Bane-Clene®
Professional
Spot Removal Guide

General Spotting Information Acetone
  • Acetone is the primary ingredient in most fingernail polish removers. Evaporates very rapidly. Absorb and extract. Delamination will probably occur if in the backing. Highly flammable. Acetone dissolves most acetate fibers.
Acid Spills / Battery Acid / Toilet Bowl Cleaner
  • IMMEDIATELY sprinkle baking soda onto area and work in until the "fizzing" stops. Extract. Permanent damage may have occurred.
Acne Medicine / Benzoyl Peroxide
  • If bleaching has not yet occurred: thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv™ and absorb. Blot with Coffee Stain Remover solution as covered in the "SPOTTING HINTS" section to neutralize, immediately extract rapidly and thoroughly and blot dry.
Alcohol
  • Absorb and extract. Flammable.
Anti-Freeze
  • Anti-Freeze is water and Ethylene Glycol or Propylene Glycol with corrosion inhibitors and dye. Normally, simple extraction will remove anti-freeze. However, if the anti-freeze is in the backing, the carpet must be pulled back and the backing extracted. If the anti-freeze is in the pad, the affected area of the pad must be replaced. If a dye stain persists on the carpet fibers, treat with Hydrogen Peroxide.
Asphalt / Creosote / Driveway Sealer / Parking Lot Sealer / Tar
  • If not removed when fresh, yellow stain from asphalt and tar from parking lots and driveways is nearly impossible to completely remove without delaminating the carpet. For small areas, blot with Saf-T-Solv™, absorb, apply Gel-Solv®, scrape up, thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv™, absorb, and thoroughly extract. For large areas, prespray with TLS® 2000, agitate, and extract at high temperature followed with a Brown Out® flush Advise the customer to use adequate walk off mats which are exchanged or cleaned at least weekly. Blue and gray carpets particularly show yellowing and should not be used where asphalt or oil track-in is a potential problem.
Ball Point Pen Ink
  • Absorb all ink on surface with dry towel. Apply Gel-Solv®, allow 15 minutes dwell time, scrape up. Repeat if needed. Thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv™, absorb, and thoroughly extract. Repeat if needed. Treatment with Hydrogen Peroxide may be required (or Chlorine Bleach if on solution-dyed fiber). Another technique is to blot with Isopropyl Alcohol with simultaneous extraction with the vacuum hose during the blotting.
Beer
  • Absorb. If large quantity, have customer leave moist weighted towel(s) on spill overnight before attempting removal. Blot with Perky®, absorb, blot with diluted Brown Out®, and extract. Leave weighted folded dry white towel(s) if heavy spill.
Berry Stain
  • Absorb. If large quantity, have customer leave moist weighted towel(s) on spill overnight before attempting removal. Extract. If some of the stain is still present, use Stain Magic.
BHT Yellowing / Yellowing of stain-resist nylon fibers
  • Apply Brown Out® diluted 1 part product to 2 parts of water to the area and allow to work 15 to 20 minutes. You should see the yellow gradually fading away. Once the yellowing is gone, make a single wet pass with water only to remove most (but not all) of the Brown Out followed by two dry passes. If the yellow does not fade away, the yellowing is probably due not to a change in the stain blocker but rather due to optical brighteners, mill oil, or asphalt.
Bleach (Chlorine) / Clorox®
  • Permanent color damage will occur except on solution-dyed olefin. Absorb and flush with water. Treat with Red Relief to neutralize. Flush with water or extract. Chlorine bleach dissolves wool.
Blood
  • NOTE: If a customer has called you, suggest that he/she immediately dry blot, wet blot, and then leave a moist weighted white towel on the area overnight to prevent a wicking problem and to make removal easier and more probable.
  • For a blood stain, wear rubber gloves, absorb or scrape up, blot with warm water, blot with non-sudsing Ammonia and flush. Stain Magic treatment is frequently required. Thoroughly extract and dry blot when through. Towels contaminated with blood are considered infectious waste and must be handled and disposed of accordingly!
