remember low ph 5-8. or it will disolve in a alkaline state. Besafe and use a neutral chem. Also move a lot of air, wool will absorb alot of water. Check your tools for burrs too.

I hope you have insurance, its expense.

I'd leave the Rotovac in the van

I'd use a neutral prespray and low psi

they say you can't use alot of heat but I have never had a problem in regards to heat

wool can be a bit stubborn to clean but not really a big deal,hate that wet dog smell though.

Ecogent works very well on wool IMO.

Dan,

no offense but you don't have any business doing that job if you couldn't understand what I just said in the previous post.

respectfully, Joey

dan mitolo wrote: what do you mean by alkaline state, neutral chem and tools for burrs?

if it's not that dirty you can just mist and dry vac...lol

you don't want to know the cost of wall to wall wool.....

Ph scale

          1    2     3     4     5    6       7         8      9     10     11       12  

acid---------------------------------neutral---------------- ---------------------alkaline

you want it to be neutral

alkaline is commonly pretty much SOAP

a prespray Ph of around 8 is perfect for wool

quite honestly if your going to clean textiles with 0 experience (I don't especially recommend it) your best to stick with neutral cleaning agents until you learn more

high alkalinity will cause things like browning of the carpet not to mention rapid resoiling

Ecogent and DFC by Chemspec come to mind

I like Ultrachem but there is a learning curve for it so maybe in the future.

The burring reference is towards scarring on your wand or equipment that might snag the fibers

which is why I mentioned NOT using the rotovac,,,,,too aggressive for wool in my opinion

you should be teaching the IICRC class

Dan: As in previous posts wool is not a very good choice to learn on. However it is cleaned the same as a synthetic to a degree.  You must use a lower ph to clean it I believe Steaminpile reccommended EcoGent this is a cleaner made by chemspec and works fairly well on light to moderate soiling. One important thing with using a lower ph cleaner is dwell time and and since it is wool use a light agitation (capet rake to gently work the cleaner into the carpet). I would also put a rinse agent threw the machine and try to use just enough water to rinse the soil and cleaner out of the carpet.  OK we have covered the actual cleaning now the ever so important part.

The pre inspection: you can never be to careful when it is wool you are dealing with.  Check along the outer walls to make sure the carpet is snug on the tack strip and has not had damage from a previous cleaning. Check all pivot areas for excessive wear and or soiling check all door ways check the steps and very importantly check all the seams. Now since this is wool  regardless if it is wool or not  you want to write down anything that is not normal ie bad seam door rubbing on carpet carpet already pulling away from wall.  this may sound like alot of work but documenting this prior to the job and having the homeowner sign that they are aware may save you some expalining at the end of the job.  With wool the other very important thing is to give a good vacuum.  I am no expert on this matter but being new this may be of some assistance. One other thing is you will not need the Rotovac.  Maybe Canada's own Mr. Lee Senter will read this waste of space and explain the proper proceedures for cleaning wool carpet.

wow doug .... a red board post right here on KK

I'm impressed

dry vac dry vac dry vac

Doug---

wool carpet for your garage eh??!!>>!!!

I knew it.

Where is your Porsche???

Lots of good advise.

My 2 cents is to make sure you dry it fast with a airmover. The Studebaker airpath dryer is amazing. Lots of good reports on it.

Dusty.

Is it wool berber or wool cut pile?  Berbers are fun.

How old is it?  Aged wool also fun.

Has it been cleaned before?  What did they use?

If it's loose stretch it before you clean it.  Be careful with the seams.

Pull up a corner see what kind of pad and backing it has.  Could be Jute backing, not good when wet.

Any animals in the home?  Animals and wool bad juju.

Did you test the fiber yourself or are you going on their word?  Not a bad idea to test for yourself.

Wool can hide a lot of dirt.  If if looks dirty, it's real dirty.  What you don't get out will wick up. So clean it well.

Last and not least, What are you charging?  Specialty carpets mean specialty prices, not plastic prices.  CHARGE WELL!

are you suggesting that i charge at least 5 cents extra per sq. foot?

dan mitolo wrote: ladies or gentlemen...i am a christian and i'd appreciate better language.

I didn't see any foul language in this thread

I thought I was going crackers