Red x-it question

Old Coastie

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Sodium metabisulfite. Flush orange stain, apply Red X-it from Chemspec and heat with a wallpaper stramer over a white cotton tee.

What do I not know? It seems to be fading a little, but nothing like the magic act I expected.

And I'm getting older watching...
 

Old Coastie

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As good as it is gonna get. The carpet is bleaching now. Customer is happy, go figure.
IMG_0317.JPG
 

Tom Forsythe

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When we looked at the product category years ago, all of them (we tested 7 or 8 different products)worked on removing Kool-aid from protected nylon carpet. As the level of protection diminished so did their performance. This tells you that carpet protection matters. If you test with undyed and untreated carpet, then you see performance separation. Red Relief is the standard bearer and we worked very hard to develop a product that matched the standard in several side by side tests. Sometimes all you can do is to match the standard. Using fresh product matters in these performance tests. Also the stability of carpet dyes may prevent you from removing the stains.
 
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Bob Pruitt

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I have been using the Harvard product Just Like Magic with some fair to good success/improvement. It's a one step oxidizing stain remover that you spray on and walk away. But I don't walk away and leave it... I spray it on as soon as I'm sure it's a dye stain. I rinse it before I go.
 

Cleanworks

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I have been using the Harvard product Just Like Magic with some fair to good success/improvement. It's a one step oxidizing stain remover that you spray on and walk away. But I don't walk away and leave it... I spray it on as soon as I'm sure it's a dye stain. I rinse it before I go.
When you rinse it you stop the action. I have never happy with the one step oxidizers. I much prefer the 2 part ammonia/peroxide solutions. Spray on and just walk away. It seems to work 90 percent of the time. Treat the stain properly first, then rinse well before applying. I buy it by the gallon and mix it myself as well having the refillable 2 chamber bottle in my spot kit.
 

Bob Pruitt

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When you rinse it you stop the action.
I know. I don't want it to keep working when I'm not there. I believe it is a stabilized...somehow... 2 part solution because there is an ammonia smell. I just don't feel good about leaving oxidizing chemicals in the carpet. I also never promise anything except to try to make the spot/stain better. I don't charge extra either.
 

Old Coastie

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Matt, at first I thought it was an old blood stain. I tried peroxide, no reaction. I tried oxalic acid for the iron, no change.

Rinsing each time, then all I could do was try the X-it. I had to stop when the carpet started to bleach. There is no caking or sediment in the fiber, so beats me.

On the bright side, the X-it made two purple ink looking stains absolutely vanish. So there is that.
 
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Cleanworks

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I know. I don't want it to keep working when I'm not there. I believe it is a stabilized...somehow... 2 part solution because there is an ammonia smell. I just don't feel good about leaving oxidizing chemicals in the carpet. I also never promise anything except to try to make the spot/stain better. I don't charge extra either.
The 2 part solution is obvious because it comes out of 2 separate bottles. I am not quite sure what is in the one step solutions. You have to leave it on as it may take up to 4 hours to work. I have had great success with coffee, kool-aid, red wine and many other similar stains. I have never had it bleach a carpet. It is supposed to revert to water as it evaporates.
 

Bob Pruitt

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I was wrong about the ammonia...it's not in there but it leaves an ammonia smell. 35% peroxide and you are suppose to be able to leave it in. But I don't. I work on the spot...different spotters to try to get some movement and after everything else I do a quick rinse and mist with the Just Like Magic. Then I go to work in other areas and just before I leave I rinse the Just Like Magic out. But I know Mark leaves it in. I also do a lot of wool rugs so I'm more cautious and it is my habit to remove any chems I put down...except for fabric protectors. Seems to work faster than 4 hours though.
1. Clean Stained area to remove as much contamination as possible before treating with Just Like Magic.
2. Apply Just Like Magic “as is” to the stained area. Allow 5‐10 minutes dwell time. Agitate into the fibers with a spotting spatula or tamping brush after 3‐5 minutes. Blot with clean white absorbent towel. You should start to see the stain disappear. In certain cases it may require additional time to see the stain go completely away so do not judge the results until the spot has dried.


https://saigers.com/images/pdfs/just-like-magic.pdf
 
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Cleanworks

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I was wrong about the ammonia...it's not in there but it leaves an ammonia smell. 35% peroxide and you are suppose to be able to leave it in. But I don't. I work on the spot...different spotters to try to get some movement and after everything else I do a quick rinse and mist with the Just Like Magic. Then I go to work in other areas and just before I leave I rinse the Just Like Magic out. But I know Mark leaves it in. I also do a lot of wool rugs so I'm more cautious and it is my habit to remove any chems I put down...except for fabric protectors. Seems to work faster than 4 hours though.
1. Clean Stained area to remove as much contamination as possible before treating with Just Like Magic.
2. Apply Just Like Magic “as is” to the stained area. Allow 5‐10 minutes dwell time. Agitate into the fibers with a spotting spatula or tamping brush after 3‐5 minutes. Blot with clean white absorbent towel. You should start to see the stain disappear. In certain cases it may require additional time to see the stain go completely away so do not judge the results until the spot has dried.


