[kinder clean]

If you are faced with a stain on a carpet / upholstery that is not easily identified and the custy has no idea what caused it, what is the correct procedure?

For example I have a prochem spotter kit which basically consists of 4 bottles each bottle removing a specific type of stain, am I likely to cause any damage by simply going through each one until (hopefully) one successfully removes the stain?

What do you do in these circumstances - is there a correct technique / order in which this should be carried out? 

Paul Kinder Clean

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Colour can give you a good idea, touch (is it rough, or greasy?) any smell?

Ph test it if you can to see which way to go, then plain water rinse to see if there's any colour movement or foam.

Try working a little cleaner on the outer edge with a nappy and look for colour transfer.

Just have to dip your toe a bit.

Shaun

[benny d]

Prochem Citrus Gel ... say no more! 

[markpowell]

Paul,
Firstly get a kitchen towel or clean terry towel and gently wipe the stain, if you get a transfer then the stain is oil based in which case use a solvent, if no transfer then you have a water based stain. In this case you will need some litmus paper and some de-ionised water. Wet part of the stain then use the paper to find the PH of the stain. If the stain is acidic use an alkali spotter, if the stain is alkali use an acidic spotter.
some stains such as ketchup are made up of oil and water, in this case always apply the solvent first then the protien spotter. Once a fibre is wet a solvent will not get to the fibre as it will just sit on the wet surface.
Mark

[John Kelly]

As Mark says, always use solvent spotters first because once you wet the fibres solvents won't displace the water.

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

The use solvents first advice is true to a certain extent, it will be more difficult to dissolve stains with solvent when the fibres are wet with say white spirit.

However isopropanol and acetone being ionic will mix with water.

As for the best approach, I would usually try solvent first because as I said at the CCDO it's often hero time for little effort.

When getting into bleaches it's more complicated, whether to reduce or oxidise, sometimes a bit of each is required.

A lot is down to experience and some to knowledge.

Cheers

Doug

[Mike Halliday]

every week I deal with stains that cannot be identified, usually in empty properties or homes where the owner didn't even know they were there, let alone who or what caused them.

its not practical to start analysing & testing individual stains with various solvents, I just clean the carpet, then if they don't come out start playing with them. I never had a problem with a wet stain not responding to a solvent spotter, with a bit of agitation it will work through the wetness into the stain.

if I'm called to remove an individual stain I tend to test with a dampened towel using first M/S if no transfer then move onto solvents.