Importance of Fabric Protectors

Importance and Types of Fabric Protectors

When discussing the different types of fabric protectors it is important to keep in mind that some manufacturers are not anxious to divulge the contents of their fabric protector / carpet protector. You may then find some catch phrases which can be confusing when trying to decide what type of fabric guard you are using. Words such as polymer, copolymer, hydrocarbon, alaphatic, chlorinated and even metal cross-linked have been used in describing fabric protectors. They are:

Collodial Silica, which fills pores, thus preventing soil from becoming embedded.
Silicones, which provide a water repellent coating.
Florochemicals, which form an invisible shield on fibers that helps prevent soil and stains from sticking

Here is a look at the characteristics and performance properties of each type.

Collodial Silica

Finishes made from collodial silica are the oldest for the soil retardant products. First introduced in the early 1950's, they usually show good dry soil performance over short periods of time but have no oil or water repellency at all. In addition, collodial silica finishes generally detract from the lustre of carpet and may give a harsh hand to the fiber. The only real advantage of collodial silica is it's low cost. Bridgepoint does not recommend use of this product. However, it may have limited use on a carpet that had mostly dry soil tracking and was cleaned often.

Most Collodial Silicas come in a concentrated form and are dilutable with water. Once diluted they are non toxic and safe on most surfaces not harmed by water. If overspray is present on other surfaces it can usually be wiped off with a damp towel.

Being cationic by nature, Collodial Silica should not be used on stain resist type carpets. It will void the warranty in most cases.

Silicones

Silicones for fabric treatments found a place in the Dry Cleaning industry before they were ever used on furniture or carpets as a protector. Raincoats and parkas were treated with silicones to impart water resistance. This product worked quite well for this application because it allowed the fabric to "breath" while imparting a certain amount of water proofing. The obvious water repelling features of the silicones attracted interest from the carpet and upholstery industries. The product then came into use as a fabric protector. Although the only real value of the silicone is as a water stain repellent.

Products based upon silicones form a water repellent coating on the fiber. But even though they are good water repellents, silicone finishes have no resistance to oily substances, and consequentially, they frequently show poor dry soil performance. In fact, they often attract some types of soil and results in a carpet that appears dirtier than one without a protective finish.

The silicone products are formulated in organic solvents that are usually flammable and sometimes odor causing. This fact presents application and handling considerations. The product should be used only in well ventilated areas and never used around an open flame or while smoking. The solvent carrying agent used in most silicones is Odorless Mineral Spirits (OMS). The advantage of this solvent is its relatively low odor. It has good wicking action and quite a good coverage rate. Silicone products are bottled ready to apply and cannot be diluted with water. Performance will not be adversely effected if applied to damp fabric. However every effort should be made to remove most of the water from the fabric before application, as excess moisture will inhibit the bonding effect of the silicone.

Silicone products offer a viable alternative to Fluorochemical products when cost is the main concern. The Silicone products are usually about half the cost of Fluorochemicals and will cover more fabric per ounce. However we must remember that the Silicones are limited in their protection and should only be sold as a less expensive STAIN repellent. Silicone based products will seldom keep carpet or furniture cleaner longer. Silicone protectors require from eight to twenty four hours to cure, so care must be taken to keep traffic off any treated surfaces.

It must be recognized that a manufacturer can make any claim they wish and only if that claim can be proven false in court can they suffer any consequence from a false claim. The professional cleaner must help his customers realize the true properties of any given protector and give his customer realistic expectations. Some makers of Silicone protectors are suggesting that one topical application of their product will last for the life of the fabric, no matter how many times it is cleaned or how much traffic it is exposed to. It may be true that some ready to be thrown away, however it is obvious that the majority of the protection will be lost through abrasion, cleaning and degradation of the protector itself. Be professional-be informed. NOTE; Silicone should never be used on carpet. It is specifically noted as a warranty voiding substance for most of the stain resist fibers.

