how to remove ferric chloride from natural wool carpet

[amateur_25]

Hi
I kinda made the mistake of mixing the stuff in doors within a cracked container. I obviously didn't know it was cracked.
So I have ferric chloride stains on the carpet in my room. IT's an expensive natural wool so my mum isn't too happy with me at the moment.
 I have felt the wrath of my mum and my sister. Believe me my mum is bad enough with my volcanic sister that is some combination.
Would greatly appreciate it if someone could advice me on how to remove this mess.  quadro face palm!!

[KJDS]

I'd be amazed if you could get anywhere close to removing it.

You may have some joy employing a specialist cleaning company, but it may be cheaper to buy new carpet.

[fcb]

Almost no chance of removing Ferric Chloride stains from carpet... but you might be lucky with: http://www.megauk.com/datasheets/4150_MSDS_600-039_Ferric_Chloride_Stain_Remover.pdf

[EEVblog]

You're a dead man! 

[Psi]

Depending how bad the stain is, (mainly how deep it goes down) you maybe able to get on the floor with some side cutters and cut the stain off each individual carpet fiber.

I found this works quite well for stains that are only on the surface. You just trim off the 1-2mm of carpet fiber and the stain is gone.
The slightly shorter pile isn't usually noticeable unless you look hard enough.
You can also trim the surrounding fiber to blend in the new length if needed.

Failing that, if you can find some of the same carpet around the house which is not critical, like carpet that goes under a permanent fixture. You can cut out a square of it the same size as the stain and do a transplant.

(Im assuming the stain is small, like a few drops, if you lost an entire dish of the stuff there isn't much to be done.)

[jaxbird]

I think you got (at least) 3 options:

1. Come clean and take the wrath. 
2. Plan and stage some event that makes your sister think she did it   
3. Pack your most valuable belongings. Run and never look back. 

[mikeselectricstuff]

Almost no chance of removing Ferric Chloride stains from carpet... but you might be lucky with: http://www.megauk.com/datasheets/4150_MSDS_600-039_Ferric_Chloride_Stain_Remover.pdf

I think that's oxalic acid. Got to be worth a try

[Bryan]

Blame the dog, that's the only excuse that's going to work with the missus.

[Mitz]

My Mosaic floor had to be scrubed ith mettalic scrub to remove Ferric chloride but it scrubbed of the polish too

[SeanB]

Oxalic acid ( caution this is pretty toxic) or use concentrated vinegar and scrubbing gently with a brush to lighten it. To get the acid out after cleaning use some ammonia ( ordinary household ammonia water not a white ammoniated cleaner) afterwards to rinse, with a final water and carpet shampoo rinse. The best is to go rent a carpet wet extraction unit and use that as a final clean, or just use a wet and dry vacuum cleaner to remove the liquids.

[free_electron]

Best solution to remove FeCl is scissors.
Simp,y cut a neat square around the stain and replace the affected area. Woeks every time

Anything else gives mediocre results....

FeCl becomes FuCl when spilled ...

[Towger]

From experience many years ago, when I were a lad. If not cut out or fully washed out it will rot the natural fibers which hold the wool piles together and you will be left with holes, after a year or so.

[G7PSK]

You could try soaking the area with spirit vinegar and then covering the area with bicarbonate of soda then leave for a few days (cover with something like a plate) the stain just soaks up into the bicarbonate  then you hover it all up, works with most stains.

[wraper]

From my experience spilling FeCl₃ on organic material is hopeless if not washed within couple of minutes.

[SeanB]

Just how big a stain? Pic with something for scale will be nice, as well is it visible and where in the room.

[ion]

I've had good luck removing Ferric Chloride stains from my lab coat with commercial rust stain removers.  Not sure what that would do to wool though.  Also, I have no idea how you would rinse it out.

[SeanB]

I've had good luck removing Ferric Chloride stains from my lab coat with commercial rust stain removers.  Not sure what that would do to wool though.  Also, I have no idea how you would rinse it out.

Well, I have a 20l drum of that, used to remove rust stains from vinyl seats. All I need now is the ferric chloride. It probably is only a weak organic acid and an acid based surfactant to help it get through grease and grime on the vinyl seats.

[IanB]

I once worked in an manufacturing plant that used ferric chloride for etching. It was supplied from a room with chemical resistant cement on the floor, plastic drain covers, solid PTFE pumps, plastic drums, and every precaution taken in the handling of it. In spite of that, the ferric chloride pumping stations soon looked like the messiest, most stained, ugliest area you could imagine.

Ferric chloride is bad news. There are no circumstances you should bring it inside the house.

[FrankenPC]

If the carpet is relatively new, you may be able to get a replacement patch from the manufacturer.  A repair expert can come out, lift the carpet, cut out the patch, and stitch/glue in a new patch.

You can't get away with hiding it though.

[BurningTantalum]

When I first started work, it was my job on alternate Fridays, to clean out the ferric spray booth. The 3 phase was switched off in the factory on Friday afternoons because the whole workforce went down to the pub at lunchtime thus it was unsafe to operate any machinery anywhere. It was called 'Dhoby Day' and the whole place was cleaned.
I used to remove the lift-up door to clean it, which involved disconnecting the interlock. One day I refitted the door and ran the machine with the spray nozzles removed and new ferric loaded to clean through the internals. I left for 30 seconds to fetch a tool and my boss, walking past, wondered what was being etched so lifted up the door...
From his chest down to his shoes he was yellow-green. His wife never found anything to even touch the stain. He claimed for his 'Armani' suit from the company and I got a severe rocket !!  Happy days.

[LukeW]

This is why you don't use ferric chloride. You're probably completely stuffed.

I wonder... maybe, possibly, some sort of reducing agent capable of reducing the strongly coloured Fe(III) to pale green Fe(II) chloride might work to make it a little less visible.

[con-f-use]

A colleague of mine knocked a canister of the stuff over, when another one just left it for a second. He had to refill the machine and was opening the cap. We ended up painting most of the walls and dyeing the lab coats. A lot of shoes were lost in die incident. Back then I didn't know anything about board manufacture or electronics. I was just an innocent bystander. It was a long wft for me.

I can confirm, rust remover works on light stains.

Some people claim citric acid plus salt worked for them on some surfaces right after the material was stained. I can debunk that myth for cotton and synthetic clothing.

I'd advice dyeing the whole carpet in a new colour.

[SeanB]

So basically get 10l and do the whole carpet then.

[Stonent]

Just be careful.  I once had a stain I found on a carpet when I was moving out of an apartment and was worried I'd get charged. Since I had already boxed everything up, all I had was some bathroom cleaner.  I sprayed it on the stain and it started smoking and melted down to the concrete base.  Turns out it was 10% HCl.

But I learned my lesson.... Never use Toilet Duck on carpets!

[eliocor]

as previously suggested, use Oxalic acid to remove FeCl₃ stains
see its applications/usage as a cleaning agent: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalic_acid#Cleaning