The Claims Advisor - Carpet Inspection Manuals

PROBLEM: SOILING

PICTURE #36

RECOGNIZING:	__ Visible at installation: _____________ __ Latent/Time: ___________________
LOCATION:	Traffic lanes and pivot points Inside door entries, in front of primary seating locations, and at the kitchen doorways.
DEFINITION/ APPEARANCE:	Dark areas appearing where soil particles have attached themselves to the yam filaments

PREVENTION:

Suggest walk-off mats. Make the customer aware that a proper vacuuming and maintenance plan must be kept. Review with them the problems when cleaning residues are left in the carpet.

RECOGNIZE

TEST INSPECT

Pull tufts __No Manufacturing Defect

Provide a 3"x7" swatch of unused carpet with your inspection report for testing.

Other: 1) Send a sample of unused carpet, as well as pulled tufts from the soiled areas, along with your report for further testing and evaluation.
2) If this is an olefin fiber carpet take a white, cotton towel and rub it on the pile surface areas of little or no use How quickly and easily does the soil respond to your efforts? Do the affected areas fluoresce under an ultra violet lamp prior to cleaning? After cleaning? Is there any foreign matter visible on the primary backing? What is it's color and consistency? Check the vacuum cleaner is the bag full? Does it work properly? Is there any unusual odor? How would you rate the care given this carpet? Has the carpet been cleaned? How often? Professional or self cleaned? Add water
and agitate. Does the pile foam up? Check the driveways, sidewalks, and garage floor Are they heavily soiled? Add a small amount of water. Is there any difference in water repellency between the soiled pile and the non-affected pile? If you get a sticky, yellow/brown residue it may very well be excessive spin finish lubricant that was not thoroughly removed.
3) Conduct a pH test for cleaning chemical residues.
4) If the Soiling is around the walls, edges of furniture, drapes, or rugs laying on the floor, see #4 "Air/Soil Filtration".

REFER TO:

    Picture # 36
__ Manufacturer's recommendations and guidelines
__ Manufacturer's installation guidelines

Manufacturer's care and maintenance brochure

CAUSE:

__ Installation	__ Specification
__ Maintenance	__ NO manufacturing defect
Locally Caused	__ This is a manufacturing defect

__ Within Industry Standards

Other: 1)Residue left on the yam from improper cleaning and rinsing techniques 2) Oil from bare feet 3) If the carpet is olefin fibers excessive spin finish lubricant may have been left on the carpet during the manufacturing process.

RESOLVE

RESPONSIBILITY

__ Manufacturer	__ Dealer or Specifier
__ Installer	Consumer
Other: The manufacturer if there is not the proper specified amount of soil resistance in the carpet or if excessive spin finish lubricant was left on the carpet during the manufacturing process. The carpet cleaner, consumer, or professional. for leaving cleaning residues on the yarn.

CORRECTION:

Problem can be corrected

__ Problem can not be corrected without replacing floor.

HOW TO RESOLVE

1) This condition may be resolved by having a professional carpet cleaner clean the areas of concern. Many times this poor condition is accelerated from residue left on the yarn through improper cleaning techniques This is especially true when the consumer tries to clean the carpet themselves. You might compare this to washing your hair but not rinsing the soap out. Obviously, your hair would be sticky and get dirty faster. A pH test of 7.5 or more would scratch the fiber shafts during normal foot movement through the traffic.

2) If an olefin fiber carpet and you determine that there is an excessive amount of spin finish lubricant remaining on the carpet, call your supplier's claims department and ask them if you should attempt to have it corrected (by a professional cleaner at their cost), or would they like to handle the problem. If this residue can not be removed the carpet should be replaced as a manufacturing defect.

3) If the soiling is around the walls, edges of furniture, drapes, or rugs laying on the floor, see #4 "Air/Soil Filtration" or the consumer may want to file a claim against their home owner's insurance.

The Claims Advisor

See Index:

CARPET
WOOD
VINYL
VINYL TILE
LAMINATES
CERAMIC TILE
STONE
UNDERLAYMENT

Testimonials

Examples:

CARPET INDEX
MATTING / CRUSHING
SOILING
GLUE DOWN