Carpet Care
Getting the most from your carpet.
Your new Feltex carpet is a substantial investment and like your other furnishings, requires proper care to keep it looking great over the years to come. You can protect your investment, prolong the life of your carpet and enhance the quality of your indoor environment by following a regular maintenance schedule.
Carpet usually does not wear out in terms of fibre wearing away, rather its appearance can deteriorate over time to a point at which it is no longer acceptable. Experience has shown that proper maintenance can help reduce the rate at which the appearance of a carpet changes.
The Carpet Care Program
A comprehensive carpet care program consists of four elements:
• Preventative measures
• Regular vacuuming
• Steam Cleaning
• Removal of spots and spills
Preventative Measures
• Use new, quality underlay under your carpet, particularly on stairs. Good underlay gives better resilience underfoot and can also add to the life of your carpet. Installing carpet over carpet (i.e. using old carpet as underlay) is not recommended.
• Try to keep your entrance ways free of excessive dirt and substances which can be tracked into the home. Outdoor mats should be used at all entrances to absorb soil and moisture. Mats should be cleaned on a regular basis so they don’t become sources of soil themselves, especially during wet weather.
• Protective indoor mats or rugs are very useful in front of chairs, as the continual grinding of footwear can accelerate wear in these areas. This wear is usually most prevalent in front of chairs used for TV viewing, computer use and under tables.
• Move heavy furniture occasionally to avoid excessive pile crushing. The use of coasters under the legs of tables, chairs and other furniture will help distribute the weight and prevent crushing of the pile. Use protective chair pads under chairs or appliances with rollers or castors to prevent wear and damage to the carpet. When moving heavy wheeled furniture (pianos, buffets, etc), prevent damage by placing a protective barrier of heavy cardboard or similar between the wheels and the carpet.
• Be sure to regularly remove and clean any rugs used over your carpet. Clean and restore the pile of the carpet in the underlying area. Check rugs for colourfastness before replacement, as the dyes in some rugs may bleed through to the carpet. After cleaning your carpet, remember to allow complete drying before replacing rugs.
• Protect your carpet from prolonged periods of sunlight with blinds, shades or awnings and move furniture periodically to expose all areas evenly.
Note of Caution: The colour of your carpet may be affected by various commonly used household products. Some examples are acne medications (cream/lotion) – insecticides – furniture polishes – plant foods – household bleaches – acids – strong alkali – athletic or muscular liniments or creams – chlorine, i.e. swimming pools – hair colourings – corn plasters. These types of products if spilt or sprayed inadvertently on to your carpet, may cause irreversible discolouration. You should carefully read the manufacturer’s direction for the particular products use.
Regular Vacuuming
The most important step in caring for your carpet is vacuuming. Vacuum thoroughly and frequently, particularly in high-traffic areas. Bear in mind that walking on soiled carpet permits 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 fibres. Frequent vacuuming removes these particles from the surface before this happens.
A good quality vacuum cleaner is vital to prolonging the beauty and life of your carpet. A base model machine can remove surface dirt but will not effectively remove the hidden dirt and particles embedded in the pile. Feltex Carpets recommends the use of either upright vacuums or quality barrel vacuums fitted with a power driven rotating brush or combination beater/brush bar that agitates the carpet pile and mechanically loosens soil for removal by the vacuum. This is best suited to a low cut pile carpet. To prevent excess fuzzing turn the brush off or change the head when vacuuming loop pile, cut loop pile or berber carpets.
The following vacuum cleaner features are recommended for luxuriously thick or heavy-duty soft pile carpets to help maintain your investment:
• Adjustable height – use the highest setting where appropriate
• Adjustable suction – use a suction level which allows the vacuum to move easily while lifting dirt and other foreign matter
• Large wheels – vacuum should glide easily across the carpet
• Efficient airflow – avoid vacuums with very concentrated or sealed suction
A light vacuum is recommended at least twice a week and a thorough vacuum weekly. A light vacuum is classed as three passes over an area. A thorough vacuum is five to seven passes over the area.
Steam Cleaning
Carpet should be professionally steam cleaned regularly, approximately every twelve to eighteen months, depending upon the usage and colour. Even though both light and dark colours attract the same dirt and grit, lighter colours tend to show soiling earlier.
Steam cleaning should only be performed by a reputable professional steam cleaner. Your carpet retailer can recommend one.
Steam cleaning when carried out should be in accordance with Australian/New Zealand carpet cleaning and maintenance standard AS/NZS 3733. Reputable carpet cleaners are aware of and abide by this standard.
Shampooing, do-it-yourself steam cleaning or dry cleaning of carpets is not recommended.
Removal of Spots and Spills
Prompt and immediate attention to any spillages or stains is paramount to avoid the penetration of the stain into the carpet fibres and pile and avoid potential discolouration and unsightly markings. Liquids (particularly hot liquids) must be attended to immediately. If allowed to cool or dry, the stain will be almost impossible to remove. However, care must be taken as haphazard attempts at spot removal can cause permanent setting of stain, pile distortion and loss of colour.
1) Do Not Scrub – Always blot, never rub or scrub abrasively as a fuzzy area may result. Immediately scoop up or blot as much of the spill as possible, then continue to blot any residue with a clean white cloth or paper towel, always working from the outer edge toward the centre using a blotting or dabbing motion to avoid the spill spreading. Remember, do not scrub.
2) Stain Removal – Determine the appropriate method of stain removal as set out in the below table. Pre-test the treatment on a small inconspicuous area of carpet to ensure against damage and possible colour change.
3) Press Dry Between Treatments – Ensure carpet is press dried with a clean white cloth or white paper towel between any step in the treatment process to remove excess moisture. Do not rub, as rubbing can alter the texture of the carpet.
4) Dry – After the spill has been treated, place a few layers of paper towels or white cloth over the cleaned area to absorb remaining moisture and weight them down with an object that will not transfer colour. A hairdryer may be used to speed up the process but do NOT overheat the area. Do not walk on the carpet until dry.
5) Call a professional – If the stain fails to respond adequately to treatment, call a professional carpet cleaner immediately.
Cleaning Treatment
Common Household Food & Beverages
Most common household food and beverage stains (not including stains containing strong dyes or substances which destroy or change the colour of carpet) need to be treated solely with warm, not hot, water immediately applied to the stained area. Repeat treatment above until no stain is evident on the cloth or towels used to press dry the area. Should the stain remain, using a clean white cloth or sponge, treat with a mixture of 1 teaspoon of approved wool laundry detergent and 1 teaspoon of white vinegar in 1 litre of warm water. Rinse with warm water, repeating treatment until no stain is evident on cloth or towels.
Other Substances
It is important to identify the source of the stain to ensure use of the appropriate method of removal. Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 3733 (available from Standards Australia offices in state capital cities) provides a comprehensive guide to cleaning practices and stain removal. Set out on the following page are some general recommendations for removal of some common substances. However, while care has been taken in compiling the stain removal guide, removal of these stains cannot be guaranteed and no responsibility is accepted by Feltex Carpets for claims arising from any proposed treatments. Supermarket cleaning products are not recommended.
| Stain Type | Order of Treatment | ||
| Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | |
| Blood | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| Chewing gum | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| Coffee | 2 | 8 | – |
| Faeces | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| Nail polish | 4 | – | – |
| Paint (latex) | 1 | 2 | – |
| Rust | 5 | – | – |
| Soot | 7 | – | – |
| Urine (fresh) | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| Vomit | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| Wine (white) | 2 | 8 | |
Cleaning Agent/Treatment
1. Cold water.
2. One teaspoon mild laundry detergent approved for wool and one teaspoon of white vinegar in
1 litre warm water.
3. Chill with aerosol freezing agent or ice cubes in a plastic bag. Pick or scrape off gum.
4. Clear nail polish remover without lanolin
5. Rust remover (to be applied by a professional carpet cleaner)
6. Clear household disinfectant.
7. Vacuum immediately. If any residue, call a professional carpet cleaner.
8. Rinse with warm water.
Staining Versus Soiling
It should be noted that there is often confusion about the difference between soiling and staining. The majority of stain complaints are actually soil-related. For example, many sugar based spills such as soft drinks and coffee leave a sugar residue after removal; this sticky residue readily attracts soil from ordinary shoe traffic and the resulting discoloured area.
