[twt]

Hi ive just popped over from the window cleaning forum for some advice.

I have a cream carpet and had it cleaned on friday by a pro carpet cleaner. (smart uniform, polite, truck mount etc so not a cow boy with a vax) When he arrived i showed him two stains that i had prevously tried removing unsuccesfully with a product called "cybergold stain remover" one was spilt baby shampoo and i dont know what had caused the other. In my prevous attempts scrubbing i had cause some damage to the pile of the carpet but no discolouration.  I said i knew there was nothing he could do with the damaged pile but could he try to remove the stains.He asked to see what i had tried to remove the stains with and i showed him the cybergold bottle he inspected the information on the bottle and then i said he would put a solvent on the stains to try to remove them i saw the solvent and it appeared to be in gel form.

After some time he asked me to come up stairs to show me something, where i had tried to remove the stains the carpet was now much lighter he said what i had used had bleach in it and it had caused the carpet to lighten. Now as he was very polite and seemed genuine i just believed what he said and felt it was implied it was my fault for using cybergold and said to him at least he had tried and just to carry on cleaning the rest of the carpet.(since the carpet has dried out the difference in colour is more noticable)

Later he suggested i should make a claim on my insurance as the stains were acidental and added but don't tell them you've had the carpet cleaned. i hadn't thought of claiming and thought it was a good option but something didn't feel right about not telling the insurance company about having the carpet cleaned.

Over the weekend i have thought about this and have remembered i have used cybergold before to remove less stuborn stains with no damage at all to the carpet or discolouration anywhere apart from the two stains he treated with his solvent, i have re-read the info on the cybergold bottle and there is no mention of ingredients let alone beach. So my question is: Am i right in coming to the conlusion that the carpet cleaner is responsible for the discolouration and should i ask him to claim on his insurance?

thanks for reading my long post and thank you for any advice.

ps this is not a cheap carpet it has a high wool content.

[markpowell]

Cybergold is an anti-slip product that stops rugs and doormats slipping on tiled/wooden floors etc, not a spot or stain remover.
You may have got mistaken, are you sure you havnt used an off the supermarket shelf product 1001 , vanish etc as these will cause
the problems you explain?
Also applying solvents should not remove colour, i doubt from what you say that the carpet cleaner has caused the problem and maybe you should make a claim on your insurance.
Good luck
Mark

[twt]

hi mark i am not mistaken this was purchased from the place who fitted the carpet it does say "New cybergold stain remover" on the bottle so this may be why you have not heard of it, it also says" non aggressive" and "the gentle approach" this was not from a supermarket but from a carpet showroom that supplies and fits carpets and the price was £5.99(if thats any help). Also i cant understand why it has not caused any problems in the other places i have used it only in the two places where he has apllied his solvent.

thanks for your reply

[daysdeepclean]

I'm surprised that he didn't warn you of the possibility of a colour change, and then ask for your express permission to go ahead regardless. Some even ask for you to sign a disclaimer form!

[markpowell]

Phillip,
Look on the back of the container does it state any ingredients or the Ph value, i have never known a solvent to remove colour from a carpet although i may be wrong.
Mark

[twt]

it doesn't state any contents or ph value. it states to test in hidden area which i did when i used it and it has never bleached carpet before only after he put solvent on, he gave no warning that his solvent could cause discolouration.

[clinton]

Looks like there has been a reaction from the two mixing together :

[derek west]

certain spot creams and toothpaste have some chemicals that reacts to cleaning solutions that will lighten carpets if i remember my training right.
derek

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Looking at it from a cleaners point of view with over 20 years experience I would say that you may have scrubbed teh carpet so much that you could have taken the colour out, he could just have taken away the 'mask' ie the shampoo and therefore you are left with a clean but damaged carpet or he could have taken the colour out if he tried using his own bleach (sodium metabisulphate), solvent can take colour out of carpets but highly unlikely especially a gel which I think will be orange gel or liquigel from Chemspec these are very safe.

I would look at claining on your home insurance and asking the carpet cleaner to give you a letter to say that the staining will not respond to professional cleaning.

Personally I don't think it is his fault but we don't really know what he did to the carpet and will he tell you anyway?

If you have kept his bill it will pay or go towards your excess so you haven't lost out.

Shaun (ex banned member (I think the first))

[derek west]

guess who's back.
back again
shaunies back
tell ya friend
look who's bak look whos back, arrrrrrr you know the rest.

word up shaun
derek

[Shaun_Ashmore]

wozzzzzzzzzzzzz upppppppppppp

Shaun

[twt]

Thanks shaun the idea about asking him for a letter to say the carpet has not responded to proffesional treatment is a good idea i will do that. One thing that i think is strange is that he told me not to tell the insurance i had, had it proffessionally cleaned have you any ideas why he might do this?

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

A solvent gel is unlikely to remove colour, much more likely the colour was weakened by the spot product and was then removed by the cleaning.

Could be a reaction between the two chemicals, unless you could recreate by using spotter and then a solvent you are unlikely to find out.

Can't really be blamed on CC, damage was already done.

Cheers

Doug

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Telling the insurance about him cleaning the spot and it changing colour starts the insurance liability merry go round and they hate paying out and then start to get into litigation so I would say to the insurance "got some stains, got a professional to clean them with no luck called you"

Shaun

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

As Shaun says reason CC suggested that you do not mention you had it cleaned, is that it a common way insurance companies try to avoid paying out by blaming somebody else.

http://www.h3000.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=37

This product may contain enzymes which could have undermined the colour.

As I have said this will be virtually impossible to prove.

Cheers

Doug

[robert meldrum]

Cybergold has a web site.....................safe ( professional) biological cleaner, carrying a GUARANTEE

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

Couldn't have said it better than Mr 4242 posts (and counting) Shaun Ashmore.


Just don;t give insurance companies "wriggle room"-it helps nobody.

Often dirt will hide dirt and once the carpet had been professionally cleaned the full extent of your problem became clear.


Welcome Shaun.

[clinton]

Roger

Your right on that point and dont let the insurance get away without paying when they have to :

[daysdeepclean]

I've heard of cases wher bleach has been spilled on a carpet and gone undetected for a very long time, then the carpet cleaner comes along, does his magic and there it is, your pale/white patch! Certainly NOT the C/C's fault at all!

[JandS]

It also says the "PROFESSIONALS CHOICE"   lol.

John