This week in carpet cleaning chronicles, I want to highlight a conversation my technician had with his client, and is a conversation we repeat at least three times a week.
Client: “I have this stain from [insert any substance here] and I tried to get rid of it myself using [insert any OTC cleaning product here] and now it looks worse. Can you remove it?”
Technician: “I am so sorry to hear that happened with your stain. Unfortunately, when you treat a stain with a store-bought product, you often create a permanent result. Furthermore, when you do not rinse the product out of the fabric it can continue to “work” until it is removed or neutralized, leaving a bleach or lighter spot where the stain was. I will try, but I don’t think there is much I can do for it now. :(“
The most common household stain treatments we come up against are these five:
- Folex
- Resolve
- Woolite Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner
- OxyClean
- Bissel Spot and Stain
The first rule of thumb when using an over-the-counter cleansing agent is to read the label carefully before using.
- All of these products are only usable on colorfast fabrics, but if any residue is left in the fabric, it can still bleach even colorfast fibers like polyester and wool.
- Some of them say DO NOT LET DRY and rinse thoroughly.
- Some are dry clean products, so they are designed to dry and then vacuum away.
- One says keep away from children and pets until dry and vacuumed, so it is toxic.
- All of them cannot be used on fabrics that cannot be cleaned with water, so check your cleaning tag before proceeding.
The second rule is to text an inconspicuous area first. When a cleanser says to test for colorfastness, this means that it is strong enough to make colors unstable, so there is a high risk of doing more damage than good. The most popular type of carpeting in residential applications today is nylon, which is not color fast. Upholstery today is frequently a blend of different types of fibers, often natural fibers and synthetics that are not colorfast. Fabrics that are “colorfast” also have different ratings of colorfastness. So DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. Always check a hidden area first. And do not just spray and wait ten minutes. Test it and leave it for 24 hours to make sure there is not a continued chemical reaction happening after you have walked away thinking you are done. Alkaline cleansers (most household cleansers) can cause PH imbalance and color change if not fully removed from the fibers.
The cleaners available to homeowners are multipurpose, so they are formulated to get out many different types of stains, but there is no magic stain remover. Cleansers used by professionals cleaners are formulated to get out very specific types of stains. At Mother Nature’s Cleaning, we always have a dozen or more different spotters in rotation.
These cleaners will do a great job on truly colorfast fabrics but with all of their fancy chemistry, they are not effective on much of the carpeting and upholstery out there as they will remove the stains, but also the color with it. And in the cases where the stains are not removed by the product, they will become permanent after the treatment.
The only fibers we know to be truly colorfast and safe for most of the products below are Polypropylene, Acrylic and Olefin – but the majority of carpets and fabrics in your home are not made from these fibers.
So, let’s review them one by one. Remember, all products you must test for colorfastness – all cannot be used on fibers that are not colorfast.
Folex:
- PROS: No rinsing, non-toxic, Odor and VOC Free.
- CONS: Cannot use on wool, silk, cotton or viscose area rugs, only use on colorfast fabrics, will set stains it does not remove.
Resolve:
- PROS: It can remove some stains on color fast fabrics.
- CONS: Cannot use on wool, silk, cotton or viscose area rugs, only use on colorfast fabrics, not safe for pets or kids, must be rinsed thoroughly from fibers to avoid over processing. Will set stains it doesn’t remove.
Woolite INSTAclean Stain Remover
- PROS: Claims to eliminate odors, foam is easier to control, vacuum away instead of rinse.
- CONS: Cannot use on wool, silk, cotton or viscose area rugs, only use on colorfast fabrics, not safe for pets or kids, must be vacuumed thoroughly from fibers to avoid over processing. Will set stains it doesn’t remove.
OxyClean Carpet and Area Rug Stain Remover
- PROS: No rinsing, vacuum up.
- CONS: Cannot use on wool, silk, cotton or viscose area rugs, only use on colorfast fabrics, must be vacuumed thoroughly from fibers to avoid over processing. Will set stains it doesn’t remove.
Bissel Pro Power Shot
- PROS: Non-Toxic, Penetrates into Backing.
- CONS: Has a grape scent, cannot use on wool, silk, cotton or viscose area rugs, only use on colorfast fabrics, will set stains it does not remove.
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Before and After - Customer treated stains. Treated areas are darker after cleaning and show bleach spots.
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Resolve Used to Treat Wool Carpet
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Unknown cleaner used to treat Nylon Carpet
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Resolve used on Wool Carpet
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Folex used on Wool Carpeting
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Resolve Used on Nylon Carpeting
In summary, there is no magic solution for removing stains, and a one stop cleaner is going to do as much as it can for removable spots but will make permanent those that cannot be removed by their product. All products must be rinsed or vacuumed away thoroughly to prevent bleaching and discoloration. When in doubt, call a professional with questions, and if you are trying to treat an unknown stain (like from a smoothie or some takeout) think twice about using a drugstore cleaner that will not likely be effective on a stain made from such a blend.
Always feel free to call Mother Nature’s Cleaning with any questions and we can guide you to the best solution.
Happy Cleaning!!
