You Ask. Scott Answers.
by Scott Warrington
Q: “A building I clean every three months
recently put a top seal on the asphalt
parking lot. Now the sealer has tracked
into the building. How do I get it clean?
Once I get this clean, it will be tracked
in again very soon. I am afraid my client
won’t be happy and I may lose the job.”
can actually be absorbed into and
become part of the carpet fiber.
Encapuguard Green does leave a protective
barrier behind that will make future cleaning
easier. Also encourage your client to
make liberal use of matting. There should
be sufficient matting that each person
who walks in from the parking area must
take several steps on the mat before they
reach the carpet. To get just 3 steps with
each foot, this may mean 15’ or more of
matting! You can sell them matting or it
can be provided by rental services who will
replace with clean matting each week.
Here is what I would
recommend for cleaning:
A: You can almost follow each employee’s
path from the brown pathways that
are clearly visible beginning at each
entryway. Olefin fibers are especially
susceptible to asphalt walk-off, but
it can happen to nylon as well.
It is a big plus that your client has these
carpets cleaned every three months.
With time, the asphalt oxidizes and
becomes more difficult to remove.
Because of olefin’s affinity for petroleum
products, the molecules of the asphalt
1) Clean the carpet with your choice of
encapsulation equipment and products.
I recommend the Brush Pro counterrotating brush machine, Versa Pro 175
RPM floor machine or the Cimex machine.
Microfiber bonnets or Speedtrek bonnets
with polypropylene scrubbing strips or
beige floor pads according to which
encapsulation machine you are using.
You may also consider red floor pads if
very aggressive agitation is needed. Be
sure the carpet can stand up to this.
Scott Warrington is an industry expert
and walking encyclopedia of all
things cleaning. With over 30 years of
cleaning experience, he is an asset to
the industry. As a cleaning expert Scott
often receives questions from cleaners.
Below are some of his more common
or interesting questions and answers.
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