Carpet Spots and Stains – Are they the same?

Often times, people use the words spots and stains interchangeably when actually, they are very different.  Curious about the differences?  Read on!

SPOTS:

Typically, a spot is something that is spilled onto carpeting that can easily be cleaned up and does not chemically bond to carpet fibers.  Spots do not have the ability to cause permanent damage.  For the most part spots are easy to see and organic in nature.  In most cases, a spot can be easily vacuumed up or cleaned up through blotting and other carpet cleaning techniques. 

EXAMPLE:  Think food spills, dirt and debris brought in from traffic.

STAINS:

These are spills that have a larger, more devastating impact on the carpet.  Stains will permanently damage or change the carpet.  Most of the time, stains can be hard to see, especially if they are oil based. Initially, stains may look like a spot, dirt or dust that needs to be cleaned up with a vacuum.  What is difficult to see however is that the dirt and dust is actually clinging to the stain.  Once the dirt is cleaned up, the stain is more visible, you will actually see the change in carpet color, a color change that cannot be reversed.

EXAMPLE:  Think devastating spills, like bleach. 

Confused as to what you are seeing is really a spot or a stain? Keep this in mind…

The best way to tell if the soiled carpet is a spot or a stain is to determine if the tint or hue of the carpeting has changed.  If the carpet’s hue or color has changed, it is a stain.  If it changes the color of the carpeting like coffee or wine would, and can be removed, it is probably a spot.