Few things are quite as aggravating as when you spend hours cleaning something in your home and return to find that all of that work was for nothing because the issue remains. If you've recently used a carpet scrubbing machine to scrub your carpets and have noticed spots showing up here and there, you're seeing the symptoms of wicking.

Wicking occurs when deep down dirt is pulled from the depth of the fibers and becomes visible after you've scrubbed. Spots that you've scrubbed, as well as those you didn't even see before you scrubbed, are now visible spots around the room.

You can remove wicking spots – here's how.

Supply List

  • Low pH acid cleaner with a level no higher than 2.0
  • Clean white cloths or quality paper towels
  • Fan
  • Scrub brush
  • Styrofoam Plates
  • Masking Tape
  • Scissors
  • Wet-Dry Vacuum

Vacuum Very Well

Start the cleaning process by vacuuming the area as best you can. Go over the area several times to ensure that the deep down dirt has been pulled out as much as possible. Skipping this step could result in wicking stains that are worse than what you're seeing.

Prep the Spot

Get the Styrofoam plates, scissors and masking tape. Cut a hole in the center of the plate that is slightly larger than the wicking spot that you are treating. Use the tape to tape the edges of the cut hole to the carpeting. This will help to prevent the spot from spreading as you work to remove it.

Clean the Spot

Use the low pH acid cleaner to spray the spot. Spray enough cleaner to wet the carpeting all the way into the deepest fibers, but be careful not to oversaturate the area and dampen the padding and wood below.

Use the scrub brush in circular motions to scrub the spot. Continue working the spot for several minutes.

Use clean white cloths or paper towels to blot the area repeatedly. If you continue to see dirt on the towel, repeat the spraying and scrubbing step. Continue until you no longer see dirt coming off of the carpet onto the towel.

Dry the Carpeting

The faster you can get the carpeting to dry, the less likely you'll be to see a wicking spot reoccur. Use the wet-dry vacuum to suck up as much of the moisture as possible. Then, place a fan near the spot and allow it to dry the area overnight.

If you've attempted to remove your own wicking spots and haven't had much luck, talk with a carpet cleaning company like M W Carpet Cleaning Unlimited LLC for assistance

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