Fabric Protectants

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Fabric Protectants

Carpet and Fabric Protector Notice

Unfortunately there is probably as much confusion in the carpet cleaning industry about carpet protectors as there is about cleaning. Uneducated, uninformed, and sometimes downright unscrupulous carpet cleaners cause a great deal of confusion by giving out false information or intentionally misrepresenting the product.

A nylon stain-resist carpet is made with two protective properties: The first is an acid dye blocker that is basically a clear dye that fills the extra dye sites in a fiber. This helps to keep “foreign” dyes (such as red dye in a beverage) from penetrating the carpet fiber. The second property is called a “fluorochemical.” It is commonly known as 3M Scotchgard ® or DuPont Teflon ®. This treatment helps keep spillage from actually getting to the acid dye blocker, but its biggest job is to resist dry soil.By resisting dry soil, less soil bonds to the carpet and can be picked up by your vacuum or cleaning.

Once it bonds to the carpet, soil acts like sandpaper on your traffic area. Once the traffic area yarns are broken down, there is no way to bring them back to their original state. Making sure that you have a sufficient amount of protector on your carpet will help keep the soil from bonding to the carpet and prevent carpet wear

Two primary ways that factory applied fabric protector is removed from a carpet…

1. Regular foot traffic. Over a period of 6 months to 2 years depending on the traffic, a significant amount of protector can be removed from your traffic areas and needs to be reapplied.

2. High alkaline cleaner. Many cleaners use harsh chemicals on the carpet that will strip it’s factory protection. If you have had your carpet cleaned in the past, there is a good chance the cleaner removed a significant amount of protector and it needs to be reapplied.

Four Mistakes Other Cleaners Make In Applying Protector...

1. Not using high quality protector. Discount protectors are not as effective and sometimes void the warranty of the carpet. Our Company uses only DuPont Teflon, the most highly recommended fabric protector available.

2. Not using a dedicated container. Using the same container for carpet protector as other cleaners can contaminate the carpet protector making it gummy and ineffective. Our vans have a dedicated container reserved ONLY for carpet protector.

3. Not applying the product properly. Some cleaners either under apply or over apply the protector. Under applying it doesn’t allow for complete penetration on the carpet yarns. Over applying it causes the carpet to become overly stiff and crusty. Our Company technicians are diligently trained for proper application.

4. Not grooming the carpet. For the best performance, the product should be groomed into the carpet for maximum penetration. This ensures contact with all surfaces of the carpet yarn and proper distribution and drying. Our Company thoroughly grooms the protector into the carpet pile.

5 Reasons You Should Always Get Carpet Protector...

1. DuPont Teflon buys you "reaction time!" A great looking carpet can be ruined by an ugly spot. Unprotected carpet doesn’t repel spillage as well as protected carpet. Being able to remove spots and spills more effectively allows you to avoid permanent staining.

2. Save your traffic areas from becoming destroyed. Soil is very abrasive and cuts carpet yarns like a knife. This damaging soil can easily bond to an unprotected carpet. By applying protector, soil is prevented from bonding to the carpet pile, making it easier to vacuum and avoiding damage to the fibers.

3. Make spots easier to remove. The easier a spot is to remove, the less cleaner you will have to use. The agitation you will have to use, and the less time it will take. Many spots can be removed easily with just water.

4. Make your next professional cleaning more effective. Having protector applied to your carpet will enhance your next cleaning. More soil will be removed the next time your carpeting is professionally cleaned.

5. Helps avoid costly service calls. Although you want to call us out to handle any spot you cannot remove immediately, carpet protector helps you remove more spots than you could without protector. You may be able to save a minimum charge by removing the spot yourself.