Does Your Commercial Carpet and Upholstery Need Stain Guard?
It seems harmless enough—
The cup of coffee that’s just a little too full.
Until it goes flying and lands directly on the carpet, where the thirsty fibers soak it up immediately.
A few paper towels later, the carpet isn’t wet anymore — but there’s a noticeable stain…
And it will probably stick around until your next carpet cleaning.
Fortunately, there’s a way to prevent this mess:
Stain guard.
Does Your Commercial Carpet or Upholstery Need Stain Guard?
Most carpet mills treat carpet fibers with heat and a fluorochemical before the carpet leaves the mill. This means that, before it gets to you, the carpet has stain protection built-in.
But its effectiveness fades after a few years.
If your carpet is brand-new (and you can confirm it was treated at the mill) then you may be able to get away without applying any stain guard…
For now.
But after a year or so, you’ll want to make sure your professional carpet cleaner applies stain guard with each cleaning.
Upholstery, on the other hand, is less likely to have built-in protection when it leaves the factory. You can check with the manufacturer to see if your fabric has was treated with stain protection, but be prepared to hear a “no.”
Just like untreated carpet, untreated upholstery will absorb spills, rather than repel them.
So, if you want to keep your upholstery looking and smelling fresh, stain guard can be helpful.
Why Is Stain Guard Important for Businesses?
Stain guard keeps liquids from immediately soaking into your carpet or upholstery when spilled.
It gives you some extra time to run and grab a towel before that coffee soaks in.
It means a spill doesn’t immediately lead to an ugly stain.
When your office or building has hundreds or thousands of people going through it each day, stain guard adds an extra layer of protection for all of the spills, mishaps, dirt and debris that come through your doors.
But it’s important to note that spills must still be cleaned. If left for an extended period of time, they can still penetrate the carpet or upholstery and cause stains, even with a stain guard.
However, stain guard even helps with that, as it makes stains easier to remove when the carpet or upholstery is professionally cleaned by a commercial carpet cleaner.
How Does Stain Guard Work?
In most cases, stain guard is applied after the carpet or upholstery has been thoroughly cleaned.
It’s a liquid that is sprayed onto the fabric after cleaning, then worked into its fibers.
It forms a protective layer around the fibers so that, when something is spilled, it’s prevented from penetrating the fibers and causing stains.
What are the Downsides of Stain Guard?
The two most common types of stain guard are Scotchguard and Teflon.
The problem with these, though, is that they make your carpet and upholstery feel gummy or tacky if over applied.
Because of this, fabrics can get re-soiled easily as dirt adheres to the tacky surface of the stain guard. That’s not ideal if you want to prolong the life and fresh appearance of your carpet and upholstery.
That’s why we created our own stain guard protection method called FiberShield.
Why FiberShield is a Better Stain Protector
FiberShield is built into our proprietary DPM Care cleaning chemistry. It’s not a separate application like other stain guards.
And it’s designed to prevent dirt and debris from sticking to your carpet. FiberShield encapsulates the fibers of your carpet or upholstery, forming a protective shield to prevent your carpet from getting dirty. FiberShield’s anti-soiling properties keep your carpet clean and will protect your carpet against foot traffic.
And because FiberShield breaks down naturally during regular vacuuming, you won’t be left with tacky residue or debris. Instead, FiberShield offers another layer of protection to extend the life of your carpet and upholstery, while keeping it looking fresh between cleanings.
If you’re interested in learning how FiberShield can help extend the life of your carpet and upholstery and turn big spills into “no big deal,” just click here to contact us.