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david lang
 
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Default "Draft Carpet Cleaning FAQ for comments"

Lobster wrote:

TBH till now I hadn't spotted it at the bottom of your original
thread - a subject like "Draft Carpet Cleaning FAQ for comments"
would have got my attention, maybe that of others?!


Fair point - here it is again!

Dave




Carpet Cleaning FAQ (Draft 1 for comment on uk.d-i-y)

1 Carpet Manufacture.

Knowing a little about carpet construction helps an awful lot when it
comes to understanding how to clean them.

Carpets broadly comprise two parts, the pile yarn (the top bit that you
can see) and the backing yarn (the underneath bit that you don't see).

The backing yarn holds everything together and forms the matrix that
holds the pile yarn.

There are three ways in which carpets are made:

1.1 Woven.

Account for about 20% of the market. Expensive but long lasting and high
quality. Commonly known as Axminster or Wilton. Note that Axminster and
Wilton are 'manufacturing methods' that originated in those places, not
brand names. Perfectly genuine Axminster carpets may be made in Belgium.

With both methods the pile and backing yarns are woven together at the
same time. It's a slow process, which accounts for their high cost.

Woven carpets usually have very dense pile.

How can you tell? Look at the backing - you will see the coloured pile
yarn woven through the backing.

1.2 Tufted.

The vast majority of carpet is tufted, around 75% of the UK market.

Tufted carpet is made by using a pre-woven backing cloth, into which the
pile fabric is tufted or punched. The carpet is usually 'secondary
backed' with a rubber, polyurethane or foam backing.

This is done on huge tufting machines at very high speed, giving a very
economic manufacturing cost.

Tufted carpet is also called twist pile, cut pile, loop pile, cut and
loop pile, Saxony or sculptured pile. The manufacturing method is
broadly the same.

The quality depends on many factors, but an important one is the pile
density - measured in threads per square inch. The denser the pile the
better. Look at a cheap tufted carpet and you can see the backing
through the pile.

1.3 Bonded.

Several methods are used to bond either individual yarns or a web of
fibres onto a pre-woven backing. Best-known trade name is Flotex. Found
in domestic kitchens and commercial premises.

Flotex is completely waterproof, highly stain-resistant, incredibly
durable and easy to clean. Carpet tiles are made by a similar process
and for our purposes can be treated in the same way.

An excellent guide can be found at http://www.ukcarpetsdirect.com/

2 Pile and Backing Materials

Pile and backing yarns fall into two categories; natural or synthetic.

Natural yarns are hessian or jute for backing yarn, and wool for the
pile yarn (or more often wool/nylon).

Synthetic yarns include nylon, polypropylene, and polyester for the pile
yarn. Backing is almost always a cheaper synthetic.

So four possible combinations are possible:

Pile Backing
1 Natural Natural
2 Natural Synthetic
3 Synthetic Natural
4 Synthetic Synthetic

How can you tell which is which? Simple, you need a small pair of
scissors, some tweezers and a lighter. Snip off a sample piece of yarn
from either the pile or backing - use a spare piece of carpet or find a
little used corner.

Hold the sample in the tweezers and move the flame towards it slowly.

Wool or 80/20 wool/nylon will glow and eventually ignite with a smell
like burning hair. All synthetics will tend to shrink away from the
flame, 'bead' over and smell like burning plastic - an acrid chemical
smell.

In practice the choice of fibre depends on the application, the site,
the traffic, and the cosmetic appeal. However, it's useful to know that
natural fibres (wool) don't attract soiling (dirt) whereas synthetics
do. On the other hand wool can be stained badly, but most synthetics
can't.

Now you know the basics, we can address the most common concerns about
DIY carpet cleaning.

3 Carpet Cleaning Concerns.

Two common concerns are 'will the carpet shrink' and 'will the colours
run'. There are only three causes of these two problems. And the
likelihood of them happening depends on the construction of the carpet.

Let's examine the problems:

3.1 Will the carpet shrink?

It's a common fallacy that wool carpets are prone to shrinking. Rare in
practice - have you ever seen a sheep shrink in the rain?

Only shrinkage of the backing of a carpet can cause a problem. If the
pile were to shrink, you would never know.

