Carpet Care & Maintenance

The very first step in carpet care is to indentify the type of carpet that you want to clean and maintain. Once this is established proper cleaning practices can be correctly applied.

REGULAR VACUUMING Vacuum lightly and frequently once your new carpet is laid for the first couple of weeks to remove any lint, stray fibres and factory dust. Continue to vacuum once a week to remove any dust and particle build up. Timely removal of any dust and grit will prevent some abbraisive damage to the carpet. SPOT CLEANING Act quickly to avoid any spillage seaping into the carpet fibles. Dab the affected area with a damp cloth to soak up any liquids.

POWDER CLEANING Generally the power is applied to the carpet after vacuuming. The powder is massaged into the pile and the carpet is vacuumed again. It is not necessary to remove all the powder as it can help to reduce further soiling.

AEROSOL FOAM SHAMPOO Aerosol foam shampoo may be used for cleaning small areas. The foam is sprayed lightly on the carpet and worked in with a damp cloth, sponge or brush. The carpet is vacuumed once the area is dry.

SHAMPOO CLEANING Shampoo machines are available for hire at many department and hardware stores, although we believe it's advisable to employ the services of a professional cleaner. With this method of cleaning, shampoo or detergent is released from a tank on the machine into a brush. With the action of the brush, the liquid is worked into the carpet pile. The residues can then be extracted. Shampoo cleaning refreshes and deodorizes the carpet and it also lifts the pile.

STEAM CLEANING Hot water extraction cleaning is generally recognised as the best way to re-vitalize and deep clean your carpet. As a general guideline, steam cleaning should be carried out at 18 month intervals, depending on the wear and use environment. Injection cleaning and extraction machines should only be used by a skilled professional. If not performed properly, a carpet can be over-wetted which can permanently distort the carpet pile and backing materials.

VACUUM CLEANERS AND CARPET There are two major types of vacuum cleaners: barrel cleaners and upright cleaners. Upright cleaners are particularly good as they usually incorporate a pile agitator such as a beater bar or revolving bristle strip that lifts the pile and facilitates the removal of dirt and grit. However, be careful with the agitator as over-use can damage the pile surface.

Barrel cleaners rely on suction removal only and most perform the task quite well. Some barrel cleaners now have power head attachments to agitate the pile in the same manner as upright cleaners.

Ensure the vacuum cleaner is kept in a sound mechanical condition and brushes are cleaned and replaced when worn out. Empty the dust collection bag frequently as the suction efficiency of the vacuum cleaner is reduced considerably even when the bag is half full.

Most cleaners now come with micro filter systems to ensure the fine particles (such as allergens) are removed and stay in the collection bag. If you are dust sensitive, make sure your cleaner has a multi filter and micro filter system. Ask your retailer what type of vacuum is best suited to your new carpet.

Information from Carpet Institute of Australia

WOOL

A wool fibre carpet is warm in winter and cool in summer and is also naturally moisture resistant, recovering well from spills and handles wet cleaning easily. Wool carpet will also withstand wear and tear in high traffic areas such as hallways, lounge rooms and reception areas.

WOOL BLENDS

It is believed that 80/20 wool/synthetic is the optimum and most successful blend giving the most advantages of both fibres. The two yarns are spun together to give one fibre that can be used as a rugged and hardy flooring that is cheaper that its full wool cousin.

NYLON

This fibre is outstanding in its ability to resist high traffic wear and tear, resist loss of pile fibre and has a remarkable ability to recover from pile crush. It will retain its colour for an extremely long time and will resist stains as well as any covering.

SOLUTION DYED

This fibre is a synthetic fibre that is processed in a special way. The fibre is melted and a solution dye is added, then it is respun and cooled into a new fibre with the colour penetrating all the way to its core.

POLYPRPLENE (Olefin)

This fibre retains excellent wear and tear properties and is good in high traffic areas, it is highly moisture resistant making it great for spills and cleaning, has very low static buildup and resists stains and bacteria, greatly improving health risks.

CARPET MYTHS

There is no shortage of myths when it comes to carpet maintenance. When in doubt contact the manufacturer for expert tips and avoid the following misconceptions:

BLEACH: Bleach is an extremely harsh chemical and it is difficult to remove from your carpet even though many fibers may be impervious to it. It gets trapped inside the fibres and will make that area prone to future spills and stains which over time will grow worse.

ONCE STAIN IS SET IT CAN'T BE CLEANED: This is silly. All carpets can be cleaned, it just takes different methods for different carpets. Once it is set in it will require a different method of cleaning, though it will still be able to be cleaned.