ATLANTA CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANERS
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Trouble spots and repairs
Although most carpet and upholstery cleaning companies make no guarantees on trouble spots, skilled technicians can completely remove many stains and repair carpets so well that it is difficult to tell the carpet was ever damaged. Before replacing a damaged or stained carpet, consider stain removal and/or a repair.
Stains. Basic spots will often be removed during the normal carpet cleaning process. However, before any work begins, point out all known stains to the technician. Different stains require different cleaning processes and products. Many special stain-removing products are on the market; professional carpet and upholstery cleaners know which one(s) to use for which stains. Typical stains include rust, ink, urine, children's colored drink mix, and feces. Attitude is key to successful stain removal. If the technician decides that the stain is permanent before attempting to remove it, the stain will usually remain long after the technician finishes.
Urine. The smell of cat urine or other urine is very difficult to eliminate, because urine crystals can persist for up to 20 years on the carpet backing. The smell seems to return each spring and summer as increased humidity causes the urine crystals to dissolve, and odor-causing molecules become airborne again. Traditionally, fixing this problem was difficult and usually involved cleaning both the back and the front of the carpet, replacing the part of the carpet pad exposed to the urine, and sealing the subfloor. Currently, some carpet cleaning companies use special enzymes to treat urine spots. Other companies use water and special high-vacuum equipment to treat urine spots.
Reappearing spots. Two common causes of reappearing spots are wicking and resoiling. If a liquid-based process removes a stain from the surface fibers but not from the carpet backing, wicking may occur as the liquid evaporates. As liquid evaporates off the top of individual carpet fibers, it carries the stain up from deeper in the carpet by wicking up the fibers, and then evaporates. As the stain-carrying liquid evaporates off the top of the fibers, the stain is left behind and therefore seems to reappear. Since wicking happens as the liquid used in the cleaning process evaporates, wicking can cause a spot to reappear in the first few days to a week after cleaning.
Resoiling is the other common cause of reappearing spots. As some cleaning detergents and chemicals dry, they become chemically sticky and may actually attract dirt. If these cleaning detergents or chemicals are applied to the carpet during cleaning or stain removal and are not removed by rinsing, the carpet may quickly resoil. The reappearing spot is not actually the same spot that was removed during cleaning. Instead, it is new dirt stuck to the residue left behind by the process of removing the old spot. Because resoiling requires time for new dirt to accumulate and stick, the spot usually takes a few weeks to appear.
Spot dyeing. Spot dyeing is the most common carpet repair and is used when a carpet has lost color. By applying special dyes, a skilled technician can permanently change the color of a problem spot to closely match the color of the surrounding carpet. In many cases, the dyeing is so good that it is difficult to tell where the damage occurred.
Restretching. When an undamaged carpet is properly installed, it is stretched tightly and should remain flat and taut. Manufacturing problems, installation problems, or post-installation damage may cause a carpet to lose its stretch and develop bumps or wrinkles. If the carpet is delaminated or permanently damaged, restretching is not an option. However, in many cases, restretching permanently fixes the problem. Power stretchers are special devices with long poles that allow the technician to tightly stretch the carpet. Because power stretching delivers a better stretch than some other restretching methods, your technician should use it.
Patching. Patching is an option for areas where carpet fibers are permanently damaged, such as where a hot iron accidentally melts the carpet. The technician cuts out the damaged portion of the carpet and replaces it with a piece of the same carpet, which is usually removed from a closet or other area that is not visible. Depending on pile length, results vary.
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