Once you know the fiber type, soil, and environment of the carpet to be cleaned, your product choices become easier.

GENERAL PURPOSE PRECONDITIONER:
This product will have a pH range from 9-10 and will have a small amount of solvent built in for oil and grease cutting. These products are safe for all synthetic carpets. Carpets in owner occupied residences and well maintained "Main Street" commercial establishments respond well to this type of product. 

Examples of General Purpose Preconditioners include:

• Zone Perfect
• Ultrapac Pretreat LVC
• Ultrapac Trafficlean
• Hydrobreak
• Ultra TLC
• All Clean Xtra

COMMERCIAL CARPET PRECONDITIONER/OLEFIN SPECIFIC:
This product will have a pH range from 10-11, and relies on advance surfactant technology to draw oily and particulate soils away from the oil loving olefin carpet fibers.  These products give excellent soil release with less chance of wicking on all commercial olefin carpet.  This product is especially useful in commercial/industrial settings, or anywhere olefin carpet is found in an oily environment. 

Examples of Commercial Carpet Preconditioners/Olefin Specific are:

• Traffic Slam
• Olefin Preconditioner

COMMERCIAL CARPET PRECONDITIONER/HIGH PH:
These products range in pH from 11-12 and often will have strong solvent blends incorporated into the formulations. These products work specifically well on "trashed carpet", such as carpet in rental properties, fire/smoke losses, and Asian restaurants.  NEVER use such products on Stain Resistant Nylon, Commercial Nylon Prints, or wool carpeting. 

Examples of High pH Carpet Preconditioners include:

• Flex
• Deep Clean Xtra
• Power Burst
• Power Break

COMMERCIAL CARPET PRECONDITIONER/ENZYME:
Enzyme products break down protein and starches that leave insoluble build ups on carpeting in restaurants.  These products are blended with moderate (9-10) pH detergents and solvents to assist in the break down of oils and fats that are also generally present in food service areas.  Although Power Burst and Power Break (listed above) contain enzymes, they are not listed with this group, as they have lower enzyme contents, and rely more on high alkalinity than on enzymatic action. 

Examples of Enzyme Carpet Preconditioners include:

• Bio Break
• Prozyme
• Dirt Chaser

OXIDIZING ADDITIVES:
Oxidizing additives are color safe bleaches that remove stains that cannot be suspended or dissolved in standard preconditioners.  When added to any of the above preconditioners, these products remove food and tannin stains in rental properties and restaurants with little additional spotting or stain removal procedures.  Oxidizing additives are also very useful in minimizing the yellow/brown staining from oil bonding on commercial olefin carpet. 

Examples of Oxidizing Additives include:

• Oxy Xtra
• Oxy Plus
• Boost All

SOLVENT ADDITIVES:
Solvent additives assist in cutting heavy greasy, oily soils in industrial and rental property carpet when added to carpet preconditioners.  As with oxidizing additives, many spots that normally require special attention liquefy and are emulsified and extracted away during the cleaning process. 

Examples of Solvent Additives include:

• Citrus Solv
• Energy

As you have learned from this series of articles, understanding the market(s) you service will help you better determine the products that you need. Your product needs if you specialize in rental properties will be far different than another cleaner that does mostly "upscale" residential and "Main Street" commercial carpeting.  If your work is primarily upscale, well maintained carpet, keep each additive on hand to boost your General Purpose Prespray on those unique jobs that require restorative cleaning.