By: Dick Whittaker

Dick Whittaker, whofounded the R.E.

Whittaker Company in1961, is in charge of newproduct development andinnovation. In 1988, he

pioneered the use of low-moisture agitation

and crystallization in thecleaning of carpets and isthe holder of many othercleaning related patents.

BBenefits and outcomes of the following scientific findings reveal that increasing interimmaintenance frequencies as a part of a maintenance program extends the life cycle of car-pet, enhances building image, extends restorative cycles 12 to 18 months, maintains aconsistent appearance level, and improves the cleaning effect of periodic wet extraction.

The science

of cleaningFindings reveal significant benefits after

increased interim maintenance frequencies.

Scientific findings

A long-term soiling trial was performed forR.E. Whittaker Company by global cleaningauthority Dr. Eric M. Brown, director and chiefexecutive of Cleaning Research International Ltd.and author of five textbooks and numerous man-uals concerning carpet maintenance.

Brown’s test analyzes the effectiveness ofcleaning chemicals and equipment by measuringthe degree of cleanliness with accepted vacuum-ing and cleaning frequencies, such as daily vacu-uming, interim cleaning, and deep cleaning,within given parameters.

This third-party testing undeniably measured thebenefits of using low-moisture interim maintenance.

Each cycle of the test simulated carpet beingsoiled by approximately 10,000 footfalls with pre-measured dirt, residues and tracked-in matterthat might typically make it a challenge to keepcarpets clean.

This accelerated soiling process was achievedby using a Kappasoil Soiling Machine, whichmeets criteria set by the InternationalOrganization for Standardization (ISO) andapplies the same types and amounts of soilingcompounds in the same manner.

Adhering to ISO standards is important tokeep testing practices equal across the industry.

The testing process began by applying the soilcompound on new, clean carpet.

The carpet was then vacuumed and the amountof soiling was measured using a TristimulusColorimeter, which measures the change in colorbetween unsoiled carpet and the soiled carpet asexpressed by ∆L.

The test included 20 soiling cycles in which onehalf of the carpet was only vacuumed and the otherhalf was additionally cleaned on every fifth cyclewith a LOMAC® twin cylindrical brush machinewith Crystal Dry® Extra encapsulation chemistry.

The sidebar on page 25 is the record of thenumerical values obtained.

The larger the value of ∆L, the dirtier the carpet is. The results are mean values from five measure-

ments on each sample.After a total of 20 cycles, or 200,000 footsteps,

the value of the interim maintenance methodbecame evident.

There was a substantial difference between those

A Tristimulus Colorimeter determines the amount of soil on a carpet.

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Test Results

carpet care

remain in the carpet and cause damage as it isground down into the fibers by normal traffic.

Poor visual appearance often limits car-pet life to five years or less.

Science now demonstrates that utilizinglow-moisture interim maintenance as partof a scheduled program can extend the lifeof the carpet and reduce the time betweenrestorative cycles.

As a result, measurably cleaner carpetswill keep the indoor environment fresh andmaintain carpet appearance.

Time savings, productivity gains

The low-moisture agitation and crystal-lization process uses twin-cylindrical brush-es rotating at 480 rpm to agitate encapsula-tion chemistry and lift pile all in one pass.

It requires no more training or effort thana commercial upright vacuum and produc-tivity using the twin cylindrical brushmachine discussed in this article can reach10,000 square feet per hour in open areas.

Additionally, carpet is dry in as little as20 minutes, so you do not experience longfacility down times.

Data for laboratory testing was gatheredaccording to ISO 11378. Visit www.ansi.orgfor a copy of the standard.

For a copy of the complete test report,visit www.whittakersystem.com. CM

Verified testingData for laboratory testing were gathered according to ISO 11378, which specifies a

method for assessing the propensity of textile floor coverings to soiling using an artifi-

cial soil composition.

The scope of this test method can be extended to assess the efficiency of cleaning

chemicals and cleaning equipment.

Visit www.ansi.org for a copy of the standard.

The ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is a non-governmental net-

work of the national standards institutes of 154 countries.

As the world’s largest developer of standards since 1947, ISO sets agreed-upon tech-

nical parameters that used to make conformity assessments by a broad range of con-

sumers, including industrial organizations, governments, regulatory bodies, trade offi-

cials, conformity assessment professionals and suppliers and customers of products and

services in both public and private sectors.

Worldwide consumers and end users — ultimately all of us — benefit from ISO’s very

specific expertise.

When products are engineered, tested and manufactured against exacting industry-specific crite-

ria, quality and safety are consistent. For more information, please visit www.iso.org. — D.W.

samples that were vacuumed only and thosecleaned periodically using the LOMAC®

interim maintenance machine.

The results

The results of the test, prepared in March2007, state that “when the carpet is soiledfor the first time, there is a sudden changein its appearance. In the case of the samplewhich was only vacuumed, this change

continues to worsen until a plateau isreached, which is an equilibrium betweenthe color of the soil and the color of the car-pet. In the case of the carpet subjected tointerim cleaning, however, each subsequentcleaning restores the carpet to a valuearound that obtained after a single soiling.

This means that by regular use of theLOMAC® interim system, the aesthetic appealof the carpet can be maintained at a satisfacto-ry level over a prolonged period of time.”

Furthermore, after restoration cleaningusing hot-water extraction equipment, therecovery of the carpet regularly maintainedwith the LOMAC® system is significantlybetter than that which does not have the ben-efit of this system’s interim maintenance.

Delivering superior results

Many great results can be brought to

your facility by substituting an interim

maintenance cleaning once a month for

ordinary vacuuming. It is a given that daily vacuuming

extends the life of carpet. However, carpet that appears clean may

in fact hold a quantity of dirt — the carpetmay be measurably dirtier than it looks.

If you perform interim maintenance on an“as needed” basis or only when the carpetappears dirty, you are allowing unseen dirt to

The higher the ∆L number, the

more soil present in the carpet.

SOILING VACUUMED WITH INTERIMCYCLE ONLY (∆L) CLEANING (∆L)

1 17.7 17.7

2 23.6 23.6

3 26.9 26.9

4 30.8 30.8

5 31.5 18.6

6 31.2 24.3

7 31.6 26.9

8 32.2 28.3

9 33.6 30.4

10 34.9 19.9

11 34.5 24.8

12 34.6 28

13 35.1 29.8

14 35.4 31.4

15 36.2 19.5

16 35.8 23.1

17 35.4 25.9

18 36.5 27.9

19 35.2 30.6

20 35.5 20.1

Extracted 27.3 11.2

Every fifth soiling cycle is highlight-

ed to show when the Whittaker inter-

im method was performed. There is a

notable difference in the amount of

soil present after interim cleaning is

performed. — D.W.