Home Style Flooring and Interiors

13-15 Mitchell Rd Brookvale NSW ph 0412 629 932

Carpet Care

Flooring Solutions recommends Bridgestone’s Airstep because its Australian made and is guaranteed

Carpet, Carpet Care, Northern Beaches Flooring

Have ever noticed when you go for run, you feel more jarring running on the road, than when you run on grass. It’s the same with your carpets, if you have underlay your feet get less tired.

You see, you can buy the most expensive carpet, but if you don’t lay a decent underlay, then your carpets, won’t feel as good as they should.

When you select a new carpet, you have lot of things to consider – colour, design, construction, amount of foot traffic etc. You want your home to be a warm and welcoming.

Once you’ve chosen your carpet, you still have one important decision, what type of underlay will you use.

You should look for an underlay, which provides cushioning for your feet, giving you a luxurious underfoot feel. It also needs to support your carpet to ensure that you will get the maximum life out of your carpet. The correct support prevents the risk of stretching and bubbling over time, which helps to extend the performance and life of your carpet.

Your underlay also helps to reduce noise and acts as a thermal barrier.

Flooring Solutions recommends Bridgestone’s Airstep because its Australian made and is guaranteed for the ‘Life of the Carpet’ by Bridgestone Australia Limited.

Flooring Solutions recommends Bridgestone’s Airstep
Flooring Solutions recommends Bridgestone’s Airstep
  • Natural – Bridgestone manufactures Airstep underlay with pure natural rubber from rubber trees, “our sustainable resource”.
  • Anti-Microbial – Bridgestone Airstep underlay, without the addition of any chemical additives, shows a natural resistance to fungal growth and therefore does not need to be treated with chemicals. Airstep rubber underlays have been shown not only to resist the growth of bacteria, mould and mildew in itself, but to positively affect connecting surfaces, thus reducing the growth of allergens in the carpet.
  • Asthma And Allergy Friendly – When it comes to Asthma and allergies a well maintained carpet and underlay can actually help to improve the quality of the air. With a hard surface the particles of dust settle on the floor and have a tendency to be disturbed by foot traffic and float back into the air, whereas, with an carpet and underlay, the particles of dust and allergens remain trapped in the carpet. Airstep underlay is dust free, lint free and fibre free, those elements so troublesome to the allergy prone.
  • Ventilation – The unique waffle design allows air to circulate through the valleys removing any dampness.
  • CFC Free – The sponge rubber effect in Airstep rubber is achieved by the release of CO2 gas from Sodium bicarbonate powder, simply Baking Soda. It contains no CFC’s Formaldehyde, or volatile organic compounds.

Your feet will thank you by choosing Airstep underlay and your carpets will last longer.

The underlay is not just for your carpets, it should also be used between your concrete floors and laminated timber flooring, to reduce noise.

The 5 Steps To Keeping Your Carpets Looking Beautiful For Years

Carpet, Carpet Care, Northern Beaches Flooring, Tony's Tips

Your guide to keeping your carpets clean

Regular cleaning of your carpet will help to keep it looking good for years.

Your carpet is a large investment, so to keep it looking good for years, it needs to be maintained the right way. Dirt wears your carpet away by burrowing into the fibres, and shredding them with each footstep.

Your carpet is like your car, to keep it running properly, it needs servicing. You wouldn’t contemplate for one second the idea, of driving your car for 3-5 years without getting it serviced. You would ruin your car, that’s what happens to your carpet if don’t clean it regularly. You would end up with an expensive bill replacing your car and your carpets. Your carpet also needs looking after.

After laying & reparing carpets for over 20 years, I’m amazed at the state of people’s carpets, you should see these horror stories, caked in filthy grime and looks like a train had carved a track through the carpet. And some places your feet stick to carpet like glue. I don’t know, how people can just let these assets rot away.

