Common Carpet Characteristics

After your new carpet has been installed, you may notice some characteristics that are common but need a little explanation.

Shedding

Shedding occurs when loose fibers are removed by vacuuming. It's normal and subsides after several vacuumings. Some staple yarns will shed to a lesser degree over the life of the carpet and is an inherent characteristic and not considered a defect.

Sprouting

When small tufts extend above the cut pile, it's called sprouting. These tufts are easily removed by clipping the extended yarns. Be sure to use scissors and never attempt to remove the yarns by pulling on them.

Pulled Yarn

This may occur occasionally along the walls or at the seams. Don't pull the yarns, call your dealer or the installer.

Depressions

These occur when heavy objects such as furniture press down on the face of the fiber. They can be removed by gently rubbing the affected area with the edge of a coin or lifting gently upwards on the tufts while using a steam iron. Never touch the iron to the carpet or hold it too close. An inferior carpet cushion can be permanently dented by heavy objects.

Pile Crushing or Matting

Crushing or matting can be caused by heavy traffic or excessive soiling. It can be reduced by regular vacuuming with a "beater-bar" type vacuum cleaner. Using small area rugs and frequently rearranging the furniture can also help prevent crushing and matting.

Buckling and Wrinkling

This occurs when the carpeting is installed without the use of a power stretcher. If this occurs, contact your retailer or installer to have your carpet power stretched.

Simple Maintenance

Your carpet is subject to more abuse than any piece of furniture in your house. Different styles of carpeting will react to this differently. And the way it is vacuumed and maintained, as well as the condition of the vacuum cleaner, can also affect your carpet's performance.

It's important to vacuum on a regular basis, using a top quality upright vacuum with a beater brush and an efficient dust catching bag, to prolong the life of the carpet. In heavy traffic areas you should vacuum three to four times a week. The vacuum used can also improve indoor air quality, but an inadequate vacuum can actually exacerbate the problem.

Dealing With Spills

Most carpet available today is treated with any of several stain resistant and soil retardant chemicals. And that means that most spills can be removed without leaving a permanent stain. Remember, NO carpet is 'stain-proof'! Even those with stain resistant treatments. The best thing you can do is to get to the spill quickly, before the stain has a chance to set.

Let's face it, no matter how you try to avoid it, at some point someone is going to spill something on your beautiful carpet. This doesn't have to be the end of the world. Just follow the advice below and you should be okay.

Whoops! - Spot Cleaning

• Act quickly. Remove spots before they dry.
• Blot liquids with a clean, white, absorbent cloth or paper towel. Scoop up semi-solids with a rounded spoon. Break up solids and vacuum up as thorougly as possible.
• Pretest any spot removal agent in an inconspicuous area to make sure it won't damage the carpet or its dyes.
• Follow the steps on the chart below, absorbing as much as possible before proceeding to the next step.
• Gently work in a small amount of the recommended cleaning solution. Don't scrub. Work from the edges of the spot in to the center. Blot thoroughly and repeat the process until the spot is gone.
• Repeat with clean water and blot again to remove any cleaner residue.
• Absorb the remaining moisture with layers of white paper towels weighted down with a non staining glass or ceramic object.
• When the carpet is dry, vacuum or brush the pile to restore the texture.
• If that doesn't do it, call a professional carpet cleaner.

Long Term Care

Vacuuming two or three times each week using a top quality upright vacuum with a beater brush and an efficient dust catching bag is the best thing you can do to extend the life of your carpet. But having the carpet professionally deep cleaned every 12 to 18 months is essential as well. When we say "professionally", we mean either doing it yourself with professional equipment or hiring a carpet cleaning company to do the job for you. If you're going to do it yourself, make sure you read your manufacturer's recommendations first.

Dry Method

There are three ways to "dry" clean your carpeting. Absorbent compounds, absorbent pads or dry foam. These minimum-moisture systems are good in areas where high humidity makes it difficult to remove a wet cleaning solution.

Wet Method

Use either a shampoo cleaning or hot water extraction method. Observe the following guidelines:

It's extremely important not to over-wet the carpet. Over-wetting can result in 'wicking' of staining materials from the backing and even promote the growth of mold and mildew on the backing or cushion.

It's necessary to remove furniture or place plastic or aluminum foil under and around the furniture legs to prevent rust or stains.

Let the carpet dry completely before walking on it. Fans, open windows and,moderate room temperatures will speed up the drying process.

The carpet and cushion should be thoroughly dried within 12 to 24 hours in order to avoid the possible growth of mold and mildew.

Professional Cleaning should be considered for quality cleaning as well as for saving time and energy. Call CarpetOne or your retailer to see if professional cleaning is offered or to get a recommendation on a cleaner near you.