Athletes Foot in carpet

[gimmeagig]

Hi,
I have a customer who claimed their carpet was infected with athletes foot. It is an Air B and B. They want to make sure the place is OK for the next guests. They want to know if my enzyme prespray will kill it. And I don't know the answer to that. How can I make sure they get what they want.

 

[Hack Attack]

Hi,
I have a customer who claimed their carpet was infected with athletes foot. It is an Air B and B. They want to make sure the place is OK for the next guests. They want to know if my enzyme prespray will kill it. And I don't know the answer to that. How can I make sure they get what they want.

it's a fungus, fungal spores can stay active for awhile..

But I wouldn't be overly concerned about "killing it". I'd maybe spike my prespray with peroxide and tell them my cleaning has "effectively reduced" any fungal spores.

There are of course sanitisers that can be applied

 

[Cleanworks]

Hi,
I have a customer who claimed their carpet was infected with athletes foot. It is an Air B and B. They want to make sure the place is OK for the next guests. They want to know if my enzyme prespray will kill it. And I don't know the answer to that. How can I make sure they get what they want.

You are not a doctor. You don't know. It may help but there are no guarantees. Put that in writing.

 

[Cleanworks]

it's a fungus, fungal spores can stay active for awhile..

But I wouldn't be overly concerned about "killing it". I'd maybe spike my prespray with peroxide and tell them my cleaning has "effectively reduced" any fungal spores.

There are of course sanitisers that can be applied

Better to spray Benefect after cleaning

 

[Luky]

Hi,
I have a customer who claimed their carpet was infected with athletes foot. It is an Air B and B. They want to make sure the place is OK for the next guests. They want to know if my enzyme prespray will kill it. And I don't know the answer to that. How can I make sure they get what they want.

I use Microban, Mediclean, and Sporicidin. I believe all three products include fungicidal properties. This is a great topic, we should use our knowledge to educate our partners( real estate agents, and property management managers) about, bacteria and spores lurking in carpets, upholstery, and innate surfaces that are putting members of households at risk. Imagine toddlers crawling on the carpet with bacteria crawling along.

 

[gimmeagig]

I found Sporicidin on Amazon. That seems to be something I can use for mold and urine too. Can I mix that in with my enzyme pre spray or should I use it separately in a pump sprayer. Do I treat it before I clean or after?

 

[Luky]

I found Sporicidin on Amazon. That seems to be something I can use for mold and urine too. Can I mix that in with my enzyme pre-spray or should I use it separately in a pump sprayer? Do I treat it before I clean or after?

No, do not mix any disinfectant with other products ( you wouldn't mix ammonia with bleach)
Sporicidin and the other products are meant to be most efficient when sprayed in full strength on damp surfaces, there was Bioa - stat disinfectant designed for dry application.
I always use double treatment for water damage, before and after extraction. You can spray disinfectant with the one-gallon hand pump, if you don't have it, use a small one for upholstery applications.
It might take a little bit longer, but you'll have the job done. Spray it close to the surface as possible to avoid atomization( you don't want spray droplets in the air) if possible have the customer vacate the premises for an hour or so( you should be wearing a chemical mask with removable filters, so you don't inhale vapors directly. Better yet, read directions, use and precautions are there. Make sure you air out the whole place, you're not fogging it.
Be safe, and keep customers safe as well.

 

[Hack Attack]

I found Sporicidin on Amazon. That seems to be something I can use for mold and urine too. Can I mix that in with my enzyme pre spray or should I use it separately in a pump sprayer. Do I treat it before I clean or after?

If you use a dedicated product follow the label directions, most I'm aware of are a seperate treatment

I'd word it the same way I do as when discussing dust mites, allergens etc.. "effectively reduces" there are no guarantees, as Ron pointed out.

 

[Luky]

I found Sporicidin on Amazon. That seems to be something I can use for mold and urine too. Can I mix that in with my enzyme pre spray or should I use it separately in a pump sprayer. Do I treat it before I clean or after?

I also remember the RMR-141 fungicide from years ago. I did not like the scent, I can take Sporicidin, and I like Mediclean- lemon scent

 

[SamIam]

Use a quat, like quat alot.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Bear in mind that EPA registered disinfectants can only function as sanitizers when applied to textiles.

Sanitizers are only considered to be effective on bacteria, not fungus or virus.

What's the Difference Between Sanitizers and Disinfectants? - Nyco Products Company

There are several differences between between sanitizers and disinfectants. Both are regulated by the EPA but sanitizers and disinfectants serve different purposes.

www.nycoproducts.com

 

[Nate The Great]

Bear in mind that EPA registered disinfectants can only function as sanitizers when applied to textiles.

Sanitizers are only considered to be effective on bacteria, not fungus or virus.

What's the Difference Between Sanitizers and Disinfectants? - Nyco Products Company

There are several differences between between sanitizers and disinfectants. Both are regulated by the EPA but sanitizers and disinfectants serve different purposes.

www.nycoproducts.com

So I would ASSume high heat would "help with Sanitizing" said textile? Given the textile could handle the heat..

 

[Jim Pemberton]

That depends....

Bacteria multiply rapidly between 40 and 140 degrees. Bacteria will not multiply but may start to die between 140 and 165 degrees. Bacteria will die at temperatures above 212 degrees.

The issue here is this:

If a unit is reading about 200 on the guage, it is rare to get over 150 on the carpet, and even that will only be a few seconds before it cools. We also rarely account for the fact that the temperature sensors on truck mounts are usually at the hottest point of the system, and if a last step chemical injection is used, the cooler solution drops the temperature immediately.

We probably warm the carpet up enough to increase the multiplication of bacteria, and rarely (if ever) make it begin to die at the 140-165 degree level. We never get 212 on the carpet, and if we could, it is still just momentary.

I think cleaners needn't look any further than the "wet dog/dirty sock" smell that sometimes happens after HWE. That's caused by bacteria on the animal's hair multiplying after cleaning.

 

[Nate The Great]

That depends....

Bacteria multiply rapidly between 40 and 140 degrees. Bacteria will not multiply but may start to die between 140 and 165 degrees. Bacteria will die at temperatures above 212 degrees.

The issue here is this:

If a unit is reading about 200 on the guage, it is rare to get over 150 on the carpet, and even that will only be a few seconds before it cools. We also rarely account for the fact that the temperature sensors on truck mounts are usually at the hottest point of the system, and if a last step chemical injection is used, the cooler solution drops the temperature immediately.

We probably warm the carpet up enough to increase the multiplication of bacteria, and rarely (if ever) make it begin to die at the 140-165 degree level. We never get 212 on the carpet, and if we could, it is still just momentary.

I think cleaners needn't look any further than the "wet dog/dirty sock" smell that sometimes happens after HWE. That's caused by bacteria on the animal's hair multiplying after cleaning.

I use a #4 LG heater.. Getting hot is not a problem..

So it's the dog lipids/dander that causes that smell? I would see poly rugs that will have the "foot" smell.. It's fine after washing but once it gets wet, it's stank!