How does and will a Stain Treatment help my carpet?

Stains treatments such as scotch Guard are used by most manufacturers of wool carpets, reason being is that is offers protection to wool carpets as they don’t tend to spot clean quite as easy the man-made alternatives such as Polypropylene. Some companies however do not provide this treatment, not just the cheaper companies either this can also be the case with the top end companies. Scotch Guard can always be added after the carpet has been fitted, it is wise to contact a separate company who specializes in stain treatment to do the job for you, as they may be able to provide you with some sort of warranty (which is always good). The treatment will and does wear off in time so repeat treatments may be necessary.

Man-made carpets are rarely treated these days, some fibres such as polypropylene are an inherently stain resistant fibre, meaning that when viewed under a microscope the shape of the fibre can be seen that it does not easily accept the stain. For these reasons polypropylene carpets do not need a stain treatment and will retain its stain resisting properties for its entire
lifetime. Polypropylene is so tough that it is almost impossible to fade, and can in most cases
be cleaned with bleach (Diluted bleach) !

Next blog post – Cleaning with bleach and how to go about it.

Scotch guard is one example of a well used and reputable stain treatment,  have you used anything else and what was your experiences with it? If you have any comment at all regarding stain treatment, please SHARE … Thank-you !

Ever stained your Carpet? Want to know the best way to tackle it …

Speed is of the essence when it comes to dealing with a stain. Two rules exist, both worth remembering about. Firstly NEVER rub the carpet, this will risk damaging the pile surface and creating a fuzzy unwanted mess. And yes it will be there forever,  even if you do get the stain out.
The second rule , is to add as little foreign substance to the carpet as possible. It is not a good idea to head straight for the spray-on foam or cleaner, all of these products despite their claims, will leave residue in the carpet then attracting dirt afterwards.
The first thing you should do is head for the kitchen, if you’ve spilled food grab something to scrape up the solids with, also get a mug or small bowl of Tepid water, once you’ve carefully removed the solids add the water. This will dilute the stain and help lift it to the surface. Next use a clean kitchen tissue or slightly damp cloth to dab/press the stain to draw it up. Turn the cloth around as you go, or replace with another clean one if required. There is no harm in wetting the carpet so long as you don’t add too much water,  a mug or two is fine. You could help by standing on the cloth pushing down with all your weight, the added pressure will help bring up the stain. Now using some clean dry towels the aim is to draw up the water by dabbing and pressing, remember DO NOT RUB.
Whenever cleaning up a stain, always take action and get to the stain as quickly as possible, for any stain the first couple of minutes are crucial, yet still take your time to do the job thoroughly as once the carpet is wet from the water you’ve added, you’ll not truly know until it’s dry whether you have been  successful in removing the stain. If the area dry and the stain I still there, you’re too late!! It’s time to call as professional. If you wasn’t successful the first time, do not try again,  it’s always better to pay a professional than to ruin your carpet. If you’ve read this and still feel that you want to use a carpet foam cleaner, always test it in an inconspicuous first to see that it is suitable for your carpet. Always remember to rinse out all the cleaning chemicals with tepid water, again do not rub. If your carpet is a wool carpet you must always remember to re-treat your carpet against stains, else you’ll notice the cleaned area getting unevenly dirty compared to the rest of your carpet. Hope this helps all that has read it. Thank-you.

Next blog post to be posted will be a small segment about Stain treatments, What is … and which carpets need Stain treatment

How have your encounters with stains gone? Do you feel that you have some great advice for someone who is about to tackle a stain if so SHARE …. Looking forward to your comments 🙂