It’s Just Carpet
It’s just carpet! How many times have you heard that statement? “It’s just carpet. Why do I have to vacuum it so much?” “It’s just carpet. Why does it need to be cleaned so often?”
While we would like to think it just has to lie on the floor and look pretty, carpet needs proper care to maintain the indoor environment and get the longest, best-looking life out of it.
A history in carpet cleaning
I have been in this industry since 1977. I have seen a lot of things happen in this industry throughout the years. Back in the day, a lot of what you might call “bathtub chemistry” and machines were built to take on huge cleaning jobs. I had one where we could operate two cleaning wands off one machine. My brother Chuck and I were in Atlanta in 1987 at what was called “The Market” for the flooring industry. That year, three stain-resistant nylon fibers were introduced, such as Anso V Worry-Free and Monsanto Locked-In Stain Blocker. And do you remember that DuPont Certified STAINMASTER commercial of the toddler throwing his airplane plate full of food on the rug?
Immediately after the introduction of these advanced nylon fibers, carpet cleaning detergent formulators had to reformulate their detergents to have a pH of 10 or less. A scramble ensued for all those companies who cleaned residential carpet. It did not affect my cleaning company that much, because over 80% of carpet we cleaned was multi-family housing and commercial.
On day one of the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification’s (IICRC) Carpet Cleaning Technician (CCT) classes I teach, I tell my students that I can teach them how to clean carpet in just a few hours. Yet, the reasons why we clean carpet the way we do, takes a bit longer. On day two of the class, I start by asking students if they think any lessons they learned on day one will make their jobs easier. More often than not, students reply, “I had no idea there was this much to know about carpet!” Because “It’s just carpet!”
Also, the class is taught according to the ANSI/IICRC S100 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Cleaning of Textile Floor Coverings. Did you know such a document existed? The very first carpet cleaning standard was published on Nov. 1, 1991.
This came about after what some may say was a condescending challenge to “rug-suckers and shampoo slingers.” It came from the carpet manufacturers through their spokespeople of the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) at an event where the IICUC (the predecessor of the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC)) board of directors and other “who’s who” of the carpet cleaning industry were gathered in St. Pete Beach, Florida, for a board of directors meeting. The challenge came across, in my opinion, as more of a threat when the CRI said, in essence, “You folks come up with a standard on how carpet should be cleaned, or we will.”
Within one year, the standard was published, and updates to that standard have been made throughout the years—with the 7th edition published in 2021. I could cover a lot more history, such as the CRI Seal of Approval program that started testing the efficacy of detergents, equipment, and cleaning methods, but that is another article in and of itself. The bottom line is professional carpet cleaning can be rocket science, even though “it’s just carpet.”
The carpet cleaning technician’s manual
The manual I use contains 14 chapters, not considering all the subchapters and sections, which include:
- The Fiber Basics
- Characteristics of Fiber Types
- Fiber Identification
- Fiber/Carpet Dyeing
- Identifying Dye or Color Problems
- Carpet Construction
- Carpet Soiling
- Cleaning: Practical Application
- pH Specifications
- Principles of Cleaning
- Cleaning Methods
- Deodorizing Techniques
- Potential Problems and Challenges
- Advanced Spot and Stain Removal
Who would have thought there was this much to learn about carpet, let alone cleaning it, because, of course, “it’s just carpet.”
I will now give you the two-day IICRC Carpet Cleaning Technician (CCT) class highlights.
The fiber basics
The class starts with fiber basics. Even though we talk a bit about wool, because it’s out there, three primary synthetic fibers (nylon, polyester, and polypropylene) are used in the manufacturing of carpet. Each of these fibers has unique characteristics regarding how they take dye, perform, accept/resist stains, and how easily they will clean. Knowing these help technicians properly clean carpet. I also teach how to perform a burn test to confirm the fiber type.
Then, we start talking about dirt and why cleaners are essential to the health and safety of occupants in homes and businesses. Properly maintained carpet is good for the environment and makes homes and businesses healthier places to live and work.
The chemistry of cleaning
We talk about the chemicals we use to clean carpet. Within the chemistry of cleaning section, we talk about solutions, emulsions, suspension, surfactants, and pH.
A good chemical can help you reduce the time and effort it takes to clean. Each fiber can use a different chemistry to get the best results. Following the C.H.A.T. (chemical, heat, agitation, and time) principles of soil suspension will guide you further.
Soil removal step
The phrase, “cleaning doesn’t happen until the dirt goes someplace else,” comes into play now. With the shampoo method, the suspended soil is removed by wet vacuuming and subsequent vacuuming. With the bonnet cleaning method, the soil is absorbed into the bonnet. During the absorbent compound method, the soil is absorbed into the compound. In the water rinse (hot water) extraction method, the soil is rinsed off the carpet using the cleaning wand or large commercial walk-behind machines.
Spot, stain, wicking, and discoloration
The class teaches cleaners the difference between a spot, stain, discoloration, and wicking.
- Spot: Substance added to the carpet (beverage, a plate of food, tar, paint, etc.)
- Stain: Color added to the carpet (coffee, sports drinks, wine, etc.)
- Discoloration: Color removed from the carpet (bleach, benzoyl peroxide, etc.)
- Wicking: This occurs as the carpet dries, and unremoved substances wick up the fibers to reappear.
Groom and dry
Once the carpet has been cleaned, it may need to be groomed or brushed to lift and set the pile, so it looks its best and dries well. Tabs and blocks are used to protect furniture from moisture and the carpet from stains.
Bottom line
As you can see from this brief overview, owning and caring for carpet requires a lot. Carpet is an investment like any other large purchase. Even though “it’s just carpet,” maintaining it properly will help you keep the indoor environment healthier and get the longest, best-looking life out of it.