Specialists Guide To Stain Removal And Water Damage

Specialists Guide To Stain Removal And Water Damage

Table of Contents Chapter I Introduction 3 Basics. 4 Stain Solutions...... 5 Detergent Solution..... 5 Vinegar Solution 5 Hydrogen Peroxide... 5

Ammonia Solution.. 5 Hot Water Solution. 6 Solution Residue.... 6 Stains and Recommended Solution 7 Summary.. 9 Chapter II Do s and Don ts to Help Minimize Water Damage Loss 10 Chapter III Do s and Don ts When Pressure Washing 13

Specialist s Free Guide to Stain Removal Introduction We ve all experienced those moments. We host a wonderful party for our friends and family and everyone is having a great time. Then, over the laughter and buzz of conversation of our guests, we hear Oh, no! I can t believe I did that! As everyone goes quiet and looks on, you see a small splash of red wine on your carpet. Everyone looks horrified at the scenario. Or, maybe you have seen your cute puppy or kitten had that unfortunate accident on your carpet. Of course, they did not mean to ruin your carpet, but now that you face this mess, what can you do to clean it up? The best solution is to call a carpet stain professional. But, in the midst of hosting a party or in the dead of the night, that is not the best thing to do. This is the reason why our team of stain specialists at Phase 2 Services shares a few handy tricks for taking care of these kinds of accidents at home. Remember that not all stains are the same. What works on one type of stain may not work on another. There are even instances when certain treatments make the stain worse! Our free guide shows you how to act when you face that moment. We show you how to handle the most common, and most difficult, stains such as red wine, coffee, and pet stains. We cover some basic treatment of every type of stain. We hope you ll find our guide useful!

Basics The most important thing to do when you face that kind of mess at home is not to panic and act quickly. If you wait until the party is over may allow the stain to become permanent. Acting quickly does not mean you have to grab a cloth and start rubbing and scrubbing the stain. This is the most common mistake to make when cleaning up a stain. If you do this, it will only spread the fluid around and may the stain worse. The best thing to do is to blot liquid stain with a dry, white absorbent cloth. You can also use paper towels. Use a white absorbent so you can see the liquid being absorbed. When the white cloth no longer changes color, then you are done cleaning. Use a rounded spoon to remove semi-solid spills. Solid stains must be broken up and vacuumed. While time is of the essence in this kind of situation, it is important to pretest proper solution in a hidden area. Lightly apply the solution to a dry, clean white cloth then gently work the solution into the carpet by blotting. Remember that there should be no scrubbing. If you see color transfer from carpet to the cloth or lightening of the test area, then the solution is too powerful and is damaging to your carpet. In this case, you need to look for another solution. Look for any other signs of damage like fiber damage. After pretesting and you ve finally determined that the solution is safe, it is time to handle the stain. As you did in the pretest, lightly apply the solution to the cloth. Start with the fringes of the stain to prevent it spreading to other areas. Always remember the golden rule blot and do not scrub. Allow the solution to stay for few minutes then gently blot it up. If you see a transfer of the stain to the cloth, this means that it is working! Solving a stain problem requires your patience. You should not hurry the process because it takes time. Continue working on the blot-wait-blog process until you see that there is no more transfer. If there s still stain after doing this process, try a next choice of solution. Start with the mildest solution as it works easier on your carpet. When you see that the stain is completely gone, use the same process with a new cloth and cold water to rinse the solution you used out of your carpet. Use a dry cloth to blot it until all moisture is removed.

