Carpet Care Terms

 

Shampoo‑Carpet

Emulsions of detergent and solvents specially formulated to clean carpet with the use of a single disk machine fitted with a shower‑feed brush and a shampoo tank. Frequently mix‑used term that refers to any carpet cleaning product.

 

Shampoo‑Dry     

Aerated or frothed cleaning solution used in carpet shampooing machines. Foam lather is brushed into carpet and removed with a vacuum

 

Shampoo-EXTRACTION           

Cleaning solution that is used in the solution tanks of carpet extractors and "steam machines."

 

Soil Retardant

Various types of products that are applied to carpet to resist soiling and staining.

 

Spotter     

A wide variety of products designed to remove spots, spills and stain:`

from carpet.

 

Traffic Lane      

Fast acting solution designed to begin breaking down heavy ant

 

Pre-spotter

Embedded soils prior to performing other cleaning procedures such as extracting, bonnet cleaning or dry compound cleaning.

         

Anti‑static spray

A detergent type product designed to temporarily reduce static electricity from 1st and 2nd generation nylon carpets. This is unnecessary on 5th generation nylon pile yarn.

           

Brownout

A liquid product that eliminates cellulosic browning from the tips of car­pet. Brown appearance is caused by an accumulation of lignin which has wicked up from the wet cellulosic backing usually following a wet carpet cleaning procedure.

 

Candle Wax and  Chewing Gum Remover

An aerosol propellant freezes gum and wax hard enough to be chipped out of the carpet without damage to the fiber.

           

Carpet Deodorizer

Products manufactured to mask or eliminate odors that may be held in carpet fibers. May be applied directly to the carpet odor area or added to the solution in a wet cleaning process.

 

Carpet Sanitizer and Cleaner

EPA approved cationic product that reduces harmful germ and bacteria levels in carpet to safe levels. The products may be used in extraction and bonnet cleaning and they clean and sanitize at the same time.

           

Defoamer

Product used in connection with foaming cleaning solutions which reduce the suds in the recovery tanks of carpet cleaning equipment.  They are used in the recovery tank not the solution tank.

           

Dry Compound Cleaner

Product used in carpet cleaning procedure that utilizes an agitating machine with a scrub brush or counter rotating brushes. Shampoo‑Bonnet Cleaning solution used in connection with a single disk floor machine

and a carpet bonnet or spin pad.

 

Carpet Protectors

Carpet protectors can offer real tangible benefits in a carpet cleaning program. Carpet protectors significantly reduce the amount of various types of soil accumulating on the carpet fibers. If a carpet is soiled it is necessary to clean it thoroughly with an extraction process before applying a carpet protector.

There are three major types of carpet protectors available. The three types include silica based, silicone based and fluoro‑chemical based protectors. Each protector has a distinct benefit.

 

Silica bases protectors:

These were the first types of carpet protectors developed prior to 1950. They provide good resistance to dry soil and they are water soluble and simple to apply. They dry at room temperature. They do not repel oil or water and are a temporary treatment.

 

Silicone based protectors:

In the late 1960's and early 1970's silicone based carpet protectors appeared on the market. They resist water based soils and are durable and water soluble. They are easy to apply. They do not offer high resistance to dry soil and none to oil‑based soils.

 

Fluoro‑chemical based protectors:

First appeared in the 1 970's as mill‑applied treatments for carpet. A few years later the fluoro-chemical protectors were offered for use as applications for already installed carpet. fluoro-chemical treatments are resistant to the major types of combinations of soils. They may trap pre‑existing conditions into carpets if they are applied carelessly. They are applied during, the manufacturing process to 5th generation nylon pile carpets.