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There is so much confusion when it comes to choosing the right flooring. Which should not be surprising considering that there are five main categories of flooring including wood, laminate, ceramic, vinyl and carpet. And, although I see many of my customers make very intelligent decisions, I often see many who do not make as good of a choice often to only regret it later.

Today I want to talk about carpet. Carpet is available in numerous styles and varieties, but not each one works well everywhere. Just because something may look nice or you think something will look nice in a particular spot does not mean you are making a wise investment.

And, yes carpeting is an investment. When you realize the cost involved and the lifespan of carpet, it’s an investment. So you want to make a careful choice and choose something that not only you can live with, but something that will hold up well and require the least amount of maintenance. (more…)

So you have a spot on your new carpet.  If you read my last post you learned that the most important thing in spot removal is to first identify what it is.  Knowing what the spot is will make your life a lot easier when you go to remove it.

Fortunately, this time you just happen to be lucky enough to see what spilled.  Because any time something spills on your carpet your first impulse will be to get that spot out before it becomes a stain, but before you go flying off the handle in a panic there are several things that you need to know.  So I would suggest that you continue reading.

Attempting to remove the spot and not following some simple procedures will often make removal more difficult if not impossible. I have seen too many of my customers ask me to remove a simple spot after they have worked on it, only to make it worse.  It’s never pleasant having to tell your customer that you can no longer get out their spot because they did more harm than good.

When it comes to spot removal from your carpet DO NOT ever -

1. think more is better - Time after time I have seen customers under the impression that if a small amount of a carpet cleaning agent is good - more is better.  That is until they begin to see their carpet fibers begin to separate from the backing and the color of their carpet begin to change.

2. be aggressive - Being too aggressive can only damage the fibers, especially if you have a cut loop carpet.  For those who are not sure what type of carpet they have, a cut loop pile can be identified as a carpet that is very plush as opposed to a loop which is much flatter.  If you have a cut loop carpet and you are too aggressive with the spot you can spread the tips which will unravel the tufts and leave a mark in your carpet that will never go away.

Now that you know what never to do, here are the things that you need to do to successfully remove that spot -

1. Remove as much of the spilled substance as quickly as possible.  If the substance is solid pick up as much as possible before blotting the remaining liquid with paper towels.

2. Decide what kind of spot you have and then follow the procedure for that type of spot removal.

Unfortunately, there is too broad a variety of spots to mention all of them here, but most carpet spots do fit into one of three categories.  Here is a look at those categories and the procedures to remove those types of spots.

1. Protein spots - these kinds of spots are generally made up of food and bodily fluids.  Blot with a wet paper or terry cloth towel and a cleaning agent that contains enzymes which are contained in most of today’s laundry detergents. The enzyme will actually digest the spot and remove it from your carpet.  When trying to remove these spots never use very hot water.

2. Tannin based spots - these spots include tea, coffee and soft drinks. The important thing here is to get to the spill quickly.  A tannin spill that remains for more than a day or two in your carpet is likely to become a permanent stain.  If the spill is coffee the first thing that you want to do is blot it with laundry detergent and cool water on a clean white terry cloth or paper towel the same as you would a protein spill.  Then blot the spot with a tannin remover which is an acid based cleaning agent.

3. Oil based - the first thing to try is a clear grease cutting dish washing soap.  If that does not work apply a small amount of isopropyl alcohol or a good citrus based solvent to the spot.  Then blot with a damp paper or terry cloth towel.

In conclusion, when something spills on your carpet, do not panic.  Take your time and carefully attempt to remove the spot by first researching the needed spot removal procedure and then following it step by step.  Only then will you have given your carpet the opportunity of a complete restoration.

“So you have a spot on your new carpet.  If you read my last post you learned that the most important thing in spot removal is to first identify what it is.  Knowing what the spot is will make your life a lot easier when you go to remove it. Merry Maids also offers cleaning tips and services.”

