face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">If you offer carpet spotting as a

service in

your cleaning business, you should have a professional spotting kit.

Here's a list of what should be included in your kit:

• Spotting

  Tool Box to hold all chemicals and

  tools.
  
  

• Blotting

  towels. Use to transfer spots. Use white towels only. Colored towels

  may leave dye on the carpet.
  
  

• Bone

  scraper. Use for breaking up hard or crusty material by agitating the

  chemical on the spot. Whalebone is best.
  
  

• size=2>Q-tips. Use for applying small amounts of

  chemical.
  
  

• pH Test

  Strips. Use for testing the alkalinity or acidity of a

  spot.
  
  

• Spotting

  brush/ tamping brush. Short, stiff-bristled brush, use for tamping (not

  scrubbing) spots and stains.
  
  

• Duck Bill

  Scissors. Use for taking samples of carpet fibers and trimming loose

  ends.
  
  

• Flip top

  bottles. For easy application of chemical.
  
  

• Trigger

  Sprayer. Use for applying chemical to larger spots.
  
  

• Standard

  spotting chemicals:
  

  • size=2>ADS - Alkaline Detergent Solution - Use

    for removal of acid-based stains.

  • size=2>NDS - Neutral detergent solution -

    Neutral in pH and will not leave residue.

  • VDS -

    Volatile Dry Solvent - For removal of oil, tar, and grease. Also use to

    rinse (NVDS).

  • NVDS -

    Non-volatile Dry Solvent - Use for removal of paint, grease, and gum.

    Allows more time on spot without evaporating.

  • Acid

    Spotter - Use for removal of alkaline spots and browning.

  • Rust

    Remover - Hydrofluoric acid solution for removing rust.

Remember:

do not rub or scrub spots because this may result in spreading the spot

and fuzzing of the carpet.

size=2>href="http://www.thejanitorialstore.com/members/programs/fileinfo.cfm?id=51&action=display"

target=_blank>Download a Spotting Chart Here

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Steve Hanson helps owners of small cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through his online community at TheJanitorialStore.com. Read inspirational cleaning success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com, and sign up for weekly cleaning tips at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com.