Notice some brown spots after carpet cleaning? You may have your carpet looking spotless and clean right after a carpet cleaning, but then you see some brown stains right after your carpet cleaning technician have left. So, what the cause of these stains and how do you get rid of them? The most common causes of these brown stains include wicking and cellulosic browning. This article will go further into detail of why these stains appear and how to remove them.
Causes of Brown Spots After Carpet Cleaning - Two Main Causes
The brown spots that appear on your carpet even after it has been professionally cleaned and shampooed can be due to these two causes:
1. Wicking
Brown spots that occur due to carpet wicking originate from the bottom of the carpet fibers. Sometimes dirt can accumulate beneath your carpet. When cleaning your carpet, the water may slip through the carpet and mixes with the dirt below the carpet.
If water is not properly extracted during drying, it may result in browning. This is because as the water evaporates, it carries the dirt from beneath the carpet through a process called wicking and forms brown stains.
2. Cellulosic Browning
Cellulosic browning is common with traditional carpets that have jute fiber. Jute fibers are infused with tannins that make them susceptible to browning. If your carpet is not properly dried, tannins can readily mix with water and cleaning chemicals which then wicks through the carpet fibers as it slowly dries. This forms the brown spots on the carpet.
How to Prevent Browning of Your Carpet
Brown spots on your carpet can be prevented by ensuring your carpet is properly dried. After cleaning the carpet, your technician should carry out a thorough drying pass over your carpet.
The drying pass process should be done slower compared to the cleaning process to allow for proper drying. The technician should use efficient drying equipment including drying fans. These air movers can help dry your carpet faster while prevent wicking.
You should also consider raking your carpet. Carpet raking involves lifting the carpet to speed the drying process.
How to Remove Brown Spots
However, if you see brown spots after carpet cleaning, you should not panic as they are easy to remove. The steps to remove these brown spots are as follows:
Pour lukewarm water on the spot, to rinse any residue from the carpet fibers. The amount of water used will depend on how big the spot is, but it should not exceed a quarter cup of water.
You can also use an anti-browning solution and a cotton towel to remove the brown spots.
After the spot treatment, you should ensure the fibers are thoroughly dried by placing a dry clean towel on the spot. Then place a heavy object on the towel like a stack of books to weigh it down. This should help dry the spot.
You should only trust a professional to do thorough carpet cleaning. Rigorous cleaning will ensure stains are cleaned from the root to the tip. Such professionals also use the right products for cleaning.
In Conclusion
As you may have found out, brown spots after carpet cleaning are caused by either wicking or cellulosic browning if water is not properly extracted during the drying process. Proper drying can prevent browning while spot treatment should help you remove the brown spots from your carpet.
