There are only seven basic categories of fabric cleaning
agents that account for all known products or chemicals that you might use to clean
carpets, upholstery, or clothing. All the thousands of brand names out there will either
fall into one category or constitute a blend of two or more categories in a mixture. These
include (in order of practical common usage:)
1) Alkalines. ( household examples; baking soda, laundry soap,
hair shampoo,ammonia, antacids) Since over 75% of common soils are
dissolvable in alkaline solutions, it only makes sense that this category accounts for
most types of detergents in use. Professional carpet and upholstery cleaners use alkalines
of varying degrees of strength depending on the type of fabric being cleaned as a general
pre-treatment to loosen the soils before rinsing. It is essential for a cleaner to
understand the appropriate applications of alkalines to different fabric types because
some sensitive fabrics are permanently damaged by strong alkalinity, while others require
strong alkalinity to clean effectively. Alkalines also have use in neutralizing
potentially harmful acids, such as rust removing agents.
2) Acids. (household examples; vinegar, lemon juice, Woolite,
hair conditioners, some toilet cleaning products) The most commonly used agent in this
category used by carpet and upholstery cleaners is acetic acid, although citric, oxalic,
and tannic acids also have applications. These agents are useful in dissolving and
removing stains from urine, coffee, tea, and rust. It also is used in correcting problems
like discoloration and texture changes associated with strong alkalines because acids
neutralize alkalines (remember the vinegar and baking soda experiment in grade school?).
They can be a useful additive as a dye-stabilizer by lowering the pH level of water in
cleaning fabrics which may otherwise have problems with colors running or
"bleeding." They also condition and restore natural softness and texture to
fabrics when used as a rinse agent.
3) Volatile dry cleaning
solvents. (household examples; alcohol, mineral spirits, nail polish remover) These
are non-water based agents that generally dissolve inks, grease, paint, and oils. They
have more practical application on upholstered fabrics and Oriental carpets than on
wall-to-wall carpets. This is due to the fact that while they are harmless to virtually
all fabrics, including silk, they will destroy the adhesives in most carpet backing if
allowed to penetrate. They evaporate completely, leaving no residues, and are therefore
described as "volatile," because they readily change from a liquid to a gas on
their own. Some delicate upholstery fabrics require cleaning with volatile solvents to
prevent fabric shrinkage, discolorations like water-marking, or "bleeding" of
dyes. It is important to note that although in actuality only about 2% of all
upholstered fabrics require this type of waterless -"dry"or "S"
code cleaning method, fabric manufacturers are still recommending it for
more than 50 % of all upholstery fabrics- even though it is a limited and inferior
cleaning process. Why?! Because since cleaning with the volatile solvent they
recommend- odorless mineral spirits- is safe for virtually all fabrics, they limit their
liability by cautioning against the usage of water-based solutions. The problem, (other
than being a lot more expensive to use), is that while the solvents won't harm most
fabrics, they just won't clean very well either. Any problem soil or beverage stain that
was originally water-based requires a water-based solution to remove. A true
cleaning professional will be able to identify your upholstery fabric type and be able to
discuss with you all the considerations about cleaning agents. Don't be surprised if
once in a while the best cleaning method to use goes against the manufacturer's
recommendations!
4) Non-volatile dry cleaning solvents. ( examples;
turpentine, citrus solvent, kerosene) These are also non-water-based solvents, but they do
not evaporate completely and will leave a residue on fabric if they aren't rinsed out.
These solvents tend to have powerful tar, grease, glue, and paint removal properties, but
are impractical for routine usage because they damage some fabrics by removing dyes, and
they can potentially break down the adhesives in carpet or upholstery backing when
overapplied. They are very effective in treating specific small problems like chewing gum,
lipstick, asphalt, and candle wax.
5) Oxidizers. (examples; bleach, hydrogen peroxide, diaper
rash cream and acne treatments)
These remove colors from fabrics (your blue carpet has white spots
near the baby changing table? That's from diaper rash cream!) by adding oxygen molecules
to the fabric, affecting our visual ability to perceive colors. Chemically, they are the
neutralizing opposites of reducing agents, which reduce the oxygen in the fabric. Some
work instantly, like bleach, some gradually, like zinc oxide. Usually whatever color
change brought on by these agents is permanent, so they must be used with knowledge,
skill, and caution. Chlorine bleach is the most powerful and fast acting member of this
family, and most people are familiar with it's strength, but people should also be aware
that products containing peroxides can remove color slowly over time if not removed from
fabrics.
6) Reducing agents. (examples: "Red-Out" brand
Kool-Aid stain remover, "Didi 7" brand stain remover, Haitian cotton shampoo,
anti-chlorine bleach neutralizer) On certain unprocessed cotton, naturally undyed fabrics
this is a necessary additive to form a water-based solution that is capable of cleaning
the fabric without releasing the brown pigments inherent to the unrefined cotton. This
will prevent overall yellow and brown discolorations that otherwise occur without the
additive. Other uses of reducing agents include dye removal attempts. A professional
cleaner usually decides to proceed with these on colored fabrics as a last resort when all
else has failed. There is always a certain level of risk that permanent coloration damage
will be caused by them on colored fabrics. On occasion, however, they can perform
splendidly and produce "miraculous" results on certain fabrics when nothing but
nothing else would work at all. Sometimes risk has it's rewards....(Hey- that's what this
country's all about, right?). Another role these agents play is in neutralizing the action
of oxydizers. If you spilled bleach on your nylon carpet, in theory the only thing you
could possibly do to prevent color loss would be to apply an equal amount of anti-chlor
reducing agent immediately and this would stop the bleaching action. But I still have
never met anyone who was able to respond that fast to a fresh bleach spill, or even anyone
that had anti-chlor handy at the time of the spill, either.
7) Enzymes. (examples; "Nature's Miracle" brand
'pet accident' deodorizer; some heavy-duty laundry products, the human digestive system)
Certain complicated mineral or protein-based organic compounds that can accumulate on a
carpet in certain situations, such as grease from heavy cooking oils and animal fats, or
pet urine contamination, are comprised of long, complicated amino acid chains that bond
tightly with the fabric and are difficult to remove in that state. Enzymes break up the
chains by breaking down components that hold the molecules together. The simpler compounds
that result are easier to remove, and less likely to possess strong organic odors. Not all
of these agents are safe to use on all fabrics, and permanent texture damage can occur to
protein-based fabrics such as wool and silk, or loss of protection on nylon stain
resistant carpets if used indiscriminately
|
