Carpet Cleaning Bradenton FL

“Have you ever tried cleaning a spot on your carpet or rug only to make it worse?” 

Before resulting to putting everything under your kitchen sink on a urine stain, please try these steps first. Using the wrong product on some spots can set the spot making it permanent. When urine is first deposited, it has a neutral to slightly acidic pH. At this stage, blot up as much as possible with a towel or paper towel. Make sure the paper towels don’t have a pattern on them because the ink can transfer to your carpet/upholstery. If it is a lot of urine, place a heavy object on your towel or paper towels and leave for about 10 minutes. Now take a clean towel and dampen with water and gently blot the spot. Following up with a solution of one part white vinegar and three parts water will help neutralize any urine that may be a few hours to days old. If you are having some odor or are concerned and want to prevent odor before it starts, there are many products containing enzymes that digest any urine that you did not get out completely. Urine-Off and Natures Miracle work well. Follow the directions on the label. If you have any resoiling in those areas, try cleaning them with just a damp cloth. Many over-the-counter spot removers will just make the situation worse by leaving more residue behind.

Are you about to have a nervous breakdown because your three year old decided to express her artistic abilities all over the living room carpet? Try these simple steps first before resulting to pharmaceuticals.

Ink removal can be one of the trickiest things to remove from your carpet and upholstery. A spot the size of the head of a pin can grow to the size of a softball if you aren’t careful. Don’t attempt this if there is a lot of ink on your upholstery or carpet. It may call for a professional with some experience in the matter. Make sure that if you do call a professional that he is IICRC certified. An amateur could make things worse for you. If you are going to attempt this yourself, make sure that you test any products that you use on an inconspicuous area first. You don’t want to end up with a bleached spot in the middle of you living room.

      1) Use a dropper to drip a barrier of hydrogen peroxide around the ink spot. This will keep the ink contained within the peroxide barrier so that it doesn’t get bigger.

     2) Put some ink remover (can get from janitorial supply store) or acetone (nail polish remover) on a white cotton towel.

     3) blot the spot with the acetone/ink remover from the outside of the spot while working you way to the middle until there is no more ink transfer to the towel. Be careful not to take color out of the fabric or carpet you are working on. If you do, you will be trading one problem for another.

     4) drip a little acetone/ink remover onto the spot and vacuume with a wet/dry vac. DO NOT saturate the spot with acetone/ink remover because it will delaminate the carpet.

     5) Stop when the spot does not transfer to the towel anymore or is completely gone.

     6) Rinse the spot well with a neutral pH spot remover. A few drops of Dawn dish detergent to a half cup of water will work fine. Don’t make it too soapy or the soap will attract soil. Rinse again with plain water until there is no more residue.

 Unfortunately spots happen and usually this time of the year when all your friends and family come to visit. If your family is anything like the family on National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, you’re going to get spots. Relax. Don’t Panic. The following procedures will help you with removing those unsightly spots from your carpet and upholstery.  If you need further assistance, Guaranteed Carpet & Tile Care’s highly trained and friendly staff can bail you out of almost any situation. Hope this helps you survive the holidays. There will be a home spotting guide coming soon to our website www.carpetcleaningsarasota.com . Please check back often.

1. Catch it while it’s fresh, when chances of removal are 75% better. Don’t iron or hot-air dry until the stain is gone. Heat will set most stains.  
2. First blot up all the liquid and scrape up all the solids you can. On a large liquid spill you can use a wet/dry vac. Be careful not to spread the stain.
3. Test any chemical you intend to use in a hidden area to make sure it won’t discolor or damage the surface.
4. Apply spotter and work from the outside of the stain in, to avoid spreading. Blot, don’t scrub; strike with the flat face of a spotting brush if needed to help break up the stain.
5. Rinse chemical spotters out with water, blot the area dry and feather the edges. Brush or fluff up pile or nap.

6. On carpet and upholstery, put a thick pad of toweling over the spot, weight it down with books, and leave it there overnight to “wick up” any remaining moisture.

Good Luck and Happy Holidays

Kenny Ferguson