The Evolution of Carpet Cleaning

    THE EVOLUTION OF CARPET CLEANING

by Tom Hill
tjhill and associates



Carpet cleaning is a dynamic and continuously changing industry. There are a number of things that have contributed to or precipitated this environment of change. The product itself, for example (carpeting) has undergone numerous changes and/or modifications over the years that have led to variations in the systems best suited to clean it.

Another driver of change is the continued advancement of technology in the form of equipment and supply items available to the carpet care specialist.

The mind set or attitude of the user (consumer) is yet another variable that keeps the cleaning industry in a state of continuous evolution. Changing demographics and modern issues, such as IAQ are redefining the whole philosophy behind why people clean.

None of these three primary factors - the carpet, the technology, or the consumer's attitude - work independently or in a vacuum. Each is influenced by the others and the industry in general, as it gives influence and energy to the course of the industry's growth and evolution. In this article, I'd like to look at these and other related factors that have led the carpet care industry to where it is today. Possibly, this walk through the past could help us look at where the industry might be headed in the future.

The early floor coverings were loose rugs and the earliest cleaning tools were hand-held rug beaters. The soiled rugs were hung outside and beaten to knock loose and embedded soils. When oily or wet soil accumulated to the point that beating was no longer effective, the rug needed to be washed. This involved rolling the rug up and taking it to a cleaning plant where the rug could be properly washed. These plants would use large amounts of water, rotary scrub brushes, and coconut oil shampoos to wash the rug. The excess water was then hand squeegeed out or pressed out using a large ringer, prior to the rugs being hung up in a temperature controlled dry room to dry over night. Some plants used fully automated rug cleaning machines to wash, scrub, and ring out the rugs mechanically. There are a number of these plants still in operation today. The chemistry used has changed, but little else and many feel there is still no better way to clean area rugs.

Years ago, many of the finer homes had two sets of rugs; summer rugs and winter rugs, and each spring the winter rugs were taken up and sent to the rug cleaner for washing and storage and the summer rugs were put in their place. In the fall the process was reversed. The cleaning frequency was, therefore, determined by the seasons and not by appearance.

Then in the 1950's, floor covering began to be installed wall to wall and secured to the floor in a more permanent fashion. At first nailed or tacked directly through the carpeting and into the floor, and later, through the use of wooden “tackless” strips or glue. As the tufting process evolved out of the chenille bedspread cottage industry in Georgia, wall to wall carpeting became very affordable and popular. Since this installed carpet could not be easily removed and taken to the rug plant, methods had to be developed to clean them in place, on-location.

The rotary scrub brush used in the plant could easily be taken into the field, but the rinsing equipment, ringers and drying rooms were out of the question. Chemical advances led to the development of shampoos that dried to more crystalline residues that could possibly be removed by thorough vacuuming after the carpet had dried. However, as carpet styles changed to thicker, deeper pile designs, it became clear that the residue was not getting removed very well, especially in residential applications and carpets seemed to soil even more rapidly than before, due to the sticky detergents in the yarn. The common feeling then grew that it was best to wait as long as possible before cleaning a carpet to reduce the accumulation of residues and more rapid resoiling.

In the commercial market place, hard surfaces such as tile and wood were being replaced by tight level looped carpeting. The maintenance staffs were faced with new cleaning challenges. The hard floor appearance maintenance system know as spray buffing was adapted to maintain the appearance of the carpeting and the first bonnet systems were born. Alternative systems such as absorbent compounds, bonnet cleaning and dry foam cleaning were developed to minimise the potential for product damage from the large amount of water and long drying times that accompanied the shampoo system. However, the absence of some type of rinse limited these systems and, especially in the deeper piles gaining popularity in the residential market, the issue of residue remained a major concern.

In the late 1960's, like around 1968-69, a new system of rinsing carpets, known as steam cleaning, was introduced. The first units were very heavy, usually make out of stainless steel, and required two grown men to lift them out of the truck and into the house. The water was typically pumped from a 5-7 gallon holding tank via a 30-40 psi centrifugal pump driven by a 1 1/2 h.p. electric motor, through rubber hoses to a spray bar of 7-9 spray tips mounted on a floor tool. The extraction (vacuum) was usually provided by a small (#2) positive displacement vac-pump also powered by the same 1 1/2 h.p. electric motor. Since there wasn't much air flow produced, the vac head had to be very heavy (50-75 lbs.) to achieve a good seal in order for the air pump to work. These heave floor tools were pulled backward by the technician flushing out the soil suspended in the detergents sprayed on and worked in prior to rinsing. Some of these heave drag tools are still in production today, mostly for use in water damage restoration.

