Stains Vs Spots
Whats the difference between a Stain Vs a Spot?
In carpet cleaning terminology, "stain" and "spot" are often used interchangeably, but they refer to slightly different things:
Stain
When the spilled substance can change the color or consistancy of your carpet, we call that a stain. These substances have components that bond or embed with the carpet fibers or backing, make them lose their integrity, change color or texture, or even disintegrate. Examples of stains are things like spilled beverages especially red ones, coffee, rust, inks or pet accidents – basically anything that can seep into and directly affect your carpet’s look and feel. Stains are more challenging to remove because they have bonded with the carpet fibers.
Spot
When something is dropped or spilled onto the carpet but does not have the ability to permanently bond to the carpet pile, this is called a spot. Good examples of spots would be things like soil, dust, mud, and most clear drinks. These substances do not have dyes or consistencies that could affect the color or fibers of your carpet, and often can be cleaned up with nothing left behind. Spots are usually pretty easy to remove without much extra chemistry or work other than our steam cleaning.
With stains, time is of the essence. The longer they’re allowed to stay, the more damage they can do to your carpet. Getting up as much as much of the spill as you can might not be enough – for example, if bleach is involved, the stain might permanently remove some dye from the carpet fibers, resulting in a permanent color change in the affected area. You can search through our blog entries for the kind of spill, spot or stain you’re dealing with, and how to address it. Also, you can give us a call to discuss what to do next. With spots, you can often remove the dirt, dust, rice, or other item with a broom, cloth, vacuum or other removal tool without much concern of permanent damage to the carpet. Granted, you might experience a mix of both a spot and a stain – spaghetti noodles with sauce, for instance – which means cleaning up as much as you can and then addressing the liquid or fluid residue. In summary, while both stains and spots refer to areas on the carpet that need cleaning attention, stains typically involve a more stubborn and permanent discoloration, whereas spots may be more superficial and easier to remove.
