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GENERAL CARE TIPS
Steps for long lasting beauty….
All carpet made with Wear-Dated® carpet fiber is designed to be easy to maintain and care for.
These general carpet care tips answer many frequently asked questions about vacuuming, stain removal, and professional cleaning. If you have additional questions call the Wear-Dated® toll-free Maintenance Hotline at 800-633-3208.
Keep in mind that the best way to ensure long-lasting Beauty, Comfort and Durability is by vacuuming your carpet frequently! That prevents the carpet from getting soiled, as embedded soil abrades the carpet and the fiber, creating a dull, faded appearance. Vacuum as often as you want, and as recommended in How often should I vacuum?. Don't forget to have your carpet professionally cleaned as recommended below. Do also read about Things That Don’t Play Nice With Carpet.
NOTE: We recommend hot-water extraction cleaning every 12 to 24 months, and require it at a minimum every 2 years, with reapplication of fluorocarbon protectors, to meet the terms of the Wear-Dated warranty.
General Carpet Care Tips
How often should I vacuum?
How much should I vacuum the different areas of my home?
What kind of vacuum cleaners should I use?
What cleaning system should I use?
What's the best remedy for spills, spots and stains?
What should I do if the spot returns?
When I'm ready for a complete cleaning, what should I do?
How should I deal with other carpet issues, such as sprouts and snags?
What do I do if my carpet gets flooded?
Will you be there if I need you?
What topical treatments are safe to use after I clean my carpet?
How often should I vacuum?
Your vacuum cleaner is your best ally in keeping your carpet dirt free. Vacuum regularly, and as frequently as you can and want! Vacuuming keeps soil from becoming embedded in the carpet's pile where it's more difficult to remove. Embedded soil can even damage your carpet. If you allow soil particles to remain on your carpet's surface, they can pit and scratch the fiber and create a dull, faded appearance.
Regular vacuuming easily removes all of the embedded particles; it enhances the Beauty of the carpet and contributes to its long life and Durability, ensuring Comfort!
Our studies show that using a grooming rake or "pilator" on cut pile carpet prior to vacuuming will greatly enhance its appearance. The pilator helps to loosen stubborn soil and keep the yarns lofted.
How much should I vacuum the different areas of my home?
Ideally, you should vacuum heavy traffic areas once per day. Areas subject to light traffic should be vacuumed twice weekly, each including about three passes of the vacuum. Vacuum non-traffic areas at least weekly.
Moderate to heavy traffic areas require more thorough cleaning - at least five passes over these areas with your vacuum from two to five times per week. Do heavy vacuuming more slowly to allow the beating or suction action of your cleaner to thoroughly remove embedded particles.
Thorough and frequent vacuuming will help maintain the beautiful appearance of your carpet and postpone the need for professional cleaning to restore the color and texture of your carpet.
What kind of vacuum cleaners should I use?
Depending on the type of carpet you have, you will want to use a vacuum with a rotating brush, a beater bar or suction only. Regardless of the type, be sure to frequently change the vacuum bags.
For vacuums with beater bars, inspect them for nicks or gouges that can hurt the carpet surface.
Consumer Reports offers valuable advice about upright vacuum cleaners and other types of vacuums. Another terrific resource is the Carpet & Rug Institute information on Vacuums.
We strongly recommend, particularly if you have a shag carpet, that you only use a suction-only vacuum cleaner with no beater bar. That will prevent the carpet from wrapping around the beater bar – which can create fuzzing – and will greatly contribute to extending your carpet’s Beauty, Comfort and Durability! [Read Tuftex's Care and Maintenance of Shag carpet.]
Be sure to follow the carpet manufacturer’s guidelines.
What cleaning system should I use?
Unless it is in combination with a cover or bonnet, avoid any cleaning system that uses rotary brushes. They could untwist the tufts of your carpet and accelerate wear or loss of appearance. Soft cylindrical brushes used in the moist powder systems are not as apt to cause a problem but should be tried on an inconspicuous area of the carpet first.
Any cleaning system is only as good as the person operating the equipment. After discussing the type of cleaning you have chosen for your carpet with the cleaning company, do ask for the name, phone number and date of his/her last three cleaning jobs for references. The Better Business Bureau is another reference source. And be aware that the cheapest cleaners might not offer the best service.
While we cannot recommend a specific cleaning company, we offer this basic information about cleaning to help you select a reputable carpet cleaner.
Note: To protect the stain resistance feature of the carpet, do not use cationic materials - such as disinfectants, insecticides, biocides or fungicides - without first checking with Wear-Dated®. You can reach the Wear-Dated® toll-free Maintenance Hotline at 800-633-3208. Do read about Things That Don’t Play Nice With Carpet!
Another excellent source of information for carpet care is the Carpet & Rug Institute.
What's the best remedy for spills, spots and stains?
