 Prevention
Prevention
is better than cure! Ensure you have a
good doormat to prevent as much soil as possible
entering your home.
Regular
Vacuuming
Regular Vacuuming
will keep your carpet looking their best. A good
tip is to rake your carpet prior to using the
vacuum cleaner. This will loosen the dirt, pet
hairs and raise the pile, making the vacuuming
far more effective.
Stubborn Spills
and Stains
Act quickly to
stop the stain spreading or penetrating the
carpet fibers. Scrape up solids with a
spoon or palette knife, always working towards
the centre of a spillage to prevent spreading
the stain. Blot up liquids with a clean
white cloth or paper towel.
Periodic Cleaning by
Chem-Dry
Periodic Cleaning
by Chem-Dry Professionals will keep your carpets
looking as good as the day you bought
them. There are many risks involved if you
shampoo your carpets yourself or use unqualified
carpet cleaning companies. For a really
professional job that you can be sure of, call
your local Chem-Dry representative today for a
free, no-obligation quote. |
What is Carpet
Wear?
Premature
wear
Did you
know that carpeting is a textile, just like
upholstery, linens, and clothing? Much like your
favorite pair of jeans that have become faded
and worn at the knees, carpets will start to
show wear marks in the traffic areas.
Wear is a combination of several things.
They include soil in the carpet, traffic lanes,
loss of fibers, infrequent vacuuming, having
imbedded soil in the carpet (that can't be
brought up with vacuuming) and time. Improper
light reflection is also a factor in making a
carpet look dirty.
Improper maintenance
is the main reason carpets show signs of
premature wear. When major traffic lanes are
vacuumed daily and spots or spills are promptly
removed, carpeting will look better and last
longer.
Traffic Lane
Gray
Like all
textiles, carpets will eventually show signs of
wear. The wear creates an illusion of soiling,
which often causes frustration and
misunderstanding between homeowners and carpet
care experts. Even though a carpet has been
cleaned, it does not mean the traffic areas will
look clean. Traffic areas are those places where
people are constantly walking or working. This
situation creates what is called "traffic lane
gray", a condition that has been nicknamed "ugly
out".
There is not a lot that a carpet
care expert can do with "ugly out". When a
10-year old carpet is cleaned, you will end up
with a clean 10-year old carpet. It may not
appear the way you had hoped. Just like the wear
that is visible on your old jeans, carpeting
will show signs of wear, too. The easiest way to
slow down "ugly out" is by rearranging the
furniture so traffic areas are changed.
Improper Light
Reflection
Traffic areas (or
patterns) often look soiled even after a
thorough cleaning, because the fibers do not
reflect the light properly. Carpet fibers are
designed to magnify the light that passes
through them. Carpet color, brightness and the
luster that is seen by the human eye is a direct
function of the amount of light that is
reflected by the carpet fiber.
A good
example of how a carpet reflects light is shown
by how it looks when it is viewed from different
angles. The carpet will look darker when viewed
from one direction and will appear lighter when
it is viewed from the opposite
direction.
The best way to prevent
improper light reflection is to vacuum the
carpet regularly, use proper spotting
procedures, and have it professionally cleaned
on a regular basis.
Soiling
Soiling is mainly caused by
tracking in soil on our shoes. Other
contributing factors are dust, airborne
pollutants and food or beverage spills on the
carpet. Soil damages carpeting as well as
causing it to look dirty.
The main damage
caused by soiling is called fiber abrasion .
Fiber abrasion is created by dirt particles
scratching or scraping the surface of the
fibers, similar to scratches on glass. Scratches
and scrapes block light reflection, causing
these areas to look gray, dull, and
dirty.
The easiest way to keep soil from
damaging the carpet is to vacuum regularly.
Matting
There is a point when carpet
fibers will no longer return to their original
shape. As fibers lose their twist, the carpet
begins to look flat, bunched together and
distorted. This is called matting. Matting
includes fiber distortion.. Matting and fiber
distortion will cause the carpet to look dirty
and grayed out, even when the carpet is cleaned
and all soil has been removed.
The
easiest way to avoid matting is to vacuum and
rake the carpet often.
Regular
Maintenance
The best way to keep
your carpet looking its very best is to properly
maintain it. Read your carpet warranty for
specific maintenance requirements.
Vacuum
everyday if possible. Vacuuming removes loose
soil before it becomes imbedded in the fibers.
The removal of abrasive soils from the carpet
will help to extend the carpet's
life.
Use proper spotting methods. Do not
put any products on your carpeting unless
advised by your Chem-Dry Professional. Ask for
"Chem-Dry PF Spot
Remover"; it will remove most common spots
and stains without causing carpet damage or
rapid re-soiling.
Have your carpeting
cleaned by Chem-Dry at least once a year.
The removal of embedded soils and stains will
refresh its appearance while ridding the fibers
of abrasive materials.
Remember that the
stain resistant treatment that was originally
applied by the carpet manufacturer will wear
off....especially in the traffic lanes. Always
have it reapplied when you have your carpet
professionally cleaned. Just ask for "Chem-Dry
Protectant". |
