By Chuck Shipp

How often does this happen? The person renting the carpet-cleaning machine says, “What do you have to take ‘blank’ out of carpets?” and you stutter around as you both read the labels. Here is a quick guide to tell you what works and why.  A good catch phrase to remember for spotting with chemicals is that “like dissolves like.” If the carpet stain is water-based such as coffee, cola, tea, food, or just plain dirt, then a water-based general spotter is the best try for a homeowner. If the carpet stain is petroleum-based such as paint, tar, mechanical grease, makeup or lipstick, then a petroleum solvent spotter works best.

Water-based stains
Manufacturers call spotters for water-based stains by names such as general spotter, all-purpose spotter, pre-spotter or traffic-lane spotter. All of these spotters are great on stains such as food grease, heavy dirt accumulations, all drink stains except those with food dye or that mystery stain.  These spotters can be used without a machine by saturating the stain with the spotter chemical, then lightly brushing from the outside in and placing a dry cloth over the area.  Place your foot on the cloth and twist. The stain will be liquefied and transferred from the carpet to the cloth.  Some spotter chemical will stay in the carpet unless it is rinsed well. The easiest way to rinse is to use a hot-water extraction carpet-cleaning machine before the spotter dries. These same spotters are excellent for dirt stains in front of furniture and down hallways. Just be careful not to spray too long before cleaning the carpet, letting the spotter dry.

Solvent-based stains
These spotters are called solvent spotters, petroleum spotters, citrus spotters, or paint, oil or grease removers. This is usually your second line of attack on that unidentifiable stain.  These solvent-based spotters are best when used on dry carpet. Be prepared to immediately blot with a dry cloth after applying the spotter. A solvent-based stain, such as paint, tar or lipstick, will liquefy at once and “run.” It is usually not necessary to follow up with the carpet-cleaning machine because water and solvents do not mix. What you see is what you get — it will not get lighter later.  If all of the stain does not come out, continue to spot and blot. Solvents, if over-used, can delaminate the backing of the carpet. These spotters should be used in small amounts, letting the stain dry, then repeating the process. 

Urine stains
The No. 1 question your customers are likely to ask is how to get out urine stains and odors. Urine is tough because it has an acid pH and is composed of animal proteins. The longer the urine sits in the carpet, the more likely it is to oxidize in the sunlight and permanently discolor the carpet. If the carpet is dark, it can bleach out the color. If it is light, it can leave a light tan stain. The only solution is to use a bacteria-based spotter.  These are similar to the same bacteria (enzymes) that are put in grease traps and septic tanks. The bacterium emits enzymes in the presence of a food source, which, in this case, is the uric acid salt proteins in the carpet. The bacteria spotters’ performance is based on how long the urine has been in the carpet and how much it has oxidized. It may take repeated uses to lighten he stain. But for getting rid of urine odor, it is unmatched.  It must touch the urine to digest or break down the proteins. So the homeowner will need to get on his or her hands and knees to isolate the location of the urine and pour the bacteria spotter on the area to saturate the carpet fibers, the carpet pad and the sub flooring to get rid of the urine odor. 

Food-dye stain remover
The latest spotter to filter down from the professional to the homeowner is the food-dye stain remover. This spotter, with a little technical skill, can remove fruit drinks, gelatin, wine, grape juice, children’s medicines and candies.  Any type of artificial food dye, which has been famous for making permanent stains, can now be removed. The food-dye stain remover microscopically liquefies the food dye, and then heat, applied with an iron, draws the dye into a cloth. Apply the food-dye stain remover to the stain and put a white damp terrycloth towel on top. Hold a steam iron down on top of the cloth for around one minute, and the dye will transfer to the cloth. The method is a good solution to try on that mystery stain.
A similar method can be used for candle wax. No spotter is necessary, just place a dry cloth on top of the candle wax and a heated iron on top of the cloth. The wax is drawn into the cloth. Residual waxy film on the fibers can be removed with  a solvent spotter.  Offer options for removing that hard-to-reach stain. Educate your customer. Earn profits with your knowledge. RM

Chuck Shipp is the president of Shipp Rental Cleaning Systems, a manufacturer of carpet-cleaning equipment and chemicals, in Conyers, Ga.

February 2001