  • OSHA standard 1910.1030 covers worker exposure to blood borne disease-causing organisms (also called the "blood borne pathogen rule"). Training, record-keeping, protective clothing, vaccinations, and many other standards are required if your employees are likely to be exposed to such a problem particularly in doctors or dental offices, clinics, nursing homes, hospitals or other health care facilities. The standard also covers restoration services dealing with cleanup after suicides, violent crimes, etc. The rule is designed to protect employees from the danger of infection.
Browning / Jute Stain
  • Lightly apply Brown Out® at 8 oz./gal. of water with the Brown Out applicator. In severe cases, do a Brown Out flush (acid rinse) at 2 to 4 oz. per gallon of water (no detergent) through the base unit as described in SPOTTING HINTS.
Butter
Calcium Chloride / Ice Melt
  • If dry, thoroughly vacuum first. If wet, absorb or extract. For small area, blot with Brown Out® at normal concentration, flush with water, and dry blot. For large areas, extract with a 4 ounces per gallon solution of Brown Out in water through the base unit.
Carbon Black / Dry Photocopier Toner / Fingerprint Dust / Soot / Ashes
  • It is EXTREMELY important that you not get this type of material wet initially! Vacuum or pile lift very thoroughly (no brush initially). Thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv™ and dry. Spray APS™ All Purpose Spotter and agitate into a foam with a bone scraper or carpet rake. Very thoroughly extract and dry blot to avoid wicking. Leave a weighted dry towel overnight to prevent wicking.
Carbon Paper / Crepe Paper Dye / Felt Pad Dye
  • Thoroughlyblot with Saf-T-Solv™ and absorb. Repeat if needed. Blot with APS™ All Purpose Spotter and extract. NOTE: Some carbon paper inks are more readily removed with Alcohol or Citrus APS™ than with Saf-T-Solv™. Hydrogen Peroxide treatment as covered in the SPOTTING HINTS section may be required.
Chalk
  • Chalk is Calcium Carbonate. Plumber’s chalk is chalk with an insoluble dye added for visibility. First, thoroughly vacuum. Chalk is readily soluble in mild acid. Therefore, heavily spray Brown Out® diluted 1 part Brown Out to 2 parts of water onto the chalk, work the solution in with a carpet rake or bone scraper and allow the acid to work on the chalk for at least 15 minutes. Agitate once again and extract thoroughly. If any stain from plumber’s chalk is left, blot with Alcohol. If the stain is still not removed, use Hydrogen Peroxide as covered in the "SPOTTING HINTS" section. NOTE: The dyes used in Plumber's chalk are frequently permanent, as usually noted on the label. Many of them are not even affected by Chlorine Bleach!
Chewing Gum
  • Soften with Saf-T-Solv™ and peel up with a bone scraper. Never use the "freeze" technique with freezing aerosols, etc.; this common technique causes severe fiber damage! For large areas of chewing gum, apply Gel-Solv®, poke a few holes in the gum, allow time for softening to occur, scrape up, blot thoroughly with Saf-T-Solv™, and extract.
Chocolate / Creme de Menthe
  • Scrape off excess and absorb, blot with warm water, blot with Ammonia, blot with Perky®, blot with Brown Out®, rinse with water or extract, and dry blot.
Clay (Red)
  • Vacuum or pile lift thoroughly. If from a flower pot, spray down a solution of Brown Out® diluted 1 part product to 2 parts of water, allow to work on the clay (the red color is from iron oxide - rust), and extract followed by dry blotting. In severe cases, Whink® Rust Remover may be required.
Coffee / Tea
  • Have customer absorb the majority of the spill immediately and leave a weighted, moist towel on the spill overnight. This will greatly improve the likelihood of removal. Treat with Hydrogen Peroxide as described in SPOTTING HINTS followed by thorough flushing. If all is removed, leave weighted moist white towel(s) on area to absorb any left in the backing and ask customer to replace with weighted dry white towels the next morning.
Cola Drink / Soft Drink
  • A soft drink spill is usually deep into the backing and wicking with attendant resoiling is quite common. Have customer absorb the majority of the spill immediately and leave a weighted white moist towel on the spill overnight. This will greatly improve the likelihood of removal. Absorb and thoroughly extract. Since wicking will probably still occur, leave a weighted white dry towel overnight to absorb any further drink that wicks to the surface.