If the carpet has a synthetic backing, it can't shrink because it is
impervious to water. A natural fibre backing can, and will, shrink if
water gets to it.

If the carpet is of woven wool or wool/nylon construction, the pile is
so dense and so absorbent (wool can absorb 40% of its own weight in
water) that it's almost impossible to get water to reach the backing
when cleaning. Only a flood is likely to cause shrinkage.

With a cheap synthetic pile natural backed carpet, the risk of shrinkage
is high. The water will run off the synthetic pile straight onto the
natural backing. Nylon, for example, can only absorb about 1% of its
weight in water.

If a carpet does shrink, a competent carpet fitter can usually stretch
it back to its former state.

3.2 Will the colours run?

This irreversible problem can only happen to natural pile carpets. Wool
starts life as off white and is piece dyed to make various colours.

Modern dyes are so good, however, that correct cleaning is unlikely to
affect them.

Synthetic pile yarns are manufactured to be the colour they are. If it's
blue, it was made blue, not dyed blue. It would be difficult to remove
the colour if you wanted to. Only bleach would affect the colour.

One odd problem is that called 'browning'. When a carpet dries out brown
patches appear on the surface. This is caused by water reaching the
backing of the carpet. If the backing is a natural fibre, the vegetable
dye used to colour it can be affected. This will then 'wick' up the pile
and appear on the surface of the carpet.

Browning looks terrible but is actually easy to fix. The carpet is
simply sprayed with a specialist chemical and the browning usually
disappears.

4 Problems and their Causes

4.1 Over-wetting.

Excessive water use can cause two problems when cleaning carpets.

If you excessively wet a carpet when cleaning it and the water reaches
the backing material, it could cause or exacerbate shrinkage.

This will only happen if the backing is a natural fibre. Synthetic
backings can't shrink.

Excessive water can also cause dye bleed, or colour run, although this
is rare with modern dyes. Excessive water can also cause the 'browning'
phenomenon.

4.2 Excess heat.

The use of very hot water can cause or exacerbate shrinkage and dye
bleed. As a rule of thumb, if you can't put your hand in the water it's
too hot for cleaning your carpet.

4.3 Incorrect chemical use.

Carpet cleaning chemicals are highly specialised. Use only those
specially made for carpet cleaning. Do not ever be tempted to use
household washing powder/liquid or any other chemicals for cleaning
carpets. It will result in a sticky mess that will attract soiling.

Make sure you follow the dilution rates quoted on the container. More is
not better. Use a measuring jug and get it exactly right. "About two
glugs" isn't acceptable!

5 Carpet cleaning methods.

The most common carpet cleaning methods available to the DIY cleaner
a

5.1 Spray Extraction Cleaning.

Sometimes called hot water extraction or steam cleaning, this is
probably the most popular method of carpet cleaning. It offers the
deepest cleaning and flushes out more dirt than other methods.

In addition, spray extraction machines are able to clean stairs and
upholstery.

A carpet spray extraction machine will have two tanks. One is filled
with a water and detergent solution, which is sprayed into the carpet
pile under pressure, shifting the dirt.

The liquid and dirt is then removed by a vacuum and returned to the
other, the recovery tank.

5.1.1 Spray Extraction Machines.

Extraction cleaners can be purchased or hired. Affordable machines for
purchase include the Numatic 'George' http://www.numatic.co.uk/ or the
Vax 6155 http://www.vax.co.uk/

Hire can often be a better choice. Machines like the Rug Doctor
http://www.rugdoctor.com/ are similar to those used by professional
cleaners. The Rug Doctor, amongst others, has a brush, so the process is
'spray/scrub/vacuum' which gives faster cleaning and better results.

Several factors are crucial for good results:

Solution pump pressure makes a big difference. A machine giving 1 bar
pressure won't clean as well as one giving 3 bar. Some domestic machines
don't actually have a pump at all! - They are a waste of time in my
experience.

The vacuum doesn't just remove surplus water; it is a vital component of
the cleaning process. The more vacuum power the better. The purpose of
the vacuum is to pull the water through the carpet pile, which of course
removes the dirt.

Spray Extraction is an integral process. If you were to spray first then
vacuum afterwards the results would be very poor.

A more powerful vacuum, whilst it will give better cleaning results,
won't necessarily remove more water from a carpet or leave it any dryer.
Drying times depend on the carpet fibre.

