If a carpet is soiling and the consumer cleans it themselves and the soil comes back, only worse this time, is this your problem, the fault of the carpet or something else? Soiling or plain old dirt, is never the fault of the dealer. If you’re not using the product then you’re not causing any soil to be deposited on it, therefore the problem can’t be yours. However, if the consumer sees dark spots, trails of soiling or a change in the carpet from something that was deposited on it and they can’t get it out, they may make this your problem.

Does a carpet, on its own, generate a condition that will cause dark spots to appear? There are a few things that could cause a carpet to soil that are caused by the carpet manufacturer. Loom oil, which is simply oil that may come in contact with the carpet from machinery in the manufacturing process, could cause the carpet to soil. If it does it will always be linear, either in the length or width, and fairly narrow. This soil can be removed completely, when properly serviced with a solvent based cleaner. It is a manufacturing problem but not a defect. The application of too much soil retardant can cause a carpet to soil. This too can be corrected by a professional carpet cleaner who can remove the treatment, or much of it and the soil along with it. The cleaner can re-apply the soil retardant or stain resist agent to the carpet after this service. This is not a defect but a manufacturing problem. Excessive yarn lubricant, most likely to be found on a polypropylene carpet, can cause overall soiling and if it’s overly excessive this can happen rather quickly. This condition is also easy to correct by rinsing the carpet with a hot water extraction process, using no cleaning agents, I repeat, no cleaning agents. The yarn lubricant has surfactants (soap) in it. All the soap necessary is already in the carpet so no more is required. Once the yarn lubricant is removed completely the carpet will no longer perpetuate soiling on its own. This is a manufacturing problem but not a defect. All of these conditions are related to the manufacturing process and the manufacturer will pay for the correction of these conditions. It is not necessary to replace the carpet under these circumstances unless someone really ticks off the consumer and messes things up. If the consumer is insistent the carpet be replaced after the cleaning because they thought something had been compromised in the new carpet they bought, they could be entitled to that replacement.

All other soiling is the fault and cause of the consumer. In one recent case the owner of a light colored carpet was fighting the re-occurrence of dark spots. They’d clean them and they’d come back and when they did they were worse than before; they felt this had to be the fault of the carpet. We first have to ask what was originally spilled, if they know, on the carpet. Next, ask what they used to try and clean the spots. If they used a product that leaves a residue, which will attract soil and make big dark spots, you’ve found the culprit. When you go to look at the carpet you have to touch the dark spots and determine if they feel sticky or different than the unaffected area of the carpet. You can smell the area to see if it has a foreign odor - offensive or pleasant. You can put a little warm water on the dark spot, about an ounce should do it, and agitate the dark spot with something blunt that won’t abrade the yarn. If the carpet begins to froth or foam you have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that someone used something with soap on the carpet. If this is the case you have just determined why the spots exist. This is not your fault or the fault of the carpet. In this situation the carpet must be purged of the residue, using a hot water extraction cleaning system and NO soap - it’s already there in volume. This process may have to be repeated to get all the soap residue out. Until it’s all gone a dark spot could return, if even a small amount of residue remains.

These are situations that will frustrate the consumer and cause them to blame the dealer. Since the dealer sold them the product you are the first one to hear their complaint. This means you must look at the concern, determine what it is and how it can be resolved. If you have excellent customer service you’ll own a small extraction machine with a hand tool you can take with you to these complaints. Once you’ve proven what the problem is and that it can be corrected you can offer to have your firm arrange to clean the carpet, at a price, but maybe with a discount for your customer. This should satisfy the consumer, gain you respect and could encourage some additional business, either through the profit made on the cleaning or because you impressed them with your knowledge, skill and willingness to help. Then you can sell them a spot cleaner that won’t leave a residue for future use.

One thing is for sure, soiling is not the dealers fault, you did not cause it, unless somehow you actually did in the handling or installation process. But, you have to be attuned to servicing this type of complaint for your customers and resolving the problem. Hopefully now you’ll have a little more knowledge and understanding of this issue to do just that.