Children's Medicine / Cough Medicine / Cough Syrup / Vitamins (Liquid)
  • Blot with Alcohol until totally removed. Extract and blot dry. Hydrogen Peroxide treatment as described in SPOTTING HINTS may be required.
Crayon
  • Scrape loose crayon off and pick up loose pieces. Vacuum thoroughly without brush agitation. Apply Gel-Solv® wherever the crayon was ground into the carpet and leave 15 minutes to soften and dissolve. Scrape up and thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv™. Thoroughly extract and dry blot. Any remaining color can usually be removed with Alcohol.
Dandruff Shampoo
  • Frequently contains sulfur compounds which may turn the fibers permanently brown. This cannot be treated.
Duco® Cement
  • Blot with Acetone. Thoroughly extract and dry blot.
Egg (Raw)
  • Scrape off excess, absorb, blot with Perky®, blot with Ammonia, extract.
Ether
  • Caution - Ether is extremely flammable and will cause delamination. Absorb and allow to dry. Towel used will be very flammable until it has dried. Do not put towel containing ether in the van or trash can.
Fabric Softener
  • Blot up excess liquid, blot with Alcohol, extract. If a stain persists, Hydrogen Peroxide treatment as described in SPOTTING HINTS may be required. Leave a weighted dry white towel on spill if heavy.
Easter Egg Dye / Food Coloring / Food Dye / Kool-Aid®,
  • For dry food dyes such as some Easter egg dye powders, thoroughly vacuum up before proceeding with any wet techniques. Absorb liquid and blot with Alcohol until no more dye comes up. Blot with cold water and dry blot until no more dye is removed. If stain is still present, treat with FDR® using the hot iron technique. If some dye is still present, Hydrogen Peroxide treatment as described in SPOTTING HINTS may be required.
Furniture Polish
  • If liquid, absorb. If wax or solid, scrape up with bone scraper. Apply Gel-Solv® and leave 15 minutes to soften and dissolve. Scrape up and thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv™. Thoroughly extract and dry blot. If some stain still remains, Hydrogen Peroxide treatment as described in SPOTTING HINTS may be required.
Furniture Stain (liquid)
  • Absorb if liquid. If down in the backing, leave a dry weighted towel on area overnight. If heavily down in the backing, it is highly unlikely that you will get all of the stain out and the carpet and pad in the affected section will have to be replaced. If dry, apply Gel-Solv® and leave 15 minutes to soften and dissolve. Scrape up and thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv™. Thoroughly extract and dry blot. If some stain remains, Hydrogen Peroxide treatment as described in SPOTTING HINTS may be required.
Furniture Stain (from furniture legs)
  • All furniture legs should be tabbed after cleaning, but sometimes someone forgets - resulting in a furniture stain. Blot the stain heavily with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol (while vacuuming if the stain is spreading) until the stain is no longer dissolving. Extract. If some stain is still left, use FDR® as explained in the SPOTTING HINTS section. If this fails, use Hydrogen Peroxide as described in the SPOTTING HINTS section. If desperate, apply 20 or 40 volume Hydrogen Peroxide, cover with a moist towel, and use an iron as with FDR®. Extract.
Gatorade® / Sports Drinks
  • If a heavy spill, have the customer leave a moist weighted white towel on the spill overnight. Absorb liquid with dry white towel. Blot with wet white towel and dry blot until no more drink is removed. If stain is still present, Hydrogen Peroxide treatment as described in SPOTTING HINTS may be required.
Gentian Violet
  • Absorb, blot with Alcohol, blot with APS™ All Purpose Spotter, flush with water or extract, dry blot. Hydrogen Peroxide treatment may be required.
Grape Juice / Red Wine
  • If a heavy spill, have the customer leave a moist weighted white towel on the spill overnight. Absorb, extract, and dry blot. Use Juice & Dye Stain Remover as outlined in the SPOTTING HINTS section.
Gravy / Cooking Grease
  • Scrape up, blot with Perky®, blot with Ammonia, and extract. If any gravy or grease remains, spray TLS® 2000 at 1:10 with water and extract followed by Brown Out® treatment to prevent browning. Hot gravy and hot cooking grease would most probably be in the backing and pad, necessitating partial pad/carpet replacement. NOTE: Do not use TLS® 2000 on stain-resist nylon carpet.
