Carpets are usually finished with several different types of treatments including gloss, stain blocking, anti-static, and water and oil repellency.

One finish that is often applied to a carpet provides the carpet with "soil resistance"or"anti-resoiling". This property prevents subsequent soils from adhering to carpets as a result of normal use such as foot traffic on carpets, thus making vacuuming more efficient. Carpets vary tremendously in their anti-soiling properties. The finish may increase the efficacy of the carpet to resist staining, but unfortunately, soiling will occur.

Furthermore, whether or not a carpet has such a finish, cleaning the carpet with a poorly formulated carpet cleaning solution can work in opposition to any soil resistant properties that the carpet may have once had. For instance, cleaning compositions containing sticky materials such as oily materials, sticky detergents and water absorbent materials such as hygroscopic salts can leave a tacky or sticky residue that would attract dirt or dust. Thus it is often expressed that freshly cleaned carpets often “get dirty faster “than a new carpet.

Surfactants are typically used in carpet cleaning solutions and contribute to the effectiveness of the cleaning power and act to emulsify any water- insoluble solvents that may be present for oily soil removal. However, surfactants often leave a sticky residue once the cleaning solution has dried, particularly if high concentrations of surfactants are used.