Cough syrup and orange stains

[Old Coastie]

The elves spent some time trying to get an orange stain out left by cough syrup.

Step one was a good rinse, because the homeowner had used something on the stain.

Step two was the use of Chemspec Red X-it with and without heat. Then Stain X-it.

The spot was lessened. It was not fully removed. Also, as the orange came out, the carpet lightened. I am looking for suggestions from the experts here! Look at the pictures:

 

[Onfire_02_01]

Not sure if I am in the expert category or the peanut gallery.
It looks like the carpet has lost some color here and there is nothing that can be done now. If you have the ability to re-dye the carpet I would suggest to finish removing the color as you have been doing, then re-dye the entire spot to match.

 

[ruff]

That's the potential damage part that all the "100% success all the time" people (lovely stories) always forget (neglect?) to mention.

Yes, re-dye will do it, also unless you're very experienced, not likely to be perfect. Patience is your friend.

I would not strip dye completely, it seems like what is needed is a little blue. Since some areas are lighter, a little more intensity there (darker blue, always increase in very small increments) and feathering (blending edges).

Dadgum!
Elves? Or Jeffe?

 

[Old Coastie]

How should it be cleaned? More Red X-it and heat, bleaching be damned?

I get that damage can happen and I have a guy who can dye it. We also assume that the stain and perhaps earlier efforts she made to clean it could set the color or strip the carpet color. I'm trying to learn here.

 

[ruff]

What are you trying to accomplish?
It should be cleaned like normal cleaning, if all you want is clean.

More Red-X and heat will strip the dyes even more.

If you want to re-dye, you'll need to flush well as you need to remove the reducer. Make sure you did not saturate pad (potential wicking).
Yes, her efforts most likely have contributed. A regular cleaning followd by an acid rinse will help the re-dying, as it requires an acid state. Won't be enough but at least they will not have to fight alkalinity in preparing the dyes sites.

 

[hogjowl]

Do you own it yet?

 

[Old Coastie]

No. Nor do I feel bad about any color shift. Andrew had to compromise between how much orange was removed and how much lightening was occurring.

 

[Cleanworks]

I believe the red x it is a stripper. I have had better success with 2 part peroxide/ammonia solutions like vanish or eliminate. It may not take all of the staining out the first time but it usually doesn't affect the carpet dyes. You have to have patience as it won't work right in front of you. It takes up to 4 hours to work, which means you have to recontact to customer to see what has happened. I usually treat with a tannin stain remover first and rinse, then spray the eliminate and walk away.

 

[ruff]

Both peroxide and reducer based products are dye strippers.
Red-X is a one part reducer for synthetic dyes.

Hard to tell from picture (light may be misleading) but judging by what I can see, the after picture shows some lighter intensity of color which means dye loss. Uneven. Some parts look like they were restored to old color some seem lighter.
Those products are not 100% safe, that's why the "try in an inconspicuous area" advise on label. They know the spiel.

 

[ruff]

Also seems like some of the fiber was scrubbed, tip blooming, which never helps in these situations. Heat may help by triggering heat memory.
To get a better idea about color condition it may be a good to lay nap (both damaged and non damaged areas) in one direction, so that you can compare.

 

[Jimmy L]

Always ask if they used something and ask to see it. Then write a disclaimer that the idiot used something and your not liable. I didn't know that peroxide was a stripper. I would have tried a spritz of ammonia first and used an iron to see the reaction. I believe ammonia is a reducer as well . High PH side reducer then it evaporates.

 

[Larry Cobb]

It was a food dye like all of these :
We would use ReduceAll . . .
http://www.cobbcarpet.com/zen/index...ult&search_in_description=1&keyword=reduceall

Video of Removal :
http://link.brightcove.com/services...L-vswe7e90sLh-cT42BZN3DqI&bctid=4516046511001

 

[Desk Jockey]

Damn! Just DAMN... that's fookin ugly carpet.
The stain was the best part of that carpet.

Its so ugly my dog wouldn't even shit on it. I might, but he wouldn't.
j/k I wouldn't...well maybe just for shock value but not normally.

So what did Mrs O'Haleck say about the stain?

 

[Old Coastie]

I spoke with her this morning. She loves the elves and the work we do for her. I referred her to a guy who has done repair work for us before and explained what may have to
happen to fix the color.

 

[jcooper]

I try to always tell them if I'm using red remover(reducer) it might get lighter, let them decide. What's difficult is when we don't meet the client, Garage code, empties, etc.


Some come out, some change to a different color, some get better, some don't...

 

[Bryan Thomson]

Pat Muller any suggestions?

 

[GeneMiller]

Cough syrup isn't going to come out in my experience. I don't know what the difference is chemically from other dyes but medicine stain just don't budge.

 

[Condog]

How should it be cleaned? More Red X-it and heat, bleaching be damned?

I get that damage can happen and I have a guy who can dye it. We also assume that the stain and perhaps earlier efforts she made to clean it could set the color or strip the carpet color. I'm trying to learn here.

Forgive my question if it is stupid, but at this point I don't know what I don't know.
That said, if you could match the carpet to some in the closet, could you cut it out and put the closet carpet in the stained location, and the stained piece back into the closet?
That is assuming that you let the client know that the stain may be set, before you started.
Has anyone done that in the past?

 

[Hack Attack]

Forgive my question if it is stupid, but at this point I don't know what I don't know.
That said, if you could match the carpet to some in the closet, could you cut it out and put the closet carpet in the stained location, and the stained piece back into the closet?
That is assuming that you let the client know that the stain may be set, before you started.
Has anyone done that in the past?

yep cut n patch or bonded insert

Always fun to move it else where!

Moved this piece into a closet, it was in front of a wood burning stove, burned it good! Now it’s in the closet like @AshleyMckendree Hahaha

mikeysboard.com

 

[Steve Lawrence]

Darn, two days straight I was excited to see "Desk Jockey" in the "Likes" below a post. Until I saw the dates on the threads. Darn!