Do you have a carpet spotting kit?

What's In Your Carpet Spotting Kit?

Your clients have invested a lot of money into their carpets and it's up to you as a professional cleaner to keep their investment looking new. Providing the proper carpet care and spot cleaning techniques will keep your clients carpets looking great for many years to come.

Carpet spotting should be an integral part of your carpet care program. It's as important as vacuuming, sweeping, and extraction. Spots and spills are an almost daily occurrence on your clients carpets and can range from easily identifiable spills such as coffee or soda to mystery spots that are not so easily identifiable.

It's imperative that you have a complete carpet spotting kit.

Your professional carpet spotting kit should contain the chemicals and tools necessary to remove spills, spots, and stains from your clients carpets. While some spots will be easily removed, others will be difficult to identify and remove and will require more specified treatment.

Start by following a few carpet spotting rules: 

• Identify the spot using sight, feel, and/or smell.
• Remove any excess material left on the carpet such as hard food pieces, crumbs, liquid, etc.
• Knowing or identifying what caused the spot will make it safer and easier to remove.
• Always test your chemical and technique in an inconspicuous area of the carpet first.
• When removing spots, work from the outside into the center of the spot.
• Never drench or soak the area when spot cleaning carpets. This may cause the spot to increase in size and could spread into the carpet backing.
• Do not rub or scrub spots because this may result in spreading the spot and fuzzing of the carpet.
• Any discoloration that is lighter than the color of the carpet usually indicates color or dye loss, and cannot be corrected by spotting treatment. Ninety percent of spots on carpet and upholstery can be removed if taken care of immediately and properly.
• Wicking is one of the biggest problems with carpet spotting. Spots reappear on carpet or upholstery due to residue wicking up from the backing. Wicking is the flow of moisture on the fiber surfaces during drying.
• To avoid wicking, dry the spot as quickly as possible, using fans if necessary.
• Make sure ALL spots are treated and re-check spots after they are dry to see if they have been removed.

If you offer carpet spotting as a service in your residential cleaning business, you should have a professional spotting kit. These carpet spotting removal kits will contain the primary spotting agents and tools required to address and remove the spots you will encounter.

Here's a list of what should be included in your carpet spotting kit:

• Spotting Tool Box or carry case to hold all chemicals and tools.
• Blotting towels. Use to transfer spots. Use white towels only. Colored towels may leave dye on the carpet.
• Bone scraper. Use for breaking up hard or crusty material by agitating the chemical on the spot. Whalebone is best.
• Q-tips. Use for applying small amounts of chemical.
• pH Test Strips. Use for testing the alkalinity or acidity of a spot.
• Spotting brush/ tamping brush. Short, stiff-bristled brush, use for tamping, not scrubbing, spots and stains.
• Duck Bill Scissors. Use for taking samples of carpet fibers and trimming loose ends.
• Flip top bottles. For easy application of chemical.
• Trigger Sprayer. Use for applying chemical to larger spots.
• Standard spotting chemicals:

        ADS - Alkaline Detergent Solution - Use for removal of acid-based stains.
        NDS - Neutral detergent solution - Neutral in pH and will not leave residue.
        VDS - Volatile Dry Solvent - For removal of oil, tar, and grease. Also use to rinse NVDS.
        NVDS - Non-volatile Dry Solvent - Use for removal of paint, grease, and gum. Allows more time on spot without evaporating.
        Acid Spotter - Use for removal of alkaline spots and browning.
        Rust Remover - Hydrofluoric acid solution for removing rust.

You will find many manufacturers and companies that sell professional carpet spotting kits. There are many different types, sizes, and price points. Find the one that contains the tools, spotters, agents, and solutions that fits your priorities and budget and start cleaning your clients carpets like a professional.

PDF Download Want to train your cleaning technicians to properly remove stains from your clients carpets? MyHouseCleaningBiz.com Carpet Spotting Training Program provides your cleaners the step by step directions on how to clean the variety of spots they will encounter.