Browning In Traffic Areas Need Advice, Encapsulating

[theaveragecarpetcleaner]

So I’m having issues with browning in the traffic areas of a couple of my commercial accounts with glue down tiles. They are brown before I clean, and they still look like this in the picture shown even AFTER encapsulating! I’m using a Cimex with the black pads, and I’ve tried both Grease Hawg and Releasit DS2. In the past I used to have issues with overwetting the carpet but I’ve learned to cut back, that may or may not be part of the issue I don’t know. I don’t extract typically and only encapsulate. I always prevac before I clean. Any suggestions or ideally some personal experience with this and how to correct? I’ve tried to add white distilled vinegar to my solution to try an “acid wash” in hopes of neutralizing the ph but it created these little white mushy balls that clogged up my filter in the water tank....don’t try that it’s a bad idea I realized. ‍Also, I’m not sure why it’s only in the traffic areas?? I used to prespray the Releaseit Punch in the traffic areas to try and get the traffic areas extra clean and would clean with DS2...I wonder if that’s why the browning is only in the traffic areas of if it’s from an entirely other issue. Ideas??

 

[OldCarpetVet]

From this one picture it looks a lot more like filth in/on the carpet than browning.
Question.... are you using any bonnets to actually pick up the soil, or are you just spinning encap juice round and round? If the latter then there is your problem. You have to get that soil up and out of the carpet. Encapsulation is great, but it can only do so much by itself.

What type of a commercial account is it...Restuarant, office, retail? What does the outside coming into the building look like....fresh sealed black top, concrete, dirt road? All this matters on defining the soil that you're trying to remove.

Again, I can only go by the one picture that you posted and it just doesn't look like any browning Ive ever seen and I've been doing this for a long time.

Now, if my eyes have failed me and it is browning than you are going to need to use a Brown Out and bonnets, or hwe to remove it from the carpet. Matrix Target is one of the best tannin removers I've ever used. Get some.

Looking forward to your answers so we can help you.

 

[Swani21]

My limited experience tells me this is more then likely wicking if it's synthetic fiber. If you aren't going to HWE, I would suggest you vacuum till you're blue in the face and use a product from Bridgepoint called Encapuclean O2 and bonnet clean it. I've used Encapuclean O2 several times to correct wick backs. @Scott W can probably shed some light on this product and situation. He turned me onto it and it's saved me many times.

 

[OldCarpetVet]

My limited experience tells me this is more then likely wicking if it's synthetic fiber. If you aren't going to HWE, I would suggest you vacuum till you're blue in the face and use a product from Bridgepoint called Encapuclean O2 and bonnet clean it. I've used Encapuclean O2 several times to correct wick backs. @Scott W can probably shed some light on this product and situation. He turned me onto it and it's saved me many times.

Not looking for glory by any means, but I could have sworn that I already shredded some light on his situation. To me its plain as day. Its filthy. And all the vacuuming in the world isnt going to remove it regardless of the shade of blue. Just sayin'.

 

[OldCarpetVet]

Also....if all one uses is a Cimex and pads and that's it....That's top down cleaning. What you want using a low moisture method is bottom UP cleaning. Big difference.

 

[BonnetPro]

Cimex with black pads? they are for stripping floors not for carpet. To aggressive especially under the weight of the Cimex.
You need to flush this or use bonnets and peroxide like found in Rocket should help.

Do you know how old this carpet is?

 

[Scott W]

As is often the case, there are probably multiple issues. From the single photo and my experience, this is what I expect is happening.

• Traffic areas get more wear. The fibers themselves become scratched and abraded. When damp, the water fills in these abrasions and it looks OK. As the carpet dries, the scratches become noticeable. Wear is not correctable by cleaning.
• The carpet is matting and getting flattened down. This will also create a different appearance in the traffic lanes. A CRB like the Brush Pro or a pile lifter can help, but will not totally correct this. Rotary machines like a Cimex or 175 will tend to flatten the tufts even more.
• There is a lot of dry soil present. This is not all being removed by vacuuming. Multiple passes with a good vacuum will help. But, a gradual accumulation of soil for months or years doesn't all come out in one pass. In addition, the matted tufts lay over the top of the soil and hold it in place. This may be called "impacted soil" or soil trapped by macro-occlusion. The soil must be removed somehow. More vacuuming will help but unlikely to get it all.
• When using encapsulation or other low moisture systems, it is still necessary to empty the filter or flush the carpet thoroughly once in a while. I suggest a thorough HWE cleaning before encap program is started and then about once a year or 18 months depending upon the traffic level and how well they use walk-off mats to reduce soil being tracked in.
• Encap with a quality encapsulation product that includes hydrogen peroxide (O2). The Release-it is a good product. Our Bridgepoint Encapuclean O2 is also an excellent product. I have not used John's product, but I bet it would work well also.
• Use a system that helps remove some of the soil. Absorbent bonnets can help remove soil. Ideally a Cimex, or OP machine with a bonnet as a first pass to loosen and remove soil. Then another encapsulation pass with Brush Pro to stand-up the pile.

 

[OHIOQUICKDRYLLC]

Looking at the carpet closely, not just the brown areas, the carpet looks fuzzy, almost like it has been tip bloomed! But I agree with everyone here that has said to use a peroxide type product on it. Rocket is great as well as another product not so well known called Hydroxipro. Flush it well using either HWE or high flow rinse. Then lightly and softly using a thick cotton bonnet, I'm old school and think the 175 works better than anything! I have every machine mentioned here, but go slow with the thick pad and the 175 using Rocket first because you probably have not heard of the other product mentioned! Just my opinion!