Carpet Cleaner chemically lightened carpet!?

Question

I have a tan/white colored carpet..its a normal carpet, the threads are about ¼ inches long.

One time i used a carpet cleaner (and didnt read the directions) and sprayed the carpet and left it to soak there for a few minutes...now the carpet spot is yellow...

Any way to fix the unfixable?
other than getting a new carpet..

Answer 1

I personally prefer Woolite SpotShot for those little carpet mishaps. But not sure if that would fix your problem.

I have seen Martha Stewart use OxiClean to whiten and remove stains from antique table linens. When doing so, she allows the item to soak in the Oxiclean for as long as 24 hours. I don't think OxiClean would harm your carpet. And at this stage how much harm could it do? I would apply it liberally and reapply from time to time to keep it damp until the stain disappears, up to several hours or even a day.

If no cleaner works, is covering the stain with a rug or piece of furniture an option?

There might be some way to cut out the stained area and replace with a remnant of unstained carpet, if necessary taking the unstained piece from a closet floor or from under a large piece of furniture. But I don't know how you would secure the patch down. Maybe your carpet supplier could suggest a method or be willing to do it for you.

Hope something in that helps you somehow.

Answer 2

When a stain develops on carpet, many people grab the nearest all-purpose cleaner and try to tackle the stain head on. Unfortunately, a variety of all-purpose cleaners contain chemicals that will bleach and lighten the carpet. Once the chemicals have stripped the carpet fibers of their color, there really is not much you can do to reverse the action. Replacing the carpet is an option albeit an expensive one. For a cheaper option, dye the lightened carpet to match the surrounding fibers.

Answer 3

If the cleaner bleached or damaged the fiber there isn't much you can do to restore the color. However, you can "fix" the spot where it happened if it isn't too large. Go to a closet or pantry and cut a piece out that is large enough to cover the spot. Cut out the damaged spot carefully and use that in the closet where you removed your patch. Get heavy duty two sided carpet tape at the home improvement center and put it along all of the edges and a patch in the middle. Carefully insert the patch into the hole and slide the carpet tape under the surrounding carpet. Jump on it with your full body weight to secure the patch.