(520) 297-8477

Carpet and Upholstery Consumer Spotting Procedure

In home carpet spotting procedures are frequently performed incorrectly and cause stains to worsen in appearance over time. The primary flaw of common spotting is the use of products which leave residue remaining in the fiber. This residue then acts as a magnet to environmental & common household soils which cause the spot to reappear more obviously than before the spotting.

This approach would be the same as washing your hair but failing to rinse out the shampoo. Imagine how your hair might look and feel without proper rinsing! Imagine how quickly it would appear oily and matted! The same is true for carpets, therefore, it is important to spot with processes similar to washing your hair, dishes, windows, clothing, etc. which all include a rinse step. The following procedure is a very thorough and effective way for homeowners to successfully spot carpets.

Tools and products you will need:

Shop vac or wet-dry vac. Any size and power will suffice and can be purchased for under $40.00 at a hardware store.

White vinegar. Buy several gallons. It´s useful and cheap.

Hot water.

Small hand held bristle brush.

Quart sized bottle, preferably with a flip top dispenser.

Mild dish detergent needed only for the most difficult of stains.

Step by step procedure:

1. Use shop vac to extract any spot or spill thoroughly before proceeding.
2. Liberally apply a 50/50 mixture of hot water and white vinegar with the quart sized bottle. Don´t be afraid to soak the spot!
3. Extract with the shop vac and repeat until spot is removed.
4. If spot is reducing but still somewhat visible after several attempts, use some of the dish detergent diluted with water as if mixing for dishwashing.
5. Apply modest amount of detergent and scub gently with brush.
6. Go back to step 1 through 3 and repeat until all detergent residue is gone.

It is critically important that all spotting procedures end with the rinse and extract step. If the spot is not responding to any of the above, we will attempt to instruct you through more aggressive procedures by phone at (520) 297-8977. If we are unsuccessful, it is advisable that a skilled Golden Touch service technician attempt to perform the spotting with our professional equipment and chemicals.

Incidentally, it is possible to use this procedure for upholstery also but, guidance from Golden Touch by phone is advisable.

*Note - Golden Touch assumes no liability for consumer efforts to remove spots using the above procedure.

Also, see our FAQ section for additional information.