Guide to Carpets - Carpet Care

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Regular Vacuuming

• The most important step in caring for your carpet is vacuuming. Vacuum thoroughly and frequently, particularly in high-traffic areas.
• A good vacuum cleaner is vital to prolonging the beauty and life of your carpet .An inexpensive machine can remove surface dirt but will not effectively remove the hidden dirt and particles embedded in the pile
• A light vacuum is recommended at least twice a week and a thorough vacuum weekly.
• A light vacuum would be classed as three passes over an area, a thorough vacuum is five to seven passes over the area.

Steam Cleaning

• Carpet should be steam cleaned regularly, approximately every twelve months to two years, depending on the usage and colour chosen
• A