Removing Tricky Ice Melt from Carpets
While many customers hold off cleaning their carpets during the winter months, experts say carpet cleaning frequencies actually should be increased during the cold and icy season. One square yard of commercial carpet captures one pound of soil per week, and twice as much during inclement weather, according to ISSA. Ice melt can take its toll on carpet, as the salt it contains and the liquid solution it forms can build up in carpet and leave a residue. Along with soils, the salt and chemical residue can cause significant damage to carpet fibers. Vacuum cleaners should be used to remove the dry soils and help the cleaning solution and carpet extractor work more effectively. There are cleaning solutions or pre-sprays available for industrial-type carpet or industrial carpet tiles that help dissolve winter soils and neutralize salt, calcium deposits, and chemical residue. They should follow up with an extractor and rinse the area clean using pure tap water. Other carpet cleaning solutions are available for traditional carpet that can be worked into the carpet using bonnet or carpet extraction. A thorough rinsing is necessary to prevent residue from reappearing and rapid re-soiling from occurring.