Problems with different spots...

[Bernd]

Today i cleanend a looped commercial carpet with different spots, most of them were unknown. I started treating them with Encap spot. Some disapeared others were still there.

I tried to remove them by agitating with a handbrush and then using a white towel. but there was no soil or dirt transfer into the towel. They only got a bit lighter. I ask myself how to handle them?!

Should i try to use the spotting machine to flush them? If so what do you use? Only cold or hot tap water or are you using a special solution when flushing the spots?

I am really interested how you handle these kind of stubborn, unknown spots.

Thanks for sharing your advice and experience!

[marsonpee]

sounds like they may need a solvent based spotter. I use pro chems citrus gel to great effect on anything that doesn't come up with an encap based spotter. So things like tar,grease,makeup,ink etc respond well.

[encapman]

Need more info: Were they "spots" or were they "stains"? Spots can be removed, stains are a change of color to the fiber. What was the source of the spots/stains? Encap-Spot easily handles a wide variety of spots. However, some "specialty spots" or stains, may require "specialty" products for treating the stains. Though the overwhelming majority of spots will come out with a normal encap cleaning process alone. Without knowing exactly what you were dealing with it's a bit of a mystery - because normally Encap-Spot and and/or Encap cleaning will remove the lion's share of the spots you're likely to encounter.

[Bernd]

I love encap spot and normaly thats and the encap process is all i need to get many different spots out.

The problem is i don't know what kind of spot that was i could not get out. Was strange. Thats why i ask how to handle this situation and what i could do to treat the stubborn unknown spots.

[Bernd]

sounds like they may need a solvent based spotter. I use pro chems citrus gel to great effect on anything that doesn't come up with an encap based spotter. So things like tar,grease,makeup,ink etc respond well.

I have the Chemspec Liqua Gel. Could try it with this...but it has to be rinsed or i could use the Encap Spot.

[encapman]

Chemspec Liqua Gel bonds to the fiber and is hard to remove. I would not recommend that product at all. Prochem and Bridgepoint offer much better citrus gel products if you can get them.

[Bernd]

Chemspec Liqua Gel bonds to the fiber and is hard to remove. I would not recommend that product at all. Prochem and Bridgepoint offer much better citrus gel products if you can get them.

I can get some products of Prochem. Should give them a try if you mean that the Liqua Gel is hard to remove.

When do you advice to flush a spot or a really dirty area?

Till now everything went fine with Encap Spot and the Shampoo process when the carpet is not really dirty. But the last jobs on commercial carpet were strange...not the typical coffee or spill staines...

[encapman]

Citrus gel products are good for sticky stuff like adhesives, gum, and tar. They're also good for spots that require a solvent. Chemspec's Liqua Gel just happens to be a difficult one to work with.

The majority of spots can be treated with Encap-Spot. But nothing in the caret cleaning universe is an absolute. Never say never - always be prepared for the weird one. That's why it's good to have plenty of tools in the toolbox. Encap is a mighty big hammer, but sometimes HWE may be needed, or a specialty spotter could be useful. Encap can spoil us though, because it works so darn well just about 100% of the time that it seems weird if ever it doesn't knock the ball out of the park. And that is why it's good to keep your options open, because it's not "one size fits all" in this business.  

[Joel Hoppe]

Pros choice products are sold here so I would recommend you go to their website and research their spot removal guide that can also be accessed from a smart phone. Sounds like you need a stain removal class that helps cleaners to understand chemistry of carpet cleaning. I understand there may not be classes available in your area so I would also recommend your look for web-nar classes that CTI hosts on stain removal. They may have link on their website or check out pro cleaners network and watch for up coming tuesday night shows.

If you use gels or solvents or other products you must rinse some or you can encapsulate some so they do not attract soil when you are done. I prefer encap spotters and gels but you can rinse some products with water soaked pads and then dry pads if you have enough pads with you that are cotton --polymide blends. Some products can be neutralized with other products which is still needed even if you use a truckmount to try and flush some types of carpet.

