Reappearing Spots On Carpet

These may occur in a commercial building or a residential home. This is the spot that keeps coming back. You have cleaned it. You have had it professionally cleaned. Its back. There are two most basic reasons for these spots coming back. First, the spot is not being totally removed. Secondly, it is a NEW spot continually happening. If you’re here, you're probably fed up and just want it gone whatever the cause.

Getting to the bottom of these spots can be a mystery at times. The spot not being totally removed can be one of the easiest to figure out but it is often not the case. If a spot is still there immediately following a carpet cleaning (while the carpet is still damp), this would mean the spot has not been totally removed. The reason for this could be that the carpet was not cleaned properly or extra spotting techniques were not used to remove the spot. This could also be because the spot is a permanent stain. Stains such as these have usually altered the dye sites in the carpet fiber itself and cannot be corrected by cleaning. Some common examples we have seen in residential and commercial settings are candle wax dye, bodily fluids (including pets), hair dye, color-loss (bleaching) among others.

Wicking is sometimes a concern. Wicking is the return of a spot after cleaning because all the spot has not been removed from deep in the carpet fibers. This normally happens during the drying process after a cleaning. The spot appears to be gone. As the carpet dries, the moisture from the lower portion of the carpet fiber travels up the fiber to be release into the air. During this process, if some of the foreign material is left in the carpet, it will be transferred from the lower portion of the carpet fiber to the surface where it is once again visible. Some common reasons for this is not thoroughly cleaning the carpet or leaving too much moisture in the carpet. We have also seen this happen with rental machines where the carpet has been cleaned and looks well at first but as the carpet dries it looks worse than before it was cleaned. Wicking will no longer be a concern after the carpet thoroughly dries unless or until moisture is returned to the carpet.

New spots continually occurring can be a little more difficult to get rid of. This can take a little detective work to determine the root cause. If the underlying problem is not addressed the spots will continue to come back no matter how many times they are cleaned. There is no miracle product that can put on carpet which will allow spots and spills to disappear when they occur. They must be cleaned up.

One common cause for a spot returning after being treated with a cleaner is residue left in the carpet. Cleaning a spot and not flushing out the cleaning agent can leave a sticky residue on the carpet. This residue attracts soil and causes a new spot to appear. If this does not seem to be the case, you should ask yourself a few questions to help get to the cause. Is anything specific continually going on in the area, especially if splashing or dripping of liquids could be common? If this is true, is there a possibility of protective mats, alternate flooring or protective splash guards being installed. Are the splashes or spills being cleaned up when they occur? Is this an area with high traffic where food and/or drinks are allowed? Can the food/drinks be restricted to certain areas? A common returning spot in commercial situations we see are water spots. These spots often look like the same spot returning because water is doing what water does. It follows the floor until it reaches the lowest point then pools causing the water spot. This can be fixed by determining where the water is coming from and correcting this. Is the spot near the entryway to the building or home or where there is a transition from a hard surface to a carpeted area? Would a mat help alleviate some of the spots? Watching when spots occur can also help solve the mystery. Do they always reappear at the end of the month after your monthly meeting? Do they reappear every time you complete a certain task?

Many things can cause reappearing spots but with a little forethought they can be controlled. Is the spot related to the cleaning of the spot or carpet or is there another logical explanation? What caused the original spots and is the same thing going on continually. No matter where they are, you just need to ask yourself why are they are returning and concentrate on eliminating the root cause of the problem.

Expert Carpet Cleaning, Inc. offers professional carpet cleaning, tile and grout cleaning, area rug cleaning and commercial carpet cleaning in the following service areas of Tampa Bay : Palm Harbor, Oldsmar, Clearwater, Dunedin, All Pinellas County Beaches, Seminole, Largo, Saint Petersburg, Tierra Verde, and all other areas of Pinellas County, Fl.