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Spotting
Guide
Spot
Cleaning
Stains
and spills are inevitable. Don’t
despair. Your carpet was
most likely treated with a protective
coating, which gives you more time
to discover and remove spots, and to recover from most accidents.
NOTE: protective
coatings such as DuPont Teflon & 3M Scotchguard do wear off due to
use, spilling,
vacuuming, and cleaning (much like a car wax works and
wears off). After every
professional
cleaning, re-apply the protective coating to ensure maximum
spot removal and lengthens the life
of the carpet.
Nonetheless, attend to spots immediately for optimum removal.
A
wet/dry vacuum cleaner can greatly facilitate spot removal. To combat a stain, put on the
attachment with the best
suction and vacuum away as much stain as possible.
Add water to the
spot as you vacuum.
If
detergent is required, use it sparingly.
After removing the stain, rinse the stained area.
Slowly
pour water into the pile as you work the vacuum wand back
and forth until the detergent is removed.
Or follow these suggested steps:
- Remove
solid materials with a tablespoon, spatula, or dull knife.
- Blot,
don’t rub. Blot
spills with clean, white absorbent materials – such as towels,
napkins or tissues. Press down hard to remove as much liquid as possible –
even stand
on the material with all your weight directly over the
stain. You will not
hurt the carpet as
long as you don’t vigorously rub the surface.
- If a spot
removal solvent is necessary, apply several drops to a clean white
cloth and blot
the carpet in an inconspicuous area.
If a color change occurs or color transfers to the cloth,
give us a call
at 996-0212.
- Use
cleaning solutions sparingly and always blot.
- If one spot
removal method fails to work, try another.
If you went through all spot cleaning
guidelines, give us a call at 996-0212 for a
professional cleaning visit. It
is better and less
expensive in the long run to have us care for it,
rather than postpone and the stain becomes
permanent.
Plus, you will be a lot happier!
- When you
use detergent, always rinse, then absorb all moisture.
- When spot
removal is complete, place a box fan by the spot and point the fan
towards it.
This will
facilitate faster dry times.
NOTE: Incomplete removal of
detergent will expose the area to more rapid soiling.
Place
towels or cloth over wet area and weight with a heavy,
colorfast object. Leave
overnight. The
next morning
the area should be dry, the spot gone.
Gently brush up the carpet pile.
Spot
Removal Guide
Removing
spots can be simple or tedious depending on the spot and how long it has
been on
one solution.
Following
are general spot removal procedures.
If the origin of the spot is unknown, begin
with Removal Method
1. If the origin of the
spot is known, begin at the appropriate step.
NOTE:
spot removal is extremely important for the optimum use and
beauty of the carpet.
However,
it does not replace regular professional cleaning of every 12-18 that is
required by
most carpet warranties.
Here
are some guidelines for removing spots effectively.
·
Never use a circular motion to remove a spot. It can destroy the
surface texture of the
carpet.
·
To prevent “wick up,” always rinse with clean water as the
final cleaning step. Blot
dry
and stack several white paper towels over the damp area. Place a brick or similarly
weighted object on the towels to
keep them in contact with the carpet.
The towels
will absorb any stain wicking up from the backing to
the carpet surface. Allow
carpet
to dry, remove the brick and towels, and brush up the pile.
· Test any solution on an inconspicuous area of your carpet to be
sure it does not affect
the color or texture of your carpet.
Do not use the solution if color in the test area
marks off on a
white paper towel.
Here
are a few items you will likely need remove spots:
· White paper towels or white terry towels
· Hand dish washing detergent that doesn’t contain lanolin or
bleach
(To make a detergent solution, mix ¼ teaspoon of the detergent
with 1 quart of water.)
· We recommend
Bi-O-Kleen’s Bac- Out & Spray & Wipe.
They are Green cleaning
products that are safer for you, your
family, your carpet, and the environment.
Available at Clean Sweep
Services at 996-0212.
· Spray bottle fro applying detergents and special solutions.
· Household ammonia solution of 1 tablespoon of clear household
ammonia per ½ cup of water.
· Isopropyl rubbing alcohol
· 3% hydrogen peroxide
· White vinegar solution of 1/3 cup white vinegar and 2/3 cup of
water
· Lemon juice
· Spoon and dull knife
· Brick or similarly-weighted object
REMOVAL
METHOD 1: UNKNOWN &
GREASY SPOTS
Remove
as much foreign material as possible by blotting with a white paper
towel or
scraping with a dull knife.
Apply isopropyl rubbing alcohol to a clean white cloth, white
paper
towel or cotton ball. If
the spot extends deep into the pile, blot until it is removed or no
color
transfers to the cloth. Do
not allow the alcohol to penetrate the backing, as it will destroy the
latex bond. If the spot is
on surface only, rub in one direction at a time.
If rubbing removes the
spot, follow the wick-up procedure
previously prescribed. If
not, go to Removal Method 3.
REMEMBER!
Never use a circular motion to remove a spot as this may destroy
the texture in
the spot area.
REMOVAL
METHOD 2: WATER-BASED SPOTS
Blot
up as much of the spill as possible with a white paper towel.
Use a wet vacuum for a
large spill.
If the spot has dried, saturate the tufts in the affected area
with tap water (do not overwet).
After about a minute, blot up the water.
If the water proves effective, continue until the spot is
completely
removed. Blot
dry, and apply the paper towels and brick.
If it is not completely removed,
go to Removal Method 3.
REMOVAL
METHOD 3: WHEN METHODS 1 OR 2 FAIL
If
Removal Methods 1 or 2 fail, try the following: Apply a small amount of
a detergent solution
to the spot (1/4 teaspoon detergent per 1 quart of
water, for better results use Bi-O-Kleen’s Bac-Out
or Spray &
Wipe). Blot with a white
paper towel to work the detergent into the affected area.
