super_b ak

I am building a house and we had a break in. I had the PD come and print the window they came in through. Now there is fingerprint dust residue on the new carpet. We hit it with a shop vac but you can still see the area where the powder was. Any suggestions on removal??

Lary Ellis (Top)

Call the Police Dept to find out what it is so you can remove it safely without staining your carpet. Could be as simple as one of those cheap spray cans of carpet cleaner, but then again that might make it worse.

Somebody there should be able to give some advice on it

Truckman0097

Thats a good idea - you might be able to find that out online, but I would call them. Once you know what it is made of, it makes choosing something to get rid of it easier.

Honkylips

you could call one of those companies that specialize in cleaning up gruesome crime scenes. I'm sure they'd know what would work.

super_b ak

Local PD didnt have any ideas, wife forgot to ask what it was. Carpet people gave us warrenty number said not to put anything on till we talked to them.

We dont get many gruesom crimes up here not sure there are any companies local

Honkylips

here's a company local to me....

http://crimescenecleaners.com/

Rednecktastic

They told me windex.

Jeff in TD

Just a damp sponge will take the stuff off most hard surfaces, though a little soap (dish soap, pump bottle stuff) makes it easier.

I'd bet just a normal carpet cleaner with a mild dose of carpet soap would take it right up.

tbarbee1

MAKE THE PD COME CLEAN IT UP

Lary Ellis (Top)

Don't use any dish soap like Dawn, it contains bleach and it will ruin your carpet!..don't ask me how I know this

tbarbee1

How big is the spot Lary.

shooter_d

Lots of agencies have switched to magnetic powder whenever possible. Ask if it's that, or just try a magnet and see if it comes up. If it is the magnetic, I wouldn't try soap.

Jeff in TD

Though they could use magnetic on the window sill, I'd bet it's most likely just plain old black or bichromatic powder. By all means try a magnet first, but I suspect even if it is magnetic it will still need a pass with a carpet cleaner.

I didn't mean to imply that I was suggesting Dawn or dish soap on the carpet, just using it as an example of what works on fingerprint powder on hard surfaces.

Soap for carpet cleaning machines is probably the only thing I'd use in a carpet cleaner machine.

Justwannabeme

I dumped my 2 ounce bottle on a church rug once, a very nice deep pile cream colored one to say the least....

bi chromatic (think pencil lead or copy toner)

do not press down! use bathroom tub and tile foam cleaner if that is still available up in your area. 'grab' the foam and black spots with a paper towel to get the surface stuff up. (let only your finger tips touch the bottom of carpet, as in a grabbing motion.)

then hit the lovely wet vac/steam clean system and LET IT DRY! I brushed upped the rest with a stiff brush and vacuumed but they have better vacuums now, try the vac first. all this is from experience and I have never made contact with the carpet folks.

by the way, the boy scouts LOVED solving a crime of 'Who Stole The Pizza?'
they got the right bad guy from metallic print on pop cans matching the
feather dust print from the church basement window.........

Heidi enjoying the good old days in NY.....