Swill Marks from RX-20
This report was done for the homeowner. There are pictures of what an RX-20 did to a Saxony Plush.
PROBLEM REPORTED: Swill Marks From Cleaning
PROBLEM FOUND: Swill Marks From Cleaning, Pulled Loops, Fuzzing
WAS A DIAGRAM MADE?: No
SAMPLES FROM INSPECTION: None Taken
PERSONS PRESENT: Inspector & Commissioner
THE CARPET
FIBER/ ID METHOD: Nylon-Chemical
FIBER HUE: White
CONSTRUCTION: Tufted Cut Pile
YARN STYLE: Saxony Plush
SQUARE YARDAGE: 561.33
BACK SYSTEM: Conventional Tufted
PRIMARY BACKING: Woven Polypropylene
SECONDARY BACKING: Custom-Bac™
THE INSTALLATION
LOCATION TYPE: Residential
DATE INSTALLED: 2/91
METHOD: Stretch-In
CUSHION: Rebond 6.5 Lb./Cu. Ft.
SUBFLOOR: Concrete on the First Level, Plywood on the Second Level.
AREA INSTALLED: Family Room, Living-Room, Halls, 4 Bedrooms, &
Master-Bedroom Suite, Bathrooms
USE & MAINTENANCE INFORMATION AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION
LITERATURE RECEIVED WITH PURCHASE: Yes
TEMPERATURE: 73.7°F - 23.1° C RH 45%
ADULTS: 2 - CHILDREN: 0 - PET(S): 0
DO THEY SMOKE? No
SPOTTING AGENTS: Fiber Seal
VACUUM/FREQUENCY: Built-In Professional Service
ENTRY-MATS? Yes
SOIL: See Report
HEATING TYPE: Central Force Air Gas
COOLING TYPE: Central - Electric
CLEANING: Professionally Cleaned By
METHOD: Truckmount Steam W/ RX20 Rotary Wand
TYPE OF CHEMICAL: One Clean by Chemspec
TREATMENTS APPLIED: None Reported
REASON FOR COMMISSION
Determine the reparability of problems in the carpet in question that occurred
after the last cleaning.
THE REPORT
Site Conditions and Geographical Information
The carpet laid in the claimant's free standing two story house located in a
residential neighborhood in the hilly area north of Highway 101 near the Ventura County
line. The house was well maintained and was owner occupied at the time of the inspection.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION MADE TO THE INSPECTOR
The carpet had been cleaned before, once by spin pad and another time by ACME
CLEANING. No problems were noted after the two cleanings.
The last cleaning was done to remove light soil. The areas cleaned included the two rugs,
the upstairs hallway, stairs, the downstairs hallway, and the family room. During the
cleaning swirl marks were noted by the claimant as having come from the cleaning tool. It
was reportedly said by the technician that these mark would vacuum out.
Ridges were noted during the day and a half drying time and following:
· discoloring in the downstairs hallway
· pulled loops, fuzzing, and swirl marks in the rugs
· deep swirl marks still in the upstairs hallway after vacuuming
· pulled loops and fuzzing in the family room.
Also, it was noted by the claimant that the protector tabs for the furniture were left,
but were not placed.
Corrections were attempted, but were unsuccessful. Other repairs were postponed until a
study of the severity and reparability of the problems could be made.
DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM AREA BY THIS INSPECTOR
The pile of the carpet in question had an appearance similar to velvet plush with very
small yarns and fine denier. Two area rugs with special carvings of floral pattern inserts
were of the same carpet. Special carving with floral inserts were also noted in the
family-room.
· A rectangle rug measuring three and a half feet by six and a half feet was noted in the
main entrance. This rug had yarn slippage in the carved areas and fuzz in the field.
· Immediately following this rug was a round rug measuring 10 feet in diameter. This rug
had similar problems as the rectangular rug.
· An upstairs walk way had approximately 200 swirl marks that extended over a distance of
20 feet and with a width of four and a half feet. These marks were in the form of arcs
that were full or part circles.
· In the downstairs hallway, the carpet was slightly discolored at the tips of the yarn.
