|
|
| |
DIFFICULT
STAINS |
Acid
Substances
|
Strong
acids, such as battery acids and some tile cleaning compounds,
if spilled on a carpet, require prompt action to prevent
serious damage. First, flush the affected area with water.
Sponge up the excess and repeat the process several times
until the acid has been diluted and washed away. Finally,
sponge the area with a solution prepared by adding one
(1) tablespoon of baking soda to one (1) quart of warm
water. Rinse again. Dry the carpet as quickly and thoroughly
as possible. |
| Blood |
To remove blood, use only cool
cleaning solutions to prevent setting the stain. Removal
of blood borne pathogens may require the assistance of a
carpet cleaning professional. |
| Burns |
Burn damage can be remedied
only by reweaving, retufting, or resectioning the damaged
area. However, the appearance of an area of charred carpet
can be improved by carefully clipping off blackened ends
of tufts using small, sharp scissors. Trim surrounding tufts
to minimize indentation. |
| Dye Stains |
Many beverages, medicines, cosmetics,
foods, and other liquids contain dyes. These dyes may be
absorbed into the fibers making removal very slow or impossible.
Follow dye spot removal procedures on the spot chart. If
removal does not appear to be possible, call your carpet
cleaning professional for advice. Sometimes the stain can
be hidden by spot dyeing, retufting, or by repairing the
affected area. |
| Fingernail Polish |
Use a non-acetate fingernail
polish remover. Apply a small amount of the fingernail polish
remover to a white cloth, and work in gently - do not rub
- working from the edges of the spill to the center to prevent
spreading. Allow to remain on the spill a few minutes. Be
patient, blotting the area several times. Lukewarm tap water
should be used in most cases to rinse the cleaning solutions
from the carpet fiber. Failure to completely rinse the solutions
from the fiber may cause accelerated soiling. Whenever using
a cleaning solution on your carpet, make sure you pre-test
the spot removal solution (for color transfer to the cloth
or damage to the carpet) in an inconspicuous area. |
Ink (Ballpoint) Pen
|
Follow recommended procedures
on the Spot Removal Chart to contain the spill using rubbing
alcohol as the dry cleaning solvent. Rubbing alcohol (90%
isopropyl) can be used as a dry cleaning solvent by applying
with a cloth or towel. Do not pour rubbing alcohol directly
onto the carpet. |
| Mustard |
Some mustards contain very strong
dyes that are difficult to remove. It may be necessary to
remove the stained area and reinsert an undamaged section
of carpet. |
| Rust |
Rust almost always requires
professional service because the chemicals required are
hazardous when used improperly. If the stain is fresh,
the spot removal procedures under stains needing unique
treatment below might be helpful. |
|
top
|
| WHAT TO DO IF YOU DON'T
KNOW WHAT THE STAIN IS |
If you don't
know what the stain is, its odor, location, and color may give
you a clue. Old oil stains may smell rancid, but appear dry.
Stain color may be a misleading clue:
For example, rust-colored
stains may be coffee, tea, old
lemonade stains (carmelized
sugar), cosmetics containing benzoil peroxide
(which can bleach many colors to look rusty), felt
marker, crayon, aged baby formula, or a number of
other things.
If a heavy waxy
or gummy residue is present, you may be dealing with a
stain that will respond best to spot treatment with a drycleaning
fluid.
|
 |
Removal Strategy:
since the appropriate removal method varies with the stain, start by
using the least destructive stain removal methods first. |
- Start with cold water (as for protein
stains)
- If not, use warm water and spot treatment technique
- Next, use liquid detergent and lukewarm or hot water, rinse
and let air dry (as for oil stains)
- If you suspect the stain is iron rust, treat with rust remover
- If stain persists, use a pretreatment spray or solvent (as
for combination stain)
- Call a professional
|
top
|
STAINS NEEDING
UNIQUE TREATMENT METHODS |
| Chewing gum |
Apply ice to harden gum. Crack or scrape off
excess. Spray with pretreatment aerosol product. Rub with
heavy-duty liquid detergent. Rinse with hot water and absorb
with paper towel. Repeat if necessary. Visit stain
removal guide. |
| Fingernail polish |
Do not use nail polish remover (or acetone) on acetate,
triacetate, or modacrylic fibers, as they will dissolve.
Visit stain
removal guide and/or Call a professional. |
| Iodine |
Iodine may be removed by using some commercial stain removers.