Wool or wool mix carpet pile absorbs water and the vacuum cannot remove
that. Synthetic fibres hold very little water, so recovery is higher.

You can tell what the carpet pile is made from the result of spray
extraction cleaning. Solution and recovery tanks are usually of similar
size. On a synthetic pile carpet you will recover up to 90% of the
water, but with wool it's only about 50%.

Many domestic machines have very small tank capacities, some as low as 5
litres. They still work, but you have to frequently stop to empty and
refill the tanks.

5.1.2 Spray Extraction Technique.

Clear the room of smaller items - large items like the sofa can simply
be moved around the room. Vacuum the carpet thoroughly.

For very dirty carpets a pre-spray, usually called Traffic Lane Cleaner
can be applied. Set up the machines as instructed.

Start in one corner and make a pass with the wand up to and parallel
with the skirting board. Don't over reach - two or three foot at a time
is fine.

The second pass should overlap the first by 50%. The third pass should
overlap the second again by 50% and so on. This way you will get even
cleaning and maximum soil removal.

Work your way across the room, and then start a new series of passes.

If the carpet is extremely dirty, make a series of passes at right
angles to the first, but don't overlap them.

In the unlikely event that this doesn't remove the dirt - STOP. Wait for
the carpet to dry completely before trying again.

Once you have covered the entire area, return to your starting point and
go over the carpet again with only the vacuum switched on (in other
words, don't spray). This will remove surplus moisture that has 'wicked'
up the pile.

Ventilation is the key to drying carpets - open the windows and get a
through draft.

Stay off the carpet until dry - if you have to walk on it, wear clean
house slippers or go barefoot. Take care - wet carpets are slippery.

5.2 Dry Foam Cleaning.

Whilst various machines and techniques are used for dry foam cleaning,
they all rely on the use of a special shampoo.

The principle is that water and detergent are applied as foam, so less
moisture is present. The shampoo crystallises as it dries, trapping the
dirt, which is vacuumed away when the carpet is dry.

Advantages are fast drying times and no risk of over wetting.
Disadvantage is that, in my opinion, it is only a surface clean.

5.3 Dry Powder Cleaning.

With this system, absorbent granules (impregnated with detergent) are
brushed into the carpet pile, left for a short time, the vacuumed away.

Advantages are that no water is used and the room isn't out of use for
much time.

Again, in my opinion only a surface clean.

5.4 Carbonated Water Cleaning.

Operated mainly as a franchise, the cleaning method is apparently to
inject fizzy water into the carpet and agitate with an absorbent cotton
pad, fitted to a floor-scrubbing machine. With 30 years in the trade, I
just can't see how this is supposed to work.

6 Spot and Stain Treatment.

The pile fibre of a carpet has a big influence on how easily stains can
be removed. Synthetic fibres don't really stain much, whereas wool can
stain badly due to absorption.

The most important thing is to correctly identify the stain. If you were
present when the stain occurred it's easy, but if not, a little
detective work is called for.

Stains near occasional tables are often beverages; stains near a
dressing table are usually make-up. I'm sure you get the idea. Smell can
also give you some clues!

The second most important thing is to react quickly! The longer a stain
is allowed to remain, the harder it will be to remove it.

6.1 Spot and Stain Technique

Step 1. Remove any solids with a spoon, working from the outside of the
stain in.

Step 2. Blot the stain with an absorbent material. I find paper kitchen
roll to be best. It's very important to blot the stain, not rub it. You
want to absorb as much as possible.

Step 3. Treat with a stain remover.

6.2 Stain Remover Products

If you don't have a specialised carpet stain remover, you can often use
household chemicals. An excellent resource is on the Fabric Link site
http://www.fabriclink.com/carpet/carpetstain.html

I'd recommend three companies for carpet stain removal products, Stain
Devils - available in many supermarkets or within 24 hours by post, Rug
Doctor, mainly found in DIY sheds and Prochem, mainly trade and
available at most janitorial suppliers (see your local Yellow Pages).

http://www.staindevils.co.uk/specifics.htm
http://www.rugdoctor.co.uk/stainchart.htm
http://www.prochem.co.uk/

These websites all have excellent advice on stain removal.

