What is Dyson's Zorb?
I had an email exchange with Jack a while back -- about zorb... as I had found a bag of it on clearance at Sears and had some questions about it myself.... and here's the fabulous reply I got from him -- giving a fantastic explanation of Zorb:
"While I don’t feel that Zorb can be considered a total replacement for a carpet washer like the Hoover Dual-V, it’s quicker and easier to use than an extraction machine. It’s the sort of product you’re supposed to use regularly to stop soiling building up, rather than trying to renovate heavily soiled carpet. I’m sure none of your carpets can possibly be heavily soiled, anyway!
The Zorb powder is made up of millions of microsponges, which contain a harmless solvent. As they dry, the solvent breaks down the grease and dirt in the carpet pile, to be absorbed back up by the microsponges. Dyson actually made several model variants (DC03/04 Zorbster, DC05 Motorhead) in the UK supplied with application hoppers designed to disperse Zorb evenly and brush it in to the carpet pile. These give the best results, but it’s simple enough to apply without them.
Just sprinkle the Zorb generously over the area you’re cleaning (enough to cover the area well, but don’t swamp it!), then take the cyclone assembly off the DC28 so there’s no suction through the machine, and use it to brush the Zorb into the pile. You can also brush it in by hand if you prefer – just make sure it’s evenly spread. You might have to experiment a bit to find out what works best for you – different carpet types and thicknesses might give you different results.
The Zorb powder comes out of the pouch/box in damp clumps, but as it dries it becomes the texture of sawdust. Unlike finer carpet cleaning powders, it won’t clog bag pores and inhibit airflow, so it’s great for use for use with bagged cleaners as well. The packet says it takes 30mins to dry - if it’s a warm day, it should dry pretty quickly, but it may take up to 2 hours. Once it's dry, just vacuum it up, and watch as it spirals down into the bottom of the bin!
One of the things I like best about Zorb is how good it smells - it freshens up carpet, and it’ll make the cleaner smell good, too!"
...I still have yet to try it... I think I'll wait until it gets a bit warmer out..
Fred
