So, you've spilled your coffee then dived for the spotter you bought from a supermarket 2 years ago.  After a quick glance at the instructions you upend the bottle on the spill.  Sadly, you didn't get the result you expected, it may have even got worse!  Sound familier?  

Be careful when poring any 'Spotters' on your furnishings, why? Nowadays, they offten contain different forms of bleach, they may label them as 'oxi' cleaners.  An 'oxi' cleaner is short for an oxidiser, a form of bleach.  Now some fabrics can handle an amount of bleach; after all, you use these in your washing machine.  The washing machine wets all the fabric evenly though, giving a uniform result.  When you upend a bottle of 'spotter' on your carpet or upholstery, it can result in just that area being bleached out. 

That's not the only problem, they may also contain detergents.  Whats wrong with that?  Well remember when your Granny warned, " Don't get your carpets cleaned, they'll only get dirty quicker." She may have had a point!  If they are not thoroughly rinsed out after, detergents will continue to work and attract more soil. (That's why we don't like to use detergents in our cleaning processes.) If you pour detergent on a stain and don't rinse it, it may go black over time.

So what's the answer?  Easy, use only 'Spotters' that contain no bleach and no detergent.  (If you live in our area and want one for free, just call)  One other thing, read the instructions properly and never upend the bottle.