Releasit DS on Wool

[AusCapper]

G'day

Just received my very first bottle of Releasit DS, notice it says on the label suitable for all synthetics & MOST Wools.

Any suggestions on which wools it would NOT be suitable for?

Much appreciated

[Rob D]

The ones that bleed! As with any cleaner always test a very small area and wipe with a white towel and look for color transfer...I have cleaned for 12 years and only ever had 2 rugs react to cleaning solutions. I have never had a problem with excellent supply products and bleeding....

[encapman]

Rob nailed it. The concern would be for colorfastness. Encap-Clean DS2 is very compatible with wool.

[AusCapper]

Thanks guys!

[Jamie]

The information below does in no way relate directly to Releasit Products, the reason being is that I have never used Releasit on wool. But it would be very interesting to hear your thoughts and experience Rick on the info below.

Being safe for wool is a lot more than RTU ph levels. In Australia 1 out of every 5 carpets we clean would be wool. I have listened to some very experienced and learned people on our Aussie forum and in fact there is a debate at the moment about your favourite pre spray and effects on wool.

One of the biggest concerns I have learnt about is the residual pH levels. What a products RTU pH is and what it can be when it dries and the diluting moisture is taken out of the equation can be a very different story. And then if moisture, be it high humidity or damp can reactivate the chemical in a much stronger pH state. This can cause permanent damage in the form of wool burn which is permanent damage. The list of other potential issues can be a long list but this is one I mention above.

Very interested in Rick's and anyone else's thoughts or experiences with Releasit & wool.

Cheers

Jamie

[encapman]

The pH of Encap-HydrOx in its undiluted concentration is 3.5

The pH of Encap-Clean DS2 in its undiluted concentration is 8.6

Even in full concentration, those numbers are not outside the range for wool. Granted, they're on the edge of what's deemed acceptable (see this article for more info on pH and wool http://www.carpetinspector.com/WoolSafeStudy.pdf). Keep in mind though that when the products are diluted, they will naturally slide closer to a neutral pH bringing them well into the safe range for wool.

We have had MANY cleaners using these two products safely on wool. Although we haven't yet ponied up the dough to put them through the fairly costly Woolsafe testing and certification process, they are being used successfully to clean wool.

[Rob D]

I believe that the chemical reactivating with moisture is most likely more of a concern with a nonencapsulation cleaner

[Shorty]

I would also agree with Rod here.

As the encap; products dries, it crystallizes into minute fragments which are then vacuumed away when dry.

This is the "rinse" phase of the encapsulation process.





Other solutions are MEANT to be rinse/extracted and vacuumed out prior to drying.

Operator error, fatigue, lack of training, couldn't care less attitude by some employees, under-performing equipment are other factors that can affect the residual make-up, are also to be considered when discussing pH levels after cleaning.