Carpet/Upholstery

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Joseph Rogers

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I'm a floor guy looking at adding detailing as a service. Saw a video where he sprayed some really foamy stuff onto a floormat, worked it in with a brush, and then wiped with a twisting motion using a MF towel.

Is this a normal, accepted method of cleaning it? Can someone talk to me about the chemistry of the standard interior carpet cleaner for vehicles?

In carpet cleaning, there's this big fuss about "shampooing" which is where you use lots of foam to bring the dirt to the surface. It's not considered to be as good as Hot Water Extraction (HWE), where you spray and extract with water. There's also a method called encapsulation, where you spray something down, scrub it until a light foam appears, and this cleaning agent is formulated to break soil loose. It has a crystallizing agent that will form a barrier around the soiling as it dries, keeping it from re-attaching to the carpet fiber, and the next time it's vacuumed, voila! This method can be boosted by scrubbing with various types of fiber pads to "pick up" dirt with the pad.

The video I saw is most similar to the last technique I listed, called "padcapping", but I much prefer HWE for cleaning. The result I get can be pretty impressive. Wondering if this can be applied to vehicles profitably, if it's a normal practice in the industry, etc...
 
Detailers aren't really as technical as carpet cleaners when it comes to interior and specifically carpet and upholstery. I think that technique you mentioned (spray some cleaner, scrub, wipe) is standard practice for a lot of "detailers" without an extractor. I remember first learning about shampooing car carpet at the BMW dealership. We used a mixture of high alkaline degreaser and foaming cans of carpet shampoo. We sprayed, scrubbed, barely vacuumed, wiped and made brush lines!

Is that the "right" way to do it? Ehh, not really. You could do it that way correctly if you can get all of that cleaner out of the fibers, but a lot of "detailers" learn the easy way and rarely improve on technique.

But yes, professional detailers do have extractors, and those that use them correctly have a better advantage than detailers that don't
 
I have legally owned my detailing business since last fall now, but detailing for my own customers for years. I am swamped with business ness this spring. My father owns a carpet cleaning business. I use encap for the lighter dirt and maintenance details. It is great since it dries so fast, and depending on what brand of encap you use you can have amazing results. When there is heavy soiling nothing can replace HWE.

I encap to loosen dirt, and follow with HWE on heavy soil. I have great results and so does my father's carpet business. In western PA, the dirt in carpets is ridiculous. Trying to blot heavy dirt up with towels will never get the job done. I also own a steamer. It is the best tool for certain stains but trying to clean heavy soil with it will only leave you rubbing a dirty towel back and forth spreading dirt.
I know in the carpet industry there is big arguments of encap vs HWE. I know from years of carpet cleaning that neither is better than the other. Each have their place and as a team working together they can't be beat.
I do not see many talk about encap here but It can be a huge time saver. HWE can definitely be profitable. When i tell my customers i extract the dirt instead of just shampooing it, i think it is a huge bonus. And either method i use the dirt does get extracted, if encaapping it gets dry extracted with my vac, and with HWE of course the hot water.

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MDX Detailing said:
I have legally owned my detailing business since last fall now, but detailing for my own customers for years. I am swamped with business ness this spring. My father owns a carpet cleaning business. I use encap for the lighter dirt and maintenance details. It is great since it dries so fast, and depending on what brand of encap you use you can have amazing results. When there is heavy soiling nothing can replace HWE.

I encap to loosen dirt, and follow with HWE on heavy soil. I have great results and so does my father's carpet business. In western PA, the dirt in carpets is ridiculous. Trying to blot heavy dirt up with towels will never get the job done. I also own a steamer. It is the best tool for certain stains but trying to clean heavy soil with it will only leave you rubbing a dirty towel back and forth spreading dirt.
I know in the carpet industry there is big arguments of encap vs HWE. I know from years of carpet cleaning that neither is better than the other. Each have their place and as a team working together they can't be beat.
I do not see many talk about encap here but It can be a huge time saver. HWE can definitely be profitable. When i tell my customers i extract the dirt instead of just shampooing it, i think it is a huge bonus. And either method i use the dirt does get extracted, if encaapping it gets dry extracted with my vac, and with HWE of course the hot water.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I847 using AG Online
Click to expand...

Nice. Yeah, I've used HWE and I've used encap. They both have situations they work, and work well in. I tend to prefer to use HWE because I can blitz a freaking carpet and not feel bad about charging what I do that way. Nice to meet you, and thanks to both of you for the input.
 
MDX Detailing said:
I have legally owned my detailing business since last fall now, but detailing for my own customers for years. I am swamped with business ness this spring. My father owns a carpet cleaning business. I use encap for the lighter dirt and maintenance details. It is great since it dries so fast, and depending on what brand of encap you use you can have amazing results. When there is heavy soiling nothing can replace HWE.

