Cleanfax, August 2019

half truths which resulted in further miseducation Th erefore we are wrong when we say things like A pH of 2 should be neutralized with a pH of 12 A pH of 1 or 13 is very powerful pH is the measurement of acidity and alkalinity It appears we have been taught the wrong pHacts Going back to what we learned we were taught that all pH measurements measure acids and alkalinity Th erefore educators thought it would be okay to teach the pH scale alone However the pOH scale measures alkalinity Zero to 14 Under ideal conditions the pH pOH of water can equal 14 Th ese scales really exist for convenience Try googling pH negative one and pH 15 and you might be surprised to fi nd that they exist So what is the point of emphasizing the scale And is seven really neutral Again only under ideal conditions However most pH meters do not measure pH as it is given in its defi nition as pH log 10 H Notice that temperature is not given in this equation Th erefore most pH meters adjust the real pH so that the pH pOH equals 14 just to make it easy to understand Many might wonder why pH is not the measurement of acidity and alkalinity Well its close In fact it can be a measurement of pH Th e pH of a solution is controlled by buff ering and ionic strength Th us one can have a weak pH of 13 or a powerful pH of 7 Moreover whether they react with anything can depend upon other factors aside from whether the values are strong or weak Using pH knowledge Now that everything you were taught about pH turns out to be a myth and all of your conclusions are wrong where do we go next Should we just stop teaching pH Would that solve the problem No We would be better off knowing the misinformation than no science at all Try googling pH negative one and pH 15 and you might be surprised to find that they exist Should we require a PhD in chemistry before cleaning carpet I think that those who have a PhD would say no and carpet cleaners would scream it Are there other facts about pH that we missed that would give us real science we could understand and use Th e answer to the last question is a big yes Swimming pool cleaners deal with chemistry and in particular pH What do they know that we dont and how do they use their knowledge Th ey know pH meters and how to read charts Th is is all our industrys technicians really need to know too Electronic pH meters can tell us what kind of product was last used to clean the carpet which allows cleaners to avoid assuming the liabilities of what would have been the previous cleaners lawsuit By knowing the pH of a spot or stain one can know its source and the best way to remove it A contrast in pH between the spot and the surrounding carpet tells us that the spot is due to a water based problem and that a water based spotter with a contrasting pH will be the most effective spotter to use When there is no contrast in pH we know that a dry solvent is the best spotter in that case Th ese pH meters can also tell us when color loss is caused by chemicals or if it is coming from the atmosphere or sun fading Once again a chemical that causes color loss will leave a diff erent pH compared to the nonaff ected area When it is a natural colorloss there will be no contrast in pH Where does one gain this knowledge about pH Some instructors teach pH meters and some do not Aside from that there is YouTube Some manufacturers of pH meters have training videos that show how to use their products on carpet Trust me if your customer sees you using a pH meter they will be impressed Furthermore a photo record of your readings from a cleaning job can eliminate a lot of legal calamities Th is is always better than revealing that all you know about pH is junk science James Jim B Smith is an IICRC approved instructor and a senior practicing inspector and part of the voting consensus of the IICRC S100 cleaning standard His educational studies come from Texas A M University and the University of Houston He has been in the cleaning industry since 1975 For more information visit his website atcarpetinspector com jbs call 972 334 0533 or email jsmith@ carpetinspector com AUG 2019 cleanfax com 17 By knowing the pH of a spot or stain one can know its source and the best way to remove it