No carpet or rug lasts forever, or is a 100% stain proof. But with regular care you can add years to the life of your carpet. Properly maintained carpets enhance the appearance and atmosphere of interiors. To protect the investment made in your carpet and extend its life, it is important to clean it at regular intervals, rather than waiting until the carpet is heavily soiled.
There are four basic steps to protect your investment:
- Apply Stain protector.
- Vacuum Regularly.
- Remove spills immediately.
- Get professionally cleaned at least once a year.
1. Stain Protector
We highly recommend stain proofing on all carpets and rugs, as although it will not make them invincible it will lessen the staining caused by everyday spills. It is still very important that you act quickly to remove spills and stains on your carpets and rugs even if they do have a stain protective treatment. Stain proofing should always be applied by a professional, so please contact our helpline on 01582 882620 or by e-mailing info@bedscarpetcleaning.co.uk. It may be necessary to apply several layers to ensure the optimum level of protection is achieved.
Please bear in mind it is normal for new carpets to ‘shed’ fibres especially where footfall is heaviest. If protective chemicals are lost with these fibres, carpets can soil faster in heavy traffic areas leading to an uneven appearance, so it pays to have these areas topped up following a clean.
When considering stain protection for your new carpet, please consider that stain proof treatments:
• Should be applied by a professional company with a good reputation
• Must be reapplied at regular intervals, and always after your carpet is cleaned
• Can slow the rate of soiling and buy extra time to deal with spillages
• Can never offer complete protection and can lead to a false sense of security
2. Vacuuming
When your carpet is first fitted or you’ve taken delivery of a new rug, vacuum lightly and frequently, daily if possible, to remove the surface lint, dust and fluff. Regular vacuuming will extend their life and keep them looking beautiful and fresh. Vacuuming should be proportional to the amount of soiling to which the carpet or rug is subjected – the more adults, children and pets you have walking and playing on them, the more often you are advised to vacuum. For the average household it is good practice to vacuum daily in high traffic areas such as hallways, near entrances or busy living spaces, and 2 or 3 times a week for the rest of your home. For any wool carpets or rugs containing a loop pile, we would recommend a cylinder machine with a smooth nozzle and no beater bar as this can pull the loops. Coir, seagrass, sisal and jute will also benefit from a vacuum only cleaner. For cut pile carpets and rugs, use an upright cleaner on a gentler setting for everyday use and occasionally increase to a stronger setting to lift pile that may have flattened in higher traffic areas.
Use Barrier Mats
To help control the amount of dirt tracked onto your carpet from outside and other areas of the home, we recommend using doormats at entrances and barrier mats from hard floor to carpeted areas.
Make sure any mats used are colourfast, off-cuts of the carpet make good barrier mats. It is important to vacuum all barrier mats regularly and keep them clean for them to work effectively.
3. Spillages and Stains
such as red wine or hot drinks will stain and can be difficult to remove. The key to dealing with stains is to act quickly. Liquids (particularly hot liquids) must be attended to immediately. If allowed to cool or dry, the stain can be almost impossible to remove. Care must be taken as poor attempts at spot cleaning can cause permanent stain setting, pile distortion and loss of colour. Avoid carpet cleaning chemicals sold for home use as many of them contain bleaching agents which can discolour carpets or leave a sticky residue which will attract dirt and only amplify the stain.
Please read the following advice on how to deal with a stain and minimise the damage to your carpet or rug. As all carpet fibres react differently it is very important that you know what your carpet is made from, so check with your supplier and follow only the instructions for your carpet type. If in any doubt call our helpline on 01582 882620 or by e-mailing info@bedscarpetcleaning.co.uk
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Wool, Nylon, Polyester & Polypropylene carpets and rugs- Spillage and stain guide.
If you act quickly it is possible for most liquid stains to be removed using a simple blotting process. Removal of fresh spots is always much more successful, in the case of extensive or old set-in stains, contact our helpline on 01582 882620 or by e-mailing info@bedscarpetcleaning.co.uk .
