Putting the spin to the scientific test, which cleaners come out on top?

If only you could turn back the clock on those rug and carpet disasters. But luckily, some stain removal techniques actually can make splotches and spills magically disappear.

According to Jenny Boymal, director of Jena Dyco “when something falls onto a carpet it causes some sort of chemical reaction.”

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However some carpet stain removers can actually worsen the stain.

“Coffee is one of the hardest stains to get out,” carpet cleaner, Charlie Lodge said.

CSIRO's textile laboratory manager, Dale Carroll tested seven leading supermarket carpet stain spotters and cleaners to work out which was best.

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• Freedom Carpet Foam Cleaner - $7.20,
• Ox Kleen Carpet Power - $6.75,
• Bissell Heavy Traffic - $9.75,
• Vanish Preen Powerfoam - $9.75,
• Cavalier Bremworth - $8.63,
• Godfrey's Pullman - $13.95,
• Three Britex solutions - $27.80 with a Britex carpet cleaning machine - $49 for one day's hire, total $76.80.

The products were tested on stains including tomato sauce, coffee, boot polish, and red wine.

“We're going to put four of the most common and most difficult stains to remove (to the test),” Carroll said.

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“We've got nylon and a wool carpet. They are the two most common carpets we use in the Australian marketplace, and the fibres are different, and they react differently to the different types of stains.”

Remember, the longer you leave a stain, the more difficult it is to remove.

“You’ve got to react as quickly as you can to get the stain out, because they are going to stain the fibre. Blot it up, get the moisture out, you cannot afford to actually scrub it, because with a cut pile you are going to spread the fibre and burst the pile,” Carroll advised.

“Whatever you can't get out with a basic paper towel or cloth and some water, really you should leave to a professional,” Boymal advised.

Dyco says different stains need different solutions.

“It makes no sense whatsoever from a chemistry perspective to be using one stain remover on every type of stain you can find. If you spill something like grease on your carpet, as opposed to orange juice, you are going to have to deal with it in a totally different way.”

Our carpet stain removers claim to remove spots and stains in general. The CSIRO testers carefully followed the product's instructions.

“We knew it was going to be very difficult to remove all of these stains, and none have been particularly good at it. The nylon has performed slightly better than the wool, but that would be expected because the nylon would have a stain resist treatment on it,” Carroll said.

And what of tomato sauce - the most difficult?

“Because it is a thick substance, it tends to cling to the fibre, and also is a food dye,” Carroll explained.

Some spread the stain, and caused white spots.

So was there a clear winner.

The Britex machine did the best job.

“The Britex is the winner because we have a lot more agitation and moisture involved in it, and a second process where we actually use the hot water extraction method, which is a great way of removing stains,” Carroll said.

“What a professional would be doing was not only using a chemical to remove the stain, but they would then be using some sort of process to extract that,” Boymal explained.

Extracting the chemical is essential to prevent re-soiling.

Jenny Boymal advises for stains, call the Specialised Cleaning and Restoration Industry Association - the Carpet Cleaning Association whose members are properly trained.

“You want someone who is going to come into your house, assess the situation, identify any potential issues and proceed, and do a very good job, leaving you happy,” she concluded.

• Academy of Flooring and Fabric Care - www.carpetcleaningtraining.com.au
• Specialised Cleaning and Restoration Industry Association - www.scria.org.au