Red Food Coloring

[jsjanitorial]

Kids used red gel food coloring on the carpet. Homeowner tried to clean it with dishsoap, then ammonia.

I went over today and first just rinsed with with my portable, then tried the Red 1 stuff with iron. Got no transfer at all to my towel. Any ideas?

[lee@deepclean.us.com]

They might have locked in the stain by their attempt to clean it.

[GroovyJon]

They might have locked in the stain by their attempt to clean it.

Exactly what I was thinking.

[encapman]

You could try CTI Red Relief, which is a little bit stronger than Red 1. If that doesn't work, the stain could be locked in, as was mentioned above, .

Stain: noun
1. a discoloration produced by foreign matter having penetrated into or chemically reacted with a material; a spot not easily removed.

Sometimes a "stain" can not be removed, in spite of our best efforts.

[jsjanitorial]

What actions do you think caused the stain to lock in..would it be her rubbing instead of blotting?

I think as an experiment in going to re-create the scenario on scrap carpet and try dishsoap vs ammonia vs nothing..then the next day treat all 3 with the red relief and see which i can get out

[encapman]

Whenever people monkey around with home remedy spotting techniques the risk of the stain becoming permanent increases.

[Jason L]

I have definitely seen my fair share of home remedy non sense. I try to explain as much as possible to every customer about the risks of DYI. Some listen...Most don't. I also made a nice area on my website to explain the trouble you can get into if you do not know what you're doing. Any one interested in giving feedback on things i could do better please let me know.

Jason L
Las Vegas
Owner - Superior Carpet Cleaners Las Vegas

[GroovyJon]

Kids used red gel food coloring on the carpet. Homeowner tried to clean it with dishsoap, then ammonia.

I went over today and first just rinsed with with my portable, then tried the Red 1 stuff with iron. Got no transfer at all to my towel. Any ideas?

JS, I wanted to see if I can give you a bit more on this. I'm not sure what kind of carpet your working with but chances are its a nylon (its a popular choice). Nylon was most likely treated with acid dye blockers when made, basically its a treatment to try and prevent stuff like this from permanently staining the fibers.

Certain chemicals/products in attempt to remove the stain can actually remove the protecting dye blockers leaving the fiber open to permanently stain. This may possibly be the case of what happened. Just a shot in the dark but sounds the case.

Long story short, for the DIY trying things on carpet without a real knowledge can lead into bigger problems. Hope this helped.

[HBMville]

I'm not speaking on behalf of CTI/Pro's Choice but I've discussed this situation with them in the past and they would tell you to try Rick's suggestion first (Red Relief), then your last resort is their product Stain Magic.

[Rick J]

time for a patch? (sorry, bonded insert! surgically implanted!!lol)

I have run across reds that do not respond to the normal methods chems. All of the known labeled products, not bathtub chemistry.
They seem to be a little brighter of hue than the reds we are used to. Just enough of a difference to be noticeable.

I have no clue what they are, but somehow I recognize them before starting. I still give em a go , (can't help it). And they never disappoint.