Stain Removal

Where  possible we use Eco Friendly stain removal products which we believe outperform conventional products,  however success depends upon the cleaner’s ability to identify the fibre and the construction of the carpet or upholstery fabric.  It is then essential to choose the right product and apply it correctly.  Without this knowledge, stain removal is hit-and-miss and could cause permanent damage to the fibres or set the stain in.

So to start with, we try and find out as much as we can about the stain.  Sometimes the customer will tell us what caused the spillage.  However, if they weren’t there at the time of the accident or have simply forgotten then we have to use other methods of identification.

As a general first step we determine whether the stain is permanent, as with hair dyes or old urine stains.

The nature of the carpet or fabric is another important factor in deciding if the stain is permanent.

For example, wool carpets take in dyes from food or drink far more easily then synthetics.  On the other hand, a large oily spillage on a synthetic fibre will be very difficult to remove because synthetics absorb oil more easily.

We next ascertain as to whether the stain is water soluble or solvent soluble.  Solvents will not remove water based stains such as drinks, while water based stain removers will have little or no effect on greasy, oily stains.

Some stains, because they have left both water and oily residues and even a dye stain, require several different stain removal products, used in the correct order.

Below are before and after pictures of  make-up stains on a wool pile carpet that required a number of different stain removal treatments.

It is also useful to use a pH indicator paper on the stain.  If the stain is acidic, it should be treated with an alkaline product and vice versa.

A product that deals with all types of stains just doesn’t exist.

So what stains can we treat?

• Protein and organic stains such as food and drink, blood, vomit, excrement.

• Tannin stains that are found in tea, coffee, beer, coca-cola, red wine, fruit juices.

• Dye stains found in food and drink.

• Oil and grease, adhesive, tar and gum.

• Gloss and emulsion paints, nail varnish.

• Rust, fire residues and draught marks.

These are a few of the stains that we can treat but the golden rule is to deal with stains and spills as soon as they occur to help prevent permanent damage.

Below are a series of videos and a Stain Wizard to help you with spot and stain removal

Videos

To help you tackle life’s little accidents, Woolsafe have prepared a series of six ‘how to’ videos instructing carpet owners on the correct method of spot and stain removal for Wool, Nylon, Polyester & Polypropylene carpets and rugs. For viscose, Tencel, Jute, Seagrass, Sisal, Coir and other natural fibres then go to our Carpet Care Tips page Just click the tab in the left hand corner of the video for a list of six common stains.

Stain Wizard

The WoolSafe Stain Wizard is an easy-to-use guide for removing common spots and spills from all types of carpet and rugs. Please start by choosing a stain from the list below.

Here’s what our customers have to say about our work………

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