Carpet Stains That Keep Coming Back
How To Fix Them For Good
A guide to treating stains on your carpet and fabric furniture from Deluxe Dry Carpet Cleaning Service
Every Carpet Has Them.… stains that you deal with over and over. You think that they have gone for good, your freshly cleaned carpet looks great and then a day or two or maybe a week or two later — that stain or spot is back again. This is a very annoying problem and a huge waste of time spent cleaning and recleaning the same spot. In this post we are going to find out why a stain keeps coming back and how you can clean a stain once and prevent it from coming back. If you would like to have a professional cleaning service attend to your carpet please call us Deluxe Dry Carpet cleaning 0161 768 0208
2 Main Reasons For Reappearing Stains
1. The Wick Back Stain
This is a stain well known to professional carpet cleaners. The term wick back refers to the capillary action of a liquid, where liquids creep up a thin fibre or wick. When the underlay or padding underneath a carpet becomes wet, the dirt dissolves and the solution moves up the carpet fibres. At the surface the water evaporates but the dirt stays and you see it as a stain … That’s why a carpet can look clean when wet, but sometimes develops stains when it is dry.Wick back happens when a carpet is old and the under padding has accumulated a lot of dirt, or if a large volume of liquid has spilled into the carpet like a can of soda, a glass of beer or pet urine. The spill saturates the underlay of the carpet and if the carpet is wet cleaned ..the dried stain becomes liquid, moves up into the carpet fibers and the stain will reappear.
2. The Resoiling Stain
This kind of stain happens because the original stain was not cleaned properly and sticky residue remains in the carpet. Over time the stickiness attracts dirt and an area that looked clean develops into a mystery stain that becomes darker and more noticeable with time.The stickiness may be from the cleaning agent that was used on a stain that was perhaps too concentrated or from a sticky stain that wasn’t cleaned properly or both.
Resoiling happens when stains are treated with washing up liquid concentrate or over the counter carpet cleaners. Or when sweet sugary drinks are spilled. Gum is another culprit for creating sticky residue that is difficult to remove. Duct tape residue, oily lotions and potions all leave tacky stuff in your carpet that will act as a dirt magnet.
If You Already Have A Stain That Keeps Coming Back
If you already have stains that come back, this is how to get rid of them for good !
1. Get Your Stain Bucket Out2.Don’t have a Stain Bucket ? you will need these
A spray bottle filled with tepid water.
Two or three light coloured microfibre cloths.
A hairdryer.
3 Spray the stain from a distance of about six inches so that a fine mist falls over the stain and about two inches around it . Practice using the spray in your kitchen sink first you don’t want to wet the stain excessively. That is why you are using the spray bottle.4. Work quickly and use one of the cloths to wipe the carpet gently but firmly from the outside of the stain to the centre. Do this until you have gone over the whole stain.
5. Fold another of the cloths and roll it into a sausage. Use this sausage roll to dry the damp area by rolling it over the area. Instead of rubbing or scrubbing which might damage the carpet fibres, this rolling action will allow you to dry the carpet without harm.6.Repeat the procedure of spraying lightly, wiping the carpet and rolling until the stain is gone.
7. Dry the damp area with the hairdryer when you are sure the stain has been removed. Be careful not to put the hairdryer too close to the carpet, and keep the hairdryer moving as you use it. Dry the carpet thoroughly.
How To Treat a Stain So That It Won’t Come Back
Every stain has the potential to be a reappearing stain if it is not cleaned properly, but if you follow the stain removal steps below the chances of it reappearing are are very slight.
- DON’T use washing up liquid or any kind of detergent to clean stains on carpets or upholstery .
- If you use a cleaning agent to try to remove a stain —DO read the instructions carefully and dilute according to the manufacturers reccommendations.
- If the stain involves a large volume of liquid like a glass of beer, a cup of coffee, a can of soda or urine from a pet
Get as much liquid out of the carpet as quickly as possible.
Use big towels or paper towels to mop up the spill until you are not collecting any more liquid. Don’t rub the carpet when you are mopping up the spill because carpet fibres are easily damaged when they are wet. Press the towels into the carpet or stand on them. When as much liquid as possible has been absorbed from the carpet then get a spray bottle with tepid water and four or five light coloured microfibre towels.
Mist the stained area lightly with the spray bottle so that the carpet is dampened in that area. Take one of the micro fibre towels and use it to firmly wipe the stain from the outer edge into the centre of the stain. Do not rub or scrub the carpet. Just firm wiping. Do this until you can’t see the stain and you think you have removed all the spilled liquid from the carpet fibres.
Now dry the area with a hairdryer, keep the heat at a safe distance from the carpet and keep the nozzle of the hairdryer moving.
You may have to repeat these last few steps – spraying, wiping and drying to completely remove all traces of the spill from the carpet. But once the stain has been cleaned it won’t come back.
Similar Posts
Freshen Your Carpet … 5 Easy Tips
Is your carpet looking Winter-worn and tired? Freshen your carpet and bring Spring early with our 5 super tips.Read our guide to keep your carpets looking beautiful and smelling better until your can open your windows again!