Florochemicals

Fluorochemical products form a protective coating on the carpet fibers that helps keep dirt from lodging itself within the fibers. These unique products are characterized by outstanding dry soil resistance and resistance to wet soil. They provide very good resistance to both water and oil-based liquids. Dirt or soil tends to remain on top of fabrics treated with Fluorochemicals and can usually be vacuumed away. Treated fabrics will give an opportunity to remove spills before they are absorbed into the fiber.

The Fluorochemicals will work in basically tow ways. When a Fluorochemical product is applied it will disperse and wick to cover all of the fiber as long as it is applied properly. The coverage is spread throughout the fabric and the dirt and stain repellency will work even at the base of a carpet as long as the product is there. The Fluorochemicals also impart a high degree of surface tension. This surface tension is created by an electrical charge that will hold a liquid on the surface of the fiber. The surface tension can easily be broken by physically forcing the liquid into the fabric, or if the liquid is dropped onto the surface from a distance it will usually break the surface tension. When the bulk of any fabric including carpet is considered, air space takes up more room than the fiber itself. Thus when the surface tension is broken the liquid is being forced into the air spaces rather than being absorbed into the fiber that is protected with a Fluorochemical.

A liquid spill on a treated fabric is more easily removed if spotted immediately. If this is not possible then the treatment will make the spot easier to remove at a later date. Soil release is much improved when cleaning Fluorochemically treated fabrics.

At this point it is important to learn about the Bridgepoint Protectors since these products are at the heart of the program. You will also learn about other products and types of protectors and study their advantages and disadvantages.

THE BRIDGEPOINT PROTECTORS TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Bridgepoint Protectors

At Bridgepoint Systems we have developed a range of top grade carpet and fabric protectors to suit the needs of even the most discriminating professional. These protectors are manufactured to the highest standards and consistency. Every one of the below listed protectors are based on the latest fluorochemical technology. Some use water as the carrying agent (the fluid that carries the solution onto the carpet or upholstery) while others use dry solvents. The end result is essentially the same no matter what the carrying agent. The carpet or fabric will clean easier, and be more resistant to soil and stains. The carrying agent that you choose is usually determined by the desired use. If you are treating fine upholstery, drapery, wall cover, or other fabrics you will want to use one of the solvent grade protectors that contain no water. If you are treating carpet you will want to choose one of the water based protectors for both durability and cost. Some of the water based protectors can also be used on more durable fabrics such as olefin.

All of our protectors have these great features in common:

Durability - Bridgepoint Protectors will bind aggressively to a fiber and last under heavy traffic and repeated cleanings. Once Bridgepoint is applied, only light repair coats will ever be needed to bring it back up to maximum protection.
Soil and Stain Resistant - This is obviously the main reason to apply protector. Customers will find their carpet and fabrics gain a new life when protected with Bridg epoint. All Bridgepoint Protectors resist dry soil, wet soil, water and oil based spills.
Cleanability - A benefit to the customer is how easily carpet and fabrics once they are protected with Bridgepoint. Each one of the products listed below will make cleaning up after spills quick and easy.

Bridgepoint Protector "MAXIM"

Our efforts in developing Maxim protector led us on a quest to overcome current problems with existing protectors while improving overall performance and effectiveness. This product combines the very latest stainblock technology and soil resistant chemistry that DUPONT has available with the fiber protection expertise that Bridgepoint has developed over many years. The result is what we believe to be the best protection product available!

Better penetration - This advanced formula has excellent penetrating and wicking ability which means that less water is needed to spread it over the fibers as well as creating a better protected fiber, top to bottom.
One spray for all - This formula is approved for use on all 5th generation stain resistant carpets. It gives added soil and stain resistance to any carpet including all synthetics and wool.

