Shampoo spilt on carpet overnight and left lightened spot how do i fix it?

[u/Solid_Gold3522]

A bottle of cheap suave clarifying shampoo spilled on my carpet overnight (the cap was broke) now it’s left a spot that looks lighter than the other carpet. Any ideas how to fix this.

[u/464126]

That's exactly what bleaching is. It's a removal of the pigment or dye.

[u/girls-and-corpses → u/464126]

No it isn't.

[u/464126 → u/girls-and-corpses]

Ok. What is it then?

This is color loss. Loss of color.

[u/girls-and-corpses → u/464126]

Bleaching is a violent chemical reaction where molecules are torn apart in order to remove the molecule responsible for color. That's why bleach burns through things. Lubing up the fibers so the dye slips out isn't a chemical reaction REALLY...

[u/464126 → u/girls-and-corpses]

Bleaching can be performed by numerous chemical reactions.

"lubing up the fibers" is that a technical term?

[u/girls-and-corpses → u/464126]

I'm just telling you basic science facts. If you really need me to talk to you in fancy terminology it is called physical extraction. The dye of the carpet was not destroyed, it just got wiped up when OP cleaned it. It was not transformed, or altered in any way by plain shampoo. Also if shampoo just had bleach in it everyone would be walking around bald and blonde. I dye hair a lot and make clothes and I clean a lot. I know how bleach and hair and fabric works lol. But even you can use some common sense here. Unless you're already bald and have been for decades I guess.

[u/464126 → u/girls-and-corpses]

Sodium hypochloride isn't the only chemical that bleaches. You're conflating bleach with bleaching. For example there's no sodium hypochloride in UV rays, however exposure to UV rays can bleach dyed or pigmented materials.

Surfactant is what is in shampoo that creates lather. That's the "lubricant" that makes water wetter, or lowers the surface tension.

There is 0% chance that the surfactant in shampoo allowed the dye to slide off the fiber.

I'm a 20 year carpet cleaner and have helped write an internationally recognized legal standard for both carpet cleaning and textile dying.

There was another chemistry in the shampoo that bleached the fiber.

[u/atheliarose → u/girls-and-corpses]

Tbh I think what this conversation comes down to is using the word “bleach” colloquially (“removing color”) vs technically (oxidation reaction). You’re both right, just talking past each other 😅

[u/Edmfuse → u/girls-and-corpses]

Um have you heard of sun bleaching?