Whether you hire a service to clean your carpet or you do it yourself, be sure the carpet is preconditioned first. What does this mean? In short, thorough vacuuming to remove loose soil followed by pre-treating or spraying the surface to help dissolve sticky soils.

 

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Why Vacuum First?

 

According to a CRI report compiled by Gary Asbury, Professional Testing Laboratory, and Jeff Bishop, Clean Care Seminars:

 

"Industry surveys conducted by the DuPont Company and others [show] ... 74-79% of carpet soil is particulate, or protein and cellulosic fiber. These soils not only have the potential to be removed with dry vacuuming, but if not so removed, when wetted during chemical application or in the course of being flushed from pile yarns, they increase in weight and become more difficult to remove."

 

Why Pre-Treat?

 

Basically, it's just as important to pre-treat carpet before cleaning as it is to pre-treat your laundry to remove stubborn soils. Typically, carpet pre-treatments are mild detergents sprayed onto the surface before cleaning to loosen soil. The pre-treatment is worked into the fibers using a brush or carpet rake, then allowed to set or dwell for a few minutes prior to using a carpet cleaning machine to flush and extract soils. 

 

The CRI report continues:

 

"When preconditioner is applied to carpet before attempting soil removal using industry-accepted hot water extraction (HWE) cleaning techniques, analysis of comparative soil removal [showed an average increase] of 16.3% over hot water with detergent flushing alone."

 

"Overall, cleaning with chemicals used exclusively in the solution tanks of hot water extraction units produced soil removal only slightly better than flushing with plain water; whereas, chemicals pre-applied in the preconditioning process, followed by hot water rinsing, cleaned significantly better than chemicals applied through in-tank solutions in the course of HWE."

 

The moral? Be sure to condition the carpet before cleaning. For vacuum cleaners and cleaning products that perform well, consult the CRI Green Label Seal of Approval Program. To find a professional cleaning service committed to following correct carpet care principles, consult the CRI Seal of Approval Service Provider Program.

 

About The Carpet and Rug Institute

The Carpet and Rug Institute, headquartered in Dalton, Georgia, is the national trade association for the carpet and rug industry. Its members are manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers, representing over 90% of all carpet produced in the United States. CRI is the source for science-based information and insight into how carpet and rugs can create a better environment — for living, working, learning and healing. For more information, visit the CRI Blog.