We’ve all spilled our drinks on the carpet a time or two, and getting them up before is top priority before you’re left with an ugly carpet stain.
So what actually causes the stain?
Drinks such as cool aid, gator aid even some juices contain synthetic dyes to brighten up the drink so it looks good to drink. The problem with synthetic dyes is that they’re small enough to seep into the dye locations on each carpet fiber. Now not all carpet fibers are created equal, so some you’re ok to spill all you want, others it’s not that easy.
Most carpets today are made of ether nylon, polyester or polypropylene. The good news about polyester and polypropylene is that they’re made of oil, so synthetic dyes wont adhere to these fibers. The bad news is that oil can stain these two, but that nothing a good solvent wont remove. Now for nylon. Nylon is the most popular carpet fiber because it wears so well. In fact, nylon is known to last beyond 15 years. Nylon feels soft as opposed to polyesters plasticy feel. The problem with nylon is found in the tiny holes along the fibers where the manufacturers inject the carpet color dye. Both polyester and polypropylene have their color added when they’re still in liquid form, which means their color goes all the way through their fibers. Nylon on the other hand has to have the carpet color infused through these dye spots.
When a food or drink that contains synthetic dyes spill onto nylon carpet, the dye finds its way into the carpet fiber just as the manufacturer did when your carpet was made. This is why certain stains just wont come out – typically red and orange. There are some ways to remedy these types of stains through either preventative stain guards or stain removers.
EverClean Carpet Cleaning recommends having your carpet protected by a stain guard that includes acid dye blockers. The acid dye blocker works by blocking the dye spot on each fiber so synthetic dyes cannot penetrate the fiber. Note that stain guards are only good for about a year in normal traffic areas as the thin film eventually wears away. It’s recommended that you have your carpet stain guarded at least once every year.
Other ways of removing synthetic stains include powerful stain removers, patching, and steam stain removal. A professional carpet cleaner should have a strong oxidizer that when applied hides the stain by adding oxygen to it’s molecules. This hides the stain by changing its molecular structure. Another way is by using a stain remover with a wet cotton towel and an iron. EverClean Carpet Cleaning recommends having a professional use the iron as too much heat and time will remove the dye that the manufacturer added.
Nashville EverClean Carpet Cleaning hopes this article was helpful. If you have further questions or need assistance in carpet stain removal, please give us a call.
Brandon Branco
EverClean Carpet Cleaning Nashville
615-379-3278
615-Dry-Fast!