When your favorite item of furniture or expensive carpet suffers from a sudden spill that immediately produces a stain, your first reaction is often to attempt to remove the stain yourself. With supermarkets offering such a wide range of products with names that promise to banish all manner of stains, it’s no surprise that consumers reach for a bottle off the shelf.
Many people don’t know, however, that according to a recent report, in 90% of cases in which a customer attempts to remove a stain themselves it ends in an insurance claim and a write-off.
The truth is that stain removal is actually a matter of chemistry, as a result, there is no single product that can tackle all stains on any carpet fiber!
What should I do when I suddenly have to deal with a stain?
If a stain has just happened in your home, don’t panic! It’s better to leave a stain overnight than to start attempting a home removal. It is important, however, to treat the stain as soon as possible to ease the removal process.
At Next Level Carpet Care, we’re always happy to offer customers free advice about what steps to take next or to assess the item thoroughly ourselves. You can also contact the item’s manufacturer for specific advice.
If you’ve already tried to clean the stain and it’s not improved or worsened, it’s even more crucial to reach out to an experienced specialist. In the meantime, we recommend removing any solid matter and blotting fresh stains with clean, white towels or napkins.
Important information to know about these common stains
Blood
As this is a bodily fluid, it’s imperative to wear gloves. Viruses can survive in dried blood for up to 1 week. You should only use cold water with no scrubbing, but a home removal might leave a watermark.
Red wine
Many people think that white wine will neutralize a red wine stain, but this is false. Red wine stain removal is tricky and ideally requires a professional. It’s best not to do anything to the stain yourself as the more it’s disturbed, the deeper the stain goes.
Nail varnish
This is a particularly tricky stain and, despite the temptation, you should never use nail varnish remover as this will dissolve the adhesive that keeps the fibers attached to the carpet base.
Can Next Level Carpet Care guarantee a stain will be removed?
We are a fully certified fiber care specialist and we have over a decade of experience in successfully removing a wide variety of stains when they have been left untouched.
We can also assess and pursue treatment when a home removal has been attempted with domestic products, but in this case, we cannot guarantee that every stain will be removed.
Contact us today for more advice about stain cleaning and our wide range of restorative services.