To give an idea of the products available, Stain Devils offerings
include:

SD No. 1 removes stains such as ballpoint pen, beer/larger,
crayon, ink roller ball, ink stamp pad, liqueurs, pencil, spirits and
typewriter ribbon.

SD No. 2 removes stains such as blood, cream, cream cheese, egg,
egg white, ice cream, milk, sperm, starch and yoghurt.

SD No. 3 removes stains such as adhesives, chewing gum,
correction fluid, glue, nail varnish, and rubber cement.

SD No. 4 removes stains such as caramel, cocoa, coffee, cola,
deodorant, ink fountain pen, iodine, nicotine, tea, tobacco, urine and
yellowing.

SD No. 5 removes stains such as body lotion, butter, carbon,
clay, cod liver oil, cooking oils, curry, dirt, earth, engine oil, eye
shadow, fat, food colouring, foundation cream, grass, grease, hand
cream, lipstick, make-up, margarine, mayonnaise, motor oil, mud, pollen,
poster paint, rouge, salad dressing, salad oil, sauces, shoe polish,
suntan cream, vegetable oil and watercolour paints.

SD No. 6 removes stains such as baby food, beetroot, bird
droppings, fizzy drinks, fruit, fruit juice, jam, jellies, marmalade,
mildew, mould, perfume, red wine, sorbets, soy sauce, vegetable stains.

SD No. 7 removes such stains as ironmould and rust from fabrics,
baths and tiles.

SD No. 8 removes stains such as candle-wax, paint, resin, tar and
wax polish.

SD No. 9 removes stains such as felt tip pen and highlighter pen.

SD No. 10 removes stains such as BBQ sauce, chocolate, gravy,
ketchup, mustard and spices.

(C) David Lang 2005.


Phil
The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/
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John Rumm
 
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Default "Draft Carpet Cleaning FAQ for comments"

david lang wrote:

Carpet Cleaning FAQ (Draft 1 for comment on uk.d-i-y)


Very impressive (as usual) Dave! Not a topic I know enough about to add
any contructive comment and I could not find any typo's either!

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
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  #3   Report Post  
Jim Hatfield
 
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Default "Draft Carpet Cleaning FAQ for comments"

On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 00:28:33 GMT, "david lang"
wrote:

Blimey, I found a typo!

SD No. 1 removes stains such as ballpoint pen, beer/larger,



Very useful info, many thanks.


  #4   Report Post  
Phil Addison
 
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Default "Draft Carpet Cleaning FAQ for comments"

On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 20:44:33 +0000, in uk.d-i-y Jim Hatfield
wrote:

On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 00:28:33 GMT, "david lang"
wrote:

Blimey, I found a typo!

SD No. 1 removes stains such as ballpoint pen, beer/larger,


Larger what, I wonder? Actually that's not a typo, at least not ours,
see http://www.staindevils.co.uk/specifics.htm

It'll be changed to lager though - well spotted.

Phil
The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/
The Google uk.d-i-y archive is at http://tinyurl.com/65kwq
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Posted to uk.d-i-y
 
Posts: n/a
Default "Draft Carpet Cleaning FAQ for comments"

david lang wrote:

Carpet Cleaning FAQ (Draft 1 for comment on uk.d-i-y)


Very good piece there David.


A couple of questions...

You mention shrinkage of natural material backed carpets: would
gripperrods or tacks not prevent them shrinking?

Also there was talk of stain devils, including the biro remover one.
When I last tried it, it had no effect whatsoever. Olbas oil otoh was
100% effective. The unfinished cleaning FAQ I've put together lists
some stain removers not referenced by your article, but I wouldnt know
what could and could not be used safely on various types of carpets. I
dont know if theres some way we can cross-use the info.

There was one last point, yes. The stain site you linked to contains
many bits of info, but there must be something better somewhere. One
trick it missed is how to fix bleach spotted carpets. It said cut a bit
out and replace, but it was much simpler IME to recolour the patch, if
and only if its small. With patterned carpets this is easily done by
eye if the right colour is available, and made good enough not to be
noticed.

Oh, I also dont recall discussion of 1 versus 2 versus 3 tank machines.

And is my intuition right in thinknig bladder type tanks will not last
well?


