What's the Difference Between a Carpet Spot and a Stain?

This article was originally published in Sanitary Maintenance.

According to industry professionals recently asked, "What's the difference between a carpet spot and a stain?" in Sanitary Maintenance, the difference between a spot and a stain is 24 hours. If spills are addressed promptly, water may be all that is needed to remove a spot. However, for more stubborn stains end users will need a spot removal kit that contains a variety of chemicals to address different soil types.

For general purpose spotting, hydrogen peroxide is popular because if it's overused, there is minimal residue left in the carpet that may lead to resoiling.

While hydrogen peroxide is effective for tannin stains, such as coffee and tea, it won’t work on grease or oil-based stains; therefore, a good spotting kit should also contain a grease, oil and paint remover. For example, an enzyme-based cleaner can remove organic stains, such as food, urine and blood, as well as a red dye remover for wine and red-based juice stains. Spot removal kits should also contain a stiff nylon brush to tamp the solution into the carpet and white terrycloth towels for blotting.

Finally, distributors suggest purchasing a one- or two-gallon handheld spot remover unit to rinse the area with water following treatment.