Removing Red Stains From Your Carpet: Professional Solutions For Homeowners Everywhere

The other day I was surfing the web looking for solutions to “clean” a red stain from my carpet… when I realized that most of the home remedies listed online can fix the stain instead of fixing it. DIY experts cite everything from using white wine to pouring diluted bleach on a red carpet stain to get rid of the problem. How often do these “experts” give bad advice? Instead of guessing our way through this difficult problem, let’s examine the facts and proceed with certainty.

WHAT TYPE OF STAIN ARE YOU WORKING ON: IS THE COLOR FROM A NATURAL (ORGANIC) SOURCE OR AN ARTIFICIAL (SYNTHETIC) SOURCE?

This sounds like a simple question, but it’s very hard to answer and even harder to explain, so instead of trying, people just say “try this or that” not realizing that it can lead to bigger and more costly problems. for homeowners.

When it comes to red carpet stains, there are only three possible sources that can cause red stains. The first is from water-based solutions, such as a children’s marker. The second is from an organic or natural dye like a red wine stain that gets its color from red grapes. And the third is from a synthetic or man-made dye, like Red Kool-Aid or Gatorade, which gets its color when red acid dyes are added to the mix.

NOW THAT WE KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT… LET’S GET RID OF IT LIKE A PROFESSIONAL CARPET CLEANER!

Professional carpet cleaners always start by analyzing each stain. If it’s water-based, a damp towel with a little detergent will remove the stain. The important thing is to be patient and keep working the stain gently until all the color is gone. This can be quick or it can take days depending on how deep the color went and how much color the fiber absorbed. If you work on a water-based color and come back the next day, simply start over and apply it a second time while you still see the color transfer to your towel.

Professional carpet and upholstery cleaners You’ll also find organic red stains caused by wine spills, food spills including red chili, and even bodily fluids like blood, urine, pet urine. These stains do not react to water and require the use of an oxidizer. This is by far the easiest to treat, but you never know how long it will take for the oxidizer to remove the stain. Simply spray an oxidizing stain remover on the stained area of ​​the carpet and wait for it to disappear. Some organic red stains, like furniture stains, are very stubborn and time-consuming. In situations like this, simply treat the stain with your oxidizer and cover it with clear plastic to keep it moist and so sunlight (UV) can stimulate the oxidizer. When the stain is gone, simply remove the plastic and let the treated area dry.

So how do professional carpet cleaners work on red stains from synthetic dyes like Kool-Aid? They use a stain remover with a reducing agent to treat acid dye stains. These are usually 2-part solutions that need to be mixed in equal parts and then applied to the carpet. That’s the easy part. The solution must then be stimulated with heat to react. There are a couple of ways to introduce heat. My favorite is to use a garment steamer to heat up the stain. Simply point live steam directly at the stain and allow up to 3 minutes for the solution to react. The heated solution attacks acid dyes and they tend to change color from red to orange or yellow as they completely wear off. This process can take several applications and it is always best to remove heat in less than 3 minutes when working with carpet fibers such as polyester and olefin that have a lower melting point.

Now that you have a better understanding of color stains, you can start removing your own red carpet stains with more confidence. However, if this still sounds complicated, then it may be a better idea to contact a professional carpet cleaner and ask if they offer “guaranteed” stain removal services. Many companies provide this service, but very few guarantee their work. Take care and your newfound knowledge to help you locate a true professional who can help you resolve an otherwise permanent issue.