Grocery store spot removers.

[Mike Draper]

Many times clients tell me they've used this or that spot remover. What's in them that is bad and good? Also, are any of these products dangerous?
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[Mike Draper]

nobody knows a damn thing? Bunch of hacks!!!

 

[Steve Lawrence]

Worst thing is the sticky residue they leave behind which, of course, attracts soil. Perhaps if the user would rinse product out well with repeated water and blotting, it wouldn't be so bad. But they usually don't.

 

[jcooper]

Also, are any of these products dangerous?

I'd say the worst thing about store bought spotters is how the client uses them! Right outta the bottle and they use as much as possible!

IMO - resolve and oxyclean are two of the worst.


When I do my walk through, I always ask... Mrs Smith have you ever had a spot that seemed like 3-5 weeks after you spot cleaned it, it came back???

Well yes, Jerry I have... Well nucklehead it's coming back because the soap in your carpet is continuing to work. It's attracting dirt! If you are going to use store stuff, put a table spoon in a trigger sprayer fill the rest w/water. It will do the same exact thing.

It's VERY hard for people to understand less is better when it comes to carpet.


I also explain the difference between a dirt spot and a color stain(you should ALL be doing this). And what not to do, I generally tell them dirt stain/spot use what ever you want, just NOT a lot. If the stain has color - red, blue, green, yellow etc. the only thing I want them to use is peroxide.

Build trust, help them to help themselfs.

 

[GeeeAus]

Mike.

Huge fan of consumer spotters. Use some myself from time to time. Some are terrible, most are competent, some are actually good.

In Australia Resolve is sold under the Vannish brand. They are just simple oxygenated spotters. So long as they don't contain optical brighteners thn used no real issue.

Teaching the customer correct technique will make even the crappiest spotter more than acceptable.

Less is more, rinse, rinse, rinse.

I sell my customers Kirby spotting kits. I make good GP and they get three encapsulating spotters (no rinse) and a towel and stain. & spot chart.

Grant

 

[BLewis]

I have experienced more "bleached" spots when customers have used resolve or boxy lean heavily. 95%! Of the time I will ask and for warn them that it could result in bleached out areas after we clean.

 

[Vivers]

Just had this happen the other day were about five Quarter sized darker spots once cleaned were bleached out underneath from some spot cleaner client used

 

[Goomer]

I have experienced more "bleached" spots when customers have used resolve or boxy lean heavily. 95%! Of the time I will ask and for warn them that it could result in bleached out areas after we clean.

Definitely more bleached/burned spots encountered than residue issues, especially with the increasing trend of OXY products. Most residue issues I see are from non-carpet specific products.
Misuse, overuse, and the inability of most consumers to efficiently rinse/neutralize the remaining active components is a bad combination.

And Mate, although most are guilty of using consumer products from time to time, personally, I always make it a point to change the contents to non labeled bottles.
I don't think it a positive thing, in terms of image, for a client to see such a product being used by a professional, as opposed to portraying what we use as being "special", even if it isn't.

 

[Nate The Great]

I always tell the customer to apply to a rag and blot the spot/spill.... Most just spray it on.... Just 1 squeeze of the trigger sprayer takes a while to rinse out... But with customers, very few listen...... WoolLite, Resolve and OxyClean make nice color loss stains, good for spot dyeing if you offer that service....

 

[Brian H]

The one test I like to tell customers to do is to put a little bit of the spot cleaner in a saucer and let it dry overnight, then see what it feels like the next day. That's what they are leaving in their carpet.

One of our Stain Removal Specialists likes to tell customers that using most of those products is like shampooing your hair, then not rinsing it out. That's a great visual to explain almost all spot removers.

Unless pushed, I never mention over the counter stain removal products. I walk them through some home remedies like white vinegar/water, isopropyl alcohol, etc.

I have found that people want to do something for their spots and they want to believe the advertising on TV. For those people, based on the stain, we do recommend a couple of products. One product we did test a few years ago for a segment on the local news was Spot Shot. On film we tested it on several stains and it worked okay. Also it didn't leave much of a residue. The other product I would recommend would be Goof Off for grease/oil spots.

 

[amygeorge]

Before I bought the business - I used Spot Shot (aerosol can with orange lid) and rinsed with vinegar and water in my “carpet cleaning” machine, AKA bissell. I still have some and have used it a couple of times with my Mytee spotting machine.

 

[C&S]

Spot shot kills carpet color every time. But love the others as they leave residue and customers call because spot keeps reappearing, when it's actually just the dirt sticking to t he residue where the spot was.

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[Bee Busy]

I always tell the customer to throw them all away, especially Volex, Simple Green, Spot Shot, Oxy. They create color issues, clear dishwashing soap in warm water for cleaning and clear vinegar to neutralize has been my advice to the customer for a long time.

 

[amygeorge]

I guess I was lucky, because I never had or have had an issue with Spot Shot. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not promoting it… I just used it before I bought the business and grabbed it a couple of times because it was handy when the van was out on a job. It happens when you have 4 dogs and red clay soil.

 

[ruff]

As mentioned part of the problem is how the consumer uses these products.
Though Resolve and Folex seem to cause reddish stains (color loss) and Oxyclean seem to bleach at times and or cause some dye damage.
Not a big fan.

Of course, they may not tell us all they've done, as people tend to get desperate.

 

[hogjowl]

I ask them to throw that stuff away as I hand them a free bottle of this

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[ruff]

I give them a 32 oz sprayer with my label.
I don't like spotters with caps, as people tend to pour it on, practically guaranteeing a reappearing stain.

 

[Mike Draper]

How about an encap spotter? Anyone give those to their custys?

 

[hogjowl]

How about an encap spotter? Anyone give those to their custys?

That's what the one in the picture is.

 

[ScotLaboratories]

Do you have a good source for the Kirby spotters?

 

[Mike Draper]

So Marty, where do u get them? How much?

 

[hogjowl]

So Marty, where do u get them? How much?

Vacaway. 1-877-333-9964

 

[JS41035]

Steve Smith rocks.


....

 

[Wing It]

I tend to agree with the idea that most products are not properly rinsed causing the issues. I tell customers to start with water and a towel. From there try my complimentary bottle of home pro (avenge) and if that doesn't work to use the household remedy charts that shaw provides. Shaw even has a stain guide app using vinegar, ammonia, peroxide, dishwashing detergent,etc.

 

[GeneMiller]

Spot shot kills carpet color every time. But love the others as they leave residue and customers call because spot keeps reappearing, when it's actually just the dirt sticking to t he residue where the spot was.

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Not every time but I can spot the highlighter yellow spot shot creates. I think they hold it to close.

Gene

 

[GeeeAus]

Do you have a good source for the Kirby spotters?

I do. They are pretty decent to deal with. It seems you ate a Kirby person yourself...,,

Grant