What’s the Difference Between Staining and Soiling Carpets?
Staining and soiling are two of the most common words in carpet cleaning, and two of the most often confused. They sound alike, and both leave your carpet looking marked or discoloured, but they have different causes and need different fixes.
The Short Answer: Staining vs Soiling
A stained carpet has had something spilt on it that has soaked into the fibres. A soiled carpet has gradually picked up dirt, usually because something left in the fibres, like cleaning product residue or natural oils from bare feet, is attracting it. Below, we explain what soiled carpet means, how it differs from staining, and why the difference matters next time you clean your carpets or have them cleaned.
What Is Carpet Staining?
In the carpet cleaning industry, when we talk about ‘staining a carpet’, we generally mean something has been spilt on it. The most common culprits are juice, coffee, wine and milk. If a spill isn’t cleaned up well, it soaks into the carpet fibres, and if it’s left there, it can discolour or stain the carpet.
If you’ve spilt something on your carpet, clean it up as soon as you can. Blot (don’t rub or scrub) with a clean, white cloth to soak up as much as possible, working from the outside in so the spill doesn’t spread. The longer it’s left, the harder it’ll be to remove. For stains that have had time to set, the most effective fix is usually a professional carpet steam clean. Our guide on how to pre-treat carpet stains has more tips for the meantime.
What Does Soiled Carpet Mean?
Soiling also leaves your carpet looking discoloured, but it doesn’t come from a spill. A soiled carpet is one where dirt has built up in the fibres because something there is attracting it. Often that’s residue: when carpets have been cleaned without fully rinsing out the cleaning product, the sticky leftover acts like a dirt magnet. Heavy barefoot traffic has the same effect, as the natural oils from skin hold on to dust and grime. Wearing shoes inside is one of the biggest causes of all: shoes track in dirt, grit and oils from outside, which work their way into the fibres.
Soiling usually shows up as a dull, grey or darker area rather than a clear spot: think walkways, the patch in front of the couch, or a spot that was cleaned at home and now looks darker than the carpet around it.
To help prevent soiling, always wipe off any residue or cleaning product with a warm, clean cloth, and rinse spot-cleaned areas with a little clean water so nothing is left behind. Leaving shoes at the door makes a big difference too, and regular vacuuming lifts dry dirt before it works its way down. Sometimes soiling builds up too far for home cleaning, and that’s when it’s time to call in the professionals.
Why the Difference Matters
Knowing which one you’re dealing with helps you treat it the right way. A stain needs to be lifted out of the fibres, and the sooner the better. Soiling needs the residue that’s attracting dirt removed, otherwise the patch keeps coming back. Adding more cleaning product to soiling can make it worse, because the extra residue attracts even more dirt.
A professional steam clean (hot water extraction) is usually very effective on soiling, because it flushes out the residue along with the dirt. Many stains can be lifted too. However, some stains set permanently into the carpet fibres and can’t be removed, and others, especially older stains or ones that have dyed the fibres, may only fade rather than disappear completely. Our technicians will tell you what to expect before they start, and you’ll find more in our carpet cleaning FAQs.
If you need help with stubborn stains or soiled carpets, you can count on Wizard Cleaning®. Named a Top 3 Carpet Cleaning Service in Perth by ThreeBestRated seven years running, our family-owned team knows exactly what’s required when it comes to looking after your home.
For a free, no-obligation quote or to book a professional steam clean, call us today on 0400 634 609 or send us an enquiry online.