Archive for the ‘chemicals’ Category

Methyl Orange Stain Removal

Saturday, June 30th, 2012

A friend’s son dropped some methyl orange solution on a light-grey carpet.  Naive attempts by the parent to remove it using “Vanish” (a domestic carpet cleaning product) merely resulted in it changing colour from orange to yellow.  I am no chemist, but here I search for a stain-removal method.

Web-search seems to indicate that:

  • Methyl Orange is a traditional form of dye.
  • Also it is a ph indicator, a water solution of it is orange in its own weakly acidic state, becoming yellower with increasing alkali.  I guess “Vanish” is alkaline then…
  • It is also toxic and could potentially be carcinogenic, e.g. if the powder is inhaled.
  • It breaks down in daylight?
    • In that case maybe all my friend needs to do is hang it ouside in the sunshine?
    • Or does this only happen in the context of specially-treated fibres?
  • ???

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