Grease (Lubricant)
  • Scrape up and absorb. Thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv™ until removed. Extract.
Hair Dye
  • Hair dye is one of the most severe stains there is! Blot with Alcohol and extract. If not a natural fiber such as wool or cotton, treat with Hydrogen Peroxide. If stain is still visible, apply a solution of Sodium Bisulfite around but not on the stained area to act as an anti-chlor barrier. Apply Chlorine Bleach diluted 1 part of Bleach to 2 parts of water to the stained area itself. Extract after 2 minutes. Chances of bleaching out the carpet itself with this technique are very high, so only use if desperate! Get a signed release! Redye area if needed. Finally, if all else fails or this appears to be too involved, patch in from a remnant!
Ice Cream
  • Scrape up loose material, blot with water, blot with Perky®, and extract. Remove any remaining material with Saf-T-Solv™.
Ink (India)
Ink (Permanent) / Felt Tip Markers
  • Absorb, apply Gel-Solv® and leave 15 minutes to soften and dissolve. Scrape up and thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv™. Blot with Citrus APS™ and thoroughly extract. With some felt tip markers, blotting with Acetone may be required. Hydrogen Peroxide treatment as described in SPOTTING HINTS may be required.
Ink (Washable)
  • Absorb, blot with Alcohol, blot with APS™ All Purpose Spotter, and extract. If the stain is not fully removed, Hydrogen Peroxide treatment may be required.
Insecticides
  • Most insecticides permanently stain, bleach, or discolor carpet fibers with little chance of restoring the carpet to the original color. Apply Preface® at 1:10 with water and extract. If any residue remains, remove with Saf-T-Solv™.
Betadine® / Iodine
  1. Thoroughly extract the area. If a heavy spill, use the Water Claw™.
  2. Apply Red Relief (mixed solution) to the stained SYNTHETIC textile fibers - use Red Relief for Wool if a natural fiber.
  3. Cover the spot with a damp, lightweight terry towel.
  4. Apply steam heat from a steam iron set at mid range temperature.
  5. Allow the iron to treat the spot for 1 to 2 minutes checking every 30 seconds.
  6. Stop if carpet dye is being removed.
  7. Remove iron and towel - spot should be gone.
  8. Rinse spot and leave as dry as possible.
Diesel Fuel / Fuel Oil / Gasoline / Kerosene
  • Pull up the carpet to determine the severity of the spill. If heavily spilled on upholstery or into the backing and pad of a carpet, complete elimination of the odor is nearly impossible. You may need to replace the pad or filler material. Thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv™, prespray Preface® at 1:10 with water, and thoroughly extract. Dry blot. You may need to leave weighted towels to absorb any remaining material. Residual odor may have to treated with an Ozone machine.
Ketchup
  • Have customer scrape up excess and leave weighted moist white towel on affected area overnight. Scrape off unabsorbed material. Blot with warm water and absorb followed by thorough extraction. For any remaining material, treat with undiluted Brown Out® followed by extraction. Hydrogen Peroxide treatment may be required for any remaining stain.
Lacquer / Linseed Oil
  • If wet, absorb. Scrape up any dried material. Apply Gel-Solv® and leave 15 minutes to soften and dissolve. Scrape up and thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv™ followed by thorough extraction. If not removed, use Acetone.
Lava Lamp Oil
  • The dyes used in lava lamps are only soluble in solvent and are extremely difficult to remove. Additionally, the oil tends to stay in the backing and pad. If severe, pull up the carpet, replace the affected pad, blot the backing with Alcohol avoiding overwetting, and clean the backing with the upholstery tool. Allow to dry before reattaching the carpet. Blot the affected carpet fibers with Saf-T-Solv™ and clean. If the dye remains, use Hydrogen Peroxide as described under SPOTTING HINTS.
Lipstick / Mascara
  • Remove all loose material. Apply Gel-Solv® and leave 15 minutes to soften and dissolve. Scrape up and thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv™. Blot with Alcohol and thoroughly extract. Leave a weighted dry white towel to prevent wicking problems.
Merthiolate®
  • Blot with Alcohol, then with Ammonia. Blot with Brown Out® and extract. If stain is not thoroughly removed, use Hydrogen Peroxide treatment as described in SPOTTING HINTS.
Mildew
  • Blot heavily with Ammonia followed by Microban® Disinfectant Spray. Flush with water or extract. Hydrogen Peroxide may be required. As a last step, lightly treat with Microban Disinfectant Spray. On 100% olefin fibers and on concrete, apply undiluted Chlorine Bleach, agitate, and extract after 15-20 minutes.
Milk
  • If heavy spill, have customer pick up as much as possible and put down a weighted moist white towel overnight. Absorb. Blot with Phase V™ orMicroban® Disinfectant Spray. Note: If "souring" has occurred, injection treatment may be required.
Mucilage
  • Blot with Alcohol or cetone. Absorb> and blot with Ammonia. Extract.
Mustard
  • Except on olefin, mustard is extremely difficult to totally remove. Scrape off loose material. If on 100% olefin, apply undiluted Chlorine Bleach, agitate, allow to stand 15-20 minutes, and extract. If 100% solution-dyed nylon, use diluted Chlorine Bleach, agitate, allow to stand 15-20 minutes, and extract. On other fibers, blot with APS™ All Purpose Spotter and heavily work in. Extract. Blot with undiluted Brown Out®,absorb, treat with Whink® Rust Remover and extract.
Fingernail Polish / Nail Polish
  • Absorb. Blot with Acetone or non-oily nail polish remover. Absorb and blot with Citrus APS™, blot with Ammonia and extract. Dry blot. CAUTION: Acetone and nail polish removers are highly flammable and dissolve acetate fibers.
Oil (Petroleum)
  • Absorb, apply Gel-Solv® and leave 15 minutes to soften and dissolve. Scrape up and thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv™ or Citrus APS™. Prespray with Preface® or TLS® 2000 and extract.
Orange Drink
  • If a heavy spill, have customer leave weighted white moist towels on the spot overnight. Absorb, blot with Ammonia, blot with Perky® and flush with water or extract. Dry blot. For stubborn stains, treat with FDR® or Hydrogen Peroxide as described in SPOTTING HINTS.
Paint (Latex)
  • If wet and on surface, scrape up, blot with moist towel(s) and thoroughly extract. If wet and deep into carpet, extract thoroughly and leave moist weighted towel(s) overnight. If dry, treat as oil-based Paint.
Paint (Oil Based) / Varnish
  • If wet, blot up as much as possible with a dry towel followed with thorough blotting with Saf-T-Solv™. Thoroughly extract and dry. If dry, apply Gel-Solv® and leave 15 minutes to soften and dissolve. Scrape up and thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv. NOTE: Some paints and varnishes, especially if left on the carpet too long, will not come up with normal spotters and solvents. In that case use the Gel-Solv approach, but replace Gel-Solv with a thickened paint stripper but be careful - the active ingredient in paint strippers (Methylene Chloride) is a known carcinogen and can also readily delaminate the carpet.
Pepto-Bismol®
  • Absorb and scrape up.
  • Blot with alcohol
  • Blot with Citrus APS™ with agitation.
  • Blot lot with Brown Out® (undiluted).
  • Thoroughly extract.
  • If old, it probably won’t completely come out.
  • Pepto-Bismol contains Red Dye 22 and Red Dye 28. These dyes are more easily removed by Stain Magic than by Red Relief or Red 1.
  • To prevent wicking, heavily sprinkle Stain Blotter on area to absorb any material that wicks up.
  • The customer can vacuum up the Stain Blotter the next day.
Phenol (1%)
  • Blot with Alcohol, blot with Ammonia, and extract.
Pink Color after acid spill or acid treatment
  • Apply Ammonia and allow to evaporate – do not rinse out.
Potting Soil
  • Let dry completely before treating. Dry vacuum until all soil is removed. Soil may contain fertilizers and insecticides which often leave permanent stains. Follow with normal extraction cleaning.
Rubber Cement
  • Scrape up, apply Gel-Solv® and leave 15 minutes to soften and dissolve. Scrape up and thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv™. If still present, blot with Acetone as described in SPOTTING HINTS. Thoroughly extract.