You have taken the time to select just the right carpet for your home.  You have chosen just the right fabric, color and style.  Your new carpet looks absolutely beautiful and you have been enjoying the  luxurious warmth and feel of your new carpet until one day without expecting it you happen to glance down and there it is, an ugly spot right on your beautiful new carpeting.  What are you going to do?

Now, before we go any further with understanding how to remove a carpet spot often referred to as a carpet stain it’s important to understand some carpet terminology.

carpet spot - a carpet spot is any foreign material on your carpeting that can be removed.

carpet stain - a carpet stain is a carpet spot that can no longer be removed.

Now that you understand the terminology of carpet and hope that what you have is a carpet spot and not a carpet stain, how do you tell the difference? Then assuming you have a carpet spot how do you remove it?  The difference lies within what is known as “The Chemistry of Carpet Cleaning”.
 
Carpet cleaning which includes spot removal believe it or not involves quite a bit of science, you know acid and alkali, positive and negative charged ions, all that sort of good stuff.  But don’t worry I’m not going to bore you here with all sorts of a scientific stuff that you really don’t care about - we are just going to use some common sense to hopefully remove that spot.

Carpet spots as well as carpet stains are similar in nature in that they both are a foreign substance within the fibers of your carpet.  What makes the spot different from the stain has to do with how well it has attached itself to the surrounding fibers.  This is where the chemistry comes in.  If it has attached itself well, good chance you could wind up with a stain.  If it is not attached so well which is usually the case, then you have a very good chance of removing it.

Ok, so we now know the difference between spots and stains, but how are we going to get it out?  Well, first we need to determine if we have a spot or a stain and what are the chances of being able to remove it.
 
There are 2 ways to determine if what you have is a spot or a carpet stain.  First, you can usually get a pretty good idea just by knowing what the foreign substance is.  For example, if you know that what spilled was soda then you probably have a spot and a very good chance for removal.

On the other hand, if you know that the spill was coffee, you probably have a stain.  Now the reason that I use the word probably and not definitely is because there are other factors involved. Believe it or not factors such as the kind of coffee need to be taken into consideration.

However, most foreign substances are usually spots so here is a spot removal chart that I recommend.

Unfortunately, with many spills you do not notice them until it is too late and you have no idea what the spill consists of.  At this point you may want to consider calling a professional carpet cleaner, they have the experience and the needed cleaning agents to better remove the substance, but if still want to attempt to remove it yourself there are a few things that you can do.

You can test a small area of the spill with water or club soda on a terry cloth towel gently applied in a circular motion.  Be very careful not to apply to much pressure especially if you have a plush carpet, you do not want to distort the pile.
 
If you do not notice any difference you can try using a mild dish washing soap in the water.   Make sure that the dish washing detergent that you use is clear.  Dish washing soap can leave a residue and if you use one that has color, the color may be in your carpet long after the spot is gone.

If you try using dish washing detergent and you still do not see a change you are going to have to try individual cleaning agents one at a time.  Depending on what you think the spill may be you are going to have to refer back to the spot removal chart that I mentioned earlier to find out what the cleaning agents for carpet are.  Remember to first test each one in an inconspicuous area before trying it on the individual stain.  
 
If you see any movement or as it is referred to in the business as transfer to the towel at any point you have gotten lucky and have a spot.  In the event that there is no change in the spill you have a more complicated spot or maybe even a stain and will need to call in a professional carpet cleaner.
 

In conclusion, in determining if something that has spilled on your carpet can be removed you have to first decide if it is a spot or a stain.  The difference being that a spot is something that can be removed and a stain is something that is permanent.  Only once you have made the determination that what you have is a spot can you begin to remove it.   

When choosing the right carpet for your home there are many things to consider.  First, as with any new home remodel you will need to establish a budget. Only you can determine how much that is, but the more that you decide to invest the more satisfied you will be and the longer your new carpet will last.  Even though I recommend not skimping when it comes to carpeting, just remember that carpeting is one of your most cost-effective ways to cover a floor.

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