02-11-2014, 07:52 AM
Hi Jeff,
Untwisting the fiber or "tip bloom" as it's commonly called is a concern with cut pile carpet using any form of rotary machine especially an OP. That includes a standard floor machine, orbital machine, Cimex machine, RX20/HOSS/Rotovac, (anything that turns in a circle). The Cimex won't do damage as quickly as other forms of rotaries due to the fact that they turn left and right simultaneously. The machine with the least potential for damage is a CRB machine like as our BrushEncap. However any form of agitation, even vacuuming of foot traffic can adversely affect cut pile carpet. I have even distorted cut pile gently rubbing the fiber by hand to remove a stain from the fiber. Sadly this is the nature of the beast.
Possible damage to the pile becomes even more of an issue when it's a cheap builder grade cut pile - which is likely the quality of something from the hardware store. In fact you mentioned that it is "polyester". Polyester has the WORST wear characteristics of any carpet fiber. So that adds another wrinkle - what type of fiber are we attempting to clean? For example, a type 6 nylon cut pile carpet will hold up to abrasion much better than polyester carpet.
You can lessen the affect of agitation by using a soft microfiber bonnet (not the MicroBeast). The Microbeast is a killer all around bonnet, but it also has scrub strips. Our standard soft microfiber bonnet is the gentlest bonnet that you can use. We specifically recommend our standard microfiber for gentle bonneting applications.
![[Image: micro-bonnet.jpg]](http://www.excellent-supply.com/images/micro-bonnet.jpg)
On a full size OP machine (not the little 12" Orbiter), you can also use a glide under the bonnet. The glide is designed to take some of the weight from the bonnet and lower the chance of distortion to the pile. And of course, start off with wet bonnets and pre-spray the carpet with an ample amount of detergent to keep it lubricated. Another thing to keep in mind, and this is very important, is to keep the machine moving. NEVER stand in one place with the machine running on the carpet. If you needed to spend more time on a particular spot it's best to do criss-cross patterns over the spot.
Like I said above, there's no way to completely eliminate tip bloom with a residential cut pile carpet. On the other hand, commercial carpets are generally more durable and can withstand careful use of machines might possibly damage a lesser residential carpet. Agitation is a significant part of the cleaning pie. The important consideration of us then is to try to use agitation with caution and minimize the potential for damage.
![[Image: cleaning-pie.jpg]](http://www.excellent-supply.com/images/cleaning-pie.jpg)
I hope this info helps to put this all in perspective. Perhaps others can add their observations too.
Untwisting the fiber or "tip bloom" as it's commonly called is a concern with cut pile carpet using any form of rotary machine especially an OP. That includes a standard floor machine, orbital machine, Cimex machine, RX20/HOSS/Rotovac, (anything that turns in a circle). The Cimex won't do damage as quickly as other forms of rotaries due to the fact that they turn left and right simultaneously. The machine with the least potential for damage is a CRB machine like as our BrushEncap. However any form of agitation, even vacuuming of foot traffic can adversely affect cut pile carpet. I have even distorted cut pile gently rubbing the fiber by hand to remove a stain from the fiber. Sadly this is the nature of the beast.
Possible damage to the pile becomes even more of an issue when it's a cheap builder grade cut pile - which is likely the quality of something from the hardware store. In fact you mentioned that it is "polyester". Polyester has the WORST wear characteristics of any carpet fiber. So that adds another wrinkle - what type of fiber are we attempting to clean? For example, a type 6 nylon cut pile carpet will hold up to abrasion much better than polyester carpet.
You can lessen the affect of agitation by using a soft microfiber bonnet (not the MicroBeast). The Microbeast is a killer all around bonnet, but it also has scrub strips. Our standard soft microfiber bonnet is the gentlest bonnet that you can use. We specifically recommend our standard microfiber for gentle bonneting applications.
On a full size OP machine (not the little 12" Orbiter), you can also use a glide under the bonnet. The glide is designed to take some of the weight from the bonnet and lower the chance of distortion to the pile. And of course, start off with wet bonnets and pre-spray the carpet with an ample amount of detergent to keep it lubricated. Another thing to keep in mind, and this is very important, is to keep the machine moving. NEVER stand in one place with the machine running on the carpet. If you needed to spend more time on a particular spot it's best to do criss-cross patterns over the spot.
Like I said above, there's no way to completely eliminate tip bloom with a residential cut pile carpet. On the other hand, commercial carpets are generally more durable and can withstand careful use of machines might possibly damage a lesser residential carpet. Agitation is a significant part of the cleaning pie. The important consideration of us then is to try to use agitation with caution and minimize the potential for damage.
I hope this info helps to put this all in perspective. Perhaps others can add their observations too.