And a final question, which isnt cleaning, but is somewhat connected
with it. Carpets with worn edges, beginning to fray and coming apart,
what is the best way, if any, to prevent further deterioration? I was
thinking perhaps some type of glue might do it. Do you know? Not
cleaning, but the sort of thing people are likely to do at the same
time as a clean, and info that will help decide whether to clean or
replace.


NT



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david lang
 
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Default "Draft Carpet Cleaning FAQ for comments"

wrote:

You mention shrinkage of natural material backed carpets: would
gripperrods or tacks not prevent them shrinking?


I've seen a flooded carpet pull gripperods right out of the floor. This was
a 35' long carpet that shrank by 10". Carpet fitter put it back with a
power stretcher once it was dry.

The unfinished cleaning FAQ I've put together lists
some stain removers not referenced by your article, but I wouldnt know
what could and could not be used safely on various types of carpets. I
dont know if theres some way we can cross-use the info.


The only safe way is to try them on a spare piece of carpet, or a bit hidden
under furniture. Some solvents can de stabilise the backing material.


There was one last point, yes. The stain site you linked to contains
many bits of info, but there must be something better somewhere. One
trick it missed is how to fix bleach spotted carpets. It said cut a
bit out and replace, but it was much simpler IME to recolour the
patch, if and only if its small. With patterned carpets this is
easily done by eye if the right colour is available, and made good
enough not to be noticed.


The cut & replace method is used commercially, but I've never seen
recolouring. Is it done with felt pens r brushes or what?

Oh, I also dont recall discussion of 1 versus 2 versus 3 tank machines.


Not sure what you mean? I tank with a diaphram, 2 separate tanks - 3 tanks?

And is my intuition right in thinknig bladder type tanks will not last
well?


They are used in scrubber dryer machines, but they are not common in carpet
cleaning machines. A good idea, if the diagphram material holds up. They
almost double tank capacity. Is this idea used in domestic machines?

And a final question, which isnt cleaning, but is somewhat connected
with it. Carpets with worn edges, beginning to fray and coming apart,
what is the best way, if any, to prevent further deterioration? I was
thinking perhaps some type of glue might do it. Do you know?


Copydex works a treat.

Dave


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Posted to uk.d-i-y
 
Posts: n/a
Default "Draft Carpet Cleaning FAQ for comments"

david lang wrote:
wrote:

You mention shrinkage of natural material backed carpets: would
gripperrods or tacks not prevent them shrinking?


I've seen a flooded carpet pull gripperods right out of the floor. This was
a 35' long carpet that shrank by 10". Carpet fitter put it back with a
power stretcher once it was dry.


Eek. Might be wise to mention that in the FAQ then, as I just assumed
it would be a non-problem, so many others might also wrongly assume.


The unfinished cleaning FAQ I've put together lists
some stain removers not referenced by your article, but I wouldnt know
what could and could not be used safely on various types of carpets. I
dont know if theres some way we can cross-use the info.


The only safe way is to try them on a spare piece of carpet, or a bit hidden
under furniture. Some solvents can de stabilise the backing material.


There was one last point, yes. The stain site you linked to contains
many bits of info, but there must be something better somewhere. One
trick it missed is how to fix bleach spotted carpets. It said cut a
bit out and replace, but it was much simpler IME to recolour the
patch, if and only if its small. With patterned carpets this is
easily done by eye if the right colour is available, and made good
enough not to be noticed.


The cut & replace method is used commercially, but I've never seen
recolouring. Is it done with felt pens r brushes or what?


I used whatever was to hand, which, looking guilty now, was a
waterproof marker last time. Crude but effective. Once done one could
not spot the repair. I was lucky it matched, otherwise would have gone
for cold dyes.


Oh, I also dont recall discussion of 1 versus 2 versus 3 tank machines.


Not sure what you mean? I tank with a diaphram, 2 separate tanks - 3 tanks?


Some machines have 1 tank, the dirty water is fed into the clean water.
Some machines have 2 tanks, separate clean and dirty water.
Some have 3 tanks, clean water, detergent concentrate and dirty.

Any comments on the relatrive merits would be welcome, as this is one
of the questions that crop up at purchase time.


And is my intuition right in thinknig bladder type tanks will not last
well?


