Spilling and spreading food crumbs over the carpets and rugs are the worst nightmares that a homeowner can have. Why? This is simply because these simple looking or easily removable looking spills can leave stubborn stains. It happens when you first clean the initial marks of the stain and after a few days or weeks, it reappears.

Certainly, there will be multiple questions running over your mind:

How can it come back?

Is it the same old stain from the old spill or new?

The reason behind its reappearance can be due to – soiling or wicking. Let’s understand and discuss them in order to solve the equation.

Soiling

It occurs when you clean the carpet or rugs on the first hand while using chemical products and their residue is left behind on the same carpet fibres. If it is left untreated or not removed by rinsing or blotting, the same residue can become sticky and attracts dirt and soil to the same spot. This may look like the same old stain on the same spot.

Wicking

Wicking occurs when your carpet has deeper issues that it has posed itself. This problem arises when you spill something over the carpet and the substance get absorbed by the carpet deeply, through into the backing of the carpet or padding. When you generally, you treat the surface and leave the pads untreated. This led the problem oozing out after a few days or weeks. The trapped spill in the backing or under-pads makes its way up the fibre strands of the carpet and looks like a fresh stain.

Typically, wicking occurs when the carpet is wet. It happens when hot water extraction or carpet steam cleaning is done and the carpet is damp after cleaning. The risk arises when the carpet steam cleaning equipment is not powerful enough to extract all of the water from the carpet fibres.

Prevention Of Reappearing Carpet Stains

The prevention of reappearing carpet stains can be done easily by treating it firstly properly and as quickly as possible when they occur. Make sure to prevent the spill from going and settling deep into the carpet fibres.

When you treat your carpet, put a stack or bunch of paper towels or absorbent clean clothes over the affected carpet spot. Put something heavy to weight them down. This stack will absorb excessive moisture left in the carpet.

Call professional carpet cleaning or upholstery cleaning services from Southern Carpet Cleaning to get the most effective results. A reputable professional carpet cleaning service has the proper equipment and Australian standard & approved products. Their equipment is powerful enough to extract the moisture from the carpet, leaving it dry.

How To Deal With Soiling & Wicking?

Dealing With Soiling

If the reappearance is caused due to left behind residues, pour a little amount of lukewarm water just as much as the size of the spot. Then, rinse the carpet very carefully and work throughout the fibres.

Let the area be dry completely by providing complete ventilation to prevent wicking. Place highly absorbent paper towels or clean cloth with a bunch of heavy stack above them and leave them overnight to dry. You can also place the rug under the direct sunlight.

Dealing With Wicking

If the stain is reappeared due to wicking, you are certainly dealing with a much bigger issue that cannot be dealt with DIYs. Call a professional carpet cleaning and let them do a proper carpet steam cleaning or hot water extraction. Choose a reputable company that uses a truck-mounted unit which can give a powerful treatment to your carpet.