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Preventive Maintenance

Carpet Care: Preventive Maintenance

Easy, proactive steps will keep your carpet looking good over time.

Don't track dirt inside

Placing walk-off mats outside all entrances will help absorb soil and moisture and trap excessive dirt, sand, grit, oil, asphalt, or driveway sealer that might otherwise be tracked into the home. Clean mats on a regular basis (or sooner, when they need it) so they don't become sources of soil themselves.

Use a quality pad

A good carpet pad not only gives better resilience and comfort underfoot, it can extend the life of your carpet, especially on stairs. Because some carpets carry warranties with specific density and thickness requirements, be sure and review your warranty before purchasing your pad. Explore varieties of carpet pad.

Occasionally move heavy furniture

Moving your furniture on occasion won't just renew the feel of your room, it will also help avoid excessive pile crushing. Also consider using carpet protectors under the legs of tables, chairs, and other furniture to help distribute the weight. Damage can occur if you use chairs or appliances with rollers or casters without a chair pad designed specifically for carpet.

Protect carpet when moving furniture

When moving heavy wheeled furniture (pianos, buffets, etc.), prevent damage by placing a protective barrier of heavy cardboard or plywood between the wheels and the carpet.

Clean your area rugs

If you use area rugs on your carpet, be sure to clean them regularly, and make sure you clean and restore the pile of the carpet underneath as well. Also, be sure to check area rugs for colorfastness before placing them on carpet because the color in some rugs may bleed through. After cleaning your carpet, allow it to dry completely before replacing rugs.

Reduce periods of direct sunlight

Protect your carpet from prolonged periods of direct sunlight with blinds, shades, or awnings.

Vacuuming

Vacuum frequently for long-term beauty

The most important step in caring for your carpet is vacuuming it thoroughly and frequently, particularly in high-traffic areas. Walking on soiled carpet allows the soil particles to work their way below the surface of the pile where they are far more difficult to remove and can damage the carpet fibers. Frequent vacuuming removes these particles from the surface before problems occur. For rooms with light traffic, vacuum the carpet traffic lanes twice weekly and the entire area once weekly. In areas with heavy traffic, vacuum the carpet traffic lanes daily and the entire area twice weekly. Up to three passes of the machine will suffice for light soiling, but five to seven passes are necessary for heavily soiled areas. Change the vacuuming direction occasionally to help stand the pile upright and reduce matting.

Extend the life of your carpet with a quality vacuum

An inexpensive machine may remove surface dirt but will not effectively remove the hidden dirt and particles embedded in the pile. Invest in a good vacuum cleaner to get the dirt you can't see and prolong the beauty and life of your carpet. To ensure that your vacuum will conform to the highest industry standards, make sure that your vacuum cleaner is certified through the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) Seal of Approval/Green Label Vacuum Cleaner Program. Visit www.carpet-rug.org for details and listings.

Select the best vacuum for your type of carpet

We recommend using vacuums with a rotating brush or combination beater/brush bar that agitates the carpet pile and mechanically loosens soil for removal. Carpet with thick loop pile construction, particularly wool and wool-blend styles, may be sensitive to brushing or rubbing of the pile surface and may become fuzzy. In addition, shag (or cabled) styles with long pile yarns tend to wrap around the rotating brushes causing damage to the yarn. For these products, Shaw recommends a suction-only vacuum or a vacuum with an adjustable brush lifted away from the carpet so it does not agitate the pile. Be sure to test a vacuum with a beater/brush bar in an inconspicuous location before regular use, to make sure it doesn't produce excessive fuzzing.

Spot and Spill Removal

Stain solutions for your carpet

No carpet is stain proof, but since many are stain resistant, you have time to act. Select your stain from the drop-down menu to get specific instructions, or refer to the general guidelines below. Remove as much of food spills as possible by scraping the carpet gently with a spoon or a dull knife. Absorb wet spills quickly by blotting repeatedly with white paper or white cloth towels. Always blot; never 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. Remove the stain using one of the cleaning items from the checklist below. Rinse the cleaned carpet area with water to remove detergent residue that may become sticky and cause rapid re-soiling. Absorb any remaining moisture by placing several layers of white towels over the spot and weighing them down with a heavy object. This step is necessary even when the carpet doesn't seem particularly damp. Do not over apply or use excessive chemicals. Be prepared for any spill with the following checklist:

White cloths or white paper towels

Detergent solution

Mix mild liquid detergent with water (no more than 1/4 teaspoon of detergent to 32 ounces of water). A clear, non-bleach liquid dishwashing detergent such as Dawn, Joy, or clear Ivory is recommended. Do not use detergents that are cloudy or creamy because they may leave a sticky residue.

Vinegar solution

Mix 1 part white vinegar to 1 part water.

Ammonia solution

Mix one tablespoon of ammonia to one cup of water. (Do not use on wool or wool-blend carpets.)

