Carpet Care and Cleaning

The following hints on carpet maintenance will add considerably to the carpet’s life.

Vacuuming

Weekly vacuuming is recommended so that soil does not become embedded in the pile causing accelerated wear by finding at the base of the tufts.

There are three types of vacuum cleaners: plain suction, beater bar, and revolving bristle strip. All are efficient for regular cleaning, particularly dense pile carpet. For loop pile carpets, use a suction only vacuum.

The last stroke of the vacuum cleaner should be in the pile direction. It is important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the best results.

Cleaning

If you have taken care to vacuum your carpet regularly and remove spills, you may not need to clean your carpet for a year or more, even if it is a light colour. However, when the carpet does start to look soiled, you can either have it professionally cleaned or do it yourself. If you decide to clean the carpet yourself, make sure you use a good quality-cleaning agent and carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions. No matter how careful one is, there is usually a small residue left on the pile after drying and the residue from a poor quality cleaning agent accelerates soiling.

Wet Shampoo

It is important to use a neutral shampoo on wool carpets – certainly not one that is alkaline, never use household detergents, and don’t use shampoos, which smell of ammonia. To check proprietary carpet shampoos, leave a bit in a saucer overnight, pour off excess and allow to dry to see if it leaves a sticky residue to which house dust could cling.

If you use a shampooing machine, follow the instructions carefully. Remove the furniture from the room, if possible and vacuum thoroughly before shampooing. Allow drying overnight before vacuuming and putting the furniture back in place. It’s important not to allow the carpet to get too wet in case the pile and backing become distorted.

Absorbent Powder

There is a range of cleaning powders available, which are either solvent-saturated or detergent-saturated. Check the manufacturer’s instructions.

After vacuuming, the powder is sprinkled liberally on the carpet, brushed into the pile and then vacuumed out.

It is not necessary to remove all the powder from the pile as it can help minimize further soiling. The powder method is an easy way of freshening up a carpet. It also distorts the pile less and, because the carpet is not wetted, the room is ready for re-use sooner.

Aerosol Foam Shampoo

For light cleaning of small areas, aerosol foam shampoos can be used. It is advisable to test the shampoo first for sticky residue, which may attract dust. Foam is usually sprayed sparingly on to the carpet and worked into the pile with a moistened sponge or brush.

Spray Injection – Extraction

With this method, sometimes incorrectly referred to as “steam cleaning”, the carpet pile can be injected with a hot water and detergent solution under pressure so that soil is suspended in the water which is extracted almost at once by a high suction, wet vacuum system.

This method is particularly useful for very dirty carpets as it removes deep-seated dirt, but it may not clean the surface as well as other methods. It is also useful for removing excess detergents form successive wet shampooing – and together the two methods can restore a very dirty, flattened carpet. Although a machine can be rented, it is best to have this type of cleaning done by a professional cleaner because care needs to be taken not to over-wet the carpet and this distorts the pile and backing.

If you do use a rented machine, it is important to follow directions and not exceed the concentrations of additives or the water temperature recommended by the chemical/detergent manufacturer.

Factory Cleaning

Professional factory cleaning is ideal for rugs and carpet squares because all the dirt can be effectively removed. It is not as suitable for wall-to-wall carpet as on-site cleaning because of the inconvenience and expense of removing and refitting the carpet.

Woolcare Stain Treatment for Carpets

TREATMENT (CLEANING AGENT)

1. The solution of one teaspoon of approved wool detergent (e.g. Softly) with one teaspoon of white vinegar and one liter of warm water.
2. Dry-cleaning fluid, lighter fuel or mineral turpentine. Caution: Ensure that no flame or lighted cigarette is near, and use in a well-ventilated area.
3. Mineral turpentine effectiveness is increased if mixed with an equal quantity of dry-cleaning fluid. Caution: Ensure that no flame or lighted cigarette is near, and use in a well-ventilated area.
4. Methylated spirits. Caution: Ensure that no flame or lighted cigarette is near, and use in a well-ventilated area.
5. Hydrogen peroxides (20 vol.). Dilute 1 part to 10 parts cold water. Caution: Do not use on dark or patterned fabric.
6. Dye stripper. Dilute 1 part to 50 parts cold water. Caution: do not use on dark or patterned fabric.
7. Chewing gum remover (freezing agent).
8. Nail polish remover.
9. Clean warm water.
10. Cold water.
11. A weak solution of white vinegar or lemon juice with cold water.
12. Absorbent powder (e.g. salt or talc). Sprinkle on spillage, leave overnight and vacuum next day.

NOTES:

When attempting to remove any stains always ensure that the fabric is dry before proceeding to the next step in the order of treatment.

The solvents normally used in dry cleaning are perchloroethylene, white spirit or fluorocarbons.

Note: Whilst this advice is offered in good faith, no responsibility is accepted for claims arising from the treatments proposed. If stains fail to respond to treatments listed, call a professional fabric cleaner immediately.

WOOLCARE STAIN TREATMENT FOR CARPETS.