How Carpet Encapsulation Cleaning Works Within Facilities

If you have ever walked an office, you may have noticed the carpeting and how different it looks and feels from your home carpet. Commercial and residential carpeting are two completely different types. Commercial carpeting is specifically designed around heavy foot traffic and is often laid on the flooring with glue. By comparison, commercial carpets are like sponges in that they keep capturing material and liquid. Every so often that “sponge” need wrung out and cleaned. When spills happen or staining occurs, it gets soaked up within every fiber of the carpeting. As opposed to conventional methods of cleaning carpets where liquids and moisture are the solutions, there are low moisture methods of cleaning called carpet encapsulation.

Encapsulation products are specifically designed with a polymer technology that forms a crystal when drying. That crystal becomes the vehicle that captures soil which can be removed through a thorough vacuuming. A good number of products on the market claim they are able to encapsulate. While they are able to make the carpet initially look better, the test is whether or not the soil can be removed with vacuuming.

The best and optimal carpet maintenance programs being with good, upright vacuums. The commercial and institutional cleaning industry have moved to dual motor vacuums for performance and is a much faster way to get clean results. Considering that 79% of contaminants in carpets are dry, this is truly your first line of defense in protecting your investment. It is the other 21% that causes the carpets to begin to show signs of dirt load which compounds problems. Dirt load is a critical factor in determining what method of cleaning is needed to fully restore the carpets overall appearance and wring out the sponge.

It is important to measure dirt load before recommending a method to clean. If the carpet has a heavy dirt load, the carpet will need to be flushed out by extraction methods. This is only in severe cases. In many facilities were vacuuming is performed on a daily basis, carpet encapsulation is the fastest way to keep your carpets in peak condition.

The chart below shows you where the method of encapsulation can fit into the planned maintenance and keep a high level of appearance for an extended time without adding more labor.

The key to great looking carpets is to construct a written, comprehensive program that is simple with the right tools to follow the plan. Step-by-step job tasks that address daily, interim, scheduled, and restorative needs.

Encapsulation as a process

Vacuuming: The first step before the carpet is clean is to vacuum, which will pick up any loose, dry soil. A vacuuming program based on foot traffic will help to determine the frequency, but a good practice is daily.

Pre-Spotting: If areas have more stains or more soil, pre-treating them can go far in the cleaning process. The majority of encapsulation products can be mixed and pre-sprayed. Spray down the spot or stain, making sure to keep it wet. Allow between 5 to 10 minutes for the system to soak into the carpet.

Encapsulation System: Fill your solution tank of your machine with your encapsulation product, making sure to mix it first with hot water. If you are working on unobstructed areas like hallways, you should release the product every third step and a faint lather should begin to appear. If you have stains in doorways or around corners that have a larger dirt load, an increased lather and more time will be necessary to work those areas back so they blend in.

Encapsulation as a chemical

A great encapsulation product like emPac Clear is packed in 2 – ½ gallon containers for ease of transporting. If dilute the product at 3 ounces per gallon, your cost to clean is $.003 cents per square foot, but it may vary depending on dirt load. Under a normal dirt load, you should realize the square foot cost above. The most important aspect of the product is its cleaning ability. It will leave the surface of your carpet as clean as if the carpet was extracted. The equally important factor is now that you have a clean carpet, the fresh smell that the product leaves behind does not dissipate.

An easy test to perform to see how an encapsulation product performs is to take a few drops of the product and place it in a glass dish overnight. Go back and look at the dish the following day. How did it dry? I should form a crystal and easily release from the dish. If it’s not a good product, it will often dry and make a sticky substance. This simple test will tell you the product’s ability to release soil.

Encapsulation with equipment and pads

Encapsulation Equipment: Any floor machine with agitation should be used for carpet encapsulation. The problem with using a standard floor machine is the rotation – it has a tendency of pulling and conceivably tearing carpet fibers. This is the reason that most carpet mills discourage the use of these on carpets. We recommend the Cimex because of the counter-rotating heads, distribution of weight, as well as the superior aggression, chemical chemistry, and soil recovery with pads.

Brushes or Pads: We recommend using emPac encapsulation pads as they are the best for cleaning carpets with the optimal amount of agitation. Why clean with pads instead of brushes? It’s because the pads actually have more direct contact with surfaces. We have better agitation, and we use less solution to get the job done. You also get a cleaner look on the surface. Look like you extracted the carpet. With brushes, the carpet does not give you the “wow” effect but will improve in time with daily vacuuming. A good rule of thumb (of course this all depends on the dirt load) emPac pads will clean an average 500 square feet per side. You need to flip them to the other side. The trick to the longevity of the pads is on the second side of use, take them to a sink with hot water and rinse them. Because of the open weave the pads will easily rinse free of soil. Encapsulation pads are available to use with the 19″ Cimex. They are packed 15 to a box and are 7 ¾”. Three are used with the machine, and the 19” Cimex machine is the preferred machine size for carpet cleaning professionals.

For additional solutions and products to help keep your carpets clean and dirt free, contact FlexPAC.