Why do carpet spots reappear after cleaning?

Welcome to the topic “Why do carpet spots reappear after cleaning?”

You have probably at least once encountered an exceptionally stubborn stain. You have tried everything, but the stain keeps coming back! Urgh, it’s a super frustrating feeling.

Don’t worry, though; after reading our blog post, you’ll be able to understand what’s actually going on.

The culprits:

Wicking, residue, and corrosion of carpet protectants are the three most common offenders of carpet re-spotting. One starts beneath the carpet fibers, in the carpet’s backing or pad. Another one comes from the carpet fibers themselves. And the last is the erosion of the topmost layer.

Let’s look into all three reasons.

 

1. Wicking

Stains that reappear may be due to wicking. This occurs underneath the carpet fibers. The initial stain has somehow tarnished the carpet fibers. Moreover, it has also permeated the carpet underlay and underlying padding.

The carpeting may have gotten far too much moisture during the washing process while trying to “eliminate a persistent stain”. Prolonged rinsing might saturate the region, causing the water to permeate the carpets underlay and pad.

The rinsing water subsequently gets filthy and stained as it reacts with the deeper stain underneath.

Some of this filthy water is extracted from the carpet during the extraction procedure, but most of it stays in the carpeting’s backing and pad because it has hard to fully dry all the different layers in the carpet. Even with ideal air circulation and weather, it can take upwards of 6-10 hours minimum.

Since the moisture is not fully taken out from the carpet. The residual filthy water saturated with all the grimy stains you wanted to take out gradually wicks upwards into the carpet fibers. When the moisture evaporates, and the carpet dries completely.

The previously hidden discoloration that you thought had finally gone away reaches the surface and thus becomes apparent again.

Wicking is most likely responsible if blotches and stains return immediately after the carpet dries.

Hence, Wicking is induced by over-wetting of the carpet, backer, and pad when cleaning products like Shampoo or Steam cleaning are used.

This is why asking specialists like Green Choice Carpet Cleaning to clean your carpets is extremely important, because there is definitely a chance that you may use too much water initially to make sure the carpet is “thoroughly clean,” but then afterward are unable to dry it out completely.

 

2. Residue Related Stains

Residue Related Stains are those Stains that resurface due to residues within the carpet fibers. Some of the shampoo, soap or other cleaning chemical used in a typical cleaning method was left behind in your carpet in these situations.

This is because the carpet had not been thoroughly and adequately rinsed during the washing or steam washing session.

The residue will linger on the surface even after the carpet has dried.

Shampoos and soaps are sticky Surfactant substances that attract dirt and grime to the surface. The filth from a person’s shoes will adhere to the soap residues that have been left in the fibers each time they step over the carpet. This is particularly obvious in heavily washed sections of the carpet.

Furthermore, when the dust has settled in undisturbed carpet parts, it will take up stains.

This is why many people will notice that their carpet looks somehow dirtier after using carpet soaps and cleaners.

Carpets that are shampoo-ed frequently tend to get dirty faster because the sticky Suds from the shampoo adhere to the surface and will grasp any speck of dust.

Of course, you may think using a vacuum cleaner could help suck out all the surface-level dust on the carpet, and to some extent, you may be correct, but you can not stop people from stepping on the carpet altogether.

So, if you keep observing, the same old satins keep coming back no matter how long and frequently you shampoo the carpet. You may have to reassess your plan of action because it Is not the old stains that are coming back but, in fact, fresh dirt and grime sticking to the soap residue left on the carpet fibers.

3. The Erosion of Protective Coating

A carpet protective coating is the fluorochemical emulsion used on a carpet to change the surface characteristics. The carpet seems cleaner and fresher for a more extended period of time.

It acts as a carpet guard and is applied as a  treatment that assists carpets in retaining their appearance for a more extended period. These chemicals give long-lasting preservation, with the bonus of maintaining the vibrancy of the colors that the carpet may have.

Most carpets come with this coating already done on the surface, without the buyer even noticing it. They probably would brag in front of their neighbor about how “stain-free” their carpet is and how they are excellent cleaners.

Well, not to burst their bubble, but this is the power of the fluorochemical emulsion. Just like any coating, the chemical will eventually start to wear off. This depends highly on the foot traffic on that carpet. The drawing-room carpet’s layer will probably erode at a lesser pace than the living rooms.

So, if you notice spots that you were sure were not there a month ago and are refusing to leave. There may be a chance your protective coating has eroded over some time.

Now do not be alarmed by the idea that your carpet can not be saved. You can ask professionals like us to help come and re-do your coating, and your carpet will be good as new. We all love DIY’s but let’s not risk hundreds of dollars worth of assets, get this coating done professionally by Green Choice Carpet Cleaning.

Now that we have gone over the main major reasons your old stains may be coming back. We hope you understand better on what is causing the stains. And that you are able to make the right choice when cleaning your carpet.

Have any questions regarding the topic Why do carpet spots reappear after cleaning? Feel Free to comment below.

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