Carpet Care – How to Keep Your Carpet Clean

How to Keep Your Carpet Clean

Carpet may be one of the easiest types of flooring to take care of. Learn how to keep yours looking great over time with a simple care program:

• Preventive Maintenance – protect your investment before you have a problem.  You can address high traffic areas and harsh conditions with additional care.  For example, consider a protective mat if you bring a lot of outside debris from entryways.  If you have a pet kennel or feeding area, protect those areas with similar mats.
• Vacuuming – Vacuuming your carpets prolongs the life and beauty of your floor.  In general, more vacuuming is better, since dirt and debris cause early carpet wear more frequently than anything else. This is because the dirt acts as an abrasive against the carpet fibers, breaking them down and causing wear.
• Spot and Spill Removal – be prepared for the unavoidable.  If you have children or pets, this is even more important.  The faster you can get a spill cleaned up, the better.  Debris and dirt is attracted to the moisture in the spill and it creates a place for more dirt and debris to congregate.
• Professional Cleaning – We recommend steam extraction cleaning, because many carpet “shampoo” systems leave too much moisture in the carpet, and it will actually attract more dirt and debris.  Moisture removal is key to adequate carpet care.

No carpet is absolutely stain proof

Some carpets have stain resistant treatments that improve your ability to clean stains, but not prevent them. Similarly, carpets with soil resistant treatments reduce the rate of soiling, but all carpets require regular care and maintenance. Resist carpet soil and stains with R2X, Shaw’s own breakthrough technology.

Keeping your carpet clean from stains and soil

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 discolored area appears to be a stain.

The same thing happens when spills are cleaned with a detergent solution and the area is not sufficiently rinsed with plain water, leaving a sticky detergent residue. It is important to rinse thoroughly with water and blot dry after removing any spill.

You will want to reference the manufacturer’s warranty for specific care requirements.