How to Identify Unknown Carpet Spots
If you're called upon to remove a spot from a customer's carpet, you'll need to know what the spot is in order to effectively remove it.
But how can you tell what the spot is? Before attempting to remove a spot, it's best to do some testing, or you may do even more damage to the carpet fibers.
Here are some tips for identifying unknown carpet spots:
- Ask. Sometimes we forget to simply ask the customer if they know what the spot is.
- Sight. Look at the spot to see if there are any clues as to what it is. For example, a bright red hardened spot might be nail polish. A brown spot in front of a coffee pot is a good indication that the spot is coffee.
- Smell. You may be able to get down and smell the area to determine what the spot is.
- Touch. Is it tacky, waxy, crusty, oily, wet?
- pH. If you're unable to identify the spot with the above methods, you may need to test the pH factor. Test the spot by moistening it with water and blotting a pH strip in it. Once you know the pH of the spot, you can determine which type of chemical to use to treat the spot.
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