It’s like the Old Story Out of Site Out of Mind

Modern Carpets are actually designed to hide the dirt, and if you only clean it, when looks dirty, then the damage is already done

Don’t let the Damaging Dirt Wear away Your Beautiful Carpet

Day after day your carpets are bombarded with dirt particles and other materials, which strangles your carpet pile and clings to the carpet fibres dulling it’s beauty

Under a microscope, the dry soil in your carpet has razors-like edges, which abrades your carpet fibres, causing light to reflect differently and making carpet look dull.

As soon as you notice, the vacuuming doesn’t seem to improve the appearance of your carpet it’s time to get your carpet cleaned by a trained, qualified carpet cleaner.

Do you want your children crawling through the accumulated grime of your dirty carpets?

Don’t wait until your carpets on life support, to start cleaning your carpet.

If your carpet came with a service manual like your car then you would know the steps you need to take to keep your carpet looking good for a long time.

I know you’re busy and you don’t have time for a complicated maintenance program. So I’ve boiled them down to the 5 simple and easy steps to help you look after your valuable asset, extending the lifetime of your carpet. (If you have a cleaner, then give them this as a guide to follow)

If you get into a routine and keep it up, you will enjoy the long lasting beauty of your carpet.

Get in the habit of using these 5 steps to protect your carpets before they become too unsightly. You will minimise the damage of soiling, enhancing the appearance of your carpet and increase its life span. You will also enjoy a cleaner and healthier environment, which you can be proud of.

You may not be aware, that under most carpet warranties they require proof, you have maintained your carpets.(it’s usually hidden in small print, but it’s there)

The key to maintaining the beauty of your carpet is to clean it regularly before it becomes excessively soiled and a chore.

Think how you will feel, the next time your friends come over for coffee, not having to apologise for having a grotty carpet. By following these tips, you’ll be the envy of your friends as they admire your radiant looking carpet.

So let’s get started

Vacuum Your Carpets

Step 1 Preventive Maintenance

Dirt is everywhere. Keeping it out of your home is easier and less expensive than removing it. Stop the dirt at the door

Step 2 Vacuuming

Regular vacuuming is the most important part of looking after your carpet

Step 3 Spot Removal

Spots are inevitable, but they don’t have to be permanent. Act quickly, remove the spill so there’s less chance it will become a stain.

Step 4 Interim Cleaning

Use low moisture encapsulation systems to efficiently improve your carpet’s appearance with limited down time for cleaning and drying

Step 5 Restorative Deep Cleaning 

No matter how conscientiously you work at cleaning your carpets, you’ll still leave some dirt behind. Periodic deep cleaning, using hot water extraction, is most effective at removing any embedded abrasive soil. Professionally deep clean your carpets every 9 to 12 months to remove embedded dirt and grime.

5 simple steps to keeping your carpet clean and looking great:

So let’s delve a little deeper, so you’ll feel comfortable knowing how each step applies to keeping your carpets in good condition.

Step 1 Preventive Maintenance

Preventing dirt and grime from getting on your carpet in the first place is the best way to keep it clean. Because 85% of soil in your carpet is tracked in on dirty shoes

The following helpful hints can stop dirt in its tracks.

  • Use doormats — Outdoor and indoor mats reduce the amount of dirt entering your home. They trap soil and stop the dirt at the door – just remember to clean them frequently, so soil does not spread to your carpets.
  • It’s also a good idea to use small mats or off-cuts of your new carpet in kitchen doorways or in other areas where the carpet is next to a hard floor to prevent greasy spots spreading to the carpet (beware not to place the off cuts directly on your carpet as the backing may stain your carpet)
  • Take off your shoes — You can save wear and tear on carpet by asking everyone to take off his or her shoes before entering your home.
  • With the hot summer just finishing the air conditioner been working overtime, it’s time change your air filters, as per manufacturer’s instructions. The more dust and particles removed by the filter, the less dust and particles fall on your carpets
  • Place chair pads under desk chairs to prevent casters from continuously grinding soil into the carpet and breaking down the carpet’s fibres
  • Here’s good reason to use the blower, clean around your home by keeping footpaths, driveways adjacent to the building as clean as possible.- To Minimise the immediate sources of soil walked into your carpets

