Color Repair Services

New technologies have turned this diversification opportunity into a science.
By Jim Smith
August 07, 2013 No Comments

KEYWORDS additive / blindness / cleaning / color / colors / dyeing / meter / problem / repair
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Most carpet cleaning technicians have avoided spot dyeing because it seemed too challenging to them. They had difficulty with color matching and colorfastness.

Two electronic tools have improved the rate of success:
1. New cellphone apps measure the primary colors of red, yellow and blue. These apps are available for a nominal fee at online stores, such as those used for smart phones.
2. Electronic pH meters, for exact pH balancing. These are available from most cleaning supply houses.

The reason these tools are of value is because the two problems in performing spot dyeing is color blindness and obtaining the correct pH.

These tools help technicians to overcome these issues.Color repair can be offered by any carpet cleaning company.

Color blindness

Some degree of color blindness affects approximately 10 percent of men and one percent of women. It rarely means one only sees gray; instead, the normal human eye sees in three hues:
• Red.
• Green.
• Blue.

This ability is due to a special cell-group behind the retina of each eye called “cone” cells, which are like radio receivers.

Red, green and blue represent three different radio frequencies. When one cannot properly see one of these colors, the condition is known as “Daltonism.” Even without this condition, most senses can grow numb after a while. For many, this numbing effect happens in the final stages of spot dyeing, when the discernment is most critical.

Therefore, a better way of determining accurate primary colors is needed by everyone.

Additive color theory

When red, green and blue lights are mixed together, they make white light. This is why televisions sometimes have red, green and blue cables. The theory on how this works is called the “additive color theory.”

In this theory, when red and green are equally mixed, it makes yellow; red and blue make magenta; and green and blue make cyan.

With many of today’s smart cellular phones, there are apps that can be downloaded that can calculate color based upon the additive theory for photographers.

Printer color theory

The additive theory does not work for pigments. The additive dye theory will not work for printers and paint because it completely covers the surface.

The primary colors for this theory are cyan, magenta, yellow and black.

Subtractive color theory

Dyes work on the “subtractive color theory” because they absorb some of the color from the additive theory.

What is seen are the colors that are reflected back from a surface. This is the theory used by textile dyers.

In this subtractive theory, red, yellow and blue are the primary colors.

When red and green are mixed it makes brown, which is a tertiary color. Mixing all the colors in large equal amounts makes black.

The color meter

Smartphone app developers have created tools that can help us with color repair.

The problem is in converting RGB numerical values to RYB values. Both Android and iPhones can use apps to do this.

With this latest development, now a color repair technician can make an electronic evaluation between a color loss and the surrounding yarns. This means the phone can see the quantities of red, yellow and blue. This eliminates the problems with color blindness and fatigue.

The pH meter

The second problem in spot dyeing is in determining the cause of the problem, and if it still exists.

Common household bleach, sodium hypochlorite, is the most common source for color loss in nylon. If any of its residues are still present, it will compromise the integrity of the color repair.

Frequently, sodium hypochlorite is self neutralizing, but one can never be too sure.

If it has neutralized, the resulting pH will be around 5.5; if bleach is still active, then it needs to be neutralized with sodium metabisulfite to a pH between 6.7 and 7.3.

Most coffee and tea stain removers and browning treatments contain sodium metabisulfite which leaves a pH around 5.5.

The pH meter is an important tool in determining these specific readings.

Bleach neutralizer challenges

Applying too much sodium metabisulfite causes a problem, because it turns into sodium hydrosulfite if heat is used. Sodium hydrosulfite destroys dyes.

Hence, reducing bleach can compromise spot dyeing too.

After applying bleach neutralizers, if the pH is around 5.5, it will need to be rinsed and neutralized to a pH between 6.7 and 7.3. These pH readings can only be made by measuring the pH directly from the fiber.

The electronic pH meter is the only practical way of doing this.

Opportunity

This can be a lucrative add-on service for carpet cleaning companies. Everyone can do color repair today. All they need is a pH meter, a color-meter phone app and some dyes.

However, training is still recommended. The IICRC has a two day training seminar that can get you started.

James (Jim) B. Smith is an IICRC-approved instructor and a senior practicing inspector. 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 at www.CarpetInspector.com/jbs or call (972) 334-0533 or (800) 675-4003 .