I encap to loosen dirt, and follow with HWE on heavy soil. I have great results and so does my father's carpet business. In western PA, the dirt in carpets is ridiculous. Trying to blot heavy dirt up with towels will never get the job done. I also own a steamer. It is the best tool for certain stains but trying to clean heavy soil with it will only leave you rubbing a dirty towel back and forth spreading dirt.
I know in the carpet industry there is big arguments of encap vs HWE. I know from years of carpet cleaning that neither is better than the other. Each have their place and as a team working together they can't be beat.
I do not see many talk about encap here but It can be a huge time saver. HWE can definitely be profitable. When i tell my customers i extract the dirt instead of just shampooing it, i think it is a huge bonus. And either method i use the dirt does get extracted, if encaapping it gets dry extracted with my vac, and with HWE of course the hot water.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I847 using AG Online
Click to expand...

Please educate me on encap & HWE. Filthy carpets/upholstery seem to be my kryptonite
 
Encapsulation cleaners are detergent polymers that emulsify soil and suspends it away from the fibers of carpet /fabric. The polymers encapsulate or kind of create a shield around the soil and fiber so dirt cannot reattach itself to the fiber. For lighter to moderate soiling you just let it dry and vacuum out the dirt that has been encapsulated, leaving behind clean carpet. Heavy dirt you should extract or absorb before it dries. The fibers that have been encapsulated now have a protective shield also that reduces the frequency of wet cleaning. Dirt vacuums out easier.

The major benefits are greater dirt emulsifying, very low moisture, no wicking back of stains (when the carpet looks great when done, but spots return in a day or 2), restores plush feel to the carpet pyle, very very cost effective- a gallon lasts me on average 30 vehicles. Great for mobile jobs since you only need an extractor for major dirt.



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MDX Detailing said:
Encapsulation cleaners are detergent polymers that emulsify soil and suspends it away from the fibers of carpet /fabric. The polymers encapsulate or kind of create a shield around the soil and fiber so dirt cannot reattach itself to the fiber. For lighter to moderate soiling you just let it dry and vacuum out the dirt that has been encapsulated, leaving behind clean carpet. Heavy dirt you should extract or absorb before it dries. The fibers that have been encapsulated now have a protective shield also that reduces the frequency of wet cleaning. Dirt vacuums out easier.

The major benefits are greater dirt emulsifying, very low moisture, no wicking back of stains (when the carpet looks great when done, but spots return in a day or 2), restores plush feel to the carpet pyle, very very cost effective- a gallon lasts me on average 30 vehicles. Great for mobile jobs since you only need an extractor for major dirt.



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Click to expand...

Can I get this local or something that needs to be ordered online?

Thanks for the explanation. Sounds like a product I need if I am going to continue accepting filthy interior jobs

:props:
 
For mdx detailing!

Where can I incorporate encap cleaning in my process?

Light vacuum loose soil
Dry brush carpet and upholstery
Air purge crevices, under seats and carpet/upholstery to loosen most dry soil
Thorough vacuum
Spray all spots and stains with folex and alkaline cleaner
Agitate spots and stains
Spray carpet and upholstery shampoo
Agitate entire carpet and upholstery with brush
Wipe with towels
Vacuum thoroughly
Wipe again
Spray water and vacuum if necessary

Do you think I can replace the carpet shampoo step if the soiling isn't that heavy? Or would the process look more like this:
Quick vacuum
Encap
Vacuum
Spray spot cleaners if necessary
Agitate, wipe and vac
 
Is there anything that does a great job on road salt? I have black carpet and just below the gas pedal there is an area that the floor mat does not reach where the road salt almost piles up. I've tried carpet cleaner and even vinegar. The area looks gray after all my work. Any ideas would be appreciated.
 
this "encap" stuff makes me think of rinseless/waterless washes (ONR)
 
dmayer said:
Is there anything that does a great job on road salt? I have black carpet and just below the gas pedal there is an area that the floor mat does not reach where the road salt almost piles up. I've tried carpet cleaner and even vinegar. The area looks gray after all my work. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

I'm sure there is a lot better technique but this worked for me after my bissell wouldn't take care of it. I just pressure washed them and let them dry outside while I did the exterior. And they came out looking ten times better.
 
With encap, the more soil you can get out with your vacuum the better it will work. Here's my basic steps -

Vacuum.
Agitate thoroughly, i use my PC 7424 and aqua brush.
Spray your encap solution.
Lightly agitate with hand brush to ensure encap is on all fibers.

Scrub carpet, Again i use my PC 7424 on speed 6, i scrub the carpet just like i am working a polish on the paint, slow hand movement and make at least 2 passes. More for heavier dirt.

Here you can stop and forget about it, let the encap work it's magic as it dries.

For medium soiling I blot with towel or steam with a triangle thing and towel. Either way, when the towel gets dirty, get a new one! Don't spread the dirt around!

