At Gator Clean, we often get called to re-clean carpet that has been cleaned and had a stain reappear. The carpet gets cleaned, looks wonderful, and then a few days later the same stains come back! This can be very frustrating for homeowners, and if your carpet is cleaned correctly, shouldn't happen.

The majority of the time, the reason for this repeated staining is wick-back. Wick- back is when stains soak all the way to the padding/backing of the carpet. Once the carpet gets wet, the staining materials come up from the pad to the fibers on the surface of the carpet. This occurs with strong stains (coffee or wine), and can occur if the stain is removed but the carpet takes too long to dry.

A great way to prevent wick-back is with fans. The use of powerful fans helps to create airflow and aid in quickly drying the carpet, which helps prevent wicking. There is also an encapsulate protector that can be applied at the end of the carpet cleaning. This protects from wick-back, and helps prevent new stains.

It is important to realize that some stains do become permanent. Bleach, permanent markers, and many other household items, when spilled onto the carpet, will permanently damage carpet dyes. There are no spotting solutions that will fix dye loss. 

If you seem to be having wick-back issues, please contact Gator Clean for assistance in finding the best solution for your home!