The way to find what works on stain removal after understanding basic chemistry is to have products in your bag to test and try on spots and see what makes spots or stains move. Like rick said, you can not do much until you become a detective ----so you must involve your customer to find out what stains may be. That is the first step to being a better cleaner then others in your town.

http://procleanersnetwork.com/

[Bernd]

Pros choice products are sold here so I would recommend you go to their website and research their spot removal guide that can also be accessed from a smart phone. Sounds like you need a stain removal class that helps cleaners to understand chemistry of carpet cleaning. I understand there may not be classes available in your area so I would also recommend your look for web-nar classes that CTI hosts on stain removal. They may have link on their website or check out pro cleaners network and watch for up coming tuesday night shows.

If you use gels or solvents or other products you must rinse some or you can encapsulate some so they do not attract soil when you are done. I prefer encap spotters and gels but you can rinse some products with water soaked pads and then dry pads if you have enough pads with you that are cotton --polymide blends. Some products can be neutralized with other products which is still needed even if you use a truckmount to try and flush some types of carpet.

The way to find what works on stain removal after understanding basic chemistry is to have products in your bag to test and try on spots and see what makes spots or stains move. Like rick said, you can not do much until you become a detective ----so you must involve your customer to find out what stains may be. That is the first step to being a better cleaner then others in your town.

http://procleanersnetwork.com/

Thanks for your reply Joel. My problem here in germany is that i am on my own...

I did not find a class for spot or stain removal...we don't have anything like this!

I have to learn on my own...with YOUR experience...

I got some good contracts but want to learn more and how to handle different situations.

Joel, thanks for your reply and sharing your experience!!!
Maybe it is hard for you to understand but here is nothing like courses and so on... and i can only get a few of your used products....pro choice products are not availble for me!

[Joel Hoppe]

I have read your other posts and understand you have limited products available and they are expensive,
Maybe by checking out the online video chat rooms like procleaners network and other websites that sell products you can learn about some basic ingredients....look for the MSDS of products on their websites.

You could try and purchasing things like odorless mineral spirits from a paint store and nail polish remover from local store and rubbing alcohol and ammonia and peroxide and citrus solvent like goof off and test some of these as spotters and possibly apply some encap polymer after you use them on carpet , for testing on stains on some carpet samples that you put some stains on. Time consuming and expensive but a last resort to improve stain removal.

If I could not get the products we have here or the machines we have I would get into another business.

After you figure out what works you can sell your knowledge to the local carpet cleaners : )

[Bernd]

I have read your other posts and understand you have limited products available and they are expensive,
Maybe by checking out the online video chat rooms like procleaners network and other websites that sell products you can learn about some basic ingredients....look for the MSDS of products on their websites.

You could try and purchasing things like odorless mineral spirits from a paint store and nail polish remover from local store and rubbing alcohol and ammonia and peroxide and citrus solvent like goof off and test some of these as spotters and possibly apply some encap polymer after you use them on carpet , for testing on stains on some carpet samples that you put some stains on. Time consuming and expensive but a last resort to improve stain removal.

If I could not get the products we have here or the machines we have I would get into another business.

After you figure out what works you can sell your knowledge to the local carpet cleaners : )

Thanks for your long reply. Yes it is strange beeing in a business with limited posibilities, but i hope and think to learn more and more each job.

My target is getting a better cleaner than the others in town with a different method now one uses here. Today i watched the "Pro's choice Stain Class" on youtube- very good and helpful informations!

I have some carpet samples at home and try every week to remove different spots with different solutions.

We have a good potenzial of commercial and residential customers- almost more potenzial of commercial customers and they are my future target.

The competition is not as high as in the Staates.

For me carpet cleaning is fun and making money. I like to learn and handle new situations and spots and love to satisfied my customers.
Many think if the carpet is cleaned it would be resoiled very soon and they wonder when it does not happen.

Again, thanks for your time you spend to reply my post!