When you have a carpet stain that you worked hard to remove, you may be surprised to see that the stain has returned. When you see a stain reappear, this is what is known as “wicking.” When you have a carpet wicking stain, you will need to treat the area much more differently than a regular stain. DM Carpet Cleaning will share what wicking is and how you can prevent and treat this carpet problem.
Why Do Carpet Stains Come Back After Cleaning?
Carpet is made of fabric or fibers that have been twisted and woven to create a flooring. Carpet can become stained when a colored liquid spills over the carpet. Stains will form once the liquid is absorbed into the carpet. If the liquid has settled to the backside of the carpet, or even the padding underneath the carpet, this now becomes a much bigger problem. When the stain penetrates deep into the carpet, you may remove the stain on the surface but not the stain substance settled deeper into the carpet. The deeper stain is what causes wicking to occur. The staining substance deep in the carpet will rise up, recreating another stain on the surface. This is why stains will magically come back. Stains that cause wicking problems are essentially a stain that contains large amounts of liquid or the stain wasn’t cleaned fast enough. One common example of a wicking stain is pet urine. When our pets have their accidents, they release a large amount of liquid into the carpet. Sometimes the homeowner doesn’t even know about the accident until much later. Sometimes trying to clean wick stains that have sat for too long can make the problem even worse. This leads many people to wonder what they can do when wicking occurs.
How to Fix Recurring Carpet Wicking Stains
When you discover a stain that has wicked into the carpet, there is little you can do. However, you will first want to remove as much of the liquid as possible. You can try using a dry cloth and press down on top of the liquid to absorb it into the cloth and not the carpet. However, the best thing you can do is use a wet/dry shop vac and suck out the liquid. A dry/wet shop vac can better extract the moisture deep in the carpet and even the padding. You will then need to clean the carpet. When cleaning the carpet, you will want to treat the carpet of the stain and then make sure you thoroughly rinse the carpet. Soap residue is another cause of wicking or reoccurring stains. The soapy residue will trap dirt and leave behind a darkened spot on the carpet. When you have deep stains your best option is to seek professional carpet cleaning service. Let us know where the staining site is and we will perform stain treatments and use powerful extraction cleaning machines to prevent wicking.
Carpet Cleaning, Stain Removal & More in Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Roswell, Duluth, Stone Mountain, Covington, Conyers, Loganville & Atlanta Georgia
Wicking is a common problem. Therefore it is important that you have your carpet deep cleaned to prevent stains returning and to maintain clean and beautiful carpets. For quality carpet cleaning services, contact DM Carpet Cleaning today.