Have you ever wondered why Commercial properties have big mats at the front door? Here’s why because scientist have found removing 0.5 kilo of dirt, once it in your carpets costs $551.12 to remove

Step 2 Vacuuming

“Vacuuming is the most important thing you can do to keep your carpet clean. You cannot over-vacuum a carpet!” From Brintons Fine Carpets UK Carpet Care

It makes sense your carpet is probably subject to more abuse than any other piece of furniture. Kids running on, food spilt, dogs slobbering. Different qualities and styles of carpet will perform differently, and the way your carpet is vacuumed and maintained, as well as the condition of the vacuum cleaner affects its performance.

About 80% of dirt that enters the home is dry. So it make sense, to regularly vacuum the areas receiving the most traffic, such as hallways, stairs, exterior entryways, and paths in the home which has constant wear. Vacuum the entire carpeted area at least once a week.

More than any other factor, daily vacuuming of all high-traffic areas determines the life of your carpet. Even when soil is not visible, vacuuming high-traffic areas will reduce the wear and tear on your carpet

Vacuuming is the single most effective way to remove dirt and the key element in looking after your carpets.

It is essential to vacuum often (minimum once per week), using a top quality vacuum, to prolong the life of your carpet.

To get the best result use a heavy-duty upright vacuum with revolving brushes or beater bars and a high filtration internally- housed vacuum bag are recommended for the best overall cleaning. It should have a filtration system of 0.5 to 0.3 microns. It should be sturdy, easy to handle and provide good brush action for high airflow

To get the best results, try these tips for vacuuming

A slow pass against the carpet pile is more effective than several quick strokes. Vacuum with slow, deliberate passes, forward and backward.

Heavy traffic areas will require multiple passes (forward and backward) to sufficiently extract embedded soil.

  • A vacuum brush will open up the tufts and a strong enough airflow to penetrate the carpet’s backing.
  • Agitation will loosen the soil
  • Slow movement allows time for air to circulate through the face yarn and extract soil.
  • If you have cut-pile carpet, then use a  power-brush attachment
  • For loop-pile carpets it’s recommended vacuuming with the brushes raised or turned off
  • For maximum efficiency, change the disposable bag when it is 75% full. When a vacuum bag is over 75% full the vacuum loses much of its effectiveness
  • Keep the filters clean

For the best cleaning results, no matter which type of vacuum cleaner you purchase, inspect it periodically to be sure it is functioning properly. Be sure to follow these basic care procedures for your vacuum:

  • Keep brushes clean and replace them when worn and check for worn belts
  • Inspect the vacuum head for rough edges or bent metal that may damage your carpet.

Step 3 Spot Removal

Spots are inevitable, but they don’t have to be permanent. Act quickly, remove the spill so there’s less chance it will become a stain.

With today’s stain-resistant carpet, treating spots and stains has never been easier. The key is to act quickly! The longer you wait, the higher the probability that a spill will become a permanent stain. No carpet is completely “stainproof”

If your carpet is exposed to products such as beers, red wine, sauce, foods, vomit, urine, feces medicines, hair products, pool chlorines, and indoor plant fertiliser, then it’s likely to stain. These can change the colour of your carpet because of their destructive properties, which modify the carpet dye and making it difficult to correct.

Try to keep these products away from your carpet, because prevention is the better than cure.

Remember, staining is influenced by many factors, and no carpet is completely stain proof

Take Immediate Action

The longer a spot is allowed to set, the more difficult it is to remove. Some spots will become permanent stains if allowed to remain until dry.

Follow these general procedures for emergency stain removal:

  • Act quickly when anything is dropped or spilled. Remove spots before they dry.
  • Remove any loose material prior to cleaning up the stain
  • Do not rub! If the spill is solid or semisolid, gently scrape off what you can with a spoon
  • Never scrub – always blot. Do not rub vigorously
  • Blot liquids with a clean, white, absorbent cloth or paper towel. For semi-solids, scoop up with a rounded spoon. For solids, break up and vacuum out as much as possible
  • Do not use hot water; heat can worsen the harmful effects
  • Pretest any spot removal agent in an inconspicuous area to make certain it will not damage the carpet or its dyes. (Try the carpet in a wardrobe Examine the carpet and cloth for colour transfer, colour change, or damage to the carpet. If a change occurs, another cleaning solution should be selected)
  • Apply a small amount of the recommended cleaning solution to the cloth. Work in gently. Do not scrub. Work from the edges of the spot to the centre. Blot thoroughly. Repeat until the spot is removed

Be patient! Complete removal of the spill may require repeating the same step several times. After the spill has been completely removed, rinse the affected area thoroughly with cold water, and blot with a dry cloth until you’ve removed all of the solution.

How to remove common Spills and Stains in your carpet

If all else fails, remember that you can contact a professional cleaner to handle the stains.

Important – Do not use any cleaner with a PH of 10 or higher.

 

Avoid Overwetting – Prolonged dampness may cause discoloration, promote growth of mould and bacteria in the carpet, or cause separation of the backing. This can be controlled by a combination of proper equipment use and operator training.

Step 4 Interim Cleaning

Using a low moisture encapsulation system efficiently improves your carpet’s appearance without having to spend hours waiting for the carpet to dry.

How the interim cleaning method works, you apply a low moisture cleaning formula, which impregnates, dissolves and absorbs both water and oil based soils. The cleaning agent contacts all surfaces of the soiled carpet fibres, breaking down the bond that causes the soil to stick to the carpet fibres. Once the suspended powder is dry, you vacuumed up using a powerful vacuum cleaner.

CAUTION:
Most Carpet manufacturers do not recommend the use of a spin bonnet, as it can damage the fibres in your carpet. Use will void most carpet warranties.

Step 5 Restorative Steam Cleaning

All carpets, no matter how resistant to dirt and stains, will eventually build up a layer of oily, sticky soil, from cooking vapours that is not removed by vacuuming. If this soil is allowed to remain, it will bond to the carpet fibre, causing matting and unsightly traffic lanes.

Even with regular vacuuming, soil particles and oily dirt will cling to your carpet fibres’. With foot traffic, these particles and oily dirt are driven deep into your carpet. North Shore Flooring Solutions recommends professional steam cleaning every 12 to 18 months,( this depends on the traffic) Periodic cleaning using the hot water extraction method performed by a certified carpet care professional, will refresh carpet appearance.

Don’t wait until your carpets a glue pot and your feet stick to your carpet before thinking of getting your carpets professionally cleaned

HOT WATER EXTRACTION

Hot water extraction cleans the oily materials, your vacuum cleaner can’t remove, or low moisture systems can’t totally remove. These oily materials account for approximately 15% of all soil found in the carpet pile.

The hot water extraction process drives hot water and cleaning agents down into the pile under pressure, flushing out heavy soil and microorganisms. The excess water and dirt is pulled from the carpet in a vacuuming/recovery action that is performed as the water and cleaning agents are forced into the carpet pile.

Warning

Don’t use the cheapest you find in the yellow pages because expertise is especially critical for hot water extraction. When properly performed, hot water extraction will thoroughly clean the carpet with no possible damage to the carpet. Over wetting of the carpet, due to lack of training or expertise, can lead to delamination between the primary and secondary backing. With proper hot water extraction equipment, carpet should be dry within 4-6 hours.

Only use a professional carpet cleaner to clean your carpets, because your health and your carpets depend on getting it right.

For  All Your Carpet, Timber and Flooring Needs  Talk to  your  Northern Beaches Flooring Solution

The Crimes We Commit Against Our Carpets

Carpet, Carpet Care, Northern Beaches Flooring

The crimes we commit against our carpets

It’s fair to say if your home has carpet, then you probably enjoy the soft cosy feeling under your feet.

There’s something really enjoyable about, waking up on cold morning, jumping out of bed and feeling the warm comforting carpet under your feet.

On the surface, it adds beauty to your home and helps create an ambiance and makes you feel good.

It’s funny how the carpet’s biggest advantage is also its worst enemy.

You see your carpet acts like a massive sink. It captures everything and holds it tightly, deep in your carpet.

Your carpet is like a giant filter trapping all the airborne particles, such as, dirt, dust, dust mites and their faeces, pollens, allergens, smoke, pollution, bacteria, pet acts etc.

If you listen closely you can hear it wheezing, choking to death on the accumulated filth in your carpets.

The good news is your carpet traps small particles in your carpet fibres and removes them from the air you breathe.

A recent scientific study found your carpet reduces the dust in the air by 50% compared with hard flooring systems.

Carpet reduces dirt in the air by 50%
Carpet reduces dirt in the air by 50%

It takes 10 times more energy to release these particles from your carpet, than from hard surfaces.

So at least your carpets are doing their job, by trapping these nasty, airborne particles, in your carpet. So you don’t stir them up as you walk through your home. (You’re not breathing these in because they’re being contained in your carpet.)

Are you doing your job?

Your carpet, like any filter needs cleaning regularly, so they work.

Studies have shown your carpet acts like a filter, trapping allergens and keeping them out of the breathing zone until removed through proper vacuuming and professional carpet steam cleaning. So removing allergens from your carpet actually contributes to a better indoor environment.

“Despite our healthy, outdoors self-image, Australians in fact spend 90 per cent of their time indoors, 7 per cent in cars and only 3 per cent outdoors”. says Mr Steve Brown of CSIRO Building Construction and Engineering.

Considering how much time we spend inside, you would think we would pay more attention to cleaning our carpets. It’s criminal!

Sadly, most homes we visit only get their carpets professionally cleaned when they look dirty.

They say beauty is only skin deep, but ugliness goes right down to the bone.

If you look at your carpet on the surface they look clean, it’s when you’re looking below the surface, and you see the ugly state of your carpets.

It’s not just the dirt particles it is everything else.

Under a microscope, your carpets are a thriving jungle of biological waste.

Your carpet looks like a living chemistry set. If you magnified your carpet you’d find the complete alphabet buried in your carpet.

Air Pollution, Allergens, Ash, Asphalt, Bacteria, Beer, Blood, Car Exhaust, Chemicals, Cooking Oil, Cordial, Crumbs, Dandruff, Decaying Food,  Dirt, Dust, Dung, Ear Wax, Earth, Effluent, Excrement, Fertiliser, Food Particles, Fungus, Germs, Glue, Gravel, Grease, Grime, Grit, Hair, Hairballs, Honey, Husks, Iceblocks (that have melted), Impurities, Industrial Waste, Ink, Jacaranda Petals, Jam, Juice, Kaolin, Ketchup, Kitchen Waste, Leaves, Lees, Lint, Liquid, Makeup, Mildew, Mould, Mud, Muck, Nail Polish, Nappy Leaks, Nasal Spray, Nasty Little Bugs,, Odour, Offal, Oil, Pet Faeces Pet Stains, Pizza, Pollens, Pollutants, Quail Droppings, Quarry Dust, Quarks, Razor Sharp Grit, Rubbish, Rocks, Sand, Scum, Sediment, Skin Particles, Slime, Smoke, Snot, Soil, Soot, Sweat Tar, Tobacco, Tracked-in Dirt from Outside, Umber, Unseen Soils, Urine, Waste Products, Wine, Wood Dust, Worms, Vegemite, Vermin, Vomit, Xanthiums, Xenon, Yak Poo (a bit of stretch I know), Yeast, and Zillions of Dust Mites, Zinc Oxide (Sunscreen) and Zoo Poo.

I guess, you didn’t believe a list could be compiled from A to Z, of what’s hiding unseen in your carpet.

Yuk! Your family’s living in it, playing in it, walking in this disgusting filthy list.

It’s enough to make your skin crawl.

This isn’t a complete list, buried in your carpet, But I hazard a guess, if any of these were on your clothes, they’d be straight in the wash.

You wouldn’t be seen dead wearing clothes for 3 months straight, without even washing them.  They would begin to look like grimy smelly rags. But why do we let our carpets suffer that same fate. It’s a crime how we treat our carpets.

Try to imagine the ghastly smell, and the awful colour, and what they’d look like, if you never washed your clothes?

If we treated our clothes, like our carpets, then we would look and smell like a dirty wino.

You see your carpet, is like clothing for your floors. It’s made of fibres just like your clothes.

What do you do when your clothes starts to smell? Sprinkle them with some deodorant powder? Spray them with perfume? I hope not! You would WASH them. Why wouldn’t you wash your carpet then?

Here’s the rub, you may not even notice the smell, because you’ve become accustom to it.

But your friends will. Noticed how they don’t want to come around anymore.

Eventually your carpet becomes statured with filth and it bonds to the carpet, acting like sandpaper on your once beautiful carpet.

It’s no surprise we see so many dirty carpets, you see they look clean on the surface. The visible grime you see is only a small amount of the accumulated dirt, because up to 85 per cent of the dirt in your carpet is buried deep within the pile.

Your carpet can absorb and trap its own weight in dirt

A square metre of carpets weights approximately 2.31 kilos to 2.64 Kilos

Which means an average room 9 metres by 6 metres is 54 square metres. So the carpet in this room would weigh between 124.85 kilos to 142.40 Kilograms. For the old school that’s a whopping 275.2 pounds to 313.9 pounds.

It’s estimated that within 6 months the accumulated dirt in your carpet, would weigh as much as your carpet.

So your carpets holding 124.85 kilos to 142.40 Kilograms of dirt, in a 6 x 9 metre room.

To put that in to perspective the equivalent to 83.2 to 94.9 boxes of laundry washing powder (1.5 kilo box) that’s lot of washing. It’s fair to say you most probably would not get through that much washing powder in year.

Just as your clothes need regular washing to keep them fresh and hygienic, your carpets require regular and steam cleaning.

Without proper cleaning, your carpet builds up a toxic sludge, which becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and other scary little creatures.

Once your carpets are stuffed full of dirt and oil, then it looses it capacity to trap the particles in the air. Now you’re breathing this muck in.

Not only is dirty carpets unhealthy, it’s also ruining your carpet. Most carpets are replaced because they ugly out before they wear out. The build up of soil in your carpet is corrosive by nature and eats away at the fibres of your carpet like sandpaper.

Your carpet gets a beating everyday, with children and pets running up down on it and dirty shoes grinding dirt in to your carpets. Most carpets get replaced prematurely because of inadequate care. Without proper care your carpet begins to look dirty and faded, as the dirt wears away your carpet fibres. Your high traffic areas will soon look limp or flat.

The longer you leave your carpets dirty, the quicker they’ll wear out. Dirt and grit are a carpet’s main criminals!

Don’t just wait until your carpet looks like a crime scene to get it cleaned

Don’t just clean your carpet for cosmetic reasons. It’s a crime to only clean your carpets when they look dirty. Your family’s health is important.

It’s the unseen soils, bacteria and allergens causing the real damage to your carpets and to your family’s health

Why not Clean your carpet simply for the health of it?

Soils, pollens, bacteria, fungus, cigarette smoke, car exhaust, asphalt, insecticides, urine, faecal matter and hundreds of other chemical pollutants are transferred to your carpet daily-especially if you have pets and children. You should want your carpet cleaned yesterday.

You should also use a professional carpet cleaner, to reduce the imbedded grime in your carpet.  The high temperature of professional steam cleaning is particularly efficient at removing the high proportion of allergens and completely killing the dust mites living in your carpet. (Don’t let those health criminals overrun your carpet.)

 

The Crimes we Commit against our Carpets

 

Don’t wait for carpets to look dirty before taking action – it may be too late. Professional cleaning is the key to killing dust mites, which is the number one cause of allergens in the indoor environment.

Ask yourself this question. Do you want to clean your carpet so they just look good, or do you want to remove all the dirt, bacteria and fungus?

If you want your carpets to be completely clean and healthy, and you want to remove the bacteria, fungus, chemicals, pollens, tobacco products, then you need to get your carpet professionally steam cleaned.

If you can think of any thing which you may find in your carpet, then make sure you add them in the comments below

For  All Your Carpet, Timber and Flooring Needs  Talk to  your  Northern Beaches Flooring Solution

 

How To Deal With Frequently Encountered Spills and Stains

Carpet, Carpet Care, Northern Beaches Flooring, Tony's Tips

No matter how careful you are, there’s bound to be an accident as something always gets spilt on your carpets.

The longer you leave a spot, the more difficult it is to remove. Some spots will become permanent stains if allowed to remain until dry.

Oh, no we’ve just spilt red wine on the carpet, What should we do?

Oh, No I've spilt red wine on the carpet
Oh, No I’ve spilt red wine on the carpet

Act quickly when anything is dropped or spilled. Remove spots before they dry.

Dry Stains

Carefully remove as much of the substance as possible with a small, soft hand brush or spatula to break up any crusted matter. Vacuum well to eliminate loosened particles.

Wet Stains

Use an absorbent white cloth or paper towel to blot, or use a spatula to eliminate excess, and then blot. A portable extraction unit or wet/dry vacuum is most effective for larger spills.

Common Spills and Stains

Use the chart below to find recommended cleaning procedures for many common spills and stains. Each spill/stain is coded (A, B or C) to correspond with its cleaning method.

Asphalt B Ketchup A
Barium Sulfate A Lipstick B
Beer A Liquor B
Berry Stain A Mascara B
Betadine B Mayonnaise B
Bleach A Medicines A
Blood A Merthiolate B
Butter B Methylene Blue B
Carbon Black B Milk A
Chalk A Motor Oil B
Chocolate B Mouthwash A
Clay (red) A Mustard C
Coffee C Nail Polish B
Copy Machine Toner A Oil B
Cough Syrup A Ointment B
Cranberry Juice A Orange Drink A
Crayon B Paint (oil base) B
Feces A Paint (water base) A
Felt Tip Marker B Petroleum Jelly B
Fruit Drink A Plant Food A
Fruit Juice A Pyridium A
Furniture Dye* B Rubber Cement B
Furniture Polish B Salad Dressing B
Gentian Polish B Shoe Polish B
Gentian Violet B Soft Drinks A
Glue B Soup B
Grape Juice A Soy Sauce B
Gravy A Steak Sauce B
Grease B Tea C
Ice Cream A Tomato Juice A
Ink (washable) A Toothpaste A
Ink (India) B Urine C
Ink (permanent) B Vomit C
Insecticides B Water Colors C
Iodine B Wax (candle) B
Iron Rust* A Whiskey A
IV Solution A Wine A

A

  • Step 1: Sparingly apply carpet detergent, gently agitating the stain area. Remove substance with blotting, and rinse well with clear water to remove detergent residue. Blot dry. (If cleaning acidic toilet bowl cleaners or other highly alkaline materials, STOP AT STEP 1.) Following the cleaning with a clear water rinse, just blot dry.
  • Step 2: Follow the detergent/rinse process with the recommended ammonia solution. Blot the stained area to remove the substance, then rinse with clear water and blot dry.
  • Step 3: Apply the recommended white vinegar solution to the total cleaned area. Blot away the cleaning solution and then rinse thoroughly with clear water and blot dry.

B

  • Step 1: Apply just enough dry cleaning fluid or alcohol to dampen the stain, then blot dry. Repeat until the stain no longer transfers.
  • Step 2: If stain remains visible, sparingly apply carpet detergent and gently agitate. Blot to remove substance, then rinse with water to remove detergent residue and blot dry.
  • Step 3 : Apply the white vinegar solution to the total cleaned area; rinse well with water, and blot dry.

C

  • Step 1 : Sparingly apply carpet detergent, then gently agitate. Blot to remove substance, then rinse well with water and blot dry.
  • Step 2 : Apply the white vinegar solution to the total cleaned area; blot to remove the cleaning solution, then rinse well with water and blot dry.

If all else fails, remember that you can contact Professional carpet cleaner to handle difficult stains.

Suggested Cleaning Agents

+ Detergent solution – commercially sold general carpet cleaning or spot-removal detergent.

+ Ammonia solution – Mix 1 tablespoon non-bleaching household ammonia with 1 cup warm water; (Caution: Do

not mix ammonia with chlorine bleach. Heed maker’s warnings about mixing ammonia with other chemicals.)

+ Vinegar solution – regular white vinegar.

+ Clear alcohol – Rubbing or Denatured. Use as sold.

+ Dry Cleaning Fluid – Common, non-flammable type used following maker’s directions.

Sourced from North West Carpets GA 30720 .northwestcarpets.net

For  All Your Carpet, Timber and Flooring Needs  Talk to  your  Northern Beaches Flooring Solution

Your Carpets Need More Than Vacuuming

Carpet, Carpet Care, Northern Beaches Flooring

If you want your carpets to last, then you need to vacuum them regularly, to keep your carpet’s looking good.

Carpets act as a filter, they trap airborne dirt and particles, and prevent you from breathing, these harmful contaminates.

Scientist have found, your carpet will absorb its own weigh in dirt within 6 months.

To stop the filth saturating your carpets, you need a programmed cleaning plan. (This includes Deep Vacuuming and Steam Cleaning).

Vacuuming will slow down the abrasive damage, by removing most of the dirt before you grind it into your carpets with your shoes.

With the build up of oils in your carpet, the dirt and grime binds to your carpet’s pile. The sharp grit attacks your carpets pile, making it look dull and lifeless.

Vacuuming is vital to protect your carpet and keep it healthy, but it’s not enough.

Let’s have look under a microscope, to see what happens when you vacuum your carpets.

(Photos from the CSRIO)

Scanning electron microscope study of the soiling of carpet fibres – CSRIO

Wool Carpet Fibres after Vacuuming

Wool Carpets under the microscope
Wool Carpets under the microscope

Acrylic Carpet Fibres after Vacuuming

Acrylic Carpets under the microscope
Acrylic Carpets under the microscope

Nylon Carpet Fibres after Vacuuming

Nylon Carpets under the microscope
Nylon Carpets under the microscope

Note: the relative ineffectiveness of the vacuuming for removing the soil (CSRIO)

Wool fibres soil less and vacuum-clean better than other carpet fibres. Soil particles (2-5 microns in diameter) are held in the interlobal concavities of Nylon and Acrylic fibres.

So you can see why you need to steam clean your carpets, because vacuuming still leaves unwanted residue in your carpet.

The reason professional carpet cleaners use powerful machines with hot steam injection, because you need the heat to loosen up the dirt & grime.

Elevated temperatures increase the cleaning effectiveness and require less solvent to dissolve the dirt away. The heat melts the grime, making it easier for the soapy water to penetrate, and capture the unwanted dirt, (by as much as 10 times).

The hotter the temperature of the solution, the faster it dissolves the stubborn dirt embedded in your carpet.

For  All Your Carpet, Timber and Flooring Needs Talk to your Northern Beaches Flooring Solution

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