Remove spots as soon as they are discovered. Before you start any general carpet cleaning, pretreat all spots as follows:
1. Blot up any liquid with paper towel or cloth, scrape any solids with a dull knife.
2. Stains with oil or grease base, use CC Extractor or CC Solspray full strength.
3. Stains with tar or gum base, use CC Solspray.
4. Sugar based spots, mix 100ml CC Extractor Shampoo, 1 litre warm water and 30ml white vinegar. (Shampoo mixture)
5. For spots of unknown origin, always use CC Extractor first, then shampoo mixture if needed. (Reason: If the spot is greasy, shampoo may tend to spread the grease)
SPOT/STAIN PROCEDURE OILY & GREASY SPOTSButter, oil, grease, hand cream, ball point pen ink Remove excess material, apply CC Extractor, dry carpet. repeat if necessary. Brush pile gently after drying. OILY FOODSTUFFS/ANIMAL MATTERCoffee, tea, salad dressing, milk, ice cream, gravy, sauces, egg, chocolate, gum, vomit, blood, heavy grease, paint, lipstick, tar, crayon Remove material, apply CC Solspray, then apply CC Extractor vinegar mix. Reapply CC Extractor, let dry, brush pile gently FOODSTUFFS STARCHES & SUGARSCandy, soft drink, alcohol, fruit stains, washable ink, urine excrement, brown water stains Blot up liquids or scrape off semi-solids. Apply CC Extractor vinegar mix, dry carpet. If necessary, reapply solution. Brush pile gently after drying RUST SPOTSRust spots from any source Apply CC Rust Remover, then shampoo with CC Extractor to neutralize rust remover
OILY & GREASY SPOTSButter, oil, grease, hand cream, ball point pen ink
Remove excess material, apply CC Extractor, dry carpet. repeat if necessary. Brush pile gently after drying.
Remove material, apply CC Solspray, then apply CC Extractor vinegar mix. Reapply CC Extractor, let dry, brush pile gently
FOODSTUFFS STARCHES & SUGARSCandy, soft drink, alcohol, fruit stains, washable ink, urine excrement, brown water stains
Apply CC Rust Remover, then shampoo with CC Extractor to neutralize rust remover
GENERAL PROCEDURES FOR SPOT REMOVAL
1. Absorb wet spills with tissue, cloth, paper towel or a clean sponge. A weighted pad of tissue left in place for a short time is very effective.
2. Determine the composition of the stain and follow the procedure recommended in the table. Stains of unknown origin should be treated with a volatile solvent (acetone, methylated spirits) followed by other agents as required. If uncertain about effect of an agent on a carpet fibre or dye, test first on an inconspicuous area. Apply a small amount, press an absorbent tissue to the stain for 10 seconds and see if there is any dye transfer or fibre damage. USE NO HEAT as this can set many stains.
3. Work from outside to centre to prevent spread of stain or formation of a ring. Apply a small amount of agent and press absorbent tissue into dissolved stain. Avoid rubbing, as this will only spread stain and distort pile. Do not rush the job, as many stains require time to respond.
4. If the stain is hard or crusty, tap it with a brush to work the agent into the pile and help break up the stain material.
5. Repeat applications of small amounts of agent and absorption of dissolved material until the stain is satisfactorily removed.
6. Use a fan or weighted tissue to dry the cleaned area. Rapid evaporation of absorption of the cleaning agent is desirable to prevent wetting throught the backing and possible jute staining.
SPRAY PREPARATIONS
Certain proprietory spray preparations such as stain remover and spot remover can be used with good results on a wide variety of stains.
These sprays are composed of setting agents dispersed in solvents. The solvent dissolves the staining material.
A wet stain should be blotted with tissues to remove the excess. Repeated applications of the spray in small amounts seem to reduce the intensity even of very tenacious stains such as permanent ink or gentian violet without spreading them.
Supplementing the standard treatments listed in the subsequent table with a spray application sometimes produces better results than either treatment used alone.
SPOTTING AGENTS IN GENERAL USE
These are mixtures or organic solvents such as amyl acetate, benzene, benzol, butyl acetate and perchlorethylene.
These are a number of such solvents on the market packaged under various trademarks and available through cleaning supply houses.
VOLATILE SOLVENTS
These are dry cleaning preparations and are usually based upon chlorinated hydrocarbons or petroleum distillates.
One of the most commonly used solvents is perchlorethylene.
DETERGENTS
A mild powder detergent commonly used for hand dish washing will usually perform well for spotting.
AMYL ACETATE
Amyl acetate or banana oil is a good solvent for removing nitro cellulose stains such as lacquers or nail polish. However a good reagent grade should be used since impurities can cause damage to fibres.
AMMONIA
The professional generally uses a 7% solution of ammonia but ordinary cloudy household ammonia will give satisfactory results.
ACETIC ACID
Professional cleaners use a 7% solution. For general maintenance spotting a solution of one part white vinegar to two parts water should be used. Brown vinegar can stain fibres and should be avoided.
HYDROFLURIC ACID
Rust stains are most easily removed with hydrofluoric acid. However this is a dangerous chemical and should be handled only by professional cleaners. It can be purchased from suppliers at 1% concentration and should be used in this form without further dilution.
REMOVAL PROCEDURES FOR SPECIFIC STAINS
When spotting carpet stains only and not cleaning the entire carpet it may be preferable to use CC Hifoam and dryclean the carpet to minimize spread of stain. CC Extractor may be used with carpet extraction as an alternative as this is the preferred and more effective method for actual removal of soils from carpets.