If you have a spillage on one of these carpets or rugs we recommend the following steps:
STEP 1 Act fast to pick up any solids using a spoon or blunt knife and blot up liquid with plain, white, absorbent paper such as kitchen towel. Blot gently, changing paper as necessary until the paper comes back dry when pressed on the stain. Never rub or scrub as this will ‘burst’ the pile surface causing permanent damage.
STEP 2 If the stain remains, decide whether you want to tackle the removal yourself with the help of our online stain wizard . If not go straight to STEP 4.
STEP 3 The online stain wizard will guide you to the best cleaning process to remove your type of spot/stain. They also have video links showing how to deal with the most common household spills on wool carpets such as ice cream, food, coffee, juice, cola and wine. We recommend only using WoolSafe approved spot removers, never use washing up liquid or other cleaning agents as they may leave sticky residues and cause rapid re-soiling. • Before applying any spotting agent, pre-test on an inconspicuous area or off-cut of the carpet • Always apply the spotting agent via a clean white cloth, do not pour directly onto the stain. Always wear rubber gloves • Use small quantities of spot remover and repeat application if necessary. 2 or 3 light applications are more effective than 1 drastic action. Never over wet the carpet • Always work from the edge of the stain towards the middle to avoid spreading it. Gently blot NEVER rub stains as this will burst the pile • Use solvents with care and ensure good ventilation • Rinse out water-based spotters with clean water
STEP 4 Contact our helpline on 01582 882620 or by e-mailing info@bedscarpetcleaning.co.uk
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Viscose and Tencel® carpets and rugs – Spillage and stain guide
Viscose and TENCEL® carpets and rugs are more delicate than other fibres. Water changes the texture of these, causing the pile to reflect light differently to give the appearance of a stain. It is very important when cleaning your viscose or TENCEL® carpet or rug that you do NOT add any water or water-based products as this could compound the problem. Please be aware that when cleaning a viscose or TENCEL® carpet or rug, it is unlikely you will be able to remove all of the stain and you will need to call in a professional cleaning company.
If you have a spillage on viscose or TENCEL®, we recommend the following steps:
STEP 1 Act fast to pick up any solids and to blot up liquid with plain, white, absorbent paper such as kitchen towel. Blot very gently, changing the paper as necessary continuing until the paper comes back dry when pressed on the stain. Never rub or scrub as this will ‘burst’ the pile surface causing permanent damage.
STEP 2 If the stain remains, decide whether you want to tackle the removal yourself with the help of the following steps. If not go to straight to STEP 4.
STEP 3 It is recommend using Host’s ‘Emergency Spot Cleaning Kit’ available off the internet. Please be aware that some colour loss may occur. Never use washing up liquid or other cleaning agents as they may leave sticky residues and cause rapid re-soiling.
• Always carry out a test of the dry compound and spot cleaner on a hidden part of the carpet or rug prior to treating the stain
• Make sure you follow the instructions with the care kit carefully
• Apply the dry compound to absorb as much of the spill as possible, allow to dry and vacuum away • If the stain remains use the spot remover. Apply the spot remover via a clean white cloth, do not pour directly onto the stain. Always wear rubber gloves
• Use small quantities of spot remover at a time and repeat application if necessary. 2 or 3 light applications are more effective than 1 drastic action. Use spot cleaning liquid very sparingly
• Always work from the edge of the stain towards the middle to avoid spreading it. Blot, never rub stains as this will burst the pile
• It is not necessary to rinse this spot remover it can simply be blotted out using a clean dry white cloth
STEP 4 Contact our helpline on 01582 882620 or by e-mailing info@bedscarpetcleaning.co.uk for further assistance. For your guidance the safest way to clean viscose and TENCEL® is by using a dry extraction method.
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Jute, Seagrass, Sisal and Coir Carpets and rugs- Spillage and stain guide.
Again, it is important not to use water or water-based products as these can cause staining. If you have a spillage on a Jute, Seagrass, Sisal and Coir carpet or rug then we recommend the following steps:
STEP 1 Act fast to pick up any solids and to blot up liquid with plain, white, absorbent paper such as kitchen towel. Blot very gently, changing the paper as necessary continuing until the paper comes back dry when pressed on the stain. Never rub or scrub as this will cause fibre distortion.
