WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN CARPET SPOTS COME BACK?

So you've spilled something on that beautiful carpet, and now it's stained. You clean it thoroughly, and the stain disappears, all is well again. Except in a few days, you notice yet another spot, the stain has returned! How could this have happened? Stains don't usually reappear, especially not after the scrubbing you gave it. The truth is, stains can come back to life due to soiling or wicking. So what are these, and how do we treat them?

Soiling

Soiling is what happens when residues from the carpet cleaner work their way into the fibers of your carpet. As strange as it sounds, removing one stain can often leave another. Any carpet that isn't rinsed well enough will ultimately attract dirt and soil in the same area as the original stain, leaving what looks like the same spot you just cleaned.

Wicking

The second cause of stains making a comeback is known as wicking. Wicking is simply when the spilled substance has made its' way into the backing of the carpet or the under pad in some instances. Cleaning the stain only treats the surface of the carpet. More often than not, the stain is still present in the backing, which can then be reabsorbed onto the carpet's surface. The fiber strands act much like a candle's wick, giving the stain a way to travel back to the surface, which gives wicking its name.

Wicking is most common when the carpet is wet, say you are steam cleaning your carpet. Most of the steam cleaning units are not strong enough to completely dry the carpet, and wet fibers cause wicking.

Proper Prevention for Carpet Stains and Spots

Be certain that all spills are cleaned up as soon as they occur. The longer you wait, the more the substance will seep into the carpet. Place some paper towels or even a bath towel over the spot and ensure that it is weighed down, this will help the carpet dry faster. For better results, consider adding some plastic wrap between the towel and weight, this helps absorb any additional moisture. Fans can also help your carpet dry faster and prevent wicking.

Of course, you can always opt to have your carpet treated professionally. The majority of cleaners have the equipment necessary to clean and properly dry your carpet.

Removing Stains Permanently

What's the best remedy for keeping that stain gone? It all varies depending on how much you've spilled and what caused the stain to come back. There are different methods for wicking and soiling.

Treatment for Soiling

If soiling is to blame for the stain making a comeback, put a bit of lukewarm water on the stain spot. Use as much as you need, bigger stains will require more water. But make sure to never use more than one-fourth of a cup. It is important that you are just treating the stain and not soaking the under padding of the carpet. Water will help clean the fibers of the residue.

And of course, dry as much as you can! Using the instructions mentioned above; add paper or cloth towels with weight and leave them to dry, preferably overnight. If you have fans, use them. The last thing anyone wants is a stained carpet and mold because of moisture!

Handling Wicking

If you think the spot came back, and it wasn't because of residue, it's safe to say that wicking is the culprit. Treat the spot like any other stain, and then add the stacks of towels and weights. Give it around a day, and be sure to properly dry the area after wards.

If the stain is still there after this, or if the spill area is quite large, your next safest option is to have your carpet professionally cleaned with hot water extraction. Always find a carpet cleaner that is well reviewed, and look for companies that have a truck-mounted unit, as these are often stronger than the portable cleaning equipment.

How often should I vaccum? One of the most important steps in taking care of your carpet is frequent, thorough vacuuming. Vacuuming, especially in areas that get a lot of foot traffic, is vital for removing dry soil. There are 3 types of soil that are found in carpet:

Dry particulate soils like sand, carbon, limestone, quartz, clay and feldspar plus animal hair and vegetable fibers.

Animal, mineral and vegetables soils.

Water-soluble soils like food, drinks, etc.

The majority of soil in your carpet will be the first type - dry particulate soil. The most effective way to remove this dry particulate soil is through thorough vacuuming. It's very important to frequently remove this dry particulate soil from your carpet because this soil works its way into your carpet pile and scratches the carpet fibers as you walk on your carpet. This creates traffic patterns and shading issues that will prematurely wear out your carpet.