For heavy soil I extract with hot water next.

After either steam or extract i mist encap again just to ensure there is encap solution at the correct dilution on the fibers.

When carpet dries, vacuum it a final time.

I use Bonnet Pro brand encap. VacAway is another good one.
So is Releasit.

Bonnet Pros "revive it" line is amazing. "Confidence" is my go to. The "revive it spotter" is the best I've ever used for spot treatment, period.

Today i had a blood stain my customer tried everything on to remove it. I sprayed the spotter on it and just watched it disappear. I didn't have to even touch it. It does the same for coffee and other organic spots.

The best thing about all of it is the dilution ratios make it very cheap per 32 oz trigger bottle.

I usually use less than 20 oz mixed solution per car.

For heavy salt i extract or steam.


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I847 using AG Online
 
Joseph Rogers said:
I'm a floor guy looking at adding detailing as a service. Saw a video where he sprayed some really foamy stuff onto a floormat, worked it in with a brush, and then wiped with a twisting motion using a MF towel.

Is this a normal, accepted method of cleaning it?
Click to expand...

Sounds like an amature at work with some big box store foaming carpet cleaner.

If it's your own car then you can do what you like, I don't think most professionals would use that method.
 
MDX Detailing said:
With encap, the more soil you can get out with your vacuum the better it will work. Here's my basic steps -

Vacuum.
Agitate thoroughly, i use my PC 7424 and aqua brush.
Spray your encap solution.
Lightly agitate with hand brush to ensure encap is on all fibers.

Scrub carpet, Again i use my PC 7424 on speed 6, i scrub the carpet just like i am working a polish on the paint, slow hand movement and make at least 2 passes. More for heavier dirt.

Here you can stop and forget about it, let the encap work it's magic as it dries.

For medium soiling I blot with towel or steam with a triangle thing and towel. Either way, when the towel gets dirty, get a new one! Don't spread the dirt around!

For heavy soil I extract with hot water next.

After either steam or extract i mist encap again just to ensure there is encap solution at the correct dilution on the fibers.

When carpet dries, vacuum it a final time.

I use Bonnet Pro brand encap. VacAway is another good one.
So is Releasit.

Bonnet Pros "revive it" line is amazing. "Confidence" is my go to. The "revive it spotter" is the best I've ever used for spot treatment, period.

Today i had a blood stain my customer tried everything on to remove it. I sprayed the spotter on it and just watched it disappear. I didn't have to even touch it. It does the same for coffee and other organic spots.

The best thing about all of it is the dilution ratios make it very cheap per 32 oz trigger bottle.

I usually use less than 20 oz mixed solution per car.

For heavy salt i extract or steam.


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I847 using AG Online
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips

:props:
 
Joseph Rogers said:
Nice. Yeah, I've used HWE and I've used encap. They both have situations they work, and work well in. I tend to prefer to use HWE because I can blitz a freaking carpet and not feel bad about charging what I do that way. Nice to meet you, and thanks to both of you for the input.
Click to expand...

If you think you can "blitz a freaking carpet" and not feel bad about charging what you do, you must be charging next to nothing, since blitzing a vehicle with an extractor is not going to accomplish anything except soaking carpet and upholstery. This leads to odors and wicking problems, especially when it comes to spilled coffee or drinks in the upholstery. Proper cleaning takes time, care, and attention to details. "Blitzing" a carpet is not providing your customer with professional services.

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Jon-Don is a good distributor for a lot of stuff carpet cleaning, but I'm going to be straight up and hope Bill Yeadon doesn't get mad at me for it...:)

You can get better encap products at Excellent Supply. They're located in Florida, so you'll have to have it shipped, but I think once you go over $350 in product you'll get free shipping. I could be wrong.

Anyway, they've got 3 staple products you'll want to give thought to.

Releasit DS2 (Stands for Double Strength) - This is the all around go to cleaner. Mix, spray, agitate and BAM. You're done. Let it dry and vacuum it out. DS2 actually has a fluorochemical protector built into it, which most of the others don't.

Punch - This is for pre-application to particularly greasy areas. Let it sit for 15 minutes or so, scrub, apply some DS2 as a follow up, and scrub. Let dry, then vacuum.

Hydrox - This is for light colored carpets. It's got a peroxide built into it, and it will make the carpet and upholstery "pop" when you're done. Nice thing to have to restore something particularly dingy looking.

Kengo, if you're going to do encap, swap out encap products for steps 5 and 7. Do not use any other products in conjunction with encap...as it dries there is a crystallization going on. The product crystallizes around the dirt, which is what prevents it from re-attaching to the fibers. Other cleaners can really mess with the crystallization, and prevent it from happening. If you do that, you might as well just get an extractor and suck it all back out, because all the benefits of the encap juice will be lost.
 
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