Why Do Carpet Stains Sometimes Come Back?

All too often a homeowner will notice a carpet stain in the aftermath of a party or a holiday get-together and spend time and effort removing only to see it reappear after a few days. If this has happened to you, you're not alone. The phenomenon is called residual staining and it's more common than most people realize. In this guide, the carpet cleaning experts at Steve's explain what is behind residual staining and how to clean the carpet in a way that will prevent it from occurring.

First Things First: Why Do Carpet Stains Come Back?

There are two reasons behind the phenomenon of carpet stains reappearing after seemingly being removed. They are:

Wicking

However, off-the-shelf stain removers typically clean only the surface of the rug leaving the deep-seated stain material still lurking at the base of the pile. Over time this material works its way back up through the carpet fibers by way of capillary action, also called wicking. After a few days, the stain seems to magically reappear, but that's only because it was never fully removed in the first place.

Cleaning Residue

The other main cause of stains reappearing that carpet cleaning companies in Arvada encounter all the time is residue left behind when the homeowner performs a spot cleaning on the stained area. Most off-the-shelf stain removers rely heavily on detergents and chemicals to remove the stain.

If those chemicals and soaps are not thoroughly rinsed away during the cleaning process they will remain in the rug and slowly attract dirt and grime. Over time it may appear that the original stain is back. But what you're really seeing is a new stain caused by dirt sticking to the residual cleaning chemicals. In some cases, it may take weeks for the residual stain to appear.

How to Prevent Recurring Stains

In the case of reappearing stains, the best defense is a good offense. That means preventing the original stain from having an opportunity to morph into a residual stain. If you become aware of a spill when it happens here's what to do:

• Don't rub the spill, blot it – Addressing a fresh spill in an appropriate way is crucial to preventing it from coming back. Instead of rubbing the spill in an effort to pick up the liquid, blot it gently using a clean, dry cloth. (If you have a lot of carpeting or rugs or both in your home you should always have some clean cloths on hand to use in an emergency.) Rubbing will only force the liquid farther down into the pile increasing the odds that some liquid will end up wicking its way back to the surface.
• Use restraint when cleaning – The temptation may be to flood the stain with water or a cleaning product. Don't. The excess moisture will just allow the stain to sink deeper into the carpeting, making removal more difficult and wicking more likely. And if you use too much detergent you may remove the original stain but any detergent residue left in the carpet will just create a new, residual stain.
• Rinse carefully – Whether you use vinegar and baking soda or an off-the-shelf stain remover for rug cleaning it's crucial to rinse thoroughly but carefully. By that, we mean you should use a spray bottle full of clean water and gently mist the cleaned area. Then blot it using one of those clean towels we mentioned above. Keep repeating the mist/blot cycle until no soapy residue appears on the towel.
• Dry the area completely – After blotting the cleaned area to remove any residual detergents you will need to dry the area quickly and thoroughly. Use more of those clean towels to soak up as much moisture as you can and once you're sure you can't sop up anymore, place a fan directly over the area to accelerate the drying process.

How to Remove a Stubborn Residual Stain

Now let's say it's too late to prevent the stain. You were not aware of the spill when it occurred and it wasn't until several days later that you tried to remove the stain. Now, a week after cleaning it, it's come back. What should you do?

Without a doubt, the best thing to do is call Steve's Carpet Care and have them address the stain. They'll remove it the first time and in a way that prevents it from coming back to haunt you. Here's how:

By using the right equipment

At Steve's, we don't mess around with wet vacs. Instead, we use a state-of-the-art truck-mounted steam cleaning machine that uses minimal water and a powerful, truck-mounted vacuum to remove every last bit of moisture from the carpet once it's clean.

By leaving nothing behind

The truck-mounted carpet cleaning technique doesn't rely on large volumes of soap, cleans right down to the base of the pile and does not leave any spilled material or detergents behind that could cause a recurring stain.

Preventing Future Residual Stains

Once the recurring stain has been removed it's important that you fend off future stains by incorporating a few common sense practices:

The Bottom Line

The residual stain phenomenon has baffled homeowners for decades. Fortunately today we understand what is behind it and how to both prevent it from happening and how to resolve the problem once it does manifest.

The best way to keep wicking or residual stains at bay is to address spills properly the minute they happen. And the best way to remove stains caused by residual chemicals, or wicking, is to call Steve's Carpet Care.

For Full Service Carpet Cleaning in Arvada, Trust Steve's

If you need to have a recurring stain removed or you'd like to have your carpet cleaned or schedule carpet repair, call Steve's today.