Removing A Dark Stain With A Rug Doctor X-3

Getting dark stains out is easy...if you follow the correct process.

Step one is to thoroughly vacuum the area to remove as much loose debris and fine dirt particles as possible...multi-pass, multi-direction, overlapping passes at a slower more deliberate rate is best to achieve this.

Next, a pre-spray should be applied (this one was simple, an application of ordinary household cleanser...Fabuloso brand with a pump-up sprayer) and allowed to "dwell" or sit on the stain for about ten minutes. This can be enhanced by brushing the detergent into the fiber slightly with a brush (an old toothbrush works well in small areas).

The extractor being used (Rug Doctor in this case, but most any machine will do basically the same thing) should be filled with hot tap water and allowed to scrub the area while extracting the detergent, water, and stain. Applying plenty of water is important to thoroughly remove ALL of the detergent and stain residue from the carpet  as remaining residue will result in rapid re-soiling...a returning stain.

Most important of all, regardless of the machine used to extract, is to make every effort to fully extract all the water you have added during the cleaning process. Most every machine is able to extract if the vacuum area of the machine is in proper contact with the surface of the carpet. Adjust your machine carefully to ensure you are achieving full vacuum potential, or you will end up with soaked carpets.

If you can, apply fans to the area to help aid the drying process.Wet carpet has a tendency to "wick" whereby the capillary action during drying can pull deeply embedded stains (which you just applied water to) to be pulled up to the surface of the carpet. This is where re-occuring stain complaints often come from. Basically when the carpet is fully dry you are safe from this type of problem...dry the carpet as quickly as you can.

If stains re-occur, (and the carpet was dried properly) is either means you didn't adequately remove all the soap residue which makes a dirt magnet), or the area is simply a traffic area...get better door mats and insist people wipe their feet before entering. Overly worn carpet can also look dirtier as the light reflections appear "greyed out", the carpet has a permanent dingy appearance and need's replaced. A simple cleaning can't fix wear.

Lastly. Some carpet stains won't come out with one treatment session. It is beneficial to re-clean these area's every week or so to gradually improve them. This is easy to do in your own home, but rental properties and such will probably be cleaned only periodically so they will be harder to fix,if one treatment doesn't do the job. Carpets with a lot of grease (near cooking area's) can also require multiple treatments to fully clean.

The full video which shows the apartment where this segment was shot is viewable at the following link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89PVqAWJpLU