I find that most people call spots “stains” because that is what everyone else calls them, so they do too. I also find that most people think “spot” and “stain” removal is difficult and mysterious. There is a difference between a spot, stain, wicking, and discoloration. It just takes a good understanding what each one might be to get it off your carpet successfully.

Spot: A relatively small, well-defined area that differs in appearance from the surrounding pile. Typically, a spot is more easily removed than a stain, although some spot contaminants may contain staining and/or discoloring agents as well.

In my real world terms, the definition of a spot is substance added to the carpet like dirt or mud, food, coffee, soft drink or other sugary beverage that got dripped or spilled. It also includes things like tar, gum or glue. Can you feel it? Then it’s a spot! If you can’t, then it’s probably a stain.

A stain is defined as color added. This means color has absorbed into the carpet fiber. Like the coloring in Kool-Aid or a sport drink or food, cranberry juice, medicines, copier toner etc., etc., have absorbed into the fiber.. Some fibers although treated to resist dye stains can still stain. The key word here is the fiber is stain “resistant”...not proof.

Wicking, that dreaded word for a spot that keeps coming back. Wicking happens when the material that caused the spot gets further into the carpet than what was cleaned. So while you think you cleaned the spot, when the carpet dries, it pulls that material back to the surface and creates a spot that won’t come out. Put some more cleaner on it, a stack of towels, some weight and come back in 24 hours. That should work.

Discoloration happens when something takes the color out of the carpet. Most bleaching substances will do this – toilet bowl cleaner, benzoyl peroxide, actual bleach. When a discoloration happens, the only fix is to add the color back in by a professional.