Q - Jim what would get out mocha-latte? The customer that asked me already used Oxy-Clean on it. Got any ideas?
A - Mocha-Latte probably has some artificial red dye to enhance the brown "chocolate/coffee" color, as well as some other dyes. The problem is that the red dye might require the use of a reducing agent spotter, such as Red One or Red Relief. The Oxy-Clean residue will inhibit the activity of either of the "Red" products, as it works in the opposite fashion (oxidizers add oxygen, reducers remove oxygen).
Remind the customer that the Oxy-Clean has likely made the stain permanent , but you can try this:
- Rinse the area thoroughly with clear water. Any rinsing agents might create another residue problem. Rinse until any foaming and the "musty" smell that comes from Oxy Clean is gone.
- Use either Red Relief or Red One according to directions.
- If there is a remaining yellow stain, rinse thoroughly. After you have removed the "Red" residue, the remaining yellow stain should come out with Stain Zone or Stain Magic, which are left to work over time, but are not to be heated.
Q - Jim I had a customer call me and tell me that they have a Kool-Aid stain on their carpet what would be best to get that out. Guess its been there and dry for about a week.
A - First, ask them what brand of spotters that they tried already, and in what sequence. The reason you must ask in this way is that if you simply ask: "Did you try anything before you called me?", they'll lie and say "no".
If you ask brands and sequences, they'll often forget to lie and tell you. If they used anything with a bleach, such as Oxy-Clean, you might not be able to get the stain out.
Assuming they only blotted with water or mild detergents, you should clean the area first; olefin and polyester will usually release red dyes during the cleaning process; high quality stain resistant nylon that hasn't been abused should also release most, if not all, of the stain.
If there is any remaining dye, treat with Pros Choice "Red One" or "Red Relief". After treating the area, clean other rooms (if available to clean), so that you can give the treatment time to work. In some cases, the dye will fade out while you are doing something else.
If it hasn't, apply damp heat with a hand steamer or iron according to the products label directions.
You have a good chance of completely removing the stain.