Visit stain
removal guide and/or Call a professional. |
| Mildew |
Mildew is a growing organism that must have warmth,
darkness, and moisture to survive. Mildew eats cellulosic
fibers, causing permanent damage and weakening of fibers.
To remove mildew: spray with solution of sodium carbonate
and warm water and let sit for 5 minutes then absorb with
paper towel. Visit stain
removal guide and/or Call
a professional. |
| Paint-latex |
Treat while wet. Spray with cool water with heavy-duty
detergent. After paint has dried 6 to 8 hours, removal
is very difficult. Treat as combination stain. Rinse & absorb
with paper towel. Repeat treatment. Visit stain
removal guide and/or Call a professional. |
| Paint-oil-based |
Treat while wet. Use dry cleaning or citrus solvents. Call
a professional |
| Rust |
Rust removers such as RoVer or Whink seldom work, but
rust removers that contain hydrofluoric acid are extremely
toxic, can burn the skin, and can damage the fibers if
not neutralized. Call a professional |
| Urine |
Visit stain
removal guide and/or Call a professional |
| Water Spots |
Visit stain
removal guide and/or Call a professional |
Black stains along walls |
These black stains are likely caused by air
that is drawn into your home by the forced
air unit (F.A.U.) of your air conditioning/heating system.
The F.A.U is the blower or fan motor usually located
in a mechanical closet or sometimes in the attic. If
there is an imbalance in the supply (air that is blown
out of the ducts) and the return (air that is sucked
in at the forced air unit), these stains may be a telling
result.
When the forced air unit (F.A.U.) is not drawing in approximately
the same amount of air that it is blowing out, it will
make up the balance by pulling air through any leaks in
the building envelope of the home. In the instance of stains
in carpet along walls and at doors, air is being drawn
in from the outside of the home or from attic spaces. The
carpet is acting as a filter and removing some of the moisture
and grime from this infiltrating air. Worse than the damage
to carpet in the form of stains is the potential for harmful,
even carcinogenic materials that may be drawn in from garages,
utility rooms or basements.
This air is drawn into your home from between the slab
or floor decking and the green plate or the bottom member
of the stud wall. Even with utmost care, variations in
the concrete slab may occur. Likewise, the pressure treated
2X4 that lies against the concrete or floor decking may
have imperfections. The resulting small cracks or gaps
provide the ideal source for air to be drawn into your
home. This type of air leakage is called infiltration.
Infiltration typically accounts for up to twenty percent
of the heat gain in a typical home and also may cause the
air quality of your home to be poor or even dangerous.
Call a professional. |
Yellowing on carpets |
especially under area rugs, under low-lying furniture
and in closets
BHT (Butylated Hydroxy-Toluene) is a
preservative used in rebond pad. With stain-resistant nylon
carpet sometimes BHT turns the carpet yellow. Most of the
time this yellowing can be easily removed. Call a professional. |
|
top
|
| COMMON
REMEDIES TO AVOID |
| Dishwasher detergent |
Although sometimes suggested for food
stains, these detergents are intended for use in closed
dishwashers with very hot water. They are so highly alkaline
they can irritate your skin if you use them in stain removal.
They also may fade colors or damage wool, silk, or nylon
fibers. |
| Hair spray on ball-point ink |
Certain hair sprays are effective on ballpoint
stains, but they may deposit a gummy residue and perfume
that then have to be removed along with the ink. Hair spray
also may affect color in some fabrics. Alcohol is a hair
spray ingredient that is useful for removal of the oily
part of the ballpoint stain. |
| Ironing candle wax |
Ironing candle wax between blotting paper will
only drive the stain deeper into the fabric. This process
is widely used, but it's not recommended because it will
make any color from the dye of the candle more permanently
set and the wax more inaccessible for the detergent or
solvent to reach to carry the stain away. |
| Milk on washable ink |
This doesn't remove the ink and gives you an additional
protein stain. |
| Shampoo |
Clear gel-like shampoos are sometimes suggested
for stain removal. While they are usually not harmful to
fibers and may work on light oil stains, laundry detergents
are just as effective and less expensive to use. Additionally,
colored, opaque, or milky-looking shampoos may contain
ingredients that will stain fibers or foam so much that
they are difficult to rinse out. |
| White vinegar |
Vinegar (acetic acid) may weaken acetate or triacetate
fibers and may cause color change. If used as a stain removal
agent, test in an inconspicuous place for colorfastness. |
|
Visit our
stain removal guide section on more stain removal procedures |
| |
|
|
top |
|
|
|