Some of the units had electric heaters while others used hot water from the tap. When the hot water was sprayed into the cool carpet vapour or steam was produced around the cleaning head and the method was called steam cleaning. Since no steam was actually generated this was really a misnomer and some felt the term steam cleaning was misleading to the consumer. Quite a controversy erupted and in Wisconsin an attorney general actually forced a group of steam cleaners to change their terminology or lose their right to do business. Other places required and asterisk (*) any time the word steam was used with the words Hot Water Extraction somewhere nearby. In spite of the controversy the system gained popularity and dominated the domestic carpet cleaning market.

Gradually, the units were make lighter and more streamlined through the use of fibreglass and plastics. The heavy low-airflow positive displacement pumps ere replaced by high cfm centrifugal vac motors and diaphragm or piston pumps replaces low pressure centrifugal units. Light scrub wands often replaced the slower, heavier drag tools.

In the 1970's, larger, more efficient truck mounted versions of these hot water extraction units were introduced. Most of these units were powered by gasoline engines that drove larger water pumps and vacuum pumps allowing for the use of longer hoses. This meant that machinery did not have to be carried inside, filled with water, and moved around as the job progressed. This savings of labor and time meant fewer people could clean more carpet in less time. Most truck mounted units used fuel oil or propane burners to heat the water in order to further increase efficiency and cut labor costs. Carpets could be cleaned faster and easier and drying times were shorter. The weak link with these systems was that, unless properly trained, the technician had in his hands the tools to overwet or destroy the carpet. Training and certification programs began to grown in popularity. However, many “professional” cleaners still received little formal training and many consumers had negative experiences. The general attitude of waiting as long as possible to clean carpeting still prevailed.

Meanwhile, carpet and fibre manufacturers were continuing to improve the product on the floor until it could hide the presence of soil so well that, by the time the carpet looked dirty and the consumer thought about cleaning . . . well, you know what I mean.

Various specialised floor tools and attachments have been introduced to make the systems even more efficient. Sophisticated heat exchanger and thermal accumulator water heating systems have been introduced to reduce operating and maintenance costs. But little has come from the cleaning industry to influence the consumer's attitude about frequency of cleaning.

The biggest factors affecting the consumer's perceived need to clean since summer and winter rugs have come from outside the cleaning industry. The first started in 1986 with the introduction of stain resistant carpeting and the idea of warranting the carpets performance after installation. These warranties are continuing to evolve and require specific frequencies and methods of cleaning for the coverage to remain in effect. Warranty compliance is fast becoming a valid reason to contract carpet maintenance. When little Ricky threw the Stainmaster airplane dish on the floor everybody laughed and looked down. Many bought a new carpet but others realised that theirs needed to be cleaned.

The incredible success of stain resistant carpet has led to advances in cleaning chemistry and changes in the procedures as well as another need for credentials such as certification. The consumer's attitude toward cleaners was still one of suspicion. Even as successful as stain resistant carpet has been, the factor having the greatest effect on cleaning is the issues of (IAQ) Indoor Air Quality, or healthy indoor environment. This had created a whole now awareness of a reason to clean, not based on appearance, but rather health issues. The focus has shifted from how the carpet looks to other definitions of “clean”. With the emphasis on cleaning for health many are evaluating the various cleaning systems under new criteria.

Carpet cleaning, therefore, is continuing to evolve and change from and appearance management system to environmental management. “Clean first for health and then appearance” has become the motto of the industry. The IICRC carpet cleaning standard S001 recommends a cleaning frequency of six months in a normal residential environment - winter and summer rugs?

I never should've asked for it

Sure

copy & paste it all and sell on ebay...... 

No reserve!

His long posts ...

WHO CARES ABOUT THE EVOLUTION OF CARPETS/CARPET CLEANING, HOW DOES THAT CHANGE THE YEAR 2006/2007.