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Yellowing Optical & AlkalinityThis report was written for the cleanerTHE CARPET FIBER/ ID METHOD: Nylon-Chemical FIBER HUE: White With Specks CONSTRUCTION: Tufted Cut Loop YARN STYLE: Frieze SQUARE YARDAGE: Not Determined BACK SYSTEM: Action Back PRIMARY BACKING: Polypropylene SECONDARY BACKING: Polypropylene THE INSTALLATION LOCATION TYPE: Residential METHOD: Stretch-In CUSHION: 1/2 Inch Rebond SUBFLOOR: Concrete on the First Level, Plywood on the Second Level. AREA INSTALLED: Living-Room, 3 Bedrooms, Stairs, Stair-landing, Hallway, & 2 Bath-rooms USE & MAINTENANCE INFORMATION AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION LITERATURE RECEIVED WITH PURCHASE: Just An Invoice TEMPERATURE: 70.7°F - 21.5° C RH 38% ADULTS: 2 - CHILDREN: 0 - PET(S): 2 - Dog & Cat DO THEY SMOKE? No SPOTTING AGENTS: Not Determined VACUUM/FREQUENCY: Upright Weekly ENTRY-MATS: Yes SOIL: None Noticed HEATING TYPE: Central Force Air Gas COOLING TYPE: Central - Electric CLEANING: Professional METHOD: Steam Cleaning TYPE OF CHEMICAL: Stain Resist Type DATE LAST CLEANED: 8/29/96 TREATMENTS APPLIED: Yes REASON FOR COMMISSION The carpet has reportedly yellowed. THE REPORT Site Conditions and Geographical Information The carpet was laid in the claimant’s free standing two story house located in a residential neighborhood on the eastern edge of the Los Angeles Basin 36 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The house was well maintained and was owner occupied at the time of the inspection. BACKGROUND INFORMATION MADE TO THE INSPECTOR The carpet was selected when the claimant purchased and moved into this house. The commissioner of this report was said to be the first cleaning company to service the carpet and all but two bedrooms were cleaned. During the drying the carpet began to yellow. Corrective services were made without resolving the problem completely. DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM AREA BY THIS INSPECTOR Several different problems existed with the carpet in question. 1. There was an overall difference of hue, quite noticeable, on all the carpet that was cleaned when comparing the areas that were not cleaned. This yellowing did not have defined edges, but varied in intensity. 2. There were very intense, irregular-shaped-circular yellow spots on the stairs. They were a little less than one inch in diameter. 3. There was some yellowing along the edges of the walls in the living-room while in the upstairs landing there were poorly defined edges that was brown or had brown regions. No odors were noticed anywhere in the installation. There was no unusual texture or hand on the affected areas. There were no variances in the bulk, twist, or height of the yarns either. ON-LOCATION FIELD TESTING An inspection lamp was used in these two rooms for closer evaluation and to create shadows. This high intensity lamp is equipped with a 200 watt halogen bulb. All affected areas became more noticeable under intense light. An ultra-violet light was shone throughout the installation. This tool draws a yellow reflection from most urine stains and a blue or lavender reflection from detergents with optical brightening agents. The result of this test caused the area next to the upstairs landing to show a lavender reflection, while the spots on the stairs showed yellow reflections. Numerous moisture tests were performed using a Delmhorst Moisture Sensor. The results of these tests showed no readings. Numerous pH tests were taken using a digital type pH meter and a special low moisture probe that made direct contact with the face yarns. This device is accurate to ± 0.1 and was calibrated with a laboratory testing solution immediately before these tests were made. All tests were made using distilled water with a pH of 7.0 The test results were as follows: lavender areas 6.7 6.7 6.5 Ave. 6.63 next to wall areas 6.3 6.4 6.2 Ave. 6.3 spots of stairs 9.6 9.3 9.2 Ave. 9.37 The tap water was measured at 8.1. An ammonium salts test was performed using a test kit from E. M Science. Ammonium salts are a by product of urine deposits. The results of this test revealed that there were no salts. A tannin spotter from The Ramsey Chemical line was applied to the affected area. This product is a professional, acidic, spotting agent and with a ready to use pH of less than one. The result of this test showed that the original hue was restored on all yellow areas that were treated. A DuPont® Stain Resist Test was performed to determined the amount of possible stain resistance on the face yarn. Tests were run on a remnant of the carpet that had not been cleaned. The results of these tests showed excellent stain resistance on the yarns tested. THE ISSUE OF THIS REPORT The question is have been asked to address is: what has caused the carpet to yellow? GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING THE ISSUE Yellowing occurs when: 1. alkalinity remains in contact with the acid dye blockers 2. Butylated Hydroxy Toluene known as BHT 3. problems are inherent in manufacturing 4. certain types of light reflection come in contact with the carpet 5. a foreign substance has been spilled on the carpet 6. oxides of sulfur or nitrogen are excessively strong in the atmosphere 7. acid dye blocker have been affected by ultra violet light 8. there is a loss of color from some type of bleaching agent INDUSTRY STANDARDS, PRACTICES & DEFINITIONS According to the S001-1994 CARPET CLEANING STANDARDS, in the glossary of terms it says the following: yellowing - A carpet condition that result from one of several possible sources, to include: dye loss, fume fading, general soiling, oil tracking, oxidation, stain-resist degradation, etc. THE INSPECTOR'S ANALYSIS Ultra-violet light and ammoniated salts tests rules out urine being a culprit. Observations of the yellowing being darker than the surrounding carpet rules out a color loss or light reflections. The yellowing was not due to defects in the stain either based upon the stain resist test. The culprits are likely the combinations of alkalinity and optical brightener. Specifically what caused the yellowing in what area would depend on the three different problems being addressed. · The well defined yellow spots on the stairs was a result of alkalinity alone. The culprit would have been some solution that would have dripped onto the carpet. This problem is easy to correct. · The problem next to the wall on the second floor stair landing had more to do with a optical brightener. Since lavender optical brighteners are common to laundry detergents, the culprit would likely be wet clothes. Optical brighteners have been called villains to stain resistance since they and the stain resistors are both acid dyes. As such they compete for dye sites. Therefore, in this case tartaric acid or Ramsey’s Tannin should do the trick. · The over-all yellowing is somewhat of a mystery. Whereas stain resist carpet requires special detergent to be used and those detergents were reportedly used, another culprit such as BHT may still be at large. CONCLUSION Yellowing in the carpet in question was due to alkalinity and optical brighteners based upon the observations and tests performed. |