Product Overview
Actichem Encap Plus is an advanced low-moisture encapsulating cleaner that delivers tough grease-cutting action, genuine brittle dry-down and effective anti-resoiling technology. It also provides a good foaming action that helps operators track their progress.
This listing is the 20 litre bulk pack, for high-volume commercial encapsulation work and for refilling across a team.
Certifications
Encap Plus is independently certified:
- WoolSafe approved — approved for use on wool carpet and rugs.
- CleanSeal approved.
Actichem previously published individual certificate documents for both schemes. Those documents are no longer available from the manufacturer, so we have removed the links rather than leave dead references on this page. We have asked Actichem to reissue current, product-specific certificates. If you need certification evidence for a tender or a client specification, contact us and we will obtain it from Actichem for you.
WoolSafe approval is worth noting alongside the pH figure below. At pH 8 this is the mildest alkaline option in the Encap range, and the certification confirms it is suitable for wool — but see the Encap comparison for where Fine Fabric is the better choice.
Benefits
- Encapsulating — an advanced blend of high-performance embrittling and encapsulation agents encapsulates the emulsified soil, embrittling it for easy vacuum removal.
- More soil removal — precisely balanced emulsification performance and embrittling ability, allowing a larger amount of soil to be removed by subsequent dry vacuuming.
- Commercial compatible — ideal for commercial carpet: no rinsing required, faster cleaning rates, reduced recurring stains and no rapid resoiling.
- Fibre safe — safe for use on wool, stain-resistant nylon, synthetics and synthetic upholstery.
- User friendly — low odour formula. Low odour is not the same as low hazard — see the Safety section below, which has been corrected.
- Economical in use — concentrate formula providing an economical 1:32 dilution rate. At 20 litres that is roughly 640 litres of working solution.
Application Areas and Surface Suitability
Encap Plus is an encapsulation (low-moisture) carpet cleaning detergent.
Choosing Between the Encap Products
The three Encap products look similar and are often ordered by habit. They are chemically different:
- Encap Pro — pH 8.
- Encap Plus — pH 8, WoolSafe certified. This product.
- Encap Fine Fabric — pH 5.5 – 6.0, mildly acidic.
Fine Fabric sits on the acid side deliberately, which is what makes it appropriate for wool and natural fibres where an alkaline product carries more risk. If you are working on wool, the pH difference is the reason to choose it — not the name.
How to Use
Always pre-test in an inconspicuous location for substrate sensitivity to chemicals and dye stability.
Dilution: mix 250 ml Encap Plus with 8 litres of clean water (1:32).
- Vacuum carpet to remove loose soil.
- Apply the solution to the carpet through the shampoo tank or use a coarse spray. One litre of solution will cover 5 to 20 m², depending on carpet pile density.
- Scrub or agitate the treated area using a low-speed scrubber with a carpet brush or white pad.
- Allow carpet to dry (30 to 60 minutes) before opening to traffic.
- Encapsulated soils will be removed by subsequent dry vacuuming. Leave for at least 24 hours before vacuuming.
Decant into a labelled container for site use. An unlabelled bottle in a work vehicle is a WHS problem regardless of what is in it.
Safety
Please read this section. This listing previously described this product as “Non-hazardous”. That was wrong. It has been corrected.
Actichem’s safety data sheet for AP460, version 2.3 issued 3 September 2025, classifies it as a HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL under the Model WHS Regulations. It is not classified as dangerous goods for transport.
- Signal word: DANGER
- H318 — causes serious eye damage
- pH as supplied: 8
- Poisons Schedule: not applicable
⚠ H318 — this is the one that matters
H318 means causes serious eye damage — irreversible, not irritation. It is the classification driving the DANGER signal word on this product, and on every other prespray and encapsulation product in our Actichem range.
Eye protection when decanting, mixing and spraying. The spraying part is the one people skip: a pump-up sprayer or shampoo tank worked at floor level throws mist upward, towards your face, and these products are used that way on essentially every job. Safety glasses with open sides are not adequate for a product classified H318 — use chemical goggles.
Concentrate versus working solution
This is a concentrate, and the classification above describes the product in the container — not the tank mix.
The diluted working solution is considerably milder. But the concentrate is what you decant, and decanting is when people are hurt. Handle the container with the care its DANGER signal word warrants, then work normally once it is diluted.
We are spelling this out because it is almost certainly how the original “non-hazardous” description came about — someone described the working solution and it was recorded as though it described the drum.
Do not mix
Actichem’s safety data sheet for this product lists incompatible materials as “none known”. We do not think that is right for an alkaline product of this type, and we have raised it with them.
Keep it away from the acid range — Brownaway, Rust Remover, Crete Clean and the tile and grout restorers — and from the oxidisers, including Stain Fix and the chlorine range. Rinse equipment thoroughly between an alkaline step and an acid step.
Personal protective equipment
Chemical goggles, and overalls where the product is sprayed for extended periods. An eyewash unit should be available wherever this product is decanted.
First aid
Eyes. Wash out immediately with fresh running water for at least 15 minutes, holding the eyelids open to ensure complete irrigation. Immediately call a Poisons Information Centre or doctor — H318 damage is not something to assess yourself.
Skin. Remove contaminated clothing and wash the area with soap and water.
Swallowed. Rinse the mouth with water. Do not induce vomiting. Call a Poisons Information Centre or doctor.
Specifications
| Product code | AP460.20 |
| Pack size | 20 litres (also available in 5 litres) |
| Product type | Low-moisture encapsulation carpet cleaning concentrate |
| Appearance | Clear blue liquid |
| Fragrance | Powder fresh (baby powder on the SDS) |
| Dilution | 1:32 — 250 ml per 8 litres |
| Yield | Approximately 640 litres of working solution |
| Coverage | 1 litre of solution covers 5 – 20 m² |
| Dry time | 30 – 60 minutes before traffic; vacuum after 24 hours |
| pH | 8 |
| Certification | WoolSafe approved; CleanSeal certified |
| Key components | Sodium lauryl sulphate (CAS 151-21-3), ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethanol (CAS 64-17-5), each under 10%; proprietary polymer 30–60% |
| WHS classification | Hazardous chemical |
| Signal word | DANGER |
| Hazard statements | H318 |
| Dangerous goods | Non-dangerous goods — not regulated for transport |
| Poisons schedule | Not applicable |
| SDS referenced | Version 2.3, issued 3 September 2025 |
Related Products
- Actichem Encap Plus 5 Ltr — the smaller size for single-vehicle operators.
- Actichem Encap Fine Fabric — the mildly acidic option (pH 5.5–6.0) for wool and natural fibres.
- Actichem Encap Pro — the other pH 8 encap in the range.
Safety Data Sheet
Actichem Encap Plus Safety Data Sheet — version 2.3, issued 3 September 2025
If your risk assessment for this product was written on the basis that it was non-hazardous, it needs to be redone.
SKU: AP460.20
Running several vehicles, or not sure which Encap product suits the fibre you are working on? Contact Carpet Cleaners Warehouse — on wool the pH difference matters.