No matter how careful we are, stains and spills are inevitable. Don't despair. Your carpet made with Wear-Dated® carpet fiber is designed to give you more time to discover and remove spots, and to recover from most accidents. Nonetheless, we encourage you to attend to spots promptly.
A wet-/dry vacuum cleaner can greatly facilitate spot removal. To combat a stain, put on the attachment with the best suction, and vacuum up as much of the stain as possible. Add water to the spot as you continue to vacuum.
If detergent is required, use it sparingly. After removing the stain, rinse the stained area of the carpet by slowly pouring water into the pile as you work the vacuum wand back and forth until the detergent is removed. Or follow these suggested steps:
Remove solid materials with a tablespoon, spatula or dull knife.
Blot spills with clean, white absorbent materials - such as towels, napkins or tissues. Press down hard to remove as much liquid as possible - even stand on the absorbent material putting all your weight directly over the stain. You won't hurt the carpet as long as you don't vigorously rub the surface.
If a spot removal solvent is necessary, apply several drops to a clean white cloth and blot the carpet in an inconspicuous area. If a color change occurs or color transfers to the cloth, consult a professional carpet cleaner.
Use cleaning solutions sparingly and always blot.
If one spot removal solution fails to work, try another until the stain is removed.
Finally, always gently rinse the area with water to remove as much detergent as possible. Absorb all moisture. Incomplete removal will expose the area to more rapid soiling. Place towels or cloth over wet area and weight with a heavy, colorfast object to absorb moisture. Leave overnight. The next morning the areas should be dry, the spot gone. Gently brush up carpet pile.
If more detailed spot cleaning procedures, consult our Wear-Dated® Spot Cleaning Guide.
What should I do if the spot returns?
A spot will usually return for one of two reasons:
Incomplete removal. You removed the material causing the spot by dissolving it with cleaning solution. However, gravity pulled the spill deeper into your carpet. Blotting with absorbent towels removed most of it, but as it dried, the remainder of the spill migrated to the top of your carpet pile and appeared as the last of the moisture evaporated. This is called "wick-up". To remedy, just repeat the spot cleaning process with special emphasis on blotting and placement of the absorbent towels.
Detergent left in the carpet. Always gently rinse the area with water to remove detergent. You will need to absorb the moisture, because incomplete removal will expose the area to more rapid soiling. Place towels or cloth over wet area and weight with a heavy colorfast object to absorb moisture. Leave overnight. The next morning, the area should be dry. Brush up the carpet pile.
When I'm ready for a complete cleaning, what should I do?"
Good vacuuming habits and do-it-yourself cleaning methods are very effective for removing most dry soil and dirt. However, soil from cooking vapors, air pollution and grease tracked in from outside present different problems and can cause fiber damage and significant dulling of colors. It's not that your color is lost - it’s just hiding under a build-up of dirty film and the pile has matted together. Consider professional cleaning every 12-18 months, depending on 1) traffic and other use factors, 2) frequency of vacuuming and 3) whether the carpet is a light or dark color. You should have the carpet professionally cleaned often enough to prevent the carpet from becoming excessively soiled.
Professional carpet cleaners not only keep your carpet fresher, brighter and newer looking longer, they can replace missing tufts and repair cigarette burns or perform other maintenance to your carpet. Many professional carpet cleaners attend classes and take written examinations to become certified to clean stain resistant carpets. We recommend choosing one with certification.
Also, it is typically better to leave special cleaning requirement to a certified professional than to try doing it yourself. Professional methods used incorrectly could result in damage to your carpet.
Deep Cleaning
For purchases starting 01/01/05 HWE [hot water extraction] is required at least every two years to keep provisions of the warranty. Many, if not most, manufacturers also require cleaning at regular intervals.
Hot water extraction method (also known as "steam cleaning") techniques:
- Detergent solution is sprayed on the carpet followed by a clear water
rinse.
- Detergent solution is sprayed on the carpet followed by a thorough extraction with a rinse surfactant.
- Detergent applied initially through a dispensing tank. Clear water extraction rinse follows to ensure that all residual detergent is rinsed from the carpet to prevent rapid re-soiling.
- The alkalinity (pH) of the detergent solution should be 9.0 to 10.0.
- The pH should never be higher than 10.0. It may be lower than 9.0 but cleaning usually will be less effective.
You might wish to tell the prospective cleaning company of your concerns about over-wetting your carpet. This can be avoided with equipment that is in good working order and has a strong vacuum system. Plan to stay off the carpet for 8-12 hours after the cleaning to allow the carpet to dry free of foot traffic.
Light Surface Cleaning
Methods:
Dry compound cleaning using semi-moist powders that are worked into the carpet and extracted with a strong vacuum system.
Bonnet cleaning using a carbonated solution.
Foam cleaning. The detergent is turned into foam, brushed into the carpet, and then extracted with a strong vacuum system. (Avoid aerosol foam carpet cleansers such as those available at grocery stores.)
