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Cut Cost Carpets
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Useful Information
Caring for your carpets
With a little care and
attention you will be able to prolong the life of your carpet and help it keep
its good looks.
When a carpet is new:
Many people believe that you
should not vacuum new carpets. This is
not the case and you can in fact vacuum straight away.
When your new carpet is fitted
you may notice a few single tufts or loose ends standing above the pile. This is quite normal and they should be
trimmed off with a sharp knife. Don’t
pull them as this could damage your carpet.
Your carpet may also “shed” fluff for sometime after fitting. This is caused by very short lengths of fibre left over from the manufacturing process coming loose
with use. This is not a fault and the
fluff should be simply vacuumed away.
Vacuum regularly!
Dirt and tiny pieces of grit
become trapped in all carpets. As the
carpet is walked on these particles rub against the fibres
and can cause premature wear. Vacuum at
least once a week and use doormats to remove excess dirt and grit.
Using rugs:
You might also like to
consider using rugs or mats in areas that receive particularly high wear such
as in front of chairs. People have a
habit of shuffling their feet when sitting eating or watching television. This can damage the pile of the carpet
causing wear and flattening. This effect
(known in the trade as “TV shuffle”), can be reduced using rugs, occasionally
repositioning furniture (if practical) and making people take their shoes off!
Your footwear:
Also remember that rubber
soled shoes such as trainers are designed to grip and therefore pull at the
pile in your carpet. If you avoid
wearing such footwear in the house your carpet may retain its looks for longer.
Stair Carpets:
In most homes stair carpets
take the most punishment. It is
therefore recommended that when you fit a stair carpet you leave enough carpet
to allow for a change of tread on each stair every six months. This evens out wear and will prolong the life
of your carpet. In practice this is more
often recommended than actually done! It
requires the stairs to be refitted and can leave an unsightly contrast between
carpet that has been flattened by use and carpet that has yet to be walked
on. So whilst you should do this you may
decide not to. If that is the case we
recommend that you save some spare carpet (if there is any), that can then be
used to re-fit areas of particularly high wear (such as hall, landings or
bottom stairs) sometime in the future.
An even better option of course is to come back to Cut Cost Carpets and
buy a brand new carpet!
How to stop a spill becoming a stain:
Accidental spillages happen
in every home and have the potential to ruin your carpet. Here are some simple tips that may help
prevent a spill becoming a nasty stain.
Act quickly!
Spillages are more easily
removed when tackled immediately. Always
try to avoid a spill from drying on your carpet (with the exception of mud
which, can usually be vacuumed off when dry).
Never scrub!
If you scrub your carpet it
is likely that you will damage the carpet pile, so even if you do remove the
stain you will still have altered the appearance of the carpet. Instead always use a dabbing action or gentle
wiping using absorbent material.
Do not use hot water!
Heat is used in the drying
process to add colour to carpets. If you
add hot water to a spill you are actually encouraging it to bond permanently
with your carpet. Instead use cold water
to rinse the spillage out of the carpet.
Do not soak!
Soaking your carpet with
water may damage the backing. Simply
dampen then soak back up with a clean absorbent cloth or kitchen towel. If you patiently repeat this process then you
have a good chance of removing the spillage completely. Once most of the visible stain has been
removed leave your carpet damp with several layers of kitchen roll weighed down
by something flat and heavy (such as a book) overnight. This will help to draw the remainder of the
stain out of the carpet.
Avoid using washing up liquid!
Have you ever cleaned a
stain using washing up liquid only to find that a dirty mark appears in the
same spot weeks later? This is caused by
traces of detergent being left on the carpet pile. Detergent clings to dirt (which is why it
cleans so well), but if not rinsed away it will gather dirt where you don’t
want it and keep it there! If you do use
detergent make sure that you rinse the carpet very well indeed!
Dealing with spills and even routine cleaning will be
much easier if you have had your carpet treated.
The following is a guideline
on removing certain substances from your carpet. For persistent stains, or if in doubt,
consult a professional carpet cleaner.
How to deal with stains:
Coffee & Tea, Red
Wine, Port & Sherry, Fruit Juice & Milk
Always soak up the liquid
with absorbent tissue, then dab the area with a clean white cloth which, has
been moistened in a solution of diluted carpet shampoo and warm water.
Grease
Using a blunt knife or
spatula, remove as much solid material as possible. Blot up the residue and treat with a dry
cleaning liquid, blotting frequently with an absorbent cloth.
Tar
Carefully scrape up the
solids with a blunt knife, and then treat the stain with a recognized brand of
tar remover, following the instructions carefully.
Urine
Mop up immediately and dab
area with a solution of diluted carpet shampoo and one egg cup of white vinegar
per pint of solution.
Blood
Always soak up the liquid
with absorbent tissue, then dab the area with a clean white cloth, moisten with
cold water. If the stain has been
allowed to dry, dissolve with cold water and continue as before.
Interesting fact:
Bloodstains often return! It is not
unusual to remove a bloodstain only to find it reappears later (particularly if
there has been a large amount of blood).
Needless to say this phenomenon has brought out the superstitious side
in some people. However, there is a
simple scientific explanation. Blood has
a natural capillary action and therefore in very tight spaces (such as between
carpet fibres) is drawn upwards. So whilst the blood on the surface of the
carpet may have been removed more blood may be trapped deeper in the pile. This is then drawn to the surface overtime
giving the ghostly impression that the bloodstain has returned!
Animal Accidents
Carefully scrape up the
solids with a blunt knife, and then dab the area with a clean white cloth
moistened with a solution of diluted carpet shampoo and warm water.
Paint (Oil Based)
Blot excess spillage with
absorbent tissue, and then clean with white spirit. Dab the area with diluted carpet shampoo and
then follow with an application of clean water.
Dab until dry and brush the affected area.
Paint (Emulsion)
Blot excess spillage with
absorbent tissue, and then clean the affected area with cold water. Apply diluted carpet shampoo on a clean white
cloth, apply clean water and dab dry.
Chocolate
Carefully scrape off excess
using a blunt knife. Dab the area with a
clean white cloth, moistened in a solution of diluted carpet shampoo and warm
water.
Shoe Polish
Carefully scrape up the
solid and clean gently with a dry cleaning fluid. Then use a clean white cloth, moistened with
diluted carpet shampoo, to rinse the area.
Chewing Gum
Freeze the gum with a
proprietary freezing agent, break up when frozen and remove. Repeat as necessary.
Curry
An
extremely difficult stain. Large marks should be treated
professionally. With small marks, scrape
off the deposit and rub lightly with borax solution (15 ml borax to 500 ml
water). Stubborn stains can sometimes be
helped with a little neat glycerine rubbed into the
carpet and left for about 10 minutes.
Then sponge out with warm water and blot dry.
Felt-Tip Pen
Some felt-tip pens have
spirit-based ink; some have water-based ink.
Methylated spirit on a cotton wool bud will remove spirit-based ink,
which has a pungent smell. But do not
allow it to penetrate to a foam backing.
The methylated spirit may stain a light coloured
carpet. For water-based ink, use carpet
shampoo.
Ball-Point Pen
Speedy action is
essential. Dab with methylated spirit on
a cotton wool bud. Take care not to
spread the stain. On vinyl, upholstery
or wall coverings, immediately scrub with a nailbrush and warm soapy water (the
ink will cause a permanent mark if left).
Nail Varnish
Spoon up deposit; avoid
spreading the stain. Moisten a pad of
cotton wool with amylacetate or acetone (non-oily
nail varnish remover), and dab on affected area. Use it only in a well ventilated area.
Deep Cleaning
Inevitably some dirt will accumulate
overtime and this can cause a carpet to lose its freshness. In such cases we recommend professional
cleaning. Indeed periodic professional
cleaning (how often depends on use), can help to prolong the life of your
carpet.