Against All Odds: Dupont Flooring System Saves Carpet Slated For Replacement With Maintenance Solutions

Ron Cross has the dirt on the City of Phoenix.  In fact, he has more than dirt— he has grease, grime and everything else that city workers track into his building.  As Contract Compliance Manager, Cross manages maintenance of over 1.7 million square feet of carpet for the City of Phoenix.  Recently, DuPont Flooring Systems Maintenance Sales Manager, Kelly Denny, approached Cross at a conference to explain the superior cleaning process of DuPont ResisTech carpet maintenance chemistry.  Denny described how the patented cleaning system keeps carpet looking cleaner longer by removing the dingy appearance of soiled carpet and reducing the likelihood of resoiling.  Cross was skeptical of DuPont Flooring Systems’ claims— with over 16 years of experience managing carpet, he thought they sounded too good to be true.  He had used other maintenance services that initially improved the appearance of carpet, but it would quickly resoil and look worse than before the cleaning.  Taking a chance, Cross accepted an offer for a demonstration that would give him the opportunity to see firsthand the superior technology of the DuPont ResisTech chemistry.A Dirty Job DuPont Flooring Systems conducted an on-site demonstration of the DuPont ResisTechchemistry at the Metro Maintenance Facility.Cross was testing DuPont Flooring Systems with his toughest job. “I believed the carpet was beyond repair,” said Cross, “we budgeted to have it replaced the next fiscal year.”  The carpet was filthy from the heavy foot traffic in the building.  From sanitation workers to road repair crews, people come in and out of the building all day, tracking debris across the floor and heavily soiling the carpet.  Despite daily vacuuming, the carpet appeared dull and dirty.  A small area of the soiled carpet was cleaned using the patented DuPont ResisTech chemistry.  The next day, Cross placed a call to DuPont Flooring Systems.  “One word…outstanding,” he said.  “That area looks so good, my boss wants you to come and clean the entire building.”DuPont Flooring Systems returned to clean the facility, in addition to the Equipment Management Administration Building next door.  The appearance of the heavily soiled carpet improved almost instantly and, over time, the carpet looked brand new.  “Almost two weeks after the DuPont Flooring Systems team cleaned the carpet, it continued to get cleaner after routine vacuuming,” said Cross.  “ResisTech proved that all carpet cleaning contractors and techniques are not created equal.”The Down and Dirty: How DuPont ResisTech Chemistry WorksCarpet soil is composed of two elements: dry soils and oily soils.  Silica and silicates, the dry soils that can destroy carpet fibers, can be removed by regular vacuuming.  Oily soil, which includes resins, gums, greases and fats are the binders that attract and hold other types of dirt to the carpet.  This results in a dingy gray or brown appearance.  Oily soil is the largest contributor to poor carpet appearance and, because it adheres to carpet fibers, cannot be easily removed. Applied as a part of a consistent carpet maintenance program, DuPont ResisTech chemistry surrounds each soil particle so that it can’t attract other soil and can be easily removed by dry vacuuming.   DuPont ResisTech chemistry also reduces the surface energy of the carpet to provide a “difficult-to-stick” surface that reduces the chance of carpet resoiling. The superior chemistry of DuPont ResisTech provided the City of Phoenix with the look of new carpet without the expense of replacement.  Cross is right: all carpet cleaning techniques are not created equal.