If the spot is being removed, continue applying detergent and
blotting until spot is completely
removed.
Using a spray bottle, rinse with tap water, and then blot to
remove excess moisture.
Next,
spray lightly with water, but instead of blotting, apply a pad of paper
towels, weigh them
down with a brick, and allow to dry.
If the stain remains, moisten the tufts with 3% hydrogen
peroxide
and let stand for 1 hour. Blot and repeat until crapet is stain free.
Because light will
change peroxide back to water, no rinsing is
necessary. Apply a pad of
paper towels and weigh
them down with a brick.
Allow carpet to dry. Remove
brick and towels and brush up the pile.
SPECIALIZED
TREATMENTS FOR TOUGH STAINS
Category
A
NOTE:
Use Bi-O-Kleen’s Bac-Out for safer and extremely effective results
For
blood, catsup, cheese, chocolate, cola, cough syrup, mixed drinks, soft
drinks, soy sauce,
starch, toothpaste, watercolor or white glue: Blot with white paper towels to remove as much
of the stain
as possible. Then,
neutralize the spot with an ammonia solution, using a spray
bottle to
saturate the spot. Do not
wet the backing. Blot with
a white paper towel to remove
excess moisture.
After neutralizing, follow Removal Method 3.
All solutions for removing blood
must be cool.
Category
B
NOTE:
Use Bi-O-Kleen’s Spray & Wipe first, then Bac-Out for safer and
extremely effective results
For
beer, coffee, perfume, tea or wine:
Blot with a white paper towel to remove as much of the
stain as
possible. Then neutralize
with a white vinegar solution. Saturate
the spot using a
spray bottle and blot to remove excess moisture. After neutralizing, follow Removal Method 3.
Category
C
NOTE:
Use Bi-O-Kleen’s Bac-Out for safer and extremely effective results
For
egg, excrement, urine or vomit: Remove
as much of the stain as possible by using a spoon
or dull knife.
Blot up as much of the stain as possible.
RECOMMEND: This is
where a wet/dry
vacuum will be the most handy.
If you have one available, apply 5% white distilled vinegar to
the
spot. Re-apply as
necessary, while making sure you are not over-wetting the carpet and the
backing. Then, neutralize
by spraying the affected area with an ammonia solution.
Care should
be taken to remove all protein matter.
Blot to remove excess moisture and follow Removal Method 3.
Category
D
For
candle wax or other types of wax: Spread
brown paper (such as a grocery bag) or a terry
cloth towel over the area
and iron with the setting on “warm”.
The wax will be absorbed into the
paper or terry towel. Remove any traces with alcohol or dry cleaning fluid by
blotting. If you are
unsure, professional care should be done.
Give us a call right away at 996-0212.
Category
E
For
chewing gum: Freeze the gum
using an ice cube. Shatter
the frozen gum with a knife handle,
then vacuum.
Some citrus-based products have been demonstrated to break down
the stickiness
of the gum so that it can be removed.
If you are unsure, professional care should be done.
Give us a call right away at
996-0212.
Category
F
For
mud: Allow mud to dry
completely. Shatter the
dried mud with the handle of a knife,
then vacuum.
Follow with Removal Method 3.
Category
G
For
rust: Using a spray bottle,
saturate the spot with lemon juice and let stand for 5 minutes.
Follow Removal
Method 3 to remove the lemon juice. If Removal Method 3 does not work,
professional care should
be done. Give
us a call right away at 996-0212.
NOTE:
Most rust removers contain a very strong acid and are not
recommended for household use.
Category
H
For
nail polish: Remove as much
of the polish as possible
using a spoon or dull knife. Apply
a non-oily nail polish remover to a clean white cloth and gently rub
(one direction at a time) or blot
the spot.
Continue until the spot is removed.
Do not allow nail polish remover to get to the latex
backing,
since it will delaminate it. Follow
Removal Method 3 to remove the nail polish remover.
Category
I
For
soot, including graphite and copier material:
Vacuum using the crevice tool.
If vacuuming
does not remove all or most of the soot,
professional care should be done. Give
us a call right
away at 996-0212.
If vacuuming has removed all particles, follow Removal Method 1
to remove traces.
WHAT
TO DO IF THE SPOT RETURNS
A
spot will usually return for two reasons:
- Incomplete
removal. You removed
the material causing the spot by dissolving it with
cleaning
solution. However, gravity pulled the spill deeper into your
carpet. Blotting with
absorbent towels removed most of it, but as it dried, the remainder
of the spill migrated to
the top of your carpet pile and appeared as
the last of the moisture evaporated.
This is
called “wick-up”.
To remedy, just repeat the spot cleaning process with special
emphasis
on blotting and placement of the absorbent towels.
To completely solve this,
Give us a
call right away at 996-0212.
- Detergent
left in the carpet. Always
gently rinse the area with water to remove detergent.
You will need to absorb the moisture because incomplete
removal will expose the area to
more rapid soiling.
Place towels or a cloth over the wet area and weight with a
heavy,
colorfast object to absorb moisture.
Leave overnight with fan on spot.
The next morning,
the area should be dry.
Brush up the carpet pile.
STAINS
THAT CANNOT BE REMOVED
Acid
toilet bowl cleaners, acne medication, alkaline drain cleaners,
chlorinated bleaches, hair dyes,
iodine, insecticides, mustard with
turmeric, plant fertilizers and other stains of the same nature
permanently alter carpet color. Give
us a call right away at 996-0212.
We can address such
stains by cosmetic replacement or re-dyeing
the spot on the carpet.
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