You clean the carpets and everything looks great. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done. A few days go by and (Insert horror movie music here)- IT’S BAAACK. That pesky stain you thought you destroyed. But why? Here are a couple possible reasons:
Carpet Cleaner Residue
Carpet cleaners used to treat the original stain leave a
residue on your carpet fibers. If not totally rinsed out, the residue becomes
sticky. This residue attracts more dirt and soil to the same area, which makes
it look like the stain is magically returning.
FIX IT- After cleaning that stain, add lukewarm water to the
area. The you must dry the carpet as much as possible. Use extraction equipment
if you have it, or put towels on the area then put something heavy on the
towels to help soak up the water. Leave it overnight.
Wicking
When a liquid is allowed to soak through the carpet, it will
end up in the carpet padding- sometimes even under the padding. When
you clean the stain, you are cleaning the surface of the carpet. But what about
the liquid that is trapped in the padding? Well, this liquid can be reabsorbed
by the carpet fiber strands and back to the surface- causing you headaches.
This is called Wicking. It typically happens while the carpet is still wet.
FIX IT- Try to pick up spills as soon as they happen to
prevent soaking into the padding. Your best bet would be to use a carpet
extractor to rinse and remove as much liquid as possible. Professional carpet
cleaners have the best equipment for extracting liquid/drying carpets You can
also use the towel trick from above.
Call AMS for help cleaning your commercial carpets! 815-547-7952
Call AMS for help cleaning your commercial carpets! 815-547-7952