One of the questions that we get asked frequently is how often should I clean my carpet? The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration has given the following guidelines for how often you should clean your carpet:

Traffic Soil Rating

Vacuuming

Professional Carpet Cleaning

Light Soil

1x per week

Every 12 to 18 months

Normal Soil

(families with children, elderly)

1 to 2x per week

Every 6 to 12 months

Heavy Soil (families with pets, smoking)

2 to 4x per week

Every 3 to 6 months

Extreme Conditions (large families, multiple pets)

Daily

Every 2 to 3 months

So remember, vacuuming is critical to maintaining your carpet and increasing its life. If you want to delay the formation of traffic patterns and want to keep your carpet looking newer, longer, clean your carpet frequently!

O

The Benefits of Scotchgarding

Scotchgarding is a process that is used on carpets or upholstered furniture to protect it from staining. It also helps keep dirt and grime from attaching themselves to the fabric fibers by acting as a protective seal, and is often used after carpet cleaning or upholstery cleaning to prolong the benefits of either of these services. The service is very beneficial, and most people don’t even realize why. It is for this reason that we always reccomend a protectant.

When spills happen and they will, it’s best to know how to take care of them.

cleaning tipsHere we share with you 10 carpet cleaning secrets every homeowner should be aware and why.

1.Blot stains…don’t rub them. Common sense here, blotting is safer and does NOT distort the carpet fiber like rubbing. Be gentle.

2.Keep club soda handy. The carbonation in club soda helps remove beer and wine spots from your carpet. Get white towel add the club soda directly to the towel and blot up the spill.

3.Ice it. The coldness is fantastic for removing gum, sticky candy and gum-like substances.

4.Dishwasher detergent. A drop or two of detergent into a spray bottle along with water makes a great pretreat. Use it to remove greasy spills and spots.(use too much and you can cause problems)

5.Heat. And iron and white cloth come in handy when wax is the culprit in the spot or spill. Make sure the cloth is slightly damp and is placed on top of the spot or spill prior to using the iron. The heat of the iron will melt the wax and draw it into the cloth.

6.Hydrogen Peroxide. Those tough blood spots can be reversed with a little oxygen power by using store bought hydrogen peroxide. The spot will foam, then blot up.

7.Be green. Using eco-friendly cleaners can be safer for your pets and little ones, so keep a bottle around foo when spills occur.

8.Scrape it. Dried food and candy can be tough to remove, but by using the edge of a spoon you can scrape up the hardened substance without doing damage to the carpet fibers.

9.Deep Clean. When you just don’t know how to clean it or don’t have the time, call the professionals at All Clean at (440)975-9000

Carpet Cleaning Specials and Discounts

Trying to decide on a good carpet cleaner based on how cheap their prices is isn’t always the best way to hire a service. It seems in the cleaning industry prices and fees are all across the board and no two cleaners price the same.

This causes confusion amongst consumers who just want a clean carpet or sofa. They end up going with the cheapest cleaner. Sadly, the cheapest company usually uses inferior cleaning supplies and equipment because they just don’t charge enough to afford the best.

“Oh, but it sounds like a great deal!” Yeah, we get that. Its great to save money. Unfortunately, those advertising cheap prices sometimes need to cut corners in order to make a profit. They don’t allocate enough time for the job to be done properly, they perform the “ole splash and dash” to get in, and get out in under a certain time.

Nope! That type of service isn’t worth the discounted price.

Here at All Clean Ltd, we take cleaning seriously. And when we offer discounts, specials or coupons it’s with the sole purpose of gaining life long clients.

We’ve been serving the Cleveland, Akron Ohio areas since the early 2000’s and we want to be your cleaner of choice. So we never cut corners, we use the highest caliber supplies and we take our time cleaning to insure we follow strict clean protocols.

Call us today 440-975-9000

Welcome

Thanks for stopping by.

If you’re new here please take a few moments to poke around and get to know us.

To be honest blogging is new to us so please bare with us. We will post occasional specials, tips, pictures, testimonials and videos about our carpet, upholstery, tile and grout and janitorial cleaning services.

We will also keep you up to date on local happenings.

So check back often.

If you have questions or would like to schedule a cleaning please call us at 440-975-9000

We serve Cuyahoga, Lake, Western Ashtabula, Most of Geauga and Northern Summit Counties.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: blog, cleaning, cleveland, tips