RAL 991 A3

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RAL 991 A3 is a RAL agreement for regulating the cleaning of textile floor coverings and is considered the industry standard in the cleaning industry.

history

The first RAL agreement (RAL 991 A2) for the cleaning of textile floor coverings dates from 1974 and for the first time described a uniform procedure and the special features of the individual types of flooring. The RAL agreement was adapted with the edition RAL 991 A3 from January 2005 with the cleaning and installation procedures for textile floor coverings that have since been added and modified. The current edition is from April 2013.

Types of cleaning according to RAL

Maintenance and intensive cleaning is used to clean carpets and carpets. The term “maintenance cleaning” means the daily or regular removal of stains and the thorough vacuuming of loose dirt with a brush vacuum cleaner. Intensive cleaning is also more complex cleaning with detergents and special machines.

Cleaning scheme

The cleaning is carried out according to the following scheme:

  1. Checking the type of covering ( loops made of yarn , velor , needle felt and ball yarn , natural fibers )
  2. Check the type of fastening
  3. Vacuuming with a brush vacuum cleaner
  4. Checking the staining and spotting, i.e. removing or pretreating stubborn stains with a suitable agent (stain removal)
  5. Basic cleaning
  6. Check the staining with post-spotting
  7. Vacuuming with a brush vacuum cleaner

Procedure

The selection of the cleaning process, which goes beyond mere maintenance cleaning, is made according to the construction of the flooring, the type and condition of the laying, the degree of soiling and the needs of the property.

Dry method

Dry vacuuming

When vacuuming dry with a vacuum cleaner , the loose dirt is removed by using a vacuum or brush vacuum. The upright vacuum cleaner is equipped with a roller brush to enable the removal of hair and deep-seated dirt while brushing up the pile.

Pad cleaning

A single-disc machine (ESM) is used for pad cleaning . A pad made of textile fibers is mounted on the machine's pad holder, a horizontally rotating disc . The cleaning solution is previously sprayed onto the pad with a pressure sprayer. The carpet is then sprayed with a pressure sprayer or the ESM's spray unit and then moved down with the ESM, thus holding the loosened dirt in the pad. After the pad is saturated by the dirt absorption, it is replaced by a fresh one or turned over.

The Thermopad process is carried out with an ESM with built-in heating. This leads to faster drying and better dirt removal. With the oscillation pad method, the pad wobbles, which results in a better depth effect and dirt removal.

A special variant is a pad that is always used in pairs in conjunction with a double mobile bucket. For reprocessing, a pad is always in a bucket of the double bucket filled with clear water. Before it is put to use, it goes into the press . The degree of moisture in the pad is determined by means of the pressing process. This means that one pad is always in use for cleaning, while the other pad is always in a bucket of the double-wheeled bucket for reprocessing. The reprocessing is necessary in order to give the absorbent core in connection with the special cleaning chemistry the necessary time for dirt loosening / relaxation.

A special drying pad can then be used for all variants. All pads can be washed in the washing machine after use, following the washing instructions.

Dry extraction

In dry extraction , which is also known as powder cleaning, dry suction or granulate cleaning processes, different materials are used depending on the provider. As the medium, a slightly damp, is sponge- like grist or granulate is used, which with a cleaning agent (alcohol-based, contains surfactants or is provided -free). This is evenly distributed on the floor, worked into the carpet by hand or by machine and with a machine with two counter- rotating roller brushes . The cleaning agent removes the dirt from the carpet fibers and binds the dirt by means of adsorption in or absorption to the granulate. After complete drying or evaporation of the cleaning agent , the dirt-laden granulate is vacuumed with a brush vacuum cleaner. There are also machines that can also be used as upright vacuum cleaners.

Dry foam

In the dry foam process, an ESM is used in a foam generator to create a relatively dry, detergent- containing foam; the moisture content can be set between two and ten percent on the generator. Now this is worked in with a brush pad. In the “Von Schrader process”, the dry foam, which here always has a moisture content of around ten percent, is generated and applied to the floor. Then it is worked into the floor with a roller brush, the foam loosens the dirt and is immediately afterwards practically completely sucked up again into a tank by the same machine.

After complete drying, in both cases the crystalline foam residues are sucked off with an upright vacuum cleaner.

Wet cleaning

Shampooing

In the shampooing process, wet foam is incorporated into the carpet. The single-disc or multi-disc machines used for this have a horizontally rotating disc brush with plastic or natural fiber bristles on the underside . These agents must then be removed either by spray extraction or, in the case of products that crystallize out, by wet and dry suction. The variant shampooing followed by spray extraction is the most thorough cleaning method.

Spray extraction of a carpet

Spray extraction

In the spray extraction process, the surfactant-free cleaning agent solution is sprayed on and suctioned off immediately one after the other with the same device. The devices have a nozzle at the front in the working direction, with the help of which the cleaning agent solution is sprayed into the carpet material under pressure. Behind it is a suction nozzle, with which the liquid that has just been brought into the ground is sucked off again and transferred to the dirty water tank of the device. In the case of heavier soiling, a pressure sprayer must also be used. Subsequently, it must be rinsed with clear water to remove any cleaning agent residues. Normally lukewarm water (30 ° C) should be used. With hot water above 60 ° C, disinfection is achieved. But it can also be extracted with isopropanol or products containing CO 2 . If special suction heads or machines with rotating brushes are used, this is known as fast fraction. There are also suction heads which are provided with several nozzles and rotating suction bars. There are also systems that spray the cleaning solution under additional air pressure, such as a spotting gun in dry cleaning . Suction boosters can also be interposed to achieve greater suction power. After cleaning, the carpet must dry; a blower can also be used for larger areas for faster drying.

Stain removal (spotting)

The spotting is used to remove or pre-treat stains that cannot be removed or not sufficiently removed by other carpet cleaning methods. There are various specially adapted means that are used for this purpose. The spotting is used both before and after carpet cleaning.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Cleaning and care of textile coverings , baunetzwissen.de.
  2. ↑ RAL agreement RAL 991 A3, April 2013 edition, pp. 5, 7, 8.
  3. ↑ Lutz (2012).
  4. ↑ Ecotrophology Volume 1, p. 110.