Carpet Cleaning

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• Q - My carpet seems to be getting dirtier faster after each cleaning I do. I am using a new carpet extractor with a low to neutral pH carpet cleaning chemical. The machine manufacturer says that this machine cleans lower moisture, but I still have a residue problem. How do I solve it?

• A – Low to neutral pH is good, but it is still a detergent. A low moisture extractor will help, and you are on the right road, but you are still leaving detergent on the carpet because the extractor cannot pick up all the fluid. Split! is a Non-Detergent cleaner. It will remove all the residue you left from previous cleanings and leave no residue. The residue problem you are seeing in the re-tracking of soil on your carpet is being caused by the detergent based cleaner you are using.

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• Q - We do not plan on using the bonnet system to do our carpet cleaning since we have a carpet extractor already and do not plan to buy any new equipment presently. Your company recommends using the Camel for restoration and more. How can we use Split! successfully with our extractor?

• A - We recommend the Camel or a bonnet system with the Brush N Bonnet because it works well for restoration and then maintenance for your carpets. If you cannot use the bonnet system, then use the extractor that you have, thoroughly vacuuming before wet cleaning, then using a pump-up sprayer to apply Split! Restorative Cleaning or Split! Carpet and Upholstery cleaner. Use water only in your carpet extractor.

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• Q - Many times when I clean carpet, whether it is the bonnet system or extracting, I must go over the carpet several times before it actually gets clean. The issue is, I end up over wetting the carpet and leaving too much residue which is a cleaning problem and a problem for the life wear of the carpet. Will Split! help with this?

• A – What will help with the Split! system is using a true low moisture system which will end your concern about doing multiple cleaning passes along with the Split! Restorative Cleaner or Split! Carpet and Upholstery cleaner which will leave no residue. The bonnet system we recommend has very fast dry times and end the moisture problem you are experiencing. If you use an extractor, set it on the lowest moisture setting (sometimes by changing spray tips), and just wet vacuum on your last passes to remove as much of the moisture as you can. Air movers after cleaning also can help.

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• Q – The manufacturer of our new carpet states we cannot bonnet, or we void our warranty. You recommend bonnet systems. What should we do?

• A – We recommend our Brush N Bonnet system with the Camel or your floor machine with a pump-up sprayer because it works so well. If you must use an extraction system, then use it. You need to do what is best for the building and the situation you are dealing with. Follow our instructions using extractors (small or large). You will get much better results extracting your carpet with Split!, and you will avoid the residue cycle so many people are in when using detergent based cleaners.

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• Q – When cleaning carpet while using a neutral carpet detergent, especially in high traffic areas and areas close to the entry ways, I am getting a blackish oily film in my recovery tank. The extractor just isn’t picking it up and it leaves a dingy/dirty look on the carpet when dried. I tried bonneting with a little better success, but the carpet still has that film laden look, and the bonnets are left with black streaks on them which are difficult to launder. What’s the answer?

• A – You are most likely experiencing asphalt walk-off from the parking lot or surrounding areas around your building that are coming from people shoes, rolling carts, etc. This is very common in any geographic area with strong sunlight, summertime, and high elevations. The asphalt liquifies and ends up on your carpet, usually close to entries and main walkways. It is very difficult to remove. Luckily, Split! Restorative Cleaner works very well breaking this oily residue down. I am not saying it will be easy bringing your carpet back. It depends on the foot traffic, the amount of time and wear you are dealing with, and what mechanical cleaning system you are using. But, you will improve the carpet dramatically. I always tell customers, to deal with this properly, they will need to up their frequencies on those areas having the problem. Letting the asphalt residue build up, is the biggest problem.

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• Q – We have some serious spots/stains that we cannot remove. Some of them look like they are gone after immediately cleaning them, but they always return. Any answers on this?

• A – It sounds like you have multiple problems. First let me say, by using Split! products to clean your spots/stains you are making a best choice. You will get better results. All carpet spots/stains are not equal. If someone spills a Coke today and you have this spot that night to clean, you can use Split! with a micro-fiber cloth, spray it on the area of the spill, agitate with the microfiber. Use another cloth to pick it up, and you probably solved the issue. If someone spilled coffee two weeks ago, (Coffee=water and minerals, coffee liquid with the oils, maybe sugar, maybe sweetener, maybe milk/cream, maybe who knows??), during those two weeks it was walked on multiple times and then you are asked to clean it, that’s a different problem than the Coke spill mentioned above. Yes, Split! can work, but the difficulty of removing that spot/stain can mean multiple cleanings and possible wicking while the area you cleaned is drying. Our experience with Split! products is we do not have wicking issues. That is something we experience when using detergent based cleaners. With that said, you still need to make sure you spot clean as “dry” as possible. Meaning you use only as much Split! as needed and you dry off the cleaned area a bit with a dry cloth. If the area to be cleaned is bigger than a normal spill, I would recommend getting out a machine system for a quicker and more thorough cleaning result.

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• Q - Sometimes I am noticing an odor while cleaning carpet with Restorative. One time we had to leave the room for awhile because the odor was so heavy. I thought Split! was odor free. Can you explain?

• A - First, let me state clearly that all Split! products are absolutely odor free. They are Green Seal Certified products and they have 0.00 VOC's; which means zero, no odors. What you are experiencing is the soil and residue left in the carpet you are cleaning, Outgassing (or many times referred to as Offgassing). The less ventilated the room and the heavier the residue soil load, the greater the chance you can experience this. This is a "Good Thing"! You are finally removing the residue and soil that is causing the odors. The next time you clean, because Split! does not leave residue, you will experience much less of this, so the future is bright!

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• Q - What Split! product do we use to clean wool and natural fiber carpet?

• A -  Use Blue Label....Carpet & Upholstery cleaner only. It is safe on wool and natural fiber. With that being said, always test wool carpet and natural fiber first, especially if you are dealing with dye colors that could run, even with only water being used.

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