They are used in scrubber dryer machines, but they are not common in carpet
cleaning machines. A good idea, if the diagphram material holds up. They
almost double tank capacity. Is this idea used in domestic machines?


Yes... if. The Bissell I looked at uses it, but includes caution that
if you use the wrong cleaning formulae your bladder will perish. From
repairing old goods generally I would expect a flexible bladder to
perish long before a rigid tank would, hence my reservations about
getting one.


And a final question, which isnt cleaning, but is somewhat connected
with it. Carpets with worn edges, beginning to fray and coming apart,
what is the best way, if any, to prevent further deterioration? I was
thinking perhaps some type of glue might do it. Do you know?


Copydex works a treat.

Dave


thanks dave


NT

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Phil Addison
 
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Default "Draft Carpet Cleaning FAQ for comments"

On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 00:28:33 GMT, in uk.d-i-y "david lang"
wrote:

Carpet Cleaning FAQ (Draft 1 for comment on uk.d-i-y)


[snip]

1.3 Bonded.

Several methods are used to bond either individual yarns or a web of
fibres onto a pre-woven backing. Best-known trade name is Flotex. Found
in domestic kitchens and commercial premises.

Flotex is completely waterproof, highly stain-resistant, incredibly
durable and easy to clean. Carpet tiles are made by a similar process
and for our purposes can be treated in the same way.


Can you give any details of the Flotex construction? What makes it so
good/different? Does it have downsides?

[snip]

4.1 Over-wetting.

Excessive water use can cause two problems when cleaning carpets.


How do you control the wetting? How can you tell if the machine you are
using is over-wetting, or indeed if it is correctly wetting the carpet?

[snip]

4.2 Excess heat.

The use of very hot water can cause or exacerbate shrinkage and dye
bleed. As a rule of thumb, if you can't put your hand in the water it's
too hot for cleaning your carpet.


Do the machines heat the water or do you have to fill it with the
correct temperature. Can you give an actual temperature to use? If the
former what about cooling?

[snip]

5.1 Spray Extraction Cleaning.

Sometimes called hot water extraction or steam cleaning, this is
probably the most popular method of carpet cleaning. It offers the
deepest cleaning and flushes out more dirt than other methods.

In addition, spray extraction machines are able to clean stairs and
upholstery.

A carpet spray extraction machine will have two tanks. One is filled
with a water and detergent solution, which is sprayed into the carpet
pile under pressure, shifting the dirt.

The liquid and dirt is then removed by a vacuum and returned to the
other, the recovery tank.


Can you give few more details of the operation? eg does the water jet
squirt straight down from a spraybar? Is the flow related to how fast
you move it forward? Is there any brushes, or scrubbing action? How is
the vacuum applied to the carpet? Is it a localised suction or is the
whole base under vacuum? A diagram of the layout would probably clear up
these sort of questions.

5.1.1 Spray Extraction Machines.


[snip]

The vacuum doesn't just remove surplus water; it is a vital component of
the cleaning process. The more vacuum power the better. The purpose of
the vacuum is to pull the water through the carpet pile, which of course
removes the dirt.


Again a diagram would help me to understand the water path through the
carpet. Are there adjusters to get the vacuum head close to the carpet -
assuming that is necessary?

Spray Extraction is an integral process.


Still not clear exactly what this process is.

If you were to spray first then
vacuum afterwards the results would be very poor.


[snip]

5.1.2 Spray Extraction Technique.


[snip]

For very dirty carpets a pre-spray, usually called Traffic Lane Cleaner
can be applied. Set up the machines as instructed.


Bear in mind readers of the FAQ are wanting to know about the cleaning
process BEFORE hiring/buying a machine, so these instructions are not
yet available to read. Can you outline the key points.

[snip]

If the carpet is extremely dirty, make a series of passes at right
angles to the first, but don't overlap them.


Why not?

5.4 Carbonated Water Cleaning.

Operated mainly as a franchise, the cleaning method is apparently to
inject fizzy water into the carpet and agitate with an absorbent cotton
pad, fitted to a floor-scrubbing machine. With 30 years in the trade, I
just can't see how this is supposed to work.


Does it work?

[snip]

To give an idea of the products available, Stain Devils offerings
include:


[snip]

I think this SD list should be summarised rather than copied in verbatim
from their site, unless you have Stain Devils permission.

Phil
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