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Care and Maintenance
Floor coverings don't last forever and will eventually show signs of age and wear. The following are some tips for how to care for your flooring and ideas for tackling common stains and spills.
Carpet Care Tips
Have your carpet professionally steam cleaned every 1-2 years.
Regular vacuuming helps to keep carpet in optimum condition.
Attend to stains as soon as they occur.
To remove the ‘flattening’ or ‘tracking’ that occurs in many carpets from furniture, apply a steam iron over a piece of paper towel placed over the affected area.
Regular vacuuming may assist to prevent flattening, but not eradicate it completely.
Place rugs in high traffic areas, such as entrances and hallways to prevent excess wear.
Should any loops or tufts of carpet come loose from sharp objects etc, cut the loop off so that it is level with the pile using a pair of sharp scissors.
Do not pull the loose yarn as this can cause the carpet to ‘run’.
Try to avoid exposing carpet to direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time, to prevent fading.
Cut pile carpets can often develop ‘shading’, where parts of the carpet seem lighter in some areas and darker in others. However, this is not related to manufacture of the carpet – it is a random phenomenon affecting the appearance rather than the performance of the carpet.
Carpets may loosen when first installed and may need to be re-stretched.
Shredding or fluffing of carpet fibres may occur when carpet is first installed and will disappear with regular vacuuming.
Carpet Stain Removal
1. General Tips:
Act as quickly as you can to remove the stain.
For really serious stains, it may be worthwhile to consult a professional carpet cleaner.
Please also note that certain stains may permanently damage the colour of your carpet.
Never ‘scrub’ stains – always rub gently and blot.
A good method to blot carpet dry is to place paper towel onto wet carpet and stamp on it with your foot or a heavy object, to soak up the excess moisture.
2. Prepare surface for stain removal:
Dry Spills: Vacuum or remove excess liquid by applying an absorbent towel and stamping or weighing down on the area.
Wet Spills: Scoop as much of the substance off carpet as possible and then blot with cloth or paper towel.
Dried Spills: Where liquid spills have dried, remove as much of the substance as possible with a small, soft hand brush or spatula to break up crusted materials and them vacuum thoroughly.
3. After completing steps above, try the following stain removal techniques for items inc. the following:
for asphalt, betadine, butter, chocolate, crayon, felt tip pen, furniture dye, furniture polish, glue, grease, permanent ink, insecticides, iodine, lipstick, liquor, mascara, mayonnaise, motor oil, nail polish, oil, oil-based paint, shoe polish, salad dressing, soy sauce, soup, candle wax.
1. Blot substance with dry towel to removal excess.
2. Apply some dry cleaning fluid (non-flammable) or alcohol – enough to dampen the stain, blot to remove excess moisture, rinse thoroughly. Repeat until stain no longer appears on towel.
3. If stain is still visible, apply a small amount of commercially available cleaning solution and gently agitate the stained area, blot, rinse thoroughly with clear water and blot again.
4. Apply white vinegar to the stain, rinsing thoroughly with water and then blot dry.
for beer, berries, bleach, blood, chalk, clay, fruit juice, faeces, gravy, washable ink, ice cream, tomato sauce, medicine, milk, soft drink, paint, tomato juice, toothpaste, whiskey, wine, water-based paint.
1. Apply a small amount of commercially available cleaning solution and gently agitate stain, blotting to remove any excess. Rinse thoroughly with clear water and blot to remove any excess.
2. Apply ammonia solution (of one tablespoon nonbleaching household ammonia with one cup warm water), blot, rinse thoroughly with water and blot again.
3. Apply white vinegar, blot, rinse thoroughly with water and blot dry.
for coffee, mustard, tea, urine, vomit, water colour paints:
1. Apply commercially available cleaning fluid and gently agitate the stained area, blot to remove, rinse thoroughly with clear water and blot again to remove excess moisture.
2. Apply white vinegar to stain, blot, rinse thoroughly with clear water and blot dry again.
Source: www.ulstercarpets.com
For Wool Carpets affected by alcohol, blood, coffee, soft drink, fruit juice, latex paint:
Cold water, followed by one teaspoon of wool detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar and one litre of warm water.
Bleach: Cold water, followed by professional carpet cleaning.
Butter, cooking oils, felt tip pen, lipstick, oil and grease, shoe polish, furniture polish, unknown materials: Apply a dry cleaning solvent, such as a white spirit, on dry carpet, followed by one teaspoon of wool detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar and one litre of warm water.
Chewing Gum: Chill with aerosol freezing agent or ice cubes in a plastic bag. Pick off or scrape off the gum and then apply a dry cleaning solvent, such as a white spirit.
Nail Polish: Apply nail polish remover that does not contain lanolin.
Wine: Cold water, followed by one teaspoon of wool detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar and one litre of warm water. Apply a mixture of 1/3 cup white vinegar and 2/3 cup of water.
Vomit: One teaspoon of wool detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar and one litre of warm water followed by clear household disinfectant. Apply a mixture of 1/3 cup white vinegar and 2/3 cup of water.
Fresh urine: Cold water followed by one teaspoon of wool detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar and one litre of warm water and then a clear household disinfectant. For old urine, contact a professional carpet cleaner.
Rust: Apply rust remover, followed by cold water.
Tomato sauce: Warm water followed by one teaspoon of wool detergent with one teaspoon of white vinegar and one litre of warm water.
Source: A Guide to Caring for your Wool Carpet, Wools of New Zealand
Vinyl Care Tips
We do not recommend that you wash new vinyl flooring for at least 24 hours after installation to allow the flooring to settle and adhere.
Sweep any excess dirt with a soft brush or vacuum, prior to applying floor cleaner and rinsing the cleaner thoroughly with warm water.
Spills and stains should be removed immediately with a damp cloth.
Marks can usually be removed using a damp cloth with Eucalyptus oil.
Do not use solvent or ammonia based cleaning products or detergents containing pine oil.
Dragging heavy objects across your vinyl flooring can cause scuffmarks. If the floor is not permanently damaged, add Eucalyptus oil to a damp cloth and wipe the marks, wash the area with a floor cleaner and apply several coats of floor finish protector.
Rubber mats and rubber tips on furniture will often cause discolouration.
Timber Laminate Care Tips
Sweep dirt and dust with a broom.
Do not clean timber laminate floating flooring with water – only use a damp cloth with mild detergent.
Please note that the above is to be used as a guide only –
Distinctive Floor Coverings make no warranties or representations as to the success of these treatments. If in doubt and for serious stain removal, please contact a floor cleaning professional.
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