The most common source of mystery stains is residue from spot cleaners. They appear as dark spots on the carpet that gradually get darker with time. What happens is that you clean a spot with a commercial spot cleaner and it leaves a great deal of soil attracting residue on the carpet. As people walk on it, dirt is slowly drawn to the spot making it appear dark over time. To solve this problem you should try to use spotters only when absolutely necessary. Try plain water first. You might be surprised what it can clean out. If you must use a spotter use it sparingly and try to rinse it with plain water when you are done.

Another common source of mystery spots is drink spills. This is especially true if you have children who carry around drinks and sippy cups. They spill a clear sticky liquid which over time attracts soil just like the spotter residue can. To cure this try to keep drinks in the kitchen and clean the spots with plain water or spotter followed by plain water to remove the residue.

One final source of common mystery spots is acne medication. if you have teenage kids with acne you might be familiar with these spots. Acne medication spilt on the carpet will quickly bleach the carpet leaving light or even white spots on the carpet. There is no cure for these spots except to have a professional spot dye them.

These are three of the most common types of mystery spots. Hopefully you will use this article to fix or prevent them from happening on your carpet.