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Maintaining Your Carpeting 
Proper care will help to retain the luster and beauty of your new carpet.
 
Most residential carpet doesn't actually wear out, but it loses its original appearance and luster long before its fibers wear down.  Just how long your carpet will look good depends on a number of factors, including carpet construction, household traffic patterns, exposure to soiling and stains, and maintenance.  The most important thing you can do for your carpet is vacuum it regularly.  Removing dirt particles will reduce abrasion that can dull carpet fibers.  Keeping your carpet free from dirt will also reduce the frequency of cleaning, prolonging the life of your carpet's protective treatment.  You simply cannot over-vacuum carpet.  As a general rule, we recommend that carpets be vacuumed twice per week overall and daily in high-traffic or high-use areas.  Upright vacuums have been proven most effective, though canister vacuums equipped with a beater bar are also effective.  Proper care and maintenance will ensure you get the most from your investment. 
 

Easy ways to protect your carpeting . . .

 

Use entrance mats.  Place mats inside and outside the entrances of your home to trap soil before it can be tracked inside.  Soil is the greatest threat to your carpet's appearance.  Clean mats on a regular basis.

 

Vacuum frequently.  You cannot vacuum too often.  The most important step in caring for your carpet is vacumming 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 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 vacuum 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. 

Use a quality vaccum to extend the life of your carpet.  An inexpensive machine may remove surface dirt, but it 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.  A vacuum with a rotating brush or combination beater-brush bar that agitates the carpet pile and mechanically loosens soil for removal is recommended for most carpets.  However, carpets with thick loop pile construcion, particularly wool and wool-blen d styles may be sensitive to brushing or rubbing and may become fuzzy if this type of vacuum is used.  Also shag (or cabled) styles with long pile yarns tend to wrap around the rotating brushes causing damage to the yarn.  For these products, a suction-only vacuum or a vacuum with an adjustable brush lifted away from the carpet, so as not to agitate the pile, is recommended. 

Blot up spills immediately.  Always blot the area being cleaned - never rub, scrub or brush.

 
 

Tips for potential "problems" 

 

Shedding - common in new carpet with cut pile.  It does not affect carpet quality and regular vacuuming will provide remedy.  The condition will diminish after a few weeks or months depending on how frequently vacuumed.

 

Sprouting Tufts - occasionally small tufts can stick up above the surface of cut pile.  Do not pull them, simply clip them off with scissors.

 

Dents - often caused by furniture.  Use the edge of a coin to lift the pile.  Severe dents may be lifted using a hair dryer (hot) while tugging upward on the tufts..

 

Footprints - All cut pile carpets show footprints.  This is not a defect.  The deeper the pile, the more these marks will show.

 

Snags - occurs when a sharp object hooks on the fibers.  Do not pull the snag.  Clip it off with scissors.

 

Burns - remove the tops of the darkened, burned fibers with curved fingernail scissors.  Severe burns may require patching or replacement.

 

Crushed Pile - Vacuum regularly with a "beater bar" type vacuum, or use a plastic or wooden carpet rake to restore,

 

Pilling - Occasionally heavy traffic or certain types of carpet can create little balls of lint or tangled fibers.  Simply pull them off by hand or clip them with scissors.

 

Have carpeting cleaned professionally.  You should have carpeting professionally cleaned every twelve to eighteen months.  It will not only keep your carpeting fresher, brighter and newer-looking longer, but they can perform other maintenance to your carpet as well.  Research indicates that the hot water extraction system provides the best capability for cleaning.  It is often referered to as "steam cleaning," although no steam is actually generated.  A cleaning agent is applied into the carpet pile using water and an 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 a portable unit may be brought inside.  Professional cleaning systems will remove the oily, sticky soil that vacuums cannot remove. These soils cause gradual, but significant dulling of colors. 
 
 
*Be sure to stay off the carpet for 8-12 hours after cleaning to allow carpeting to dry properly. 
 
 

 
4.  Clean periodically.  Have your carpet professionally cleaned before it shows traffic patterns.  Soil particles can damage the carpet yarn.  Refer to your warranty for recommended cleaning procedures for your particular carpet fiber.

 
 *Avoid aerosol foam carpet cleansers such as those available at grocery stores.  They leave a residue that attracts soil.