Non-oily nail polish remover

Chewing gum remover (freeze or solid type)

Spot Remover

Use spot removers designed specifically for grease, oil, or tar, such as Carbona or Energine.

Specialty Spot Removers

Several specialty spotting products are available from cleaning industry suppliers to remove difficult stains such as Betadine, food dyes, mustard, etc.

Carpet Cleaning

Protect your carpet color

In addition to frequent vacuuming, its important to clean your carpet on a regular basis. Cleaning systems will remove the oily, sticky soil that vacuums can't take out, and will help keep your carpet looking great over time.

Cleaning systems target the soils that result from cooking vapors, air pollution, and tracked-in dirt. The particles of oily soil deposited on carpet fibers can cause gradual but significant dulling of colors. The color isn't lost, but is hidden under the film. If this type of soil is allowed to accumulate, it begins to attract and hold the dry soil.

Get on a cleaning schedule

If carpet is cleaned before it becomes too unsightly, the cleaning chore will be easier and more successful. Carpet in a typical household should be cleaned every 12 to 18 months, depending on the number of residents and amount of activity.

Choosing the proper cleaning system is important. Some systems may leave residues which accelerate re-soiling and defeats the whole purpose of cleaning.

Hot water extraction

Research indicates that the hot water extraction system provides the best capability for cleaning. This system is commonly referred to as "steam cleaning," although no steam is actually generated. The process consists of applying a cleaning agent into the carpet pile and using water in the extractor to recover the used solution and soil. This can be done from a truck-mounted unit outside the home with only the hose and wand brought inside or by a portable system brought into the home.

Professional advantages

Professional carpet cleaners are a great choice for your floor. Their cleaning equipment has more extraction power than the rental units available to individuals, and the carpet should dry more quickly. True professionals also understand the equipment, know the proper cleaning agents for the situation at hand, and recognize the differences in fibers and carpet construction.

Locate a professional carpet cleaner

Effective January 1, 2008, professional service must be performed by an IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) certified firm.** You may contact the IICRC at 1-800-835-4624 for information. This organization maintains a national directory of independent professional cleaners who are trained and certified in a variety of cleaning specialties. Call and explain that you have purchased a Shaw carpet, and be sure to ask for a cleaner near you who uses the hot water extraction system. If you prefer tackling the job yourself, check these do-it-yourself guidelines before you begin.

Cleaning - Do It Yourself

Do-It-Yourself Carpet Cleaning

If you decide to rent a steam cleaning machine and clean your carpet yourself, you'll need to choose your equipment carefully. Most rental units available do not adequately clean and may actually damage the carpet. Do-it-yourself system equipment and cleaning products must be certified under the Carpet and Rug Institute's Seal of Approval program. Visit www.carpet-rug.org for a list of approved products/equipment. Check several cleaning systems before making a selection and consider the following:

Make sure the carpet will dry quickly

The cleaning equipment you select should have enough vacuum power to allow the carpet to dry within 6 to 12 hours after cleaning. Units that do not have the power to extract the cleaning solution from the carpet adequately may actually damage the carpet due to over wetting.

Do not get the carpet too wet

Prolonged dampness more than 24 hours may promote growth of mold and bacteria in the carpet or cause separation of the backing.

Do not use excessive detergent

Use a cleaning solution with a pH less than 10, preferably near 9, and with a minimum of non sticky residue. The attraction between the detergent and the soil and oil particles is critical during the cleaning process. However, if it isn't rinsed completely, the detergent residue continues to attract the particles after cleaning. Increasing the amount of cleaning solution beyond the recommended level does not increase cleaning performance, but makes the removal of detergent more difficult. Because buildup of detergent residue is the most common cause of accelerated re-soiling complaints, Shaw also recommends a clear-water rinse after cleaning.

Know your warranty guidelines

Carpet with stain resistant treatments must be cleaned with products formulated for this purpose, or the stain resistance will be impaired and the warranty voided. Do not use cleaning or spotting solutions that contain bleaches or optical brighteners because they can discolor the carpet. Please refer to (Homeowner Obligations) for additional information.

Do not use silicone-based anti-soil treatments

Use fans to expedite drying time

Reduce drying time by using several fans to move air across the carpet in combination with a dehumidifier or air conditioner to pull moisture out of the air. Carpet should dry within 12 hours; even fewer hours is better.

We do not recommend Bonnet cleaning systems.

These systems employ a rotating bonnet of terry cloth or other absorbent material to agitate the carpet pile and absorb soil. A detergent solution is sprayed onto the pile and then worked with the bonnet attached to a rotary floor polisher. The Bonnet system has very limited capability for soil removal and leaves much of the detergent in the pile since it employs no real extraction. As a result, rapid re-soiling often occurs. Another disadvantage is that the spinning bonnet may distort the fibers of cut pile carpet, fuzz the pile, and leave distinct swirl marks.