These three methods are adequate for light surface soil. However, once the carpet has become appreciably soiled and has been in use for an extended period of time, deep cleaning is required. Keep in mind that dry-compound, bonnet and foam methods leave traces of the cleaning agent in the carpet. In addition, it is recommended that you switch to the hot water or steam extraction method after - if not in lieu of - a few light surface cleanings.
How should I deal with other carpet issues, such as sprouts and snags?
Sprouts
If your carpet shows sprouts, don't worry, it isn't growing. With cut pile carpet, small tufts or sprouts can stick up above the surface. Don't pull them. Clip them off with scissors.
Snags
Pulling or snagging can occur when a sharp object like a loose shoe nail or a child's toy hooks on the fibers. Don't pull the snag. Clip it off with scissors.
Dents
Remove a dent by stroking it with the edges of a coin. You can also use a hair dryer (hot air) or a steam iron very lightly to raise the dented area while you tug upward on the tufts. CAUTION: DON'T LET THE IRON TOUCH THE CARPET.
Crushed Pile
Vacuum regularly with "beater bar" type vacuum, or use a plastic or wooden carpet rake to restore matted down pile. For shag-type carpets, use suction-only vacuums.
Burns
Should your carpet endure a burn, remove the tops of the darkened, burned fibers with a curved fingernail scissors. If the burn is extensive, your carpet may require patching or replacement.
Shedding
Some shedding is common in new carpet with cut pile. The loose fibers are easily removed through regular vacuuming and in no way affect carpet quality. This condition will diminish after a few weeks or months depending on vacuuming frequency.
Footprints
All cut pile carpets show footprints. This is not a defect. It is much more prevalent on deep pile carpet made from bright fiber. To minimize footprints, you might want to choose a very dense low pile carpet made from Solutia's mid luster nylon.
Pilling
Sometimes certain types of carpet, or heavy traffic, can create little balls of tangled fibers and lint. Just pull them off by hand or clip them with scissors.
What do I do if my carpet gets flooded?
When carpet must be restored as a result of rising waters, a backed up sewer line, or other disaster that requires application of a biocide, bactericide, fungicide or some other material to prevent growth of microorganisms, the STAIN WARRANTY IS VOIDED.
If a pipe bursts, washing machine overflows, or flooding from some other clean water source occurs, it is necessary only to have the carpet dried - both front and back - by a professional cleaner with the proper equipment. You might want to clean the carpet after it has dried if detergent was involved. This procedure WILL NOT void the stain warranty, provided it is attended to immediately. It may however, void the wear warranty if delamination results.
Will you be there if I need you?
Absolutely! With carpet made with Wear-Dated® carpet fiber, you get a lot more than the finest quality carpet. You have Solutia's warranty for Wear-Dated® carpet fiber, which protects you throughout the applicable warranty period. Second, you have access to our 24 hour toll-free hotline (800) 633-3208 for fast, accurate advice on soiling and stain care.
Finally, remember your Wear-Dated carpet fiber carpet dealer. They are professionals who can provide helpful advice.
What topical treatments are safe to use after I clean my carpet?
Fluorocarbon after treatment for soil protection. This aftertreatment with a soil protectant is now required to keep the provisions of the Wear-Dated warranty in effect [see Important section in warranty]. It takes place as part of a professional cleaning and must be applied after each even numbered cleaning. Use soil aftertreatment products in the anionic fluorocarbon family. Your cleaner can assist you in selecting an aftertreatment.
Note: We do not recommend, nor find it necessary to reapply any stainblocking agent for carpets made with Wear-Dated® carpet fiber.
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How to deal with any carpet's issues:
Sprouts: If your carpet shows parouts, don't worry, it isn't growing. With cut pile carpet, small tufts or sprouts can stick up above the surface. Don't pull them. Clip them off with scissors.
Snags: Pulling or snagging can occur when a sharp object like a loose shoe nail or a child's toy hooks on the fibers. Don't pull the snag. Clip off with scissors.
Dents: Remove a dent by stroking it with the edges of a coin. You can also use a hair dryer (hot air) or a steam iron very lightly to raise the dented area while you tug up ward on the tufts.
CAUTION: DON'T LET THE IRON TOUCH THE CARPET.
Crushed Pile: Vacuum regularly with "beater bar" type vacuum, or use a plastic or wooden carpet rake to restore matted down pile.
Burns: Should your carpet endure a burn, remove the tops of the darkened, burned fibers with a curved fingernail scissors. If the burn is extensive, your carpet may require patching or replacement.
Shedding: Some shedding is common in new carpet with cut pile. The loose fibers are easily removed through regular vacuuming and in no way affect carpet quality. This condition will diminish after a few weeks or months depending on vacuuming frequency.
Piling: Sometimes certain types of carpet, or heavy traffic, can create little balls of tangled fibers and lint. Just pull them off by hand or clip them with scissors.
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