Got a call today from the secretary of a large church we cleaned two weeks ago. Two (approx. 8") spots returned after about two days. I thought that I had performed the spill treatment to the letter. I may have applied a bit too much of spill treatment, but I don't think so. Cimexed pretty dry for about 2-3 minutes. I am going back for a second attempt tommorow. I really need for these to go away, as they are right in the center of the entrance doors. Should I follow my reclean with ARA? Any comments?

Hi Stan,

The spill stain treatment using Releasit ordinarily knocks out the spill stains just about 100% of the time. If you're seeing spots returning after you've carefully followed the spill stain instructions I'm wondering if ARA would be capable of doing any better. The principle of chemistry with both products is based on crystallization, so it's fairly similar technology. If you want to try ARA on it I think it will be kind of like "six on one - half dozen on the other", as the saying goes. But there's no harm in trying either. Regarding the technology of these two products, I recall a test that a cleaner performed a couple of years back comparing Releasit with ARA where he had cords treated with each product hanging in a bucket of dye. The Releasit did better than ARA as well as a few other encap products in its ability to stop wicking. Yet I have also personally seen a few exceptions where our spill stain remedy hasn't knocked out the spot entirely on the first attempt. I guess nothing's perfect is it? Although this hasn't happened very often, I've found that when it does, a second spill stain treatment has been able to finish off the spot successfully. Hope it goes well for you.




Rick Gelinas
encapman

Thanks Rick, for taking the time to post an in-depth response. Your comments are always helpful. I repeated the spill treatment with less solution and more agitation. Skipped the ARA. Spots went away again. I will check them next week. Hope it was just a fluke.

Checked back on spots after re-do. Spots gone. It's a good thing.