We Burn Test Your Carpets

4/5/2019 (Permalink)

An example of the 'burn test' we perform prior to cleaning a carpet.

When we aren’t extracting water from floors, restoring after fire damage or cleaning out mold, we are busy providing our clients with SERVPRO® of Greater Waco’s unmatched, high-quality area rug carpet cleaning. Our technicians have the experience and specialized training in carpet cleaning to ensure that your carpet is not damaged during the cleaning process. One of the many pre-cleaning tests performed on your carpet is called a ‘Burn Test’.  This involves taking a small sample of the fibers from the carpet, (these samples are always taken from an inconspicuous area) and literally burning the fibers. We do this in order to observe how the fibers burn and to note the smell coming from the burning fibers. The following gives you an idea of how we use these characteristics to better determine the fiber type:

• If it smells like burning paper = that is an indicator the fibers are cotton based
• If it smells like burning hair = that is an indicator the fibers are wool based
• If it smells like celery sealing wax = that is an indicator the fibers are nylon based
• If it smells like asphalt paraffin = that is an indicator the fibers are olefin based
• If it smells like acrid burned meat = that is an indicator that the fibers are acrylic based
• If it smells sweet and fruity = that is an indicator that the fibers are polyester based

The purpose of the ‘burn test’ is to identify the fiber that the carpet is made of so that we know what cleaning agents and process to use and which not to use. If an incorrect chemical is applied to carpet fibers without proper testing the carpet could have irreversible damage. Have peace of mind and call the “burn test” experts here at SERVPRO® of Greater Waco