Stain Solutions Our team of stain specialists came up with these recommended solutions and proper method of mixing them. Detergent Solution This is a common stain solution to use. Mix ¼ teaspoon liquid dishwashing detergent for each cup of lukewarm water. Do not use beyond the recommended amount as it may create a stronger solution that can damage your carpet. Never use laundry detergents because they contain optical brighteners or fluorescent dyes that may dye your carpet. In addition, do not use automatic dishwashing detergents as some of them may have bleaching agents that can destroy the colors and fibers of your carpet. Vinegar Solution Mix one cup of white vinegar for every two cups of water. White vinegar contains 5% acetic acid. Hydrogen Peroxide Available at most pharmacies, Hydrogen peroxide can be a useful solution to use. It has 3% solution. We recommend you use it at full strength. Ammonia Solution Mix one tablespoon of household ammonia for each cup of water. Never use a stronger solution as it can lead to carpet discoloration. You should not use ammonia on wool because it destroys fibers. For wool carpet and an acidic stain, dilute the stain with plain water using the process we described earlier. Take note that ammonia is a toxic substance. Do not use it with any bleach products. Use it with good ventilation.

More Solutions Hot Water Use the hottest tap water you can handle to get rid of the cleaning solutions from the fiber. There are some instances though that hot water should not be used. Solution Residue Some spot removal solutions leave residues. Residues may attract soil that, in turn, results in accelerated soiling. Using lukewarm water and mist type sprayer, rinse the area several times. This will avoid over wetting. Again, bot dry after each rinsing. Word of Caution: There are many commercial spot removers that can be purchased from your local grocery store that can remove the protective coating on your carpet or break down the dyes. Our team of stain specialists wants to remind you to be careful with these products.

Stains and Recommended Solutions Recommended Solution: Ammonia Red Wine and Mixed Drinks These types of stains are acidic, so an Alkaline cleaning solution is what you need to neutralize acids. Use the process we described in Basics to blot up the liquid spill. After the blotting process, make sure you rinse out the solution using lukewarm tap water. In case the stain remains, try soapy water or 3% of hydrogen peroxide solution. This solution also works on stains like cough syrup, soy sauce, watercolor paint, and ketchup. Recommended Solution: White Vinegar Stains from beer are alkaline. Thus, an acidic cleaning solution is needed to neutralize alkaline spills. Beer Without trying to apply the solution, blot up the beer and rinse your carpet. If the stain still persists, you can use soapy water and rinse the carpet. Repeat the process unit the stain is gone. If the stain is still there, it is time to use a vinegar solution using a spray bottle or saturated towel. Blot the area with a dry towel and rinse it. Recommended Solution: 3% Hydrogen Peroxide Coffee Stain from coffee is organic in nature. The best solution for removing organic stains is hydrogen peroxide. This solution bleaches the stain and it won't harm the dyes. If there are solids in the stain, use a rounded spoon to scoop them up. Blot up the coffee and then rinse repeatedly. You can switch to soapy water if the stain is still present. If the stain still persists, then you need to use hydrogen peroxide. You should wait for an hour and then blot up. Repeat the process as needed.

Recommended Solution: Soapy Water Chocolate You should start scooping up any solids using a rounded spoon. Use soapy water and soak the stained area. You can launder the fabric using cold water as warm water may make the stain bigger. Recommended Solution: Vinegar Solution, Soapy Water, 3%Hydrogen Peroxide Urine Stain Pet stains like urine stain are best removed when they are still fresh or wet, right after the accident took place. The first thing to do is to blot the area with a clean, dry white cloth. Press down firmly for at least 30 seconds. Do not scrub. Repeat it until the affected area is dry. Use a newspaper to absorb the urine that has gone through the bottom. If the urine has reached the padding, replace the affected portion of the padding. After the urine is blotted up, use a vinegar solution to clean it. If the problem still persists, clean it with soapy water. If in case it does not work, use a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. Allow at least 30 minutes for the solution to sit then press firmly with a clean and white dry cloth for 30 seconds. Put baking soda on the cleaned are and leave it overnight to neutralize the odor. Vacuum the baking soda the next day. Recommended Solution: Vinegar Solution, Soapy Water, 3%Hydrogen Peroxide Feces You can follow the process described for urine stain. You need, however, to clean up the solid first. If the stain has already set by your pet by the time you discover it, you should use vacuum to get it and odor out completely.

