Preventive
Maintenance: Proper maintenance helps to reduce the pace
of the deterioration. The following is a helpful checklist to assist
you with a preventative maintenance plan. Use walk off floor mats
at entrances. This helps to absorb soil and moisture. Mats should
be cleaned on a regular basis so the soil is removed and the mats
do not become a source of dirt. Attempt to keep your sidewalks and
entrances free of excessive dirt that can be tracked into your home.
Use a high quality carpet cushion under your carpet, particularly
on stairs. Good high quality pad not only gives better resilience
underfoot, but it can also add to the life of your carpet. Move
heavy furniture occasionally to avoid excessive pile crushing. Put
coasters intended for use with carpet under the legs of tables,
chairs, and other furniture to help distribute the weight and prevent
crushing the pile. Do not use chairs or appliances with rollers
or casters on your carpet without a coaster that it designed for
carpeting.
When moving heavy-wheeled furniture, prevent damage by placing a
protective barrier of heavy cardboard or plywood between the wheels
and the carpet. If you use area rugs over your carpet, be sure to
remove and clean them regularly. Clean and restore the pile of the
carpet underneath. Also be certain to check area rugs for colorfastness
before putting them back over carpet, as the dyes in some rugs may
bleed through to carpet. After cleaning your carpet, remember to
allow complete drying before replacing the rugs. Protect your carpet
from prolonged period of direct sunlight with blinds, shades or
awnings.
Please keep in mind that carpets with stain resistant treatments
improve your ability to clean up stains, not prevent stains. No
carpet is absolutely stain proof. Carpets with soil resistant treatments
reduce the rate of soiling, but all carpets require regular care
and maintenance. There is often confusion about the difference between
soling and staining, and the majority of stain complaints are actually
soil related. For example, many sugar-based spills, such as soft
drinks and coffee, leave a sugar residue after removal. This is
a sticky residue that readily attracts soil from ordinary shoe traffic
and the resulting discolored area may appear to be a stain. The
same thing may happen when spills are cleaned with a detergent solution
and the area is not sufficiently rinsed with plain water, leaving
a sticky detergent residue. Rinse thoroughly with water and blot
dry after removing any spill.
Regular
Vacuuming: Vacuuming is an important step in any maintenance
program for your carpet. Vacuum thoroughly and frequently, particularly
in high-traffic areas. As particles of dirty soil work down into
the pile, they are more difficult to remove and can scratch the
fibers, leading to premature wear of the carpet. Frequent vacuuming
removes these particles from the surface before this happens.
Spot
and Spill Removal: It is important to be prepared to act
quickly in the event of a spill. Please refer to the manufacturers
for a list of the specific items that will be most helpful in removing
your spill. In the event of a spill, in general, it is important
to remove as much of the food spill as possible by scraping gently
with a spoon or a dull knife. Absorb wet spills as quickly as possible
by blotting repeatedly with white paper or cloth towels. Always
blot, do not rub or scrub abrasively, as a fuzzy area may result.
When blotting, work from the outer edge in toward the center of
the spot to avoid spreading the spill. Always follow up with water
to remove detergent residue that may become sticky and cause rapid
re-soiling. The nature of wool fiber to absorb water without feeling
damp makes it critical to remove all excess moisture.
Draw out any remaining moisture by placing several layers of white
towels over the spot and weigh them down with a heavy object that
will not transfer color, such as a plastic jug of water. Importantly,
many household products contain chemicals that may permanently damage
your carpet. It is important to note that no carpet is stain proof,
although many are stain resistant which will allow you time to act
in the event of a spill.
Regular
Cleaning of your Carpeting: It is also very important to
have a regular routine to clear your carpeting. Although vacuuming
can remove most of the dry soul, it s also necessary to clean your
carpet on a regular basis to remove the oily, sticky soil that builds
up in the pile as a result of cooking vapors, air pollution, and
tracked-in dirt from outside. The particles of oily soil deposited
on carpet fibers can gradually cause significant dulling of delicate
pastel colors. If this type of soil is allowed to accumulate, it
begins to attract and hold the dry soil. This is the reason cleaning
is so important when dulling of the color is first noticed. If this
is allowed to remain too long, it becomes gummy and difficult to
remove.
If carpet is cleaned before it becomes too unsightly, the cleaning
chore will be easier and more successful. It is a myth that cleaning
the carpet before it is absolutely necessary will cause it to get
dirty faster. Importantly, independent testing has concluded that
it is most beneficial that carpet be cleaned once a year. Your choice
of the proper cleaning system is also important. Some systems may
leave residues, which promote re-soiling and defeat the whole purpose
of cleaning. Please consult with an expert in cleaning systems or
ask your Carpet King sales person for a recommendation.
