How To Treat Spots and Spills

Professional Spotting Techniques

No carpet cleaner can guarantee total removal of every stain found on carpet. Fresh, relatively new stains, are easier to remove than old, set ones. Old stains like urine, cordials, and deep coloured juices dye the carpet and are impossible to remove. You can only expect to lighten the intensity of the colour.

Improper treatment of stains by the home owner usually makes stains more difficult to remove. For this reason, be honest with the customer, let them know that even professionals cannot perform “miracles”. Such honesty will help eliminate misunderstandings regarding ability and liability.

Contrary to popular belief most spotters should be used after a carpet is extracted. The reason being that 95 - 98% of the stains will be removed by extraction cleaning, particularly if it is used as a pre-spray and spotter, prior to extraction with your machine.

There is only one exception to this rule. On heavily impacted tar, grease, gum or candlewax, a solvent spotter GREASE RELEASE should be used, prior to wet cleaning.

GREASE RELEASE is one of the few water soluble solvent spotters on the market so even if it is used when the carpet is wet, it will activate although not as fast as on dry carpet.

Spotting Procedure

Many chemical companies have made it extremely confusing and time consuming by printing elaborate stain removal charts and lists of stains with the correct procedure for each one. We believe this is the wrong way to approach stain removal as it does not encourage a learning process of stain identification and classification and most importantly it does not present a professional image. A carpet cleaner flicking through a stain removal chart in front of the customer should be avoided at all costs.

The RESEARCH PRODUCTS Method

We have developed a very simple numbering system that lets you set your own fixed procedure in dealing with stains, whether they are identified or not. By following the spotting system 1 through to 4, you are assured that the stain won’t be made more difficult to remove and that the spotter will be neutralised even if not completely rinsed from the fibres.

Important

It is the rinsing of any stain that ensures that it does not recur. Use a high volume of water in the rinsing cloth or sponge for carpet tiles, as these show wick-back more noticeably than tufted or Axminster carpet, no matter what fibre is used in construction.

A daily spotting/rinsing programme with your cleaning staff ensure that deep cleaning frequency, with extraction is extended so as to reduce overall cleaning costs.

Spotter Description

1) GREASE RELEASE
This is a high powered blended solvent, combined with emulsifiers and water solubilisers. It contains no water, therefore will never set stains that are pH sensitive. Being water soluble it will work even on wet carpet and will not spread the stain as will non water soluble spotters. Its’ aggressive action helps lift tar, chewing gum, some paints and lipstick. Being water soluble GREASE RELEASE is very easily rinsed, therefore pulling out a higher proportion of stain. Always use a spotting bottle- never use a trigger sprayer.

2) COFFEE BREAK
An acidic spotter used in the coffee and tannin stain removal process. It is an acidic spotter designed to release the bond of acidic stains such as fruit juices, wine stains, etc. This spotter should not be left in the carpet and either neutralised be alkaline spotter or rinsed, preferably both.

3) SENSATION
Possibly the most used spotter in our range as it can be used as part of your general cleaning procedures. It is the only spotter that can be added to SURGE as a booster on hard to clean loop acrylic and nylon or traffic lanes. “Black bonds” around edges are removed by SENSATION. Spotting: Ideal alkaline spotter for protein stains like processed foods, gravy, eggs, as well as vomit and blood. Be careful on wool carpet to neutralise with COFFEE BREAK and rinse carefully.

4)TRUSTY
TRUSTY is an acid based spotter designed specifically for the removal of rust and timber stains from carpet. Safe on all fibres and must be thoroughly rinsed. (Contains no hydrofluoric acid.) This system has been proven by thousands of carpet cleaners and reduces the number of spotters required to obtain the best results.

5) Browning Treatment
As the name suggests, BROWNING TREATMENT has been specifically developed for removing the browning stains on flood damaged carpet. Yet, it has its place as a spotter as well for the removal of fruit juice and medicine stains and as a final spotter to lighten pink and orange colours, soft drink stains and the yellow of urine stains.

Remember this spotter can be left in the carpet and should not be rinsed.

Method of Application

To obtain the best results from your spotter system follow these rules:

1. Test spotters on inconspicuous area first
2. Always blot up excess liquid with white toweling or scrape off excess of loose or sticky matter
3. On small spots (20 cent size) apply spotter by blotting with toweling. Slightly overspray spotter around stain to remove the chance of ring forming and to reduce the “clean spot” look. On large stains always apply spotter to towel and gently wipe towards centre.
4. Check for stain transfer to towel, keep turning towel to absorb excess moisture. Never rub the stain with towel or brush, as this causes pile distortion and can even untwist pile.
5. Extract, blot or rinse before moving to next spot. GREASE RELEASE should always be applied by towel except on gum, paint spots and candlewax. If GREASE RELEASE is ever applied directly, it may delaminate rubber backed carpet and solubilise the tar on Huega carpet.
6. Never leave spotters in the carpet for more than a minute and always rinse. The exception to this is BROWNING TREATMENT which is self neutralising and keeps on working until it dries.

Precautions

1. Always test spotters for colourfastness behind a door - don’t forget bright reds, dark blues and greens bleed easily.
2. Spotters are concentrated chemicals, some have poison labels and should not come into skin contact.
3. Never mix spotters together prior to them being applied to the carpet, as toxic gases could be liberated. BROWNING TREATMENT must be kept cool to minimise power loss. Only carry enough with you for use on a daily basis.
4. Never smoke whilst using spotters.

Carpet Spotting Chart

Carpet stains spotting steps 1 through 5

* Most of these stains come from the ground and are liquids.
** Most of these stains are processed food based.