Carpet Maintenance

Taking care of your carpet is easy and should be part of your normal routine. Follow our suggestions to make sure that your carpet looks and feels great for years to come:

Routine Care for Carpet

• Vacuum at least once a week to remove dirt that can dull the appearance of your carpet.
• Select a vacuum with good suction and strong beater bars to brush the carpet and loosen dirt properly.
• Change vacuum bags and filters regularyly.

Long Term Care for Carpet

FOOD
Clean-up spills immediately. See our Stain Removal Guide for further instruction.

FURNITURE
Place glides under heavy furniture to combat crushing. Rotate furniture to give carpet a rest.

SUNLIGHT
To prevent fading, avoid long hours of direct sunlight on carpet. Close blinds or shades periodically. Select a lighter colored carpet in sun-drenched rooms to minimize fading.

TRAFFIC
Change traffic patterns. Rotate furniture so that people have to alter their path through the room.

OUTSIDE DOORS
Place doormats inside and outside of exterior doors to minimize tracking in dirt.

RIPPLING
High humidity and heat can cause wall-to-wall carpet to ripple. If this happens, call a professional to re-stretch it with a power stretcher.

ANIMALS
Vacuum often and use deodorizer on previous "accident" sites. Some animals will have repeat "accidents" because they're drawn to the smell.

CIGARETTE AND OTHER BURNS
Snip off the damaged fibers. Blot with a soapless cleaner, like dry cleaning solvent or denatured alcohol. (Check first to make sure the cleaner doesn't discolor the carpet).

Spot Cleaning

1. Scoop up as much of the spill as possible with a towel or a spoon.
2. Gently press clean cloths into the stained area to remove moisture. Blot the spot, don't rub or scrub. Scrubbing can damage the fiber and set the stain into the carpet.
3. Apply warm, not hot, water to the stained area and blot until the stain stops transferring to the cloth.
4. If you can still see the stain, make a detergent solution by adding 1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid to 1 cup of warm water. Don't use too much soap because it's difficult to rinse out of the carpet.
5. Apply the detergent solution, let sit five minutes, then rinse with clear warm water. Repeat the rinsing until all the detergent is removed.
6. Place layers of white paper towels on the spill to absorb the liquid. Weigh down the towels with a non-staining glass or ceramic object. You can let them sit overnight.
7. When the carpet is dry, vacuum to restore the texture.
8. If you can see the stain after all this, repeat steps 3 - 7. It means the stain penetrated deep into the pile and has wicked up to the surface.
   

Professional cleaning

• Get your carpets professionally cleaned every 12-24 months, even if you clean them yourself in between.
• Lighter shades of carpet may require cleaning more often.
• Several professional cleaning methods are available in the market today. We recommend "steam cleaning" (also known as hot water extraction). Make sure you use a reputable company with experience.

Stain removal guide

1. Scoop up and blot as much of the spill as possible.
2. Vacuum any dry particles.
3. Prepare suggested cleaning solutions, beginning with the first one listed.
4. Spot test the cleaning solution on an inconspicuous area of the carpet to ensure that it doesn't discolor or damage the carpet.
5. Apply the cleaning solution to the stain area. Work from the outside of the stain toward the center.
6. Allow the cleaning solution to remain on the spill for at least five minutes.
7. Blot with a clean white cloth until no more stain transfers to the cloth. Do not rub the stain area or you might damage the carpet fibers.
8. Rinse with cold water. Be sure all cleaning solution is removed from the carpet.
9. If you can still see the stain, repeat the process until either the stain is removed or the stain no longer transfers to the cloth.
10. Once the stain is removed, place layers of white paper towel on the site to absorb any moisture. Weigh down the towels with a non-staining glass or ceramic object. You can let them sit overnight.
11. When the carpet is dry, vacuum to restore the texture.
12. Have your carpet professionally cleaned every 12-24 months.
    
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