Bridgepoint Protector "PRECEDENT"

Precedent Protector came together as Bridgepoint and 3M, (famous for 3M Scotchgard), combined ingenuity to develop this first rate protector. We were looking for a protector that lived up to the long established quality of Scotchgard and offered excellent value to the professional. This has been established with Precedent.

Pleasant Fragrance - A clean fresh fragrance lets you and your customer know that you are applying an effective product.
Upholstery - Precedent may be applied to colorfast, water safe upholstery. This gives additional versatility when a solvent based protector may not be applicable.
Years of proven performance - 3M has helped Bridgepoint develop Precedent from established working fluorochemical technology. This product will give the high quality protection you have come to expect form 3M.

Bridgepoint Protector "CARPET GRADE' Carpet Grade is the established performer when it comes to water base protectors. Recently improved to better adhere to carpet fibers, this product continues to be the choice among thousands of professionals. Carpet Grade continues to give the best performance in many important areas.

Durability - Dozens of real life, scientific studies have proven that once Carpet Grade goes down on a carpet it stays! Resistant to even the heaviest traffic, it will continue to perform in commercial or residential where abuse is a given.
Soil Resistance - Unequaled for resistance of dry and oily soils, Carpet Grade will simply keep a carpet clean longer. Oil based soils are the cause of most of the soil in carpet that cannot be vacuumed out. This oil will age and oxidize to actually discolor a carpet that is not protected. Bridgepoint Carpet Grade Protector will greatly extend the life of most carpets.
Surface Tension - You can see the protection work as water base and oil base spills bead on the surface of the carpet. Even old dried stains and soil are easily released when the carpet has been protected with carpet grade.

Solvent Based Protectors

Bridgepoint Protector "Solvent Based"

This protector is the "first" product that produced amazing results, quick drying, and true durability. It is based on a fluorochemical resin that protects the fibers from water, oil, dry soil and stains and yet is completely invisible to see or to touch. The carrying agent is 1,1,1, Trichloroethane. This is a nonflammable fast drying solvent that has been used for years. Unfortunately it has been shown to have a minor effect on the ozone layer so the government is taxing it out of existence. The good news is that we have retained the exact active ingredient and used it in Bridgepoint II described below.

Original Bridgepoint Solvent Base is becoming somewhat expensive and sometime in the near future may be unavailable. It is still the best product for demonstration because of its quick drying capability.

Bridgepoint Protector II

This protector is a high quality Fluorochemical compound in a solvent base. The solvent used as a carrying agent is Odorless Mineral Spirits. This product was originally developed to fill the void between the solvent based silicones and water base fluorochemicals. Furniture stores, Interior Designers, and Upholsterers needed a product that could be applied in their shop or warehouse that was safe for fabric and was the highest form of protection available. Professional upholstery cleaners needed a product that could be applied after cleaning without adding additional water to the upholstery. The OMS base makes this one of the overall safest products for application to upholstery as it concerns color fastness, shrinkage, or fiber distortion.

Surface Tension - Bridgepoint II sets up a protective coating that is unrivaled. When the protector is properly applied, liquid spills will bead on the surface for easy removal.
Penetration and Coverage - No other protector demonstrates the ability to penetrate and wick to all the surfaces of the fiber to give it complete coverage.
Long Lasting - Tests have been conducted where a treated piece of fabric has been put through 3 washing machine cycles (much more harsh than on location carpet cleaning) and still had a good degree of protector left in the fabric. Even dry cleaning processes can be repeated several times without destroying the protection. We now have many items that have been protected for over 12 years and they are still receiving quality protection.
Quality in the Name - Furniture stores and designers the country over have used Bridgepoint. To them, Bridgepoint means LUXURY. It gives them the luxury of putting fine silks or whit cotton into a home without the usually worries. It gives them the luxury of using their upholstery without the constant worry of soil or spills. Bridgepoint means quality, status, and the enjoyment of owning fine furnishings.

This helpful advice is provided to you by New Dimension, the pinnacle in Boston carpet cleaning.

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