Each fiber has unique issues—here’s what every technician should know

From day to day and job to job, cleaning challenges change all the time. When cleaning fibers, professional cleaning technicians must know the type and the specifications of the fibers they are working with—and which methods and products will yield the best results.

Let’s look at the fibers that cleaning technicians will encounter on the job, including their unique characteristics and the cleaning challenges they  exhibit.

The most significant issue cleaning technicians will face with polyester is maintaining its original appearance, which often suffers from texture issues. Polyester lacks resiliency and readily shows abrasions from usage and maintenance. These abrasions impede its ability to reflect light, making it look darker than intended even if it is clean.

Improper cleaning agents may also leave behind a sticky residue that leads to resoiling issues, further affecting polyester’s appearance, but this is more of a problem with triexta and olefin fibers. Some general cleaning guidelines include the following:

The greatest challenge of triexta is its texture; these texture issues are likely to come from using the improper vacuum cleaner and employing cleaning methods not recommended by the manufacturer. To clean triexta, follow these guidelines:

Nylon’s challenge originates from improper chemistry. Aqueous substances such as food and beverages will stain nylon if it’s not protected with an acid dye blocker. Further, this acid dye blocker is incompatible with strong alkalines, cationic surfactants, and optical brighteners.

Cleaning technicians should apply products with caution; strong acids will likely dissolve or melt the fibers and alkalines and bleach may remove the color. Nylon can also lose its color from strong reducing and oxidizing agents. Some general guidelines to follow are:

Olefin’s greatest challenge is appearance retention because it lacks resiliency and is susceptible to abrasions. It may also have resoiling issues from sticky residues, and it may become stiff and darken if it is a fine-denier velvet. Follow these cleaning guidelines:

Challenges when cleaning wool come from its alkalinity, not from its pH. The pH of a product is but one aspect of its alkalinity and does not represent all there is to know about potential adverse effects.

The fiber’s pH should be measured directly from its face yarn with a flat-surface pH meter. Acid-dyed wool will have a pH between 2.5 and 5.5, but it has been known to bleed with buffered detergents, even with a pH of 6.5. Further, it will experience a degradation known as felting if it is cleaned with unbuffered alkalines. Some general guidelines to follow when cleaning wool are:

Rayon goes by many names, including viscose and art silk. With this fiber, cleaning technicians will be challenged by fiber loss due to abrasion or bending of the yarn, especially when it is wet. Rayon should be considered a decorative fiber with a practical life of one year or less. Some general guidelines to follow when cleaning include:

Knowing the issues associated with each type of fiber will help professional cleaning technicians achieve the best results. With the appropriate methods, tools, and products, cleaning technicians will be able to handle any challenge they encounter—leaving behind a cleaner space and satisfied clients.

James “Jim” B. Smith is an IICRC-approved instructor, a senior practicing inspector, and part of the voting consensus of the IICRC S1OO cleaning standard. He has been in the cleaning industry since 1975. For more information, visit www.carpetinspector.com/jbs or email [email protected] .

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