Summary After using our recommended methods and solutions, you may experience different kind of spotting. The solutions we described are all useful for removing stains. You may, however, see that the newly cleaned area may appear cleaner or brighter than the rest of your carpet, creating an unbalanced look of your carpet. This is especially true if it s been a while since a professional carpet cleaner came to your home and cleaned your carpet. You ll want to have the whole carpet cleaned soon after to have a uniform look of cleanliness and freshness. A professional carpet cleaner and stain removal specialists can handle all of the stains that we discussed in this guide for you. Phase 2 Services has a team of carpet and stain specialists who have the ability, experience, and equipment to remove even the most stubborn stains out of your carpet. For any questions or concerns, please feel free to call us at 630-458-0560

Do s and Don ts to Help Minimize Water Damage Loss Time is of the essence if you have been facing water damage at home or office. It is very important for you to know that insurance companies expect you to take steps to prevent further damages and your coverage stipulates that you should make every reasonable effort to minimize the damage. There are few important things you should and should not do when you have water damage at home. DO Shut off the water source when possible. If safe to do, turn off circuit breakers supplying electricity to wet areas. Unplug and remove small electrical devices that are in wet rooms. Remove saturated rugs and carpets when hard floors are at risk. Prevent further injury by staying out of rooms where there are sagging ceilings due to retained water. Make sure to ventilate wet areas. Transfer computer devices to a dry environment. Blow dry these devices with low pressure air. Remove telephone, lamps, and other decorative items from wet furniture tops. Open drawers and cabinet doors to allow drying. If swollen, do not force open. Put aluminum foil or saucers between furniture legs and wet carpeting to avoid carpet staining. Hang draperies and pin up furniture skirts to avoid contact with wet floors. This would prevent watermarks. Transfer items like books, shoes, fabrics, potted plants, and other things that can stain floor coverings. Make sure to remove and secure breakable, moisture-sensitive, or expensive items. Circulate air for maximum drying by opening windows in cool weather or turning on the air conditioning unit in warm weather.

DON TS Use any type of home vacuum, even shop vacs, since electrical shock may likely occur. Placing newspaper in the traffic areas, as this may result in ink transfer easily. Walk on wet carpet any more than necessary just to minimize damage. Turn on the heating and air conditioning system if it was flooded. Increase or decrease temperature unless instructed by a water damage specialist. For any questions or concerns, please feel free to call us at 630-458-0560

Do's and Don ts When Power Washing DO wear proper eye, face and hand protection when operating the equipment and power washing. DO attach nozzles and/or accessories completely before starting the machine. DO keep hands and feet clear of the cleaning nozzle at all times. DO consider using a special cleaning agent if the surface shows heavy dirt and grime. DO follow the equipment manufacturer's directions with respect to distance between the spray head and the surface -- typically 6" to 10" while power washing, although this varies with the PSI and spray width settings. (Moving too close may harm the surface; staying too far away may be ineffective.) DO work from the top of the wall to the bottom, rather than vice versa. Otherwise, dirt and mildew will run down over the already-cleaned section. DO direct the water at a downward arc when cleaning wood substrates. Spraying wood head-on can damage the siding. DO power-wash the surface thoroughly.

DON'T fill the fuel tank while the engine is running DON'T leave the nozzle in a closed position for more than a minute or two while the equipment is running. The pump may overheat. DON'T try to repair a leak in the hose or connection while the system is under pressure DON'T aim the power washer at an upward angle when cleaning lap siding. This can drive water behind the siding. Also, the force of the water can lift the siding from the wall DON'T spray stucco, brick or masonry walls straight on. The force of the spray can cause water to penetrate cracks in the walls and cause damage within. DON'T aim the spray at windows or glass doors. The force is strong enough to shatter them. DON'T let the machine run for several minutes without pulling the trigger gun. DON'T point the wand to an animal or a person during the power washing process. For any questions or concerns, please feel free to call us at 630-458-0560