Water Removal and Cleaning Terminology in Your Mount Vernon Home

3/4/2020 (Permalink)

Call us today, SERVPRO of Skagit County at (360) 873-8744 and we can take a look for you!

Learn the Lingo used by the Professionals

Water can be one of the most damaging things to home in cases of leaks or overflows. Most damage occurs in the bathroom or kitchen area, which can impact textiles, upholstery, carpets, walls, and other materials within your home. 

Quick and efficient water removal in your Mount Vernon home after a spill can mitigate secondary damage like warped flooring and the growth of mold infestation. Knowing some of the cleaning terms explicitly associated with the cleaning and restoration industry may assist in understanding the process to restore your home to its preloss condition. 

Absorption

This is the action where gases and liquids go into the fabric or material fibers through chemical, osmotic, or capillary action. In cleaning, absorption transfers soils or liquids from fabrics and upholstery to something else like towels or stain absorb powder.

Adsorption

The transference of substance from one surface to another surface. This means that the substance does not absorb into the surface but is instead attached to the surface. SERVPRO restoration technicians use the adsorption process when applying topical treatments like fire or stain retardants. 

Agglomeration

The process of agglomeration stops the re-depositing of fine particles of soil into small openings such as scratches, fibers, or pores. In agglomeration, these fine particles merge together to form a larger mass. 

Agents

Oxidizing bleaching agents break down soils by adding oxygen while reducing bleaching agents to remove oxygen to counteract oxidation. Chelating agents are cleaning products like Powdered Emulsifier that reacts with hard water salts to make them water-soluble. 

Dispersion

Breaking up of solid soils in order for separation and suspension to occur within the cleaning solution. This process, also known as deflocculation, suspends soils to stop re-depositing of soils onto the surface. 

Foam Modifiers

Chemicals that increase or decrease foam, allowing technicians to customize detergents depending on the amount of foam needed for the effectiveness of the cleaning process. 

Penetration

Even the smoothest surfaces have small crevices that can hold dirty that becomes difficult to remove. Penetration ability refers to the ability of the cleaning product to get into these small crevices. 

Surfactants

Surfactants lower the surface tension of water-based cleaning products. The thick-skinned surface tension in water causes it to slow penetration; a surfactant fosters faster penetration into porous materials.  

For assistance after any water or fire emergency, contact SERVPRO of Skagit County at (360) 873-8744. We are available 24/7 and are Faster To Any Size Disaster.

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