https://saigers.com/images/pdfs/just-like-magic.pdf
35 percent peroxide is very strong. I would not recommend it on wool. I would also be leary of just leaving it on a carpet. The 2 part products seem to work by the ammonia boosting the peroxide then eventually neutralizing it, being reduced to water. I do use 40 volume peroxide on occasion but also rinse that out before leaving.
 
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I've never used an uv light yet. I'll have to try it.
I've always feared running into a job where the client calls in and says 'my husband tripped going into the computer room, and spilled a full bowl of left over curry'..... in her thick, English accent..... it worked VERY well for me.... it does take some time though...... great results ....
 
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No question that 35% peroxide will bleach out the carpet (even solution dyed).
Don't even think about it . . .
Did he mean 35%, or 35 volume? I know up here in Canada, we, as general consumers can not buy any thing stronger than 29% peroxide. And @ 29%, it's very strong shyte.... instant burn on the skin, followed by white patch....
 
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Tom Forsythe

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The type of spot matters. If it is a synthetic dye then a reducer will work. If it is paint then a POG will work. If it is red wine then an oxidizer will work. If you identify the spot and choose the product correctly then you have a chance of success. Most spots that will respond to a reducer will not respond to an oxidizer and vice versa (coffee is one exception that I have found).
 

Tom Forsythe

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There is a scientific difference between a reducer and an oxidizer. Put on safety glasses and put a small amount of iodine in a glass. Add and stir enough Avenge (small amount is usually enough) which has a reducing agent to remove color immediately. Add an oxidizer like Stain Zone (more than the Avenge) and stir. In a few moments the iodine color will return. The reducing action works fast while the oxidizing action takes longer, but it does show opposite reactions. I did 9 science demonstrations at my wife's second grade class last year. This was their favorite. Think oxidizer for organic (natural) stains like caffeinated coffee or red wine and reducer for synthetic dye stains like de-caffeinated coffee or koolaid.
 
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Jim Pemberton

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As good as it is gonna get. The carpet is bleaching now. Customer is happy, go figure.
View attachment 74568

Have them tell you what products they used first before they called you. Don't ask them if they tried anything; its not good to soborn perjury, as it were. People just won't admit that they did stuff to stains before they called you.

When people "try stuff" first, it often keeps your product from working as well as you might expect.
 
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ruff

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Since many times we have no idea what the source of the stain was, and not all clients know or are forth coming- Wouldn't it be prudent (though time consuming) in that case to go back to the old cycle of spotting.
  1. Meaning, flush first to remove whatever the client admittedly or not, used.
  2. I was told that if you alternate, always start with oxidizer first and if that does not work flush and use an oxidizer (and it will not set the stain. Yest if you use a reducer first the oxidizer will not work. Not sure if its because the reducer will neutralize the oxidizer (why wouldn't it flush well?) or for other reasons. What is the reason?
  3. And none of the above will work if marker, ink or paint. With paint, if nobody already messed with it you'll e able to tell by feel. And go a different rout with solvents, ink removers etc.
And regardless of claims, unless solution dyed carpet, most of the time these products will leave a halo around the stain. The more you do it and work on it, the larger and more distinct the halo will be.
 

Jim Pemberton

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Since many times we have no idea what the source of the stain was, and not all clients know or are forth coming- Wouldn't it be prudent (though time consuming) in that case to go back to the old cycle of spotting.
  1. Meaning, flush first to remove whatever the client admittedly or not, used.
  2. I was told that if you alternate, always start with oxidizer first and if that does not work flush and use an oxidizer (and it will not set the stain. Yest if you use a reducer first the oxidizer will not work. Not sure if its because the reducer will neutralize the oxidizer (why wouldn't it flush well?) or for other reasons. What is the reason?
  3. And none of the above will work if marker, ink or paint. With paint, if nobody already messed with it you'll e able to tell by feel. And go a different rout with solvents, ink removers etc.
And regardless of claims, unless solution dyed carpet, most of the time these products will leave a halo around the stain. The more you do it and work on it, the larger and more distinct the halo will be.

Good points.

Still, ask them when you can. And ask "what they used", not "did they use anything".

When you ask them "what", they tend to slip up and tell you the truth more often then not. If you smile and nod while you ask them, they don't think they did anything wrong...

I know its a little bit manipulative, but its for a good cause....
 
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