all these people all this talk and no one could help this guy take out red spots....

The best way to deal with your red spots, is just to tell the customer that they ain't comming out...lol

There are a few things on the market that work...but say if they have red spots everywhere you'll be spottting all day....lol

Red dye number 4 is a killer

Hold there Mr. Steamer, although good advice, we have to get to the root of the spots first, American Carpet save your money and forget about IICRC courses, the best thing that happened to you is when the class filled up quickly, take that savings and invest in some products. Now for the spots, did you wipe your eye glasses good, have you been drinking the night before, do others see the same spots as you do, do you find that the spots move around, did you take your temperature.........have you come into contact with weird looking mosquitoes 'cause you might have malaria if all the above checks out then go to Wal-mart and in the hardware near the paint ask a salesperson for GOOF-Off.......smells like heck....but it works with little or no rubbing.......blot instead then spray and extract.

        JACK        N-I-G-H-T-R-I-D-E-R

Straight from the get-go I would always ask my client if he or she had any stains that they were worried about.

Upon inspection (depending on the type of stain) I would tell the customer that I cannot provide a guarantee that the particular stain will come out. You'll come across alot of stains that neither you nor your customer can identify. There's some trial and error with these types of stains.

Two killers for me were always kool-aid and nail polish. Depends on how long the stain has been left or ignored.

Most spots come out. There's a couple spots that do not. It's an unfortunate fact of the biz.

Now Mr. Mike That's right.....See Jack Quack take a lession from Mr. Mike....

Red stains are the the mark of death on carpets...most times you can't get them out...lip stick may be...popsicle not likely...nail polish maybe if the customer hasn't tried already...orange or pink crush is another one

When I first started I use to buy all the spotters...have that nice little kit...but that can turn a half hour call into a three hour tour...

If you do take out hard spots, you really need to charge for that, but most times the customer doesn't want to pay cuz they feel thats your job

Red stains as in Kool-Aid are acid dyes and can be removed with an appropriate red stain remover and acceleration by heat/steam/DCI light.

Red Stains such as make up, lipstick and nail polish need a dry solvent. If you pour a dry solvent on a carpet it will delaminate so it is better to apply with a cloth and extract (may take a dozen swipes) but it will work.

Other red stains are different types of dyes i.e stains, disperse dyes, space dyes, union dyes. These can be removed quite often with a 2 part stain remover such as Vanish, Helpmate or Stain Magic. These products work best when used before the cleaning, when the carpet is still dry. If some stain remains at the end of the job, spray the spot again with the 2 part and cover with cellophane.

You just may become the cleaner who can take out mustard!

Goof off is a solvent that is very unlikely to budge a red stain unless the stain is makeup or realted to make up.

Tell me what the stain is and you can get better advice.

MR. STEAMER wrote: If you do take out hard spots, you really need to charge for that, but most times the customer doesn't want to pay cuz they feel thats your job

 Exactly!

I don't make a commission from Goof-Off, it's just that I came accross that stuff by fluke while I was looking for some varsol to clean some oil paint off my basement carpet. I have used Goof-Off on my white sofas to get ink out ( without a ring or smudge ) took out nail polish, red marker, fruit juice and the list goes on. I think the 3.99 canadian was worth the aggrevation of not getting the stain out at all. See if it works, and try what the others are telling you as well. Different trrokes for different folks. Let us know.....what did the trick. KEEP US ALL POSTED.

                Jack                  N_I_G_H_T_R_I_D_E_R

Just came accross a site on the web that might help most of us......if it works

 REDHOTCARPETCLEANING.COM

 MAYBE THEIR MAGIC REALLY WORKS

         JACK         NIGHTRIDER