Red dye ban

[BIG WOOD]

Looks like red3 will be off the shelves in January 2027

But I see no mention of red40

Any idea why they’re not addressing that? It sure would make our jobs easier

 

[hogjowl]

Your job would get easier if you stopped cleaning apartments.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Between the already existing decline in the consumption of bright red drinks and the trend toward "the polys", we sell far less red dye remover than in decades past.

 

[hogjowl]

I can’t remember the last time I had to remove a red dye stain. It’s been so long ago that I took my wallpaper steamer off my van.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

When I was on the road selling truck mounts and giving out samples of Prochem's first powered emulsifier, "Dry Slurry", in my early 20s, old guys would put their hand on my shoulder and say:

"Son, when you get a product that will take Koolaid out of carpet, you'll be a rich man!"

All sorts of Koolaid removers showed up by the mid 80s, but cleaners just figured out how to give away taking that troublesome stain out instead of "getting rich on it"

45 years later, I'm not rich either , but at least the Koolaid is pretty much gone....

 

[BIG WOOD]

I stopped wasting time with the steamer/iron process

I just spray it with red treatment. If it doesn’t budge, I move on

Apartments definitely don’t get the full treatment. It isn’t worth it. If a residential customer has just 1-2 red spots in their new carpet, I’ll take the time.

I’m just wondering why they left red40 out of the ban

 

[Jim Pemberton]

We had an apartment cleaner in my area that used this scam about 20 years ago:

Basic 1 Bedroom Apartment: 50.00

Red Dye Removal: 100.00

Pet Odor Treatment: 100.00

He would write up every apartment as having both pet odors and red dyes, and usually got away with it. Whenever a manager would challenge him and inform him certain apartments had neither stains or odors, he'd have his guys just spray the carpet with water and leave, saying he "cleaned it".

He lasted more years than you'd think, but finally went under.

 

[hogjowl]

I had a large property management company contact me a few years back asking me if I’d start cleaning their houses. They caught a local company just spraying water and selling receipts. I told them I wasn’t cheap but I’d do their work if their renters would pay my price. They simply told their customers that only had one choice. That worked for awhile … 4 or 5 years, but now they’re going back to …. Guess who?

 

[jeffexe]

Apartment complex managers appreciate and pay for red removal. As Jim said, today it is quite easy, as red comes out of poly without extra time or chemical. It is not that difficult to remove while you are cleaning an apartment either. Just apply Red Zone to the dye spots upon inspection. Once in the apartment, address any spots with the Steamer/iron, flush and move on. I charge 20.00 per dye stain removed.

 

[they live]

After Red Dye 3 Got Banned, All Eyes Are On Red Dye 40. A Toxicologist Explains The Concerns

“It is associated with development of allergic reactions in susceptible individuals.”

www.womenshealthmag.com

 

[hogjowl]

Well everything is allergic to susceptible people.

 

[jessi]

If I can’t get it out and they really want it gone I patch it

 

[Cleanworks]

We had an apartment cleaner in my area that used this scam about 20 years ago:

Basic 1 Bedroom Apartment: 50.00

Red Dye Removal: 100.00

Pet Odor Treatment: 100.00

He would write up every apartment as having both pet odors and red dyes, and usually got away with it. Whenever a manager would challenge him and inform him certain apartments had neither stains or odors, he'd have his guys just spray the carpet with water and leave, saying he "cleaned it".

He lasted more years than you'd think, but finally went under.

When I first started about 40 years ago, I underbody some apartment complexes by charging $25 for 1 bedroom suites. I quickly figured out there was no profit there so I started charging for stain removal. Almost every suite had some form of rust or paint. I would point them out to the building manager and add $25-$50 for the stain removal. Still didn't make much but was better than nothing.