[Bryan H]

Hi folks,

Called out by a Window Company yesterday, to a coffee spillage they had caused in a clients house.
Axminster carpet plain beige/oatmeal colour apparently 100% wool.  They had damaged the pile by rubbing,(par for the course), but I rinsed the area large enough to cover all the spots with plain water & Solution 3 sprayed lightly on to the stains.  Finished with mist of acid rinse over whole cleaned area.

Went back today to check result for window firm.  Coffee stain barely visible , but whole area of carpet I had wetted now appeared to be a darker shade, although seemed to be bone dry !

Has anyone any thoughts as to why this should be ? as I have not had this problem before!  Perhaps cleaning the complete carpet would cause a blending in.  But a shade darker ?  Seems odd !

It may not matter because I guess the carpet will have to be replaced due to pile damage,  but I am still curious !

Bryan

[Dave_Lee]

Bryan,
You say Axminster though its plain Beige. Surely you mean a plain beige woven. Axminsters are normally multi coloured patterned. As to the darker shade?
Could it be that the cleaning has revitalised the original colour of a vacuum neglected carpet. The only other cause as I see it could be browning due to overwetting?
If you go back check the pile with magnifying glass, if the darker shade is just on the tips of the pile - then its browning.
Dave.

[Dynafoam]

Brian,

Beige/oatmeal carpets often appear a shade darker when cleaned as the darker flecks resume their correct colour.

The re-vitalising effect on the pile also can influence the percieved colour - pile that is standing up becomes more absorbant of light, pile laying dowm more reflective.

Whilst it is possible that there has been a reaction to the acidic post-treatment, or as Dave sugested there may be some cellulostic browning, I think that if you were to check beneath a sofa that has been constantly positioned since the carpet was new you will likly find that the colour beneath more closely matches 'your' patch.

BWT the axminster loom can and does produce plain, flecked and paterned carpet.

John.