Most Arizonans have heard of carpet protector in one form or another. Teflon, Scotchgard, Stain Guard, or Stainmaster to name a few are prevalent in more than just the flooring industry. The ability to guard from stain without inhibiting the fabrics softness has led to extensive use in our clothing. Do not be fooled, the primary purpose of these products is protecting your carpet from the tremendous abuse it takes on a daily basis. The problem is, many of us do not fully understand how it works, or why we need to reapply it regularly. Today, we change that so that you may make a wise decision on whether or not your carpet should have it reapplied after your cleaning is complete.
Protecting your carpet with Surface Tension
The most basic function of fabric protectors is to raise the surface tension of the carpet. This is achieved by coating the tiny pores in the carpet fiber with teflon, allowing spills to ‘float’ atop the carpet without absorbing into the fiber, causing a possible stain. This allows you time to get a towel and blot up the mess before you have a problem.
This, however, is not a cure all, bullet proof science. Spills of a higher temperature, such as coffee or tea, will burn right through the teflon into the face fiber. Spots that go uncleaned for a significant time, such as a puppy spot left while you were at work, will eventually soak through into the carpet. A new technology was needed.
Protecting your carpet with Maxim Advanced
Maxim Advanced is a type of fabric protector that protects fabrics a little differently than the big name products that depend solely on surface tension. Maxim focuses on filling the fiber with teflon, not just coating the top. This covers the fabric from the inside out by protecting the dye sites (tiny crevices in the fiber that hold the carpets color) from damage or staining. This means less surface tension, but stains have a stronger chance to be rinsed away in the cleaning process because the dye sites are shielded from harm. This includes spills from hot sources or ones left to sit for hours at a time.
Protecting your carpet…Every Year?
Most of your carpets are made with some form of fabric protector literally baked into the fabric. This factory protector will last several years, but it does wear down. Once it has worn down, your carpet will stop cleaning up as nicely and stains will stop releasing as easily.
In Arizona, it is often recommended to have your carpets cleaned at least once yearly. Obviously there are some cases where it will be needed more frequently or less frequently. In order to ensure that your carpet keeps its stain repellency that you have Maxim Advanced reapplied at least once a year or once every two cleanings if you clean more than twice a year (i.e. homes with kids or pets).
When to stop protecting your carpet
This is truly a question that you have to think about because it is completely up to you. Reasonable variables would be you are sick of the style and want a newer look or your carpet is well aged and looking a little worse for wear. Our Technicians will recommend when a carpet is starting to reach an age where you should consider putting the extra cost of protection towards savings for replacement. In the case of a carpet with plenty of life left but that is out of fashion, that is purely up to you, and maybe your designer.
