You called the best carpet cleaning in Omaha, paid good money to have your carpets deep-cleaned with heavy-duty equipment by experts at the task. You were highly satisfied by the work they did and you’re all ready to give them a glowing Yelp review.

But hold up. Those pesky stains that were removed by the professionals have suddenly reappeared out of nowhere. You’re not seeing things, those stains have returned. Now you’re less inclined to write that positive review and you’re ready to get on the phone with your carpet cleaners to give them a piece of your mind.

Before you get on the phone and read your carpet cleaners the Riot Act, you may be surprised to discover that they did the work they were supposed to do and did it well. It’s your carpet that’s to blame. You are correct when you say that you didn’t see those stains earlier but now they’re back and you’re baffled.

How can the carpet replace a stain that deep-cleaning removed just a few hours ago? The answer is “soil wicking”, which can happen when you get a carpet wet even after you’ve eliminated the stains that were set upon the fibers.

What is Soil Wicking?

In order to stop carpet stains from coming back you must first understand why they are returning in the first place. Consider the manufacturing of your carpet. It’s made up of multiple layers piled on top of each other.

You have the fibers or yarn that comprise the soft surface upon which you walk, lie, play, and possibly spill liquids. Beneath that is the primary backing in which the fibers are sewn, under that is the secondary backing which is built from a hard-woven material that makes the carpet long-lasing durable. This is your main culprit when it comes to soil wicking, due to a latex adhesive that is utilized to connect the backings to one another. When you spill something on the carpet, the liquid can permeate this adhesive layer and basically get trapped inside until it dries.

When you wet the carpet again as in a deep cleaning, the moisture used to clean the material can get in between the layers and the spilled liquid that dried in the adhesive becomes “active” again. It’s almost as if you spilled that initial liquid all over again, but instead of coming from up above it seeps up from beneath the backing.

And that’s when your stain returns once again, in the exact same spot.

Solving the Problem

So now that you know what’s causing the stains to reappear, you can target the source and eliminate it once and for all. Here are some very effective carpet cleaning tips to follow so the next time you hire a professional cleaning service, those stains will be well and truly removed for good.

Mixing Your Solution

You need to make a cleanser that incorporates about ¾ of a bucket of warm water and roughly a teaspoon of simple liquid dishwashing soap. Mix well until you start to see suds forming along the surface.

Apply to the Affected Area

You will now apply the soap and water mixture to the stained region of the carpet, being very careful not to flood the carpet and create a larger problem of moisture trapped beneath. Use it sparingly, but thoroughly and cover the whole stain past an inch on all sides.

When you’re done, let it sit and soak for a couple of minutes.

Rub the Stain

Grab a towel or white cloth and begin to slowly and gingerly rub the area to and fro in a circular motion so the cleaning solution has been spread out over the stain evenly. Just be careful not to use too much force or you could end up doing damage to the carpet. Never scrub hard, you don’t need elbow grease for this part of the process.

Soak it Back Up

Get more towels or cloth, even paper towels will do the trick. Press down firmly on the wet area of the carpet and begin to soak the cleaner back into the towels. Absorbing the moisture from the carpet will draw up the offending liquid that has been trapped in the backing adhesive all this time and continues to create repeat stains over and over.

You may need to do this more than once in order to retrieve all of the stain-causing liquid that got in between the primary and secondary carpet backings. Just remember, blot and absorb. Press down on the carpet to make sure you are able to extract every drop that you spilled down there.