We are talking about the spot that just keeps coming back. You have cleaned it, you have had it professionally cleaned but it keeps coming back. It can be frustrating to say the least. But why do spots keep reappearing on your carpet or rug?
One reason a spot may return is due to residue from the carpet spot cleaner. This can happen when a homeowner chooses a cleaner that leaves a sticky residue on the carpet. The spot appears to be removed but there is a sticky residue that attracts and retains soil at a faster rate than the surrounding area. When this area is vacuumed, because the residue is sticky, the soil cannot be removed with the vacuum cleaner alone. So what does a homeowner do? They grab the same spot cleaner and clean the spot again removing the visual evidence but leaving more residue behind. The only way to get rid of this spot is to thoroughly flush the sticky spot cleaner out of the fibers.
What can be done to prevent this type of spot? Choosing a proper spotting agent is the first step. We leave customers a complementary bottle of spot cleaner. This cleaner is designed to leave no sticky residue behind. This can also happen to a professional carpet cleaner if he uses subpar spot cleaning agents and does not flush the fibers properly.
If a spot is removed after cleaning but recurs during the drying process or after the carpet is wet again, this may be due to a wicking problem. Yes, the same process used by the new moisture wicking clothing could be causing your reappearing carpet stain. How does this process work? For a detailed explanation see capillary action. But the basic premise is that the original carpet spot was not totally removed from the carpet either because it is too deeply embedded, possibly all the way to the sub-floor, or just not flushed by the carpet cleaner efficiently. These types of return spots are more common with beverage or liquid type spots. As you can see in this picture, the spot on the face was about the size of a quarter but on the backing of the carpet it is much larger.
The carpet dries from the bottom up, as the moisture moves from the bottom of the fiber to the top it brings with it the left over soil and deposits it on the face of the fibers causing the carpet stain to be visible again. This happens quite often with home or rental carpet cleaners that just are not powerful enough to reach the stain without over wetting the carpet. It can also happen to inexperienced carpet cleaners and, infrequently, even to highly qualified carpet cleaners. These types of returning spots can be remedied by recleaning the spot and quickly drying the carpet.
It also could be that the spot really was never removed during the spot cleaning process. It may have been missed during the cleaning due to different lighting conditions or differing perspectives. But another, reason it may not have been removed is due to permanent damage to the carpet fibers. These could be color loss type spots such as bleach or fading. Or it could be color addition to the carpet. This would be a "re-dying" of the carpet in that spot. Hair dyes and food coloring are some of the common culprits for adding color to a carpet. These types of spots and stains cannot be cleaned from the carpets. The only way to remedy these would be to have a spot repair (patch) or to have the carpet re-dyed. To learn more about damage that cannot be cleaned from the carpet, read our article on permanent carpet damage.
The last type of returning spot is really not a returning spot but a new spot continuing to happen. One the the major reasons for this is pet urine spotting. There are several reasons for this occurring. It could be that the spot was not totally removed and the pet is smelling the residue and returning to the same spot. This is a good article on other reasons your dog may urinate in the same spot.
Another popular reason for a new spot to continue to show up, is eating and drinking in the area. Spots tend to pop up over and over in areas when spills are likely to happen. But sometimes, it takes some detective work to figure out why. A few of the reasons we have found in the past are: sprinklers leaking though the wall of the building causing a continual water spot, mop water running under a threshold and leaking slab under the carpet. For these types of carpet stains, sometimes it takes a little detective work and creativity to correct.
As you can see, many things can cause reappearing spots after a carpet cleaning but with a little forethought they can be controlled. It can happen to the DIY homeowner, untrained carpet cleaners and on occasion to the best carpet cleaner. But as you can also see, most are extremely correctable and usually are preventable by using the right processes, spotters and cleaning agents. You just need to ask yourself why are they are returning and concentrate on eliminating the root cause of the problem. If you have a reappearing spot you would like us to take care of for you and you live in Pinellas County, FL, please call us today.
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