· In the family-room, yarn slippage was noted in the floral pattern and in other carved
areas of the field. Also, some swirl marks similar to the one in the upstairs hallway were
noted.
ON-LOCATION FIELD TESTING
Numerous moisture tests were performed using a Delmhorst Moisture Sensor. This
test would indicate the presence of moisture locked-up in salt compounds from urine and
detergents. The results of these tests showed no moisture throughout the installation.
An ultraviolet light was used to draw a reflection from substances with optical
brightening agents. Yellow reflection will come from most urine stains; a blue or lavender
reflection from detergents. The result of this test revealed that there were no
reflections.
A steam machine together with a horsehair brush was used to try to remove two swirl marks
from the upstairs hallway. After approximately 30 minutes of working on the marks, two of
the swirl marks were removed. Some fuzzing was noted from the towel that was also used to
remove the swirl marks.
THE ISSUE
1. Are the carpet and the rugs in question capable of being repaired?
2. What specific remedies are required for restoration?
GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING THE ISSUE
The Standard for Carpet Cleaning S001-1994 is the standard for cleaning and is published
by the INSTITUTE OF INSPECTIONS, CLEANING and RESTORATION CERTIFICATION at the
recommendation of the FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. These service standards are
for professional cleaning and are recognized by nearly all carpet mills and carpet
cleaning associations.
INDUSTRY STANDARDS & DEFINITIONS
Concerning the Principles Of Pre-Cleaning Inspection and the Furnishing, the S001 - 1994
says this:
c. staining situations - Consider the possibility of furniture legs
releasing stain or creating rust spots on damp carpet. Use appropriate furniture
"tabs" (foil or plastic squares) or blocks (wood or Styrofoam) to prevent
problems.
According to the IICRC S001 - 1994 - STANDARD PRACTICE FOR ON-LOCATION CLEANING OF
INSTALLED TEXTILE FLOOR COVERING MATERIALS the procedure for the STEAM CLEANING METHOD are
as follows:
7.11 Drying (ref. Section E, point 5, p. 13) - Complete drying will be accomplished within
1-24 hours (depending on soiling conditions and ambient humidity). When multiple pass
cleaning is required on heavily soiled carpet, and especially when post-cleaning additives
are applied to carpet following "steam" cleaning, longer unassisted drying times
(12-24 hours) may be anticipated. Therefore, technicians must consider procedures to
expedite drying and thus to avoid problems associated with overwetting. Overwriting, or
prolonged drying, may result from operator error.
There is a condition that is referred to as WICKING. It is defined in the Flooring
Covering Dictionary as "Dispersing or spreading of moisture or liquid through a given
area, vertically or horizontally; capillary action in material." A spot may appear
after cleaning if a substance has penetrated through the carpet back. This substance would
then act as a bridge between the face yarns and polypropylene backing on the underside of
the carpet.
THE INSPECTOR'S ANALYSIS
Problems from cleaning can occur when equipment is more aggressive than necessary to
achieve desirable results. In this case, light soil being removed from a stain resist yarn
could have likely been achieved without the aid of the Rotary wand. Thus the aggressive
nature of this addition to the cleaning process has been a significant contributor to all
of the problems noted in these carpets and rugs.
The most severe and difficult problem to correct is the swirl marks. Based upon the
testing it will likely cause an undesirable effect of fuzzing. If two swirl marks are
removed in thirty minutes, then removing all 200 of the marks in the upstairs hall would
cost approximately $6,000 based upon a $60 per hour rate. Plus, sheering the carpet
afterwards might be necessary to eliminate this problem. Therefore repairs possibly could
exceed the value to the carpet.
The darkening of the carpet in the downstairs hallway was likely due to a condition from
prolonged drying known as 'wicking'. Correction should be correctable with mild
recleaning.
Placing protective tabs under furniture legs is necessary to keep metal legs from leaving
rust stains and stained-wood from bleeding pigment into the pile. Fortunately no stains
were noticed at the time of the inspection.
CONCLUSION
Repairs in the carpet and rugs in question might be possible, but could exceed replacement
cost based upon observations and testing done at the time of the inspection.