Spot vs a stain

[alazo1]

So a spot as I've known is something that will come out with a regular cleaning. A stain is what's left and usually permanent. But we get out stains everyday (red, yellow, mustard, ink..ect). So are these really not stains?

What technically is a stain?

Albert

 

[Becker]

Spot: a small area visibly different (as in color, finish, or material) from the surrounding area

Stain: 1 a: a soiled or discolored spot

So I would say, All stains are spots, but not all spots are stains.

 

[Scott]

From what was explained to me back in 1995 in my very first IICRC course: a stain is something that has disrupted the dye nature and a spot is soil that attaches to fibers w/o changing the dye.

Scott

 

[Stevea]

Interesting question, it has always seemed to me there is a lot more to the definition or at least a lot more to consider when pointing to something as a spot or a stain.
For example:


So, if you spill Kool Aid onto a carpet is that a Spot or a Stain?

How about little fee fee dog? If she pees on the carpet, is that a Spot or a Stain?

What about paint? IF this is spilled onto a carpet or piece of upholstery, Spot or Stain?

Can we get them out? Or Coffee, Tea and on & on?

Interesting to consider these and factors that go with them that may not always be so obvious.

SA

 

[Al]

The word Stain is actually one of the oldest known words going back to prehistoric times, when broken down it simply means (Stay - In ) In the earliest times it was a word mostly used by Squaws trying to remove red berry Stay - In's from the Braves clothing. It was also during this period that they realized the red berries could be used to permanently color their clothing.

It is believed that the word became pronounced Stain during the cowboy era used mostly by Cowgirls trying to remove "skid marks" from their mens skivvies.


Hope this helps :roll:

 

[Shawn Forsythe]

Differentiating the two, aside from their respective dictionary definitions:

A spot can be removed via a physical process (rinsing, detergency or solvency)

A stain requires a chemical reaction (oxidation, reduction, bleach neutralizer), or even including subsequent application of a dye because the staining element may have itself chemically reacted with the fiber or dye system.

 

[alazo1]

Good info...thanks.

Al, where did you get that interesting piece of history?

Albert

 

[Al]

I made it up Bro!

 

[J Scott W]

I am sure there are several definitions. I liked Shawn's. The one I learned was that spots are ON a fabric while stains have bonded to a dye site and become part of a fabric. That would be why a chemical reaction is required to remove them.

Scott Warrington

 

[Greenie]

I liked Al's.

The best stay ins come out of Bama.

 

[KevinD]

A Stain Is A Spot That Won't Come Out.

 

[Able 1]

Thats what i always thought.

 

[alazo1]

I made it up Bro!

Sounded damn convincing, or I'm just a sucker

A stain is a spot that won't come out

That was my original thought but it appears that you can get most out chemically (stain magic,red out, coffee, rust, ink remover...ect). I guess when all attempts fail with the chems then we can call them permanent.

Albert

 

[DevilDog]

Pretty simple....a spot is something that has NOT penetrated dye sites.

A stain is something that HAS penetrated dye sites.

Chocolate on a carpet would almost always be considered a spot.

Kool Aid would be considered a stain.

Gravy on a carpet would be considered a spot.

Mustard would almost always be a stain.

DevilDog