Why Do Spots Return on My Carpet?
One reason new customers give for trying my carpet cleaning services is the problem of returning spots. The question often goes like this:
“When Stanley Steemer (or Coit or another carpet steam cleaner) comes out to clean my carpet, it looks great when they leave. But, within a week or two, spots return. Why does that happen?”
Why do spots return?
I explain that, in some cases, spots return for one of the following reasons:
- Your carpet cleaner may have used a spot cleaner that left a sticky residue. Whenever anyone walks on the area that was spot cleaned, soil transfers from shoes to carpet. That area gets dirty faster than the rest of the carpet.
- If the spot was caused by pet urine, there may be moisture in the carpet pad, which wicks up to the surface. The wet carpet causes soil to transfer from shoes to carpet. (We can test your carpet to determine if you have moisture deep in or under the carpet)
- The hot water extraction method of carpet cleaning (also known as “steam cleaning”) shoots water and detergent into your carpet, pushing the soil down into the carpet as far as the backing. Some of that soil is removed when the vacuum suction picks up the solution and soil with it. However, a lot of dirty solution remains in the carpet. As the carpet dries, the dirty moisture wicks up to the surface, causing spots to reappear.
This is also a problem for home “steam cleaners” like Bissel or Dirt Devil. Suction is weak on these machines. All they do is add water and detergent to the problem. They don’t do a good job of extraction. They don’t lift the soil out of the carpet.
Read: Host Professional Cleaners Association (PCA) Bulletin on Spot Removal.
Read: Carpet Spot Removal Tips
The more important question goes like this:
How can I get my carpet cleaned so that spots do not return?
When we clean your carpet, spots are removed and do not return.
The answer is simple. Change the method you use for cleaning your carpet. That may mean changing carpet cleaning companies.
Both of my carpet cleaning systems avoid the problem of carpet spots returning. How? My carpet cleaning does not push the soil deeper into the carpet. Unlike hot water extraction cleaners, we do not add 40+ gallons of water and detergent to your carpet. We keep the cleaning solution at the surface of the carpet, where the soil is. We use towels to extract the solution and the soil with it. Our Host Dry Extraction system lifts the soil up to the surface where it is removed for good. Spots do not return.
There is one exception. If there is moisture deep in the carpet, the backing or the pad (from flooding, pet accidents or using too much spot cleaning solution) spots may return until all the moisture dries. In that case, the best way to get everything dry is to pull the carpet up so that the backing and pad are exposed to air until they dry. If moisture has been there more than 48 hours, there may be mold or mildew too. In some cases, you’ll need to have the pad and carpet replaced.
The best policy is to avoid the problem in the first place. Use only dry cleaning or very low moisture (VLM) carpet cleaning methods on your carpet. That means calling Advanced Dry Carpet Care. In the case of pet accidents or spills, blot up the liquid as soon as possible. Put a fan on the area to dry up any remaining moisture.
For carpet dry cleaning
or low moisture carpet cleaning
CALL Advanced Dry Carpet Care