STEP 2 If the stain remains, decide whether you want to tackle the removal yourself with the help of the following steps. If not go to straight to STEP 4.
STEP 3 It is recommend using Host’s ‘Emergency Spot Cleaning Kit’ available off the internet. Please be aware that some colour loss may occur. Never use washing up liquid or other cleaning agents as they may leave sticky residues and cause rapid re-soiling.
• Always carry out a test of the dry compound and spot cleaner on a hidden part of the carpet or rug prior to treating the stain
• Make sure you follow the instructions with the care kit carefully
• Apply the dry compound to absorb as much of the spill as possible, allow to dry and vacuum away • If the stain remains use the spot remover. Apply the spot remover via a clean white cloth, do not pour directly onto the stain. Always wear rubber gloves
• Use small quantities of spot remover at a time and repeat application if necessary. 2 or 3 light applications are more effective than 1 drastic action. Use spot cleaning liquid very sparingly
• Always work from the edge of the stain towards the middle to avoid spreading it. Blot, never rub stains as this will distort the fibres.
• It is not necessary to rinse this spot remover it can simply be blotted out using a clean dry white cloth
STEP 4 Contact our helpline on 01582 882620 or by e-mailing info@bedscarpetcleaning.co.uk for further assistance. For your guidance the safest way to clean Jute, Seagrass, Sisal and Coir is by using a dry extraction method.
4. Carpet & Rug Cleaning
If your carpet or rug needs an overall clean, then it is recommended that you call in a professional rather than attempting to clean it yourself. Carpet cleaning is an unregulated business; anyone can buy a carpet cleaning machine and without any training or experience start advertising themselves as a professional carpet and rug cleaner.
By contacting our helpline on 01582 882620 or by e-mailing info@bedscarpetcleaning.co.uk we can give advice on the best method of cleaning.
Other Ways to Protect Your Carpet
Adhesive Carpet Protector:
Please do NOT use any adhesive protectors on your carpets or rugs. The adhesive properties in these sheets can be very damaging and may pull fibres proud, damaging the pile.
Indentations:
Furniture can depress or crush pile over time. Furniture cups under the legs of furniture can reduce indentations. Alternatively, this effect can be reduced by re-arranging heavy furniture regularly so that the weight is not concentrated in one place for a sustained period. On wool carpets and rugs, it is possible to lightly moisten the pile to help indentations disappear, it usually takes 12 – 24 hours. Do not wet TENCEL®, viscose, silk, coir, seagrass, sisal, jute or any other vegetable based fibre.
Rug care:
We recommend putting a quality underlay beneath your rug, this helps to protect it from damage, wear and slippage. It is important to make sure the underlay is suitable for your rug and floor.
As with carpet, rugs should be vacuumed regularly to maintain their appearance. Every few months turn the rug face down on a clean, dry, smooth surface and vacuum to vibrate out embedded dry soil.
To ensure even wear, your rug should be rotated regularly. Depending on the traffic, the rotation may vary from every six months to once a year.
Shedding:
All cut pile carpets and rugs will shed fibres when new to create fluff. The amount of fibre shedding in the first few weeks of installation can look dramatic; but is simply fibres released from the yarn ends where they are cut to create the pile. This is normal and will not affect appearance or durability of your carpet. By vacuuming regularly, the shedding will soon cease.
Sprouting or pulled loops:
Uneven tufts can sometimes occur in hand woven carpets. Dogs, cats or stiletto heels can catch and pull loops proud of the pile. Carefully cut these tufts or loops at the base with sharp scissors, do not pull as you may damage the carpet.
Shading:
In cut pile products, especially luxurious solid colour velvets or Saxony’s, light can play strange tricks with carpet, making it appear from certain angles, that particular areas are lighter or darker than others. This is caused by disturbed pile reflecting the light differently to the surrounding body of carpet. Sometimes the changes may be temporary, and able to be removed or lessened by vacuuming or rushing of the pile. It is a visual feature of the carpet design, and is not considered a defect.
Direct sunlight:
Carpets like all other dyed textiles will slowly lose colour over time when exposed to direct sunlight. Protect your carpet from prolonged periods of direct sunlight with curtains, blinds, shades or awnings.