1. Vacuuming: The single most
important art of any carpet maintenance program is vacuuming.
Heavy and moderate traffic areas should be vacuumed daily.
Vacuum light traffic areas regularly.
2. Stain and Spill Removal:
Spills are inevitable, but quick removal reduces the likelihood
of staining. To remove most spills, use clean, warm water or a
general-purpose detergent spotter. For most spills, the basic
removal procedure is the same:
a) Blot as much of the spill
as you can with an absorbent towel. Always work towards the
center of the spill. Do not rub! If the spill is solid or
semisolid, gently scrape off what you can with a dull knife;
b) Apply carpet spotter to the
spill. This is a detergent solution that is specially made for
use on carpets. Never use other kinds of cleaning solutions,
such as bleach. These may permanently damage the carpet;
c) Tamp or pat in the carpet
spotter with a tamping brush;
d) Wait 3 minutes for the
carpet spotter to do its job;
e) Blot again;
f) Rinse with clean water; and
g) Blot as dry as possible.
C. PROFESSIONAL CARPET
CLEANING
1. Carpet should be
professionally cleaned when soil is barely noticeable to
eliminate soil bonding and to restore color brightness and
vacuuming efficiency. When IICRC) Carpet Cleaning Standard S001,
using carpet care products that have been tested and certified
by the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Seal of Approval Program.
Compliance here will assure
that the best available equipment and cleaning agents are used
to maintain carpet while minimizing residue. Although ambient
heat and humidity influence drying time, when properly cleaned
in a well-ventilated room, carpet drying time can occur within
4-8 hours.
Maintenance Guidelines
Coupled with hot water
extraction, proper maintenance will preserve the beauty and
color of your original carpet. Atlas Carpet Mills suggests
preventive steps such as walk-off mats, grates, and removable
elevator carpets. The single most important part of any carpet
maintenance program is vacuuming, which should be done daily for
moderate and heavily trafficked areas.
A carpet’s warranty will not
be effective if the carpet is not maintained properly or if
improper cleaning methods or chemicals are used. The use of
harsh cleaning processes and improper chemicals can cause
permanent damage to your carpet.
A. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
1. Outside Maintenance:
Minimize the immediate sources of soil around the perimeter of
the building by keeping sidewalks, parking lots and garages
adjacent to the building as clean as possible. Remove snow and
ice instead of treating it with chemicals or sand.
2. Soil Barriers: Use walk-off
mats, grates and removable elevator carpets to help collect soil
before it can be tracked into the building. These barriers
should be vacuumed daily and cleaned frequently to be effective.
3. Chair Pads: Place chair
pads under desk chairs to prevent casters from continuously
grinding soil into the carpet.
4. Restricted Areas: Reserve
specific areas for eating, drinking and smoking to help confine
difficult sources of soil and dirt.
5. HVAC Maintenance: Replace
and/or clean filters on a regular basis to remove as many
airborne particles as possible.
B. ROUTINE MAINTENANCE
1. Vacuuming: The single most
important part of any carpet maintenance program is vacuuming.
Heavy and moderate traffic areas should be vacuumed daily.
Vacuum light traffic areas regularly.
2. Stain and Spill Removal:
Spills are inevitable, but quick removal reduces the likelihood
of staining. To remove most spills, use clean, warm water or a
general-purpose detergent spotter. For most spills, the basic
removal procedure is the same:
a) Blot as much of the spill
as you can with an absorbent towel. Always work towards the
center of the spill. Do not rub! If the spill is solid or
semisolid, gently scrape off what you can with a dull knife;
b) Apply carpet spotter to the
spill. This is a detergent solution that is specially made for
use on carpets. Never use other kinds of cleaning solutions,
such as bleach. These may permanently damage the carpet;
c) Tamp or pat in the carpet
spotter with a tamping brush;
d) Wait 3 minutes for the
carpet spotter to do its job;
e) Blot again;
f) Rinse with clean water; and
g) Blot as dry as possible.
C. PROFESSIONAL CARPET
CLEANING
1. Carpet should be
professionally cleaned when soil is barely noticeable to
eliminate soil bonding and to restore color brightness and
vacuuming efficiency. When carpet is badly soiled, a restorative
cleaning is necessary to revive the appearance.
Carpet cleaning professionals
use a wide variety of methods for cleaning.
D. CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE
1. High or Pulled Loops: All
high or pulled loops should be cut. Pulled loops are created
when furniture or other heavy objects are dragged across the
carpet. If pulled loops are cut, no further damage will result.
If not, they are likely to be
snagged by other objects and can result in unsightly areas where
yarn is missing.
2. Unraveling Seams: Contact
an installation professional for correction. If unraveling seams
are addressed when first observed, the fix can be as simple as
applying seams sealer. If not addressed promptly, unsightly
seams and costly repairs can result.
3. Heavily Trafficked Areas:
Contact a professional carpet cleaning company and request that
they “pile lift” those areas on a regular basis.
Vacuuming
Because more than 80 percent
of all soils are dry, tracked-on substance’s the need for
routine and effective vacuuming cannot be understated. In fact,
vacuuming is considered to be the single most important aspect
of the end-user’s carpet care and cleaning regime.
Today’s makes and models of
vacuum cleaners include upright models, canister models,
backpack models and central units. While each of these type
vacuums has their own advantages, upright vacuums equipped with
beater bar, either fixed or retractable are the most popular.
These type vacuums offer a wide range of use and can be used to
vacuum carpet constructions that include looppile, most
cut-piles, cut-loops and Berbers.
And, because of their beater
bar and brush action they are very effective in removing deeply
embedded dry soils and litter. However, if the beater bar and
brush attachment is not retractable or cannot be removed it can
actually cause damage to cut-pile carpets designed with longer
pile yarn constructions (longer than one inch).
Despite the use of tightly
twisted heatset yarns, the pile agitation associated with beater
bar and brush can cause the pile yarns of these carpets to burst
open (bloom) excessively, thus changing their texture.
Although canister, backpack
and central vacuums lack the advantage of the beater bar and
brush, unless the upright vacuum model allows for their
retraction or detachment, these vacuums are best suited for Shag
and Frieze carpets.
The purpose of vacuuming is to
allow enough lift (airflow, often expressed as “lift” and
measured in inches of mercury). While some consumers may be
under the incorrect assumption that their vacuum setting must be
adjusted so that their vacuum sets firmly on the carpet, a too
deep vacuum setting tends to “seal” the vacuum, thus restricting
airflow.
Without adequate airflow a
vacuum won’t vacuum. If unsure, one way to determine proper
vacuum height setting is to watch the carpet as you begin to
vacuum.
If the setting is too low the
vacuum may have a tendency to lift the carpet. A similar
scenario can occur when attempting to vacuum heavy (pile weight)
carpets. In these cases, an improper vacuum height setting
chokes off the airflow required to create suction.
Carpet is a major expense in
many facilities, and becomes an asset that must be preserved.
This can be best established through an effective, routing
maintenance program. ❑
