Carpet Cleaning Spots vs. Stains on your Carpets or Area Rugs in Castro Valley CA

Can you tell the difference between what represents a stain vs. a spot on your carpet? And if so, do you know the appropriate carpet cleaning process?

The first step in restoring your carpet is knowing the difference between carpet spots and stains.
So, what is the difference?

No carpet is entirely stain-proof—especially with today’s stain-resistant carpets. Identifying the difference between spots and stains is half the battle.

A spot usually results from a fresh accident that will come out relatively quickly if removed immediately. It has discolored only the outside of the carpet fibers.  A stain is more permanent, embedding itself into the carpet fibers and changing the color forever.

How does the cleaning process differ?
So, now that you know what you are dealing it, it is time to choose the proper cleaning method.

SPOTS:
For spots, the process is simple. With help from The Carpet and Rug Institute, check out some easy tips for removing spots.

1. Act quickly!

2. Blot, don’t scrub. It seems counter-intuitive, but vigorous scrubbing to remove stains can cause more harm than good, and doing so could cause stains to embed further into your carpet. Using a dry cloth or paper towel, gently blot the stain away.

3. Plain water is best! Household carpet cleaning products may not be as helpful as you think, and sometimes the best method is plain ole water. There is no such thing as a permanent carpet cleaning solution, and often these “permanent solutions” cause carpets to re-soil due to an overabundance of alkaline.

STAINS:
The stain removal process can be more difficult.  First, you must identify the type of stain:
Solvent-soluble
Solvent-soluble stains include crayons, tar, oils, greases, lipstick, and butter. These stains can be cleaned with a solvent cleaner.
Water-soluble
Some water-soluble stains include alcoholic beverages, ice cream, colas, food dyes, gravy, coffee, chocolate, wine, mud, latex paint, and washable ink. Detergent-based cleaners should work well on those.
Non-soluble
Non-soluble stains are sand, grit, metal shavings, or anything with a sticky film. It would help if you vacuumed these types of stains first before using an appropriate cleaning solution.

You may need to consult a professional carpet cleaning company when all else fails. Contact a reputable, long-standing carpet cleaning company.

We at KMC Cleaners & Restoring Services hope this makes cleaning your carpets easier by knowing the difference between carpet spots and stains!