Pro's Choice

Red dye is the stain customers remember. Cordial, sports drink and red wine bond to the fibre in a way general spotters do not touch, and the wrong attempt makes the second attempt harder.

These are multi-part systems for a reason. The components are mixed or applied in sequence and work with controlled heat — it is a process, not a spray-and-blot.

The range covers Pro's Choice Red Relief A&B in a 473 ml two-pack, Red Relief for Wool A, B and C in a 473 ml three-pack, and Stain Magic for Wool A, B and C in a 473 ml three-pack.

How to choose

Identify the fibre before you open anything. There are dedicated wool versions here because wool is protein and will not tolerate the standard chemistry. Getting this wrong on a wool rug is not recoverable.

Heat and dwell do the work, not agitation. These products need controlled heat and time. Rubbing a heat-set red stain distorts the pile permanently and does not speed anything up.

Follow the sequence exactly. A, B and C are applied in order for a reason. Mixing the process is the usual cause of a partial result that then cannot be improved.

Test on an inconspicuous area. Reducing agents can affect carpet dye as well as the stain. Five minutes of testing protects the whole job.

Set the expectation before you start. Tell the customer it may take more than one pass, and that some stains lighten rather than vanish.

General spotters are in Spotting Chemicals, wool-safe rinses in Carpet Acid Rinses, and cloths in Cloths & Sponges.