How to Remove Food Stains from Wool Carpet
Cleaning food stains from wool carpets is no easy task, but it’s a challenge many of us have faced. With the right tools and techniques, however, it’s possible to tackle this unpleasant mess and eliminate the stain, germs and the stubborn odour.
Equipment
- White terry towel – Using a white towel ensures that no other pigment will bleed onto the carpet.
- Wet Extraction Machine – Minor food stains can be blotted up, but it has limited success on larger and severe spills. The quickest and most effective way is to use an extraction machine to ensure no food or chemical is left on the carpet.
- Food Stain Removal Chemical – The most effective chemistry is an alkaline spotter, as the stain being removed is an organic soil, in this case, food, which is acidic. We highly recommend using Conquer, as this product is a WoolSafe-certified product that features advanced polymer and surfactant technology. This technology not only breaks down and removes tough food stains but also encapsulates residues in a brittle, non-sticky film that can be easily vacuumed away, preventing resoiling and keeping treated areas cleaner for longer.
- Spotting Brush – When agitating a carpet, don’t use the brushing motion, as it will damage the carpet fibres. The best method is to tamp or firmly roll the brush over the stain as demonstrated in the video.
- PPE – All the necessary PPE needs to be used when working with chemicals.
Important Note
Cleaning Wool Carpets
When cleaning wool carpets, you must use extra care, as elevated levels of alkalinity and over-wetting can easily damage the wool fibres. Always use a WoolSafe-certified product when cleaning wool products to prevent unnecessary damage.
The Process
-
Preparation
Remove any physical food before starting the cleaning process.
-
Application
Liberally spray the Conquer onto the food stain, making sure the fibres are completely wetted out.
-
Agitation
Agitate the Conquer into the food stain by tamping up and down with a spotting brush to maximise penetration.
-
Dwell
Allow a minimum of 5 minutes dwell time.
-
Extraction
Rinse and extract the carpet with a wet extraction machine. For natural fibres, such as wool, rinse with Rinse Pro.
-
Repeat
Treat any remaining stain using this same procedure, but with Conquer O2.
-
Shadow Removal
If a shadow stain still remains, apply the Conquer O2 to the affected area. Blot to remove excess moisture and allow to air dry. The residue Conquer O2 will continue to remove the stain.
Further Notes
-
Application to delicate fibres and fabrics
Do not spray the spotting solution directly onto the surface; instead, dampen a clean, white absorbent towel and gently blot it onto the surface.
-
Cleaning wool or natural fibre carpets
For wool carpets and delicate fibres, rinse immediately with Rinse Pro to neutralise the alkaline Protein Spotter. Alternatively, swap out Protein Spotter for Conquer.
-
Avoiding wick back
The chemical must penetrate right down to the base, as that is where the food would have gone. If you don’t fully wet it out, as it dries, the moisture will pull the stain back up to the surface; this is called wick back. Additional care in the rinse extract step will also prevent wick back.
-
Odour Neutralisation
Once the cleaning process has been completed, the food odour source will be removed. However, a light application of Deozyme, an odour remover and enzyme digester, will eliminate any remaining trapped malodour molecules and organic matter that has been left behind.
-
Dried food stain
When dealing with dried food stains, remove as much as possible by scraping it away with a bone scraper or blunt knife. Then rehydrate the remainder before starting the cleaning process, removing as much excess with a spoon, scraping into the middle of the stain. This can be done with Thymox, a botanically derived hospital-grade disinfectant, which will eliminate any harmful bacteria or viruses still present in the stain.
-
Disinfection
Disinfection of the area is important and is completed by the Conquer O2 if used. If these solutions are not used, the area must be treated with Thymox as a residual solution to effectively eliminate microorganisms.
Where To Buy
Conquer
Premium encapsulating stain remover for carpets and upholstery
Premium encapsulating stain remover for carpets and upholstery
Find a Stockist
