berber carpet

[BonnieJean]

I have cream colored Berber carpet upstairs. There are a few areas that are discolored, kind of rusty. I know you are not supposed to use soap on Berber and so always clean with merely hot water in my Bissell carpet cleaner. Can anyone suggest how to deal with the stained part? thanks Bonnie

[The Data Rat]

Hi,

[Rover]

Depends if the _stain_ is an actual stain or just discoloring from steam cleaning. If from steam cleaning, try a janitorial supply company. You will be looking for _no brown_ solution. You mix in a spray bottle according to directions, and mist over area. Stains disappear before your eyes.

[Vox Humana]

While "Berber" originally referred to a style of wool carpeting that was hand woven in Northern Africa, it now is most often just an adjective that refers to the style without regard to the fiber content. Your carpeting is most likely olefin or some other synthetic material that can be cleaned with normal detergents and equipment. I would call a reputable carpet cleaning firm and have them clean it. If it is wool, then the cost would be well justified. If not, then they should get it clean and then you can maintain it as you wish without worrying about using cleaners. If you don't want to call a professional, then try cleaning an inconspicuous area (like in a closet) with some carpet cleaning detergent. If it doesn't discolor, rent a machine like the Rug Doctor and clean the entire area, pre-treating any spots or heavily soiled areas with a heavy duty pre-treatment cleaner.

[tnom]

Some berbers have non colorfast nylon in them and can be effected by some spot removers, but there is no reason to not use carpet shampoo on berber.

[DrClean]

Hi Bonnie,

If it is actually deposits of rust I have to ask where the rust came from? Treating the effect without the cause is unlikely to cure the problem.

However, if it is rust then acetic acid (pickling vinegar) or a hydrofuoric acid solution will have almost immediate results. Simply put a drop or two in the centre of a stained area and you should see a reaction. Wool likes acid conditions so if it's a wool berber you should have no problems but flush with water and dry with a wet and dry vacuum as much as possible.

If this doesn't work then it's likely to be discoloured for another reason. Take a look on

and look at RedRX from Prochem. This is the type of solution that might work - and you may be able to get it in the states (if that's where you are) without the excessive postage costs.

Hope this helps

-- DrClean

The Best Fabric Cleaning Resource on the Web

[sijka]

Try "Spot Shot" aerosol carpet stain remover--works best for me!!

Sijka