FAQs - Fixing Wicking

Q - I have a customer who spilled a mix vodka tonic and grapefruit juice on a Berber carpet, he had another company clean it, it looked good until it dried, then it wicked up looking brown.

He called us to try and clean it. What treatment could we use to remove the stain?

A - Just by the fact that the spot "wicks" shows that the need for elaborate cleaning chemistry is not as important as controlling the "physics" of drying and wicking.

I would treat the area with a good general purpose spotter, such as Perky or Avenge, rinse it thoroughly, and if possible, use the "Water Claw Spot Lifter" for the most complete extraction possible.

Finally, you should pack the area with an absorbent spotter, such as Bridgepoint Stain Absorb or Masterblend Absorbent spotter. If you have neither of these, absorbent towels with a heavy weight on top might work, but it is a poor substitute for the super absorbency of these "crushed mineral" absorbents.

Apply the powder to a depth of 1/8" on an inch, and an extra 2" around the diameter of the original spot.