Treating Oil, Tar, and Grease Spots [Photo Contest]

December 19, 2022—Cleanfax Staff

The photo winner for this issue is Jonathan Strong of Procare Cleaning in Lincoln, Nebraska for his successful treatment of oil, tar, and grease spots on a commercial carpet. His company will receive a Visa gift card worth $250.

I use the product Matrix Miracle combined with Biobreak. They are high pH. I pretreat with a 30-volume clear oxidizer for anything organic, such as pet issues or water damage. I let it dwell for 5-10 minutes before spraying with Matrix Miracle and Biobreak. I mechanically agitate with an Oreck Orbiter. This allows for a dwell time of 15-25 minutes before I steam clean the area. The rinse I use is either Fab Set or Flex Ice. The Fab Set is great because it also helps clean your solution lines out from any residue buildup.

These photos of a hallway are from a commercial job. I used a Cimex machine on the carpet with a great encapsulation product called Releaseit. I treated all of the oil, tar, or grease spots with a volatile dry solvent. Running over the carpet with the Cimex will eventually get them looking great, in most cases.

If you have a cleaning or restoration “hack” or photo contest entry to share with Cleanfax, send it to Jeff Cross, media director, at [email protected].

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The global flooring and carpet sales are expected to grow at a healthy CAGR of over 5% through 2031, despite a period of muted growth in 2020, according to a latest study by ESOMAR-certified market research firm. This means an increase in carpet and floor cleaning projects is sure to follow.