There’s a reason mustard and curry stains are some of the toughest to get out! They are considered a pigment stain – a naturally occurring color that is not water soluble and therefore cannot be removed with normal cleaning.
CAUTION: The process used to remove pigment stains is the most aggressive stain removal process and has the great possibility of removing the dyes used to color the carpet fibers during the manufacturing process. There is a great risk of removing or bleaching the color of the carpet fibers.
Tools needed:
- Chemspec Energizer
- Terrycloth towel
- Steam Iron (Caution: This process can damage your iron’s finish)
Process:
- In a paper bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of Energizer with enough water to form a paste that is a little dryer than toothpaste. It should form a ball but also crumble with very little pressure.
- Apply the dry paste to the top of the carpet fibers that are stained, but DO NOT press the paste into the fibers. It should stay on top of the fibers.
- Dip the terrycloth towel in water and wring out as much water as possible.
- Fold the towel in half and place onto the area where the paste has been applied.
- Using a dry steam iron (no water) set to medium heat, place the iron on top of the wet towel.
- Wait 15 seconds then remove the iron and lift the towel to check the process.
- If the stain is still visible, repeat steps 3-6.
- When the stain is no longer visible, remove the paste using a broom or a shop vac (since the paste and carpet may be wet, do not use a household vacuum to remove paste).
- Clean the stained areas to remove all residue of the paste.
CAUTION: Repeated attempts using this process can bleach the carpet!
