasons
You Should Always Get Carpet Protector
1.
Reduces permanent
stains
A great looking carpet can be ruined by an ugly spot. Unprotected
carpet doesn't repel spillage as well as protected carpet. Being able
to remove spots and spills more effectively, you can avoid permanent
staining.
2.
Helps save your
traffic areas from becoming destroyed
Traffic
area soil is very abrasive and cuts carpet yarns like a knife. This
damaging soil can easily bond to an unprotected carpet. By applying
protector, you will increase the life of your carpet dramatically. When
you vacuum your protected carpet the soils will release from the carpet
pile much more effectively.
3.
Make spots easier
to remove
The easier a spot is to remove, the less cleaning solution you will
have to use. The less agitation you will have to use, and the less time
it will take. Many spots can be removed easily with just soft water.
4.
Makes your next
professional cleaning more effective
Having
protector applied to your carpet will enhance your next cleaning. More
soil will be removed the next time your carpeting is professionally
cleaned.
5.
Helps avoid costly
service calls
Although
you want to call us out to handle any spot you cannot remove
immediately, carpet protector helps you remove more spots than you
could without protector. You may be able to save a minimum charge by
removing the spot yourself.
The
result of having protector applied to your carpet is that your carpet
will look better and last longer.
Two different types of protectors exist
today.
Water-based protectors (Dupont Teflon and 3M Scotchguard) and solvent
protectors also exist. Ours is non-odorous and very safe, though we Can
offer you a scented version of either no scent, lemon or strawberry.
These scents are very pleasant smelling. Not overbearing.
We
offer you a choice...
between *Dupont Teflon or our custom created (by a leading chemist)
*Solvent based protector.(non-odorous and very safe)
*Ask your technician for a quote on either choice.
Protectors
like solvent based...
which we at really clean
like to use and stand
behind (non-odorous and very safe) are a better alternative to
water-based protectors. First, they tend to speed up the drying time as
a solvent does not mix with water. Second, they have much better
protective results due to solvent protectors actually penetrating into
the entire fiber rather than sitting on top of the fiber as do
water-based protectants.
We Highly
Recommend Protecting Your Investment!
(602)
738-8300
It's Not Clean... Unless It's Really Clean! sm
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