HELP WITH RED STAINS

**leuj20** · 12-26-2009, 04:06 AM

Hi I been having problems with red stains, you know koolaid, po, etc, I use Red 1, it works half way, it removes most of the stain but you can still see a little red, what do you guys use, I geard of heat transfer using an iron and a white towel but I don't want to mess up a custy' s carpet what do I do?

**wandwizard** · 12-26-2009, 05:47 AM

There are a couple things you can do. One is to understand the Red 1 product works over time especially if you don't heat it to accelerate the process. On many food dye stains you can simply apply the product and let it do it's job. I've personally seen it take out Koolaid stains in as little as 30 seconds using heat transfer. If you do use an iron just make sure you set it to the lowest setting that will still produce steam and not to it's highest setting. Wet the towel and gently wring it out so it's still pretty wet. Be extra careful if using an iron on olefins since that fiber melts very quickly. Place the iron on the towel over the stain for 30 seconds to 1 minute and check. I can tell you from experience if it doesn't respond after maybe 3 to 4 tries you can forget it. These stains can become set in and are permanent. That is usually caused by someone using something to remove that stain that they shouldn't such as an over the counter spot remover or a home cleaning product.

On a side note I've heard some on this forum having good results using a wallpaper steamer instead of an iron. There is one that used to be made by Black and Decker that is no longer in production, but sometimes is sold on E-bay if you look long enough and win the bid. No luck for me so far. Wagner also makes one that looks like it might work too, but I hear the B & D one really works great. Get one if you can find one.

**Dave Y** · 12-26-2009, 11:15 AM

Buy a steamer on e-bay. Like said above.

No towel needed and it can't burn or melt the carpet.

Buy a few for multiple spots.

You can place them. Clean an other room and come back.

Search black decker wallpaper stripper on E-Bay.

Usually you can get them for around 25 bucks.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Black-Decker-STE...item2c52609cd5

**Jason Whaley** · 12-26-2009, 11:35 AM

Red Relief parts A & B is a stronger more effective product than the Red 1.

Use heat transfer method and patience it takes time. A cheapo Walmart iron will work fine too. I have used the same one for 2 years now at a cost of $10.00. Don't wet a red area with water or prespray. Only use your red removers. They are more effective on dry carpet. If I know a red stain is going to be a problem then I apply my red removers before prespray so it has time to dwell. Next I rinse with many dry-passes and use a towel to blot the area dry. The re-apply red removers and use heat transfer method. As stated above if you see no results after 3 or 4 tries then it is more than likely a set stain.

**ErikG** · 12-27-2009, 02:25 AM

there 50 bucks in homedepots pait dept only one they carry bottom shelf every store. I work pt as a vendor for depot I look all the time, But i use a iron thats 8 dollars

**steve lillard** · 12-27-2009, 10:27 AM

I have'nt used a iron in 5 years to get red stains out!

With the tecnologie with chems today you just spray & go!

**Scott W** · 12-28-2009, 02:28 PM

A product you might like to try for red food dye stains is Bridgepoint's RedZONE. Tre and Rob did a report on it early in the year and showed some photos of great sucess they had.

As one posted mentioned above, this type of product is always more effective on dry carpet. Two reasons for this. Water in the carpet dilutes the stain remover. Also, you want the stain remover product to penetrate the carpet fiber a thoroughly as the spill that caused the stain. If the carpet is wet, it does not absorb much stain remover. Instead the product stays on the surface of the fiber.

Red dye removal products are chemically active. This menas that they sufer from exposure to heat and time. So use fresh product. Your products away from the heat of the truckmount, van engine or other heat sources as much as possible. I like an insultaed carrier for these products.

Give it some time or speed up the process with heat from a steamer or steam iron. In a pinch, you can even wet a cotton towel and microwave the towel to get it really hot. Just watch out to not burn yourslef when you take the towle out of the microwave!

Try the RedZONE. Two part products usually work better than the one part product.

**jwhatley** · 02-04-2010, 06:52 PM

Thanks Scott!

I have used the one part and got great results on wet carpet but often had to do it over and over again.

The dry carpet fact should help a lot and I am going to try the 2 part RedZONE as well. Now it should be much faster!

**Gemcleans** · 02-04-2010, 07:16 PM

I used stain 1 on red stain didn't work. I just got my Red zone in the mail today and maybe I can go tomorrow and try it out. I'll keep you posted.

**Jason Whaley** · 02-05-2010, 08:37 AM

**Rob Allen** · 02-05-2010, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by Scott W

A product you might like to try for red food dye stains is Bridgepoint's RedZONE. Tre and Rob did a report on it early in the year and showed some photos of great sucess they had.

As one posted mentioned above, this type of product is always more effective on dry carpet. Two reasons for this. Water in the carpet dilutes the stain remover. Also, you want the stain remover product to penetrate the carpet fiber a thoroughly as the spill that caused the stain. If the carpet is wet, it does not absorb much stain remover. Instead the product stays on the surface of the fiber.

Red dye removal products are chemically active. This menas that they sufer from exposure to heat and time. So use fresh product. Your products away from the heat of the truckmount, van engine or other heat sources as much as possible. I like an insultaed carrier for these products.

Give it some time or speed up the process with heat from a steamer or steam iron. In a pinch, you can even wet a cotton towel and microwave the towel to get it really hot. Just watch out to not burn yourslef when you take the towle out of the microwave!

Try the RedZONE. Two part products usually work better than the one part product.

Scott is there any kind of "post" spray that you recommend if chemical and heat fails to remove all the red? I know at times customers have used improper treatments before I have arrived or the red stains are very old. These types sometimes don't respond as well. So I was wondering if after you have done all you can and if there is a slight amount left, is there a product that you can put on that may help to improve the problem over a 24-48 hour period?

**Richard Baldwin** · 02-05-2010, 09:47 AM

I dont know if it's just me or what, but I've never found a product that gets red dye out yet. I've tried them all, exactly to directions, using the iron, being patient and repetitive, doing everything I can, nothing has ever worked. I apply a 2 part oxidizer and move on.

Jason's video shows Red Wine, which is easy to get out with a wand and prespray. I'm referring to true red dye.

**Jason Whaley** · 02-05-2010, 09:49 AM

Some will never come out

**Scott W** · 02-05-2010, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by Rob Allen

Scott is there any kind of "post" spray that you recommend if chemical and heat fails to remove all the red? I know at times customers have used improper treatments before I have arrived or the red stains are very old. These types sometimes don't respond as well. So I was wondering if after you have done all you can and if there is a slight amount left, is there a product that you can put on that may help to improve the problem over a 24-48 hour period?

Rob, there are some chemicals that might remove more color. They might also remove color that you did not intend to remove. Food dyes are very similar to the acid dyes used for much nylon carpet. The chemical doesn't know which is which.

I tend to take a cautious approach. I don't want to accidently do some damage and lead anyone else down that path. So, I prefer not to share those ideas in a public forum. I don't want to get sued for giving advice that damaged a carpet and some of these stronger products certainly could..

**Jason Whaley** · 02-05-2010, 07:14 PM

Could you send me a PM Scott. I promise not to hold you liable!

**Rob Allen** · 02-05-2010, 07:44 PM

Yeah, send me a PM too. I won't hold it against you.

**Nutstyle** · 02-05-2010, 07:53 PM

Has anyone tried a floor steamer instead of wallpaper steamer or iron??
something like this:
http://www.heartlandamerica.com/brow...amer&PIN=56631

**rtorres122** · 02-05-2010, 11:13 PM

Just be careful with olefin. Olefin doesn't like heat and will begin melting a lot quicker than nylon.

**wandwizard** · 02-13-2010, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by Richard Baldwin

I dont know if it's just me or what, but I've never found a product that gets red dye out yet. I've tried them all, exactly to directions, using the iron, being patient and repetitive, doing everything I can, nothing has ever worked. I apply a 2 part oxidizer and move on.

Jason's video shows Red Wine, which is easy to get out with a wand and prespray. I'm referring to true red dye.

I really can't understand that. I've been using Red 1 a little over a year now with very good success. It is the best single part product I have ever used. I recently followed Daves' advice and finally got a wallpaper steamer off of E-bay. As luck would have it my next two jobs in a row both had food dye stains. On the first job before I set anything else up I immediately got out the steamer and filled it. I applied Red 1 to the stain and turned the steamer on and set it on top of the stain. I went ahead and started bringing stuff in and then checked it after a couple minutes and the stain was gone. On the next job I again did the red stain before doing anything else. I applied Red 1 and put the steamer on it and the stain was gone in less than a minute and I mean completely gone. I have also used Red 1 in a situation where it was not possible to use an iron because I had no electricity, so I had to spray and leave it and it took the stains out. I would say that the only way this product would not work is if it has either gone beyond it's shelf life which I think is a year or it has been overexposed to a heat source. I'm sure I will run in to some stains that have been set in, but I've gotten far more consistent results with Red 1 than other products I've used.

**Dave Y** · 02-13-2010, 07:52 PM

Get on of these on E-bay.

Use fresh products and you'll be a red spot removing expert.

You can't damange a carpet this way. You also won't need to use a towell.