Encapsulation Cleaning, sometimes called Encap Cleaning, is a low-moisture carpet cleaning treatment used to restore high-traffic areas or remove tough stains deep within the fiber of the carpet. This is done with encapsulation chemicals that, when allowed to sit and penetrate the carpet, crystallize and capture soil. That dry soil can then be vacuumed up to give you an effective clean without the need of an extractor.
There are 5 key steps in the encapsulation cleaning process:
1. Vacuuming
2. Pre-Treating
3. Dwell Time
4. Scrubbing
5. Vacuuming
EXPERT TIP:
Encapsulation works by crystallizing dirt and grime for easy removal. For high-traffic areas, we recommend encapsulation cleaning bi-monthly or even quarterly to extend the life of your carpet.
The Right Tools You'll Need At Every Step
VACUUM
The first and final steps of the encapsulation process require a vacuum. The pre-vacuuming is just as important as the post, so do not skip this step!
This picks up the initial layer of dirt, so the encapsulation detergent can focus on the real dirt stains deep in the carpet. If the space permits, we recommend using a standard upright vacuum to take advantage of the direct-to-carpet suction.
PRE-TREAT
Next, use a chemical resistant sprayer filled with diluted HotKnife Encapsulation Detergent to pre-treat the carpet. Follow the directions on the bottle carefully to determine the proper treatment for your carpet. As always, when handling chemicals be sure to use proper PPE to protect yourself against potential harm or irritation.
WAIT
No tools are needed at this step, just patience. It's incredibly important to time this process to allow for 10-15 minutes dwell time, so the encapsulation detergent is able to fully soak and crystallize.
SCRUB
Depending on the square footage of the area you are working with, you can use either a floor machine with a carpet-friendly scrubbing brush attached or the cylindrical brush unit to agitate the encapsulated debris.
The Powr-Flite Multiwash Scrubber (pictured left) is a compact scrubber that operates with two counter-rotating cylindrical brushes. These brushes provide a deep cleaning, scrubbing at 650 RPMs- three times higher than rotary brush scrubbers. In addition to encapsulation cleaning, you can use this unit to clean and scrub multiple floor types.
The Multiwash ships with Standard Stiff brushes included, so you have all you need to begin the agitation process.
Any low-speed floor machine, such as the Millennium Edition 20" Floor Machine (pictured right), paired with a carpet friendly brush will make quick work of the agitation process without damaging the carpet.
RECOMMENDED BRUSH
Choose a brush 2" smaller than your machine.
We have a variety of pads and brushes to use with rotary floor machines, but when scrubbing carpet you want to be careful not to damage the carpet itself.
For carpet encapsulation, we recommend using the Powr-Riser Carpet Brush.
The Powr-Riser has a Glide plate at the center that can be adjusted for any carpet nap height.
Bottom Line
To keep your carpet looking nice and improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) of any given space, it is crucial to regularly clean carpets. Dust and dirt is easily tracked in and can build up over time causing harder to remove stains. The real build-up can be invisible to the naked eye which over time requires extra care and maintenance.
Luckily, with the right tools encapsulation is a fairly quick and easy process. The crystallization process is much faster than traditional shampooing/ wet cleaning methods. Because of the quick drying time, this leaves the carpet less susceptible to resoiling as is the case with wet carpet.