If you’ve ever lived in a house with carpeting, chances are you’ve had to deal with carpeting stains. And you’ve probably learned the hard way that not addressing stains when they happen makes it that much more difficult to clean. You may be dealing with such a stain now and wondering, “Does carpet cleaning remove stains?”
The answer, in most cases, is yes. There are all kinds of stains that can be brought into the home, some more nefarious than others. With the true four-season weather we get here in the Pacific Northwest, there will no doubt be times when a muddy shoe (or paw) print will be brought into the home.
We also like home improvement projects (paints, varnishes, wood stains) and having get-togethers (dinner parties where the occasional bottle of wine or two is open). And while there are ways to protect our carpets–area rugs, sealants, and other protectants–there will come a time when a stain breaks through your defenses.
Does Carpet Cleaning Remove Stains
And then it’s time to call in the big guns, especially if it’s a stain that has been left to fester. There are several different ways of deep cleaning a carpet that will yield better results than a vacuum or getting on your hands and knees with chemicals that could make matters worse.
Steam carpet cleaners, or hot water extraction, involves using hot water under high pressure to agitate the carpet fibers and dissolve dirt. It’s one of the most common and effective professional cleaning methods. However, when done incorrectly, it can leave massive amounts of water behind.
This can lead to musty mildew and mold, which can be worse than the stain you were trying to get rid of in the first place! Dry cleaning uses specialized cleaning powders or foams to absorb and remove dirt and stains through chemical reactions.
Encapsulation cleaning is a similar way of cleaning a stain. A special cleaning solution is applied to the carpet and then encapsulates the dirt particles, which then crystallize and can be easily vacuumed away. However, these may not be as effective for deeply embedded stains or heavily soiled carpets.
At Heaven’s Best, we use the best parts of several of these methods. Our cleaning process along with our all-natural, citrus-based cleaning solution, we are able to leave your carpets dry in just one hour. Not only is our professional carpet cleaning process proven effective, but it also allows us to use only three gallons of water, versus up to 100 gallons used by traditional truck-mounted systems or steam cleaning.
We take great pride in our commitment to sustainability and preserving the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Our equipment runs on electricity, completely eliminating the extra emissions created by traditional truck-operated cleaning equipment. Plus, you can stay cozy indoors on chilly winter days, as we don’t have to drag in hoses from our vehicle to get the job done.
Keep The Vacuum in the Closet
One thing you’ll want to avoid when a stain happens is pulling out the vacuum. Sure, cleaning up dirt, pet hair, glitter, and other dry debris with a vacuum isn’t a problem. But vacuuming a fresh liquid or wet stain may do even more damage to your carpet.
Vacuuming a fresh liquid stain might spread it across a wider area, making it more difficult to clean. Some stains might be pushed deeper into the carpet fibers with the roller brush, too. When there is a fresh stain, blot and absorb as much of the stain as possible–avoid rubbing the stain so you don’t spread it around even more.
What Carpet Stains are Hardest to Remove?
Several types of stains on carpets can be particularly challenging to remove, even for heavy-duty carpet stain removers. The deep color and acidity of red wine make it a tough stain to remove from carpets and the dark pigmentation in coffee and tea will also leave noticeable stains. Ink stains, especially from pens or markers, can be stubborn and may require specific treatments to lift the pigment from carpet fibers.
Pet stains can also cause odor issues if not treated promptly and effectively. Remember when we mentioned home renovations? Blood stains can set quickly and are notoriously hard to remove, often requiring immediate attention and specialized cleaning techniques.
These stubborn stains often require immediate attention and the use of specific stain-removal products or professional cleaning services to increase the likelihood of complete removal without causing damage to the carpet fibers. The longer the stain sets, the more challenging it can be to remove.
Does Carpet Cleaning Remove Stains? Not Always
While many stains can be effectively treated and removed by various carpet cleaning methods, there are some stains that are extremely difficult, or even impossible, to get rid of. So they’ll either become part of the decor, or they can be cut out and the carpet repaired.
If a strong bleach or bleach-containing product comes into contact with the carpet, it often causes permanent discoloration by removing the carpet’s dye. Certain types of permanent markers contain highly resistant pigments that can be challenging to remove completely from carpet fibers.
Harsh acids found in some cleaning products (like toilet bowl cleaners) might cause irreversible damage to the carpet fibers. Some substances with strong dyes, like hair dye, certain paints, or other highly pigmented liquids, might permanently alter the color of the carpet fibers, too.
