Giving the right impression
February 1st 2004

Mark Mullane, owner of Textile Cleaning Solutions, started Aquadri - his carpet and upholstery cleaning business in the mid-90s. His high standards of work helped the company grow quickly, yet he was dissatisfied with the results offered by the systems he was using and the amount of work required. He set about finding a way to solve the problems that he faced during cleaning.... What impression would you like to give your employees, clients and other visitors when they enter your building? It almost goes without saying warm, welcoming, efficient, professional. If your carpet is stained and has tracked in dirt, (which, in a commercial environment, is caused by footfall in heavily used areas) and your furniture is grubby, you will be sending out the wrong message. Also, the abrasiveness of the grime will make them wear quickly and the soiling may cause malodours. By maintaining a carpet regularly and correctly you can actually double its life. For many years, manufacturers have been developing and improving a carpets ability to hold and hide dirt. Many carpets will hold their own weight in dirt. This means that if your carpet is relatively new and it looks even slightly grubby, it is actually full! Surveys have shown that few of those responsible for maintaining carpets and upholstered furniture have them cleaned regularly. Indeed, many are unaware of the need to clean them at all and believe that carpets can be maintained just by vacuuming - with spillages and stains, which show up more than the general deterioration that the carpet will show over time, rubbed at with a wet cloth. As well as spreading the stain, this damages the fibres and causes wear. Many people do not even consider vacuuming furniture let alone cleaning it - yet just as much of the dust that floats around the room will land on seating. Other arguments for not cleaning carpets and upholstery are that it is expensive, difficult to do well, time consuming, noisy, disruptive, the long drying times involved and that it can cause problems with humidity while damaging cabling and computer systems as well as causing the carpet to shrink, stretch, discolour or split at the seams. None of these problems need occur if the operative is competent and is using the right equipment for the job in hand. The solution has been in the UK for four years and there is nothing to match it. The British built, patented Texatherm dry carpet cleaning system is one of the fastest growing, with over 700 units now being used by 500 companies; all of whom are converted by its speed, ease of use, ability to really deep clean, low noise levels and the low humidity involved. If they need any more convincing, the fact that the carpet is dry within 30 minutes is usually enough to do it. Texatherm can clean carpets up to 60% quicker than conventional methods, removing both water and oil based stains such as grease and tar without the need to solvent spot deodorizing, disinfecting and applying anti-static coating as it goes. Environmentally friendly, it does not require special ventilation or drying equipment and will leave carpets dry and ready to use in just 30 minutes with no danger of stretching or shrinking the carpet or splitting its seams. The two solutions used in the process have been certified by WOOLSAFE as being safe for use on wool. Texatherm leaves carpets pH neutral to keep colours true, and without the sticky residues that cause resoiling. It uses minimal liquid too just five litres will clean 1,000sq.m of carpet which means that it costs a mere 2.65 pence to clean, neutralise and apply anti-static coating/sq.m of carpet. This process eliminates the risk of mildew, browning, or the lingering dampness that is sometimes found when jute backed carpets are cleaned. Users say they like the systems quiet operation, the biocidal disinfectant that deals with odours and bacteria to BS EN 1040 during cleaning, and the anti-static finish as well as the fast drying time. They also like the fact that during the training process, we take away the fear factor, going out on their first job with them and becoming part of their team to ensure that everything runs smoothly. The way the system works is unique. A fine solution of Texatherm advanced cleaner is applied to the fibre. This immediately wets out and starts to break down the bonds between the dirt-trapping oil film and the dirt itself. Once the thermal pad has been preheated in Texatherm neutraliser it is applied to the pre-sprayed area creating an exothermic reaction which draws the soil to the surface where the pad can absorb it. A hand-held version, the Minitex, is ideal for use on stairs and in difficult-to-reach areas.

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