Brown, Yellow Spots on Carpet
Those little brown stains you may find on your carpet are not very unsightly. However, they can be cleaned right up fortunately or prevented altogether.
You probably notice those pesky spots that can range in varying shades of brown and yellow after you clean your carpet of a stain. Kind of counterintuitive - you would think cleaning your carpet of a stain or spot would fix the problem rather than make it worse.
But, unfortunately, any solution that is applied to your carpet is evaporated at the tip (i.e. the visible portion of the strands in your carpet). So that means, when you apply or over-apply a cleaning solution or any liquid, it makes the stain surface due to the evaporation process
. When the liquid that you used to clean the stain or spot on the carpet is drying, it brings the original stain up to the top.
You probably notice those pesky spots that can range in varying shades of brown and yellow after you clean your carpet of a stain. Kind of counterintuitive - you would think cleaning your carpet of a stain or spot would fix the problem rather than make it worse.
But, unfortunately, any solution that is applied to your carpet is evaporated at the tip (i.e. the visible portion of the strands in your carpet). So that means, when you apply or over-apply a cleaning solution or any liquid, it makes the stain surface due to the evaporation process
. When the liquid that you used to clean the stain or spot on the carpet is drying, it brings the original stain up to the top.
The majority of the time, this is the cause of the brown or yellow spots or rings that develop on your carpet after you clean.
However, there may be some other variables at play too: cellulosic browning. This is nothing to worry about if your carpet is newer, but if you have an older home the source of your problem may lie in the jute backing.
When jute becomes wet from being cleaned or a spill, it causes cellulosic browning due to the type of material present. It’s just a natural occurrence in the fiber and is harder to avoid than newer carpet. So if you have an older carpet, it may just be the reaction of the fiber meeting water, rather than improper cleaning methods.
However, there may be some other variables at play too: cellulosic browning. This is nothing to worry about if your carpet is newer, but if you have an older home the source of your problem may lie in the jute backing.
When jute becomes wet from being cleaned or a spill, it causes cellulosic browning due to the type of material present. It’s just a natural occurrence in the fiber and is harder to avoid than newer carpet. So if you have an older carpet, it may just be the reaction of the fiber meeting water, rather than improper cleaning methods.
How to Prevent Brown or Yellow Rings From Developing?
Now that we know what the cause of these pesky stains are, let’s look into how you can properly clean your carpet and avoid the trouble for the next time. Keep these tips in the back of your mind to keep your carpet in beautiful shape for years to come; free of brown spots:
● Apply a fan or air mover to the cleaned area: You want to get as much air in the area as possible in order to prevent the “wicking” process (i.e. the evaporation of water or the solution applied to your carpet that carries the stain on your carpet up to the surface). So once you’re done cleaning, be sure to set a fan or get some air in there to prevent the browning process from occurring.
● Clean thoroughly: Easier said than done often times, however you must try to get as much of the staining agent out as possible. Whether it’s spilled coffee, tea, blood, juice, etc, be sure to do a very thorough job and remove the stain from root to tip. If needed, call a professional, like us, to help you remove it.
● Use a commercial product specifically for carpet browning: Fortunately, there are products available on the market that can be used to help dig those stains out from the tips once it has been carried up after cleaning. While the success of it can’t be guaranteed, it is definitely worth a shot.
● Apply a fan or air mover to the cleaned area: You want to get as much air in the area as possible in order to prevent the “wicking” process (i.e. the evaporation of water or the solution applied to your carpet that carries the stain on your carpet up to the surface). So once you’re done cleaning, be sure to set a fan or get some air in there to prevent the browning process from occurring.
● Clean thoroughly: Easier said than done often times, however you must try to get as much of the staining agent out as possible. Whether it’s spilled coffee, tea, blood, juice, etc, be sure to do a very thorough job and remove the stain from root to tip. If needed, call a professional, like us, to help you remove it.
● Use a commercial product specifically for carpet browning: Fortunately, there are products available on the market that can be used to help dig those stains out from the tips once it has been carried up after cleaning. While the success of it can’t be guaranteed, it is definitely worth a shot.