| How to best care for your carpets and rugs Regular cleaning will extend the life of your carpet and maintain its appearance. Vacuum clean regularly and thoroughly, which removes gritty dirt that can damage the fibres. Deal with spillages as soon as possible, preferably the moment they occur. When your carpet reaches a stage where it could do with a really good clean you can either try to do the job yourself or you can call in Servicemaster. Never use any detergents such as dishwashing liquids, soaps or other cleaners recommended for general household use. Although they may clean your carpet satisfactorily they will almost certainly cause problems such as rapid re-soiling, colour bleeding or other damage to the pile or backing of the carpet. |
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General maintenance tips for carpets and rugs.
Entrance or walk-off mats
The use of entrance mats at all outside entrances to the house is highly recommended, as it will significantly reduce the rate at which the carpet will soil. They should be of adequate size to allow street dirt to be removed from shoe soles and must be cleaned regularly themselves.
Protective treatments
Many carpets come with a protective fibre treatment to reduce problems with staining and soiling. These treatments, while effective in many ways, are not bullet-proof and will eventually wear off. Quick response to spills and regular cleaning is still required.
Carpets that have no protector applied by the manufacturer can be treated after instillation on the floor by *ServiceMaster.
In most cases it is best to engage the services of a professional carpet and upholstery cleaning company – ServiceMaster. We are fully trained, have been in the business for a considerable length of time, are members of recognised professional trade associations related to the cleaning industry and have a top class reputation.
Rules for spot removal
| - | Soak up liquids with kitchen roll, paper tissues, toilet roll, or absorbent cloth. |
| - | Scoop up or scrape off solids. |
| - | Try to identify unknown spots prior to treatment – if unsure, use solvent first. |
| - | Always work from the edge of the spot inwards. |
| - | BLOT, do NOT rub. |
| - | Apply small quantities at a time, applied to a cloth, NOT directly to the spot; work into the spot with a small brush or sponge. |
| - | Take care with applying solvents to bitumen-backed carpet tiles. |
| - | When using solvents always ensure there is plenty of fresh air ventilation. |
| - | Always thoroughly rinse afterwards if water spotters have been used. |
| - | Dry the spot, if possible, with a hair dryer. |
The EASY SPOTS chart contains those spots that come out relatively easily with the methods recommended or when the carpet is wet cleaned.
EASY SPOTS
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Treatments
| 1) | Blot with white kitchen roll or paper tissues |
| 2) | Vacuum clean |
| 3) | Cold water |
| 4) | Warm water |
| 5) | Proprietary carpet shampoo solution (diluted) |
| 6) | Propriertary spot remover for water based stains |
| 7) | Propriertary spot remover for greasy/oily stains |
| 8) | Absorbent paper or paper tissue and hot iron |
| 9) | Chewing gum remover (solvent or freeze type) |
| 10) | Nail varnish remover or acetone |
| 11) | White spirit or turpentine substitute |
| 12) | Surgical spirit (ethyl alcohol or ethanol) |
| 13) | Rub with a coin |
| 14) | Rub gently with coarse sand paper |
Treatments used by ServiceMaster
| 15) | Disinfectant or deodorizer |
| 16) | Rust remover |
| 17) | Carpet re-colouring kit |
DIFFICULT SPOTS are more difficult to remove and may require repeated attempts with stronger spot removers.
DIFFICULT SPOTS
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* All information contained on this website is believed to be correct, but ServiceMaster cannot accept any liability arising from the use of this website or of the performance, safety or otherwise of the products or methods listed.