Hey buttheads - I was in my shop yesterday playing with some rugs on the wash floor (I moved back to CA a year ago) - and getting ready to meet for a layout of a new plant design to expand our operation.
Sorry about the butthead comment. LOL. It's creepy having this Justin photo on the header, he's got a super creepy stare.
The
Sapphire products we tested and used all summer in our plant, to see how they performed versus others products we use on a regular basis. Adjustments were made based on our feedback - and Pemberton's, where Jim was doing the same testing in his location on rugs and fabric. We were asked to see if the products met our standards in the field, and I personally loved the opportunity to test and give honest feedback, because people rarely ask me to put them to the test... as it might end up on my blog. =)
In the video clip - this was a temporary pit set up in a classroom - the WORST wash conditions on one of the worst rug candidates - a new Afghan wool on wool rug. A bleeder, with excess dye because it had never been washed.
I always pick an Afghan piece for cleaning in class because they always bleed, and instead of talking to students about "if a rug bleeds, do this or that" I want them to experience a bleeding rug. This way it's not a deer-in-the-headlights moment for them.
I also want them to see that though the water runs red, if you have the right product on the pieces beforehand (such as the Dye Stabilizer we used in the class) - the moving red dye will not redeposit on to the white. Most newbies panic when they see red water and stop the wash process and then the dye redeposits in other locations... when if you up the water flow, and squeegee well, you can move the migration away and off the rug.
So it was NOT an ideal wash set-up - that was intentional. I wanted to show them they would still clean it better versus just using the truckmount alone and not fully wetting down the rug (which we surface cleaned synthetics in another area ... and then we moved to a small plant with a full pit and washed more rugs there using a rotary scrubber, and the Rover for extraction).
The point I made in this video clip was that this was a bad wash scenario for a risky rug, the wash was about twice as long in getting done versus a "real" plant, so the rug was wetter longer than would be ideal. Dye stabilizer was used, the Natural Fiber Cleaner was used, and no acid rinse was needed because the NFC is acidic, and it gave this rug a great silky wash finish as a result.
I was completely impressed because I had planned for, and usually get, a disaster with this test. I pick a tribal rug and a bad setup on purpose... because then everyone can see how they can improve upon what is truly the cheapest and easiest way to set up a wash pit (this was about $100 of set-up costs).
I really, really like these new products. They performed better than I had expected, and I had planned for. Most plants use core chemicals and create their own solutions because it's the most cost effective, and always in my experience has outperformed the existing rug and carpet cleaning solutions on the market, which all seem to be the same versions of the same stuff. I can't tell the difference between
Chemspec Oriental Rug Shampoo and Masterblend's - and they both foam up like crazy, and perform the same in my experience. They are good, just not good enough to make me buy cases of them to use in my plant.
But these- if we can get them in larger sizes, and still affordable - these will be a permanent addition to our products. The Dye Stabilizer has tested great on dye stabilizing, browning correction, and urine decontamination, without the odor of vinegar. That's a big plus. It's also an excellent fiber rinse when you need it, because it does not have any added surfactants which has always been my complaint with all the fiber rinses I've used, because they leave residue behind.
As far as wash and shampoo and other terms - those are all semantics. There are two ways of cleaning, surface cleaning and washing - and some washing is more thorough than others based upon your set-up and your experience. When you are in your own little world you use your own "words" so I'm sure we are all talking on the same things.
I know
Sapphire made changes to their carpet cleaning chemicals as well - which probably Pemberton and others can speak to. A group of our Piranha Members tested several items for a beta test and gave feedback as well. What I really admire about the
Sapphire team is that they do a lot of research on the performance in the field by real cleaners, and from what I see, they listen and respond to make improvements... and I can't say that about any other manufacturer that I've worked with. The chemists actually came to our workshop and watched the demos, and asked a lot of questions.
It was fun working with these products and I'm looking forward to more...
Now pull that damn Justin photo off...
Lisa
P.S. Mike - is it your birthday?
