Almost all spilled food and beverages deposit some sort of dye on the carpet, and that dye creates the colored stain left behind after cleaning.
There are two basic types of dyes in these stains:
Organic dyes (naturally occurring)
Synthetic dyes (manmade)
Each requires a different stain removal process. Thus, you first need to determine whether the dye is organic or synthetic.
Standard caffeinated coffee, red wine or berries crushed into the fibers are examples of Organic dyes. These are naturally occurring dyes – nothing was added to give it color.
Synthetic dyes include sports drinks, processed fruit juice, food coloring, popsicles etc.
For Organic dyes, apply Chemspec Stain Exit to the stained fibers and allow 10-15 minutes of dwell time. In some cases, a second application will be needed.
For synthetic dyes, apply Chemspec Red X It to the stained fibers and allow 10-15 minutes of dwell time. In some cases, a heat transfer process is required to remove the stain. For the heat transfer process, dip a clean white terrycloth towel into water and then wring it out as much as possible. Apply Red X It to the stained fibers only. Now fold the wet towel in half and place it over the treated area. Using an iron set on medium, no steam, place the iron onto the wet towel and let it sit there for 15 to 20 seconds. Remove the towel and check the stain for progress.
If the stain is of unknown origin, organic or synthetic, start with Stain Exit and allow 10-15 minutes of dwell time. If there is no change in the stain’s intensity after 15 minutes, then rinse the area to remove all the Stain Exit and extract as much water as possible. Apply Red X It to the stained area and follow the Synthetic dye process described above.
For additional tips on the stain removal process - check out the following tech tip articles: