Types of Dirt and Treatment

Spaghetti meat sauce and wine are just so great unless you see them spilled on the carpet and what’s
more sad is you have to take it off. The saddest part? No mark should be left on the surface for you to
get your promotion. But the truth is soil or dirt gives you your job, therefore in order to finally climb
your way up to the ladder of success you must keep it as your best friend. Sometimes we just need to
know the nature of each kind to know how to deal with them.

Soil – undesirable residue or foreign matter found on surfaces which need to be discarded of which
types include:

- Dust - these are particles which are powder nature of organic or mineral matter found in the air
- Dirt – can vary from simple loose soil to atmospheric soil as a residue of pollutants; dust
compounded by moisture or grease on rough surfaces
- Tarnish – discoloring or deposition on a metal or alloy surface caused by chemical reaction with
certain substances
- Strain – this is discoloration caused on a hard or soft surface by a substance containing dyes,
proteins, acids, or akalis and are difficult to remove by routine cleaning procedure
- Litter – any form of misplaced items scattered in a given area which is undoubtedly unpleasant
sight.

Soil can be broken down into different types, classifying them will greatly help to associate them on the
most appropriate agent to use to make the job easier.

1. Inorganic or mineral soil – a homogeneous chemical element or compound, solid, liquid or gaseous
substance, having a chemical composition resulting from the inorganic processes of nature and that
was never been “alive”, thus contain no carbon which includes

Treatment: Acid-based product

a. Scale and lime deposits, such as water spots

b. Rust, corrosion, and oxidation
c. Minerals and rock formation
2. Organic soils – these substances are those that once “lived” or a part of a living matter like those
which are plant or animal origin and they essentially contain the elements carbon, hydrogen &
oxygen

Treatment: Alkaline-based product

a. Body oils
b. Animal fat
c. Proteins and carbohydrates
3. Bacterial – some soils may contain live bacteria or their spores, which may cause diseases or
infections.

Treatment: Disinfectant

a. Mold
b. Yeast
 c. Animal waste
4. Petroleum soils – the type which is repellent to water and requires another petroleum based
solvent to remove them.

Treatment: Petroleum-based agent

a. Wax
b. Motor oils and axle greases
c. Gums
5. Cosmological soils – these are substances which contains either organic or inorganic matter that
emits an unpleasant odor.
6. Entomological soils – these are soils that harbor insects, especially those that are carriers of disease
& infection.
7. Combination soils – is usually the toughest type to clean since the soil contains both organic and
inorganic components. Proper identification is required and may requires a combination type
cleaner

Stain

A stain is a spot or localized discoloration left on fabric by reaction of a foreign substance or absorption
of any unwanted color, liquid etc

Recognized in fabric by means of:

1. Discoloration
2. Awful Smell
3. Rough Texture

Types of Stains:

1. Animal stains
2. Vegetable stains
3. Grease
4. Mineral stains
5. Metalloid stains
6. Acidic stains
7. Basic alkaline stains
8. Natural dyes & pigments
9. Synthetic dyes & pigments
10. Sugar solution with coloring matter

Stain removal or spot cleaning – is a skill that demands special attraction, special techniques and long
experience

Removal Procedures:

a. Soak in cold water

b. Soak in warm water
c. Allow it to get open air beach
 d. Apply cold alkaline solution
e. Apply hot alkaline solution
f. Apply cold acidic solution.
g. Apply an oxidizing or reducing bleach
h. Soak it in glycerine

How to get it out

Type of stain

Blood

Chocolate

Coffee or Tea

Grass

Ink

Lipstick

Paint

Perspiration

Red wine

Sauce

when to treat

sponge with cold water right away, if possible

as soon as possible

sponge with cold water right away, if possible

as soon as possible

as soon as possible

as soon as you’re able to apply special treatment

water base: rinse in warm water right away. Oil base: as soon as possible

as soon as possible

blot with a clean, dry cloth right away

sponge with cold water right away. If possible

machine washables