Rugs, Carpets and Carpeting - oxi-clean & olefin berber

I just finished removing a coffee stain from our one year old olefin berber with some oxi-clean. It did such a great job that I have a conspicuously clean spot in a high traffic area. The colour of the carpet is a very light cream / buttermilk and the clean spot is driving me nuts.

My question is:
Is it safe (for the carpet) to use dilute oxi-clean in a rental hot water extraction carpet cleaner?

Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks

Anyone know what's in oxyclean?

I finally saw the ad for Oxi-Clean on TV. The guy pours the cleaner right onto the carpet. Irresponsible advertising of so called "miracle" products occurs every day on the shopping networks. Heavy marketing and hard selling convince shoppers that they 'must' have these products.

Cleaners should never be poured onto carpet as they will saturate the carpet (can cause delamination of carpet backing) and saturate the pad and subfloor (can cause mold/mildew problems). Carpet manufacturers and carpet dyers do not recommend using Oxi-Clean or Oxy-Whatever products on carpets. These are oxygenating bleaches (peroxides) that can affect certain dyes. Carpet manufacturers and carpet dyers warn that if color loss is not immediate, repeated use will fade colors over time and weaken fibers. The carpet dying business has increased since folks have been bleaching their carpets. Carpet that has been dyed while fibers were in their molten state are less susceptible to color change. Use only recommended carpet cleaners for carpet and recommended cleaning and spotting solutions for the particular type of stain in carpet. Harsh chemicals can cause color loss and light areas in carpet. If in doubt, contact the carpet manufacturer for recommendations. Go to www.carpet-rug.com for helpful info for cleaning and maintaining carpet according to the Carpet Rug Institute. If still in doubt, call a professional carpet cleaner.

Save your Oxi-Clean for the laundry! Oxygenating bleaches are great for keeping whites white. Todays white fabrics are treated with Optical Brightener Agents (OBAs). Age, sunlight, heat, some detergents, and chlorine bleach tend to discolor and/or yellow white fabrics. Thus, the all fabric bleaches are recommended. All fabric bleaches contain oxygenating bleach!

thanks, I'll leave the rest to the pros.

Any opinion on "dry" vs wet extraction cleaning?

Professional carpet cleaners have the big trucks with the hoses that have enough suction to remove excess water that can cause delamination of carpet backing and mold/mildew in pad, hot enough water to clean (180 degrees plus), and the proper cleaners that do not leave residues that attract soil. Go to www.carpet-rug.com to learn what the Carpet Rug Institute (CRI) says about cleaning and maintaining carpet. They can also help you locate a CRI Certified carpet cleaner in your area.

Dry carpet cleaning methods are highly marketed by the manufacturers of those products. At best, they will clean on the tips of the fibers. Some forum members report using the DIY products in between professional cleanings. There is no substitute for a professional cleaning. Don't wait until your carpet is soiled before calling. High traffic areas tend to wear first because of soil.

Sorry twelvepeople, I should have been clearer. I meant dry vs. wet as far as what professional services have to offer. I'm being given the choice of a "dry" cleaning process where the carpets are ready to walk on in a couple of hours and "wet" where the drying time takes significantly longer. Your opinion?

Most carpet manufacturers tend to recommend the "steam extraction" cleaning.

k, thanks