FOAM:
noun / pronounced: fōm
Definition of FOAM
(Entry 1 of 2)
1: a light frothy mass of fine bubbles formed in or on the surface of a liquid or from a liquid: such as
a: a frothy mass formed in salivating or sweating
b: a stabilized froth produced chemically or mechanically and used especially in fighting oil fires
c: a material in a lightweight cellular form resulting from introduction of gas bubbles during manufacture
Not sure many of these definitions apply to us in carpet cleaning, but do you like your LM products to foam? A little or a lot for some, but is it helpful? I think we have become accustomed to the “look” of the foam reaction as it is generated while we clean, but in reality, it does little more than reflect more light before the bubbles structure collapses, giving us the very momentary look of a brighter carpet. I have been using Radical Rinse for months and love the way it cleans. But since it is a rinse, you get virtually zero foaming. This is good as spots are not disguised under the extra light reflecting off of the bubbles, possibly giving you a false perception of clean. The other day I used Omega Citrus to add some ProFresh scent to a job and boosted it with Radical Rinse and the foam was back. Personally, I like the foam as you just feel you are accomplishing more. It gives you the gratifying perception that you accomplished more then you really did. For as the foam dissipates, so does the extra brightness it lent to the carpet’s appearance. But in reality, it’s better to clean without it as you get real-time feedback to see if your cleaning pass was successful since you have no foam to cover up a potential missed spot.
So, to foam or not to foam? I still like it even though I know better.
