subject: Professional Carpet Cleaning - How To Handle Spots And Stains [print this page] Professional Carpet Cleaning - How To Handle Spots And Stains
Carpet Cleaning - Advice On Dealing With Spots And Stains
In the realms of carpet cleaning the terms spots, stains, and spills are on many occasions used interchangeably. Unsurprisingly, this can lead to confusion. Accordingly, for the purposes of this article we will define these terms as follows:
Spot - this tern means a removable stain, that is a mark on carpeting which is capable of being removed, so long as the correct spot removal products and/or techniques are used.
Spill - this term is used to denote any wet material which is on the surface of the carpet yarn and which can be removed, againemploying the correct cleaning solutions and procedures.
Stain - for the purposes of this article a stain denotes any material that has permanently damaged or altered the colour of the carpet fibre or yarn. A stain cannot therefore be removed, irrespective of the technique or cleaning materials employed.
When a professional carpet cleaner is consultedby a customer to deal with spots, spills or stains on his/her carpet it is crucialthat the cleaner and the customer fully appreciates the above terms so as to be realistic about the chances of successfully removing material from the carpet.
It is therefore worth considering some of the factors which may affect successful spot or spill removal - remember stains are permanent and cannot be removed:
Age Of The Spot: this is the main consideration, because spots oxidise - that is, they mix with oxygen in the air - which can change its chemical makeup, making it more difficult, or impossible to remove. The best practice is to deal with any spots, spills or stains as quickly as possible.
Temperature Of Material When Spilled - heat is used as part of the procedure of dying carpet fibres in the first place, so it it makes sense that substances which contain natural dyes, such as coffee and tea, can themselves dye carpet fibres, making removal impossible in certain instances. For example hot coffee can often produce a permanent stain which cannot be removed even by a professional carpet cleaningservice, whereas cold coffee spots are often capable of being successfully treated.
Type Of Carpet Fibre - The type of material your carpet is made from can have an influence on whether spots can be removed. For example carpets made of wool can be more prone to permanent staining than nylon or some other man-made fibres
Construction Of Carpet - It may seem obvious but it can sometimes be easier todeal with spots successfully on a carpet with a lower pile. The reason is pretty straightforward - a higher pile carpet has more surface area which can be affected by the spot or spill, making it more of a problem to deal with.
Previous Cleaning Attempts - It may be human nature to try to deal with spots or spills yourself when they occur but you should bear in mind that using the wrong materials or techniques in an effort to remove problem spots or spills can, in fact, make aggravate matters by making the stain permanent. If you are unsure seek professional help as quickly as possible.
