CARING FOR YOUR CARPET

A new wool carpet will last longer and look better if a routine of regular vacuuming, periodic cleaning and immediate removal of spots and spills is followed.

Very little equipment is required to maintain a carpet well. A good vacuum cleaner is essential as well as a small box of supplies - including carpet shampoo, dry cleaning fluid and clean absorbent cloths or paper tissues to remove spills.

The following are three sound basic rules for keeping your carpet looking its best.

ddd-Vacuum regularly - at least once a week and more often in heavy traffic areas.
ddd-Remove stains and spills immediately.
ddd-Wet clean as required (but generally not more than once every one or two years)

VACUUMING
Regular vacuuming is required so that soil does not become embedded in the pile, causing accelerated wear by grinding at the base of the tufts. Generally speaking, an electrically-powered vacuum cleaner is much more efficient than a carpet sweeper, which is adequate only for taking up surface dirt, fluff and crumbs in between regular vacuumings. For a long pile shag it is best to fluff up the pile daily with a light-weight rake especially bought for the purpose. A suction-type vacuum should be used for weekly vacuuming.

CLEANING

Wet Shampoo
It is important to use a neutral shampoo on wool carpets - certainly not one that is alkaline. Never use house hold detergents, and don't use shampoos which smell of ammonia. To check proprietary carpet shampoos, leave a bit in a saucer overnight, pour off excess and allow to dry to see if it leaves a sticky residue to which house dust could cling.

Absorbent powder
There are a range of cleaning powders available which are either solvent-saturated or detergent-saturated. After vacuuming, the powder is sprinkled liberally on the carpet, brushed into pile and then vacuumed out although it is virtually impossible to remove all the powder from the pile.

The powder method does not clean as thoroughly as the wet shampoo but it does freshen-up a carpet. It also distorts the pile less and, because the carpet is not wetted, the room is ready for re-use sooner.

Aerosol foam shampoo
For light cleaning of small areas, aerosol foam shampoos can be used. It is advisable to test the shampoo first for stickiness as with ordinary carpet shampoos. The foam is usually sprayed sparingly on to the carpet and worked into the pile with a moistened sponge or brush. After the carpet is dry, which takes less time than with wet shampoos, the carpet is vacuumed.

Hot water extraction
In the hot water extraction method, sometimes incorrectly referred to as steam cleaning, the carpet pile is injected with a hot water and shampoo solution under pressure so that the soil is suspended in the water which is extracted almost at once by a high suction wet vacuum system.

This method is particularly useful for very dirty carpets because it gets deep-seated dirt out but it does not clean the surface as well as other method. It is also useful for removing excess detergent from successive wet shampooings - and together the two methods can restore a very dirty, flattened carpet. Although hot water extraction machines can be rented, it is best to have this type of cleaning done by a professional cleaner because a certain amount of care is needed not to over-wet the carpet and, thus, distort the pile and backing.

Factory Cleaning
Professional factory cleaning is ideal for rugs and carpet squares because all the dirt can be effectively removed. Although it is not as suitable for wall-to-wall carpet as an on-site cleaning because of the inconvenience and expense of removing and refitting the carpet, it does get the carpet cleaner.

Spot and Stain Removal
The most crucial area of carpet maintenance is the removal of spots and spills. The golden rule is to act quickly. Rapid attention could mean the difference between absolutely no damage and a mark that ruins the appearance of a whole carpet.

The approved method is to blot up liquids with white paper tissues or clean absorbent cloths. Scoop up solids with the end of a knife or spoon and then treat the stain according to the following table with one of two cleaning solutions.

For oily or greasy stains: use dry-cleaning solvent (perchloroethylene or methylated spirits) or an aerosol spray of proprietary carpet stain remover for greasy stains.

For water-based stains: use a solution of proprietary carpet shampoo, an aerosol spray of carpet stain remover for non-greasy stains.

The stain removal chart included here advises on methods of treating stains and the order they should be tried. For instance, if clean warm water does not remove all traces of a beverage, try a solution of biological washing powder next.

Most of the agents recommended in the stain removal chart are easy to obtain. However, if you cannot get sodium hydrosulphite or hydrochloric acid from your chemist, call a professional cleaner instead. A freezing agent is available in aerosol sprays, but dry ice can be used to harden chewing gum in order to remove it.

For the solutions of sodium hydrosulphite, one teaspoonful of powder to a pint of water equals about 1%, two spoonfuls equals 2% and 5 spoonfuls equals 5%. (Sodium hydrosulphite is a mild bleach and it can be used safely on most light-coloured carpets. In the case of patterned carpets, test it first on an inconspicuous corner of the carpet).

Always work inwards from the edge of the stain to prevent it spreading. Apply small amounts of cleaning agent at a time so as not to over wet the carpet, blot between applications with paper tissues or dry cloths. Do not rub the stain, rubbing will spread it over a bigger area and distort the pile. Rinse the treated area with clear tepid water, especially if a bleach like sodium hydrosulphite is used, and place a thick wad of white tissues on the treated area weighed down with a heavy object until dry.