Soap Free Podcast August 12, 2020 - All about pH balance and cleaning

What this episode covers

[00:00:02.100]  Hello, all you soap free cleaners out there, it's JP from Procyon. Thanks for tuning into this week's podcast. We're going to talk a little bit about up front about how often you should have your carpet cleaned. And I'd like to talk specifically about pH, potential of hydrogen and the importance of cleaning. So to keep your carpet looking and performing at its best, the Carpet and Rug Institute recommends having your carpet professionally deep cleaned every 12 to 18 months. Bear in mind that this recommended frequency is a general guideline only and can vary based on particular circumstances, depending on how much dirt each of your home, seasons, etc. [00:00:47.160]  The 12 to 18 months. And we appreciate that information from the Carpet Institute. And Soap Free Procyon is a proud member of the Institute. So let's talk about pH levels and cleaning. When chemicals are dissolved in water, the mixtures pH level can become either acidic or basic. So, vinegar and lemon juice are acidic substances, while laundry detergent and ammonia are super basic. Ammonia, super basic or alkaline. pH level of 7.0, which is pure water is neutral. [00:01:32.850]  So on the pH scale of seven is neutral. Acid and bases are two extremes that describe the property of a chemical such as how hot and cold are used to describe two extremes of temperature. So P.H., which stands for potential of hydrogen, is the measurement of acidity or alkalinity of a substance when dissolved in water, just as degree is used to measure precise temperature, pH gives us precise measurement of acidity or alkalinity. So mixing acids and bases can cancel out their extreme effects, much like mixing hot and cold water can even out of water temperature, extremely acidic or basic materials reactive and can cause severe burns. [00:02:18.000]  Examples include automobile battery acid. So unlike the temperature scale, the pH scale is logarithmic. In other words, each number is ten times more powerful or less powerful than the next or preceding number. The pH of eight is ten times more alkaline, than the pH of seven and a pH of nine is one hundred times more than a page of seven, etc.. So what is the pH of carpet cleaning? When cleaning acidic soils, which are the most common type of soil, it's recommended to use an alkaline detergent and to eliminate alkaline type soils. [00:03:04.740]  A cleaning solution on the acidic side of the scale, typically with the pH of two to five, is what you would use. But that's not the business of Soap Free Procyon. We are on the slightly alkaline side because most common soils are acidic, so you can use an alkaline cleaner to get it out. According to the International Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, the IICRC for general cleaning of carpet that is moderately soiled and made from synthetic fibers, which is most of our carpets and rugs in our house, such as those in a residential setting. [00:03:45.180]  An alkaline cleaner with a pH around or under 10 might work best and usually best. However, carpet cleaning techniques, technicians working in a busy restaurant, for instance, where a carpet may be heavily soiled, may require a product with a higher alcohol concentration of up to 12. But these technicians always ensure that using chemicals this level don't void your carpet warranty. Good carpet cleaning technician is going to make sure they're not using too strong chemicals. So when cleaning carpet or fabrics made from natural sources such as wool and cotton, the neutral or slightly alkaline chemical solution is often the best choice. [00:04:31.620]  This choice helps protect the fibers and the coloring. So now you have some basic knowledge about pH levels and their importance in carpet cleaning. You can better understand my professional carpet cleaners devoted to their customers health and safety. So-called green cleaners are so devoted to our Soap Free Procyon products. The Procyon cleaning products are in the alkaline range of seven. Specific example is our famed Soap Free Procyon Extreme Pre-Spray with the concentrated pH of 11.0, a working diluted pH of 10.5 and here's the amazing thing it drives to a practically neutral 6.5 pH. [00:05:16.650]  So it's perfect for all of your carpet and upholstery cleaning requirements, even wool and silk. So I hope you found this information helpful. This is JP from Procyon, wishing you a healthy, clean and happy week. Take care and talk to you soon. Subscribe to Soap Free Podcast on Soundwise

PodParley-generated summary based on available episode metadata and transcript content.