With prompt use of the correct procedures on a fresh spillage or recent spots and stains, you can minimise or remove spills or spots from textile furnishings such as carpet, rugs or upholstery. The best time to remove any stain is as soon as it occurs. Once dried or aged, that same spot has migrated well inside the fibre or hardened so that removal is much more difficult.
Here are a few tips on spot removal to help avoid a permanent stain. Your Advanced Specialized Equipment cleaner can advise on professional treatment if needed.
- Remove residue and blot.
Blot up or remove as much of the fresh spillage or discolouration as possible. Keep blotting using absorbent or paper towels for 15 to 30 minutes or more, until no further residue can be removed. Weight down the absorbent towelling with a telephone book or any large book and keep changing the towels to a fresh or unused area every 5 to 10 minutes. Blot only, do not rub and do not press down heavily onto upholstery fabric as you may damage it. Be patient; continue the blotting until no further discolouration is seen. - Moisten lightly and blot again.
If the stain is water-based, such as cola, fruit punch or juice, tea, coffee, latex-type paint, or animal/pet urine, you can moisten the absorbent towels with water and repeat the blotting process above to see if any more of the stain or residue is removed. An alternate method is to dissolve a few drops of a mild, colourless dishwashing liquid in a cup of water, moisten the stain or towels, and blot as above. Be certain to rinse with water any detergent or soap residues even after the spot is removed.
If the stain is oily or greasy, such as butter, milk, crayon, shoe polish, tar or asphalt, motor oil, or lipstick, use an evaporating-type dry-cleaning solvent or cleaning fluid. Many professional cleaners sell these products. Follow the product directions and safety warnings. Apply the spotting solution to your absorbent towelling rather than directly to the stain, and again blot as in step 1. Repeat as necessary. - Check with your fibre company, carpet mill, or upholstery manufacturer.
Most fibre companies and several carpet mills or upholstered furniture manufacturers have toll-free numbers or consumer hotlines. Contact these manufacturers as soon as possible. Obtain their specific recommendations for stain removal procedures and confirm that the spot removal product is safe to use on their fibre, carpet, or upholstery. If not, you may void the warranty as to stain resistance (where appropriate). - Avoid the use of harsh chemicals, strong cleaners, or home remedies.
There is always some risk in spot removal of damaging the textile, irreversibly altering the stained colour, or otherwise setting the stain. This is especially true when using strong chemicals, improper products, or procedures. Avoid overuse or overwetting the stain, as this may cause it to spread or be absorbed deeper into the carpet pile fibres or fabric. Harsh rubbing or the use of cleaners with optical brighteners can result in variations in colour, pile direction, or shading. These changes may remain even after stain removal or following a thorough cleaning. - Use multi-purpose carpet or upholstery stain removers.
There are spot and stain removal products specially formulated for consumer use. These can be effective on certain water-based and some oily or greasy stains. If you have used these successfully before and know how they work, you may try them on your current spillage (if in doubt about the product’s safety or applicability, do not risk further damage). Follow the product directions and pre-test all spot treatments in an inconspicuous area before using; otherwise, colour damage may result. Avoid overuse of the product—less is often better than more. Rinse and blot any residual chemicals or spotting agent as the last step. - Some stains are tenacious or impossible to fully remove.
Without prompt treatment using the right methods, a fresh spill or spot will dry into the fibres and be much harder or perhaps impossible to remove. Prompt attention to spot and stain removal is your best ally. Some spills or stains, however, contain dyes, colourants, bleaches, or strippers that can permanently discolour the fibres, and no heroic treatments may remedy the discolouration. - Contact your Advanced Specialized Equipment professional for expert advice.
For special treatment or a free copy of the ASE TIPS care booklet, call an ASE professional. If in any doubt, play it safe and do not experiment. Let them recommend how to proceed or schedule a visit to see if specialty stain removal or professional cleaning can further improve the situation and remove the stains.
To contact an ASE cleaner in your area, phone 1800 068 901 or visit the ASE website at www.cleanology.com.au for a referral or more information.
NOTE: While this information is offered in good faith and is appropriate to the best of our knowledge, ASE and its members accept no responsibility for claims arising from the treatments, products, or procedures suggested herein. If stains fail to respond or any difficulties arise, immediately stop and contact your professional carpet cleaner.