Rust
  • Vacuum up loose rust. If rust is very old and heavy, treat with Whink® following the safety precautions carefully, followed by wet extraction. If the rust is light, apply undiluted BrownOut, agitate with bone scraper, allow to work about 15 minutes, extract, and dry blot.
Shoe Polish (Liquid)
  • Absorb. If a heavy spill, leave a white weighted dry towel on area overnight to absorb as much as possible. Apply Gel-Solv® and leave 15 minutes to soften and dissolve. Scrape up and thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv™ or Citrus APS™. Thoroughly extract. Hydrogen Peroxide treatment as described in SPOTTING HINTS may be required.
Shoe Polish (Wax or Paste)
  • Scrape off excess, absorb with heated iron onto dry towel. Apply Gel-Solv® and leave 15 minutes to soften and dissolve. Scrape up and thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv™ or Citrus APS™. Thoroughly extract. Hydrogen Peroxide treatment as described in SPOTTING HINTS may be required.
Soil Filtration Lines
  • These are the black or darkened areas along the baseboard, around furnace vents, etc. This is caused by air movement where extremely fine soil is deposited on the fibers as the air moves under walls, closed doors, etc. This is most common in homes where candles and fireplaces are frequently used. It is extremely difficult, if not nearly impossible, to thoroughly remove from very light carpet. Very thoroughly vacuum or preferably pile lift. Blot with Citrus APS™. Apply APS™ All Purpose Spotter, scrub lightly and whip into a heavy foam. Thoroughly extract. TLS® 2000 may be required as the prespray). Dry with towels.
Polyurethane / Urethane
  • If a fresh spill and not very heavy, blot up, and blot with Saf-T-Solv™. If it has dried, the affected carpet section will have to be replaced. Cured urethanes can only be removed with very strong paint strippers containing Methylene Chloride which is toxic and will definitely delaminate the carpet.
Urine
  • Scrape up with bone scraper and treat with Phase V™. Inject diluted Phase V into the pad and backing. Extract. If stain-resist nylon, apply Teflon® Advanced or 3M Scotchgard™ Carpet Protector with Stain Release after treatment to restore stain resistance. For extremely severe urine odor, follow the Un-Duz-It® procedure listed in the SPOTTING HINTS section. Severe cases will require pad replacement, cleaning and deodorizing the backing, cleaning and deodorizing and sealing the underlayment. If homeowner is seeking advice, suggest scraping up residue, blotting with WHITE vinegar, and then leaving a thick white dry weighted towel overnight on the area.
Vomit
  • Vomit is strongly acidic and, therefore, can severely stain nylon. Scrape up excess and thoroughly extract. Apply Perky® and allow to digest for 20 minutes. Apply Microban®, agitate with bone scraper, and extract. If stain-resist nylon, apply Teflon® Advanced or 3M Scotchgard™ Carpet Protector with Stain Release to restore stain resistance. Hydrogen Peroxide treatment may be required.
Water Colors / Tempera® Water Color Paint
  • Absorb, blot with Alcohol, and extract. Hydrogen Peroxide treatment may be required.
Wax (Candle / Paraffin)
  • Scrape up as much wax as possible. Place a white terry cloth over the area. Warm up an iron to the medium setting. Set the hot iron onto the towel for about 30 seconds to melt the wax and absorb the wax into the towel. Repeat if necessary. Use Saf-T-Solv™ to remove any remaining residue. If the candle was dyed, Hydrogen Peroxide treatment as described in SPOTTING HINTS may be required.
Liquid Paper® / Wite-Out®
  • Allow to dry. Scrape up dried residue. Blot with Alcohol then with Acetone. Extract.
Glass Cleaner / Window Cleaner (Windex®, etc.)
  • Irreversible bleaching can occur with some window cleaners, especially in bright sunlight. Blot with Alcohol. If any stain is left, Hydrogen Peroxide treatment may be required.
Yellowing from mill oil (solution dyed nylon or olefin)
  • Prespray and extract at as high temperature as possible. Apply Brown Out® diluted 1 part product to 2 parts of water to the area and allow to work 15 to 20 minutes. You should see the yellow gradually fading away. Once the yellowing is gone, make a single wet pass with water only to remove the excess Brown Out followed by two dry passes.
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