Q - Hello Jim,
I'm on a job and they have a kid that drags his feet with shoes on and has put black marks on the carpet. how would i get that out?
A - The black marks from dragged shoes have two potential staining sources: Two not so bad, one VERY bad:
- If the black marks are from oily soils, a volatile spotter such as All Solv or Solvent Clean will remove the marks readily. You need only to apply it with a clean white cloth, and blot until the carpet looks clean.
Both of these solvents leave no residue, and will require no additional cleaning. If, however, you still find that there is a light brown stain, the application of a traffic lane cleaner, such as Zone Perfect or Megapack, will emulsify the remaining oily residues and allow them to be extracted during the cleaning process. - Sometimes what spots that appear to be black marks are marks where deicing salt has been walked into the carpet and left as a moisture attracting residue. The same salt that melts ice also keeps carpet wet while attracting dirt that sticks to the wet spots. What results are black marks that feel damp instead of greasy to the touch.
Such salt residues should be removed by applying an acidic rinse agent, such as FabSet or Refresh Soft, then cleaning with hot water extraction. The acidic rinse agent changes the insoluble calcium chloride to very soluble sodium chloride. This procedure is also helpful if crusty white stains are found on the carpet from salt as well. - The toughest black mark from shoes comes from shoe polish. Shoe polish may contain disperse dyes that permanently stain most carpets. If you suspect shoe polish, clean the carpet as best as you can, then apply Stain Zone or Stain Magic. Over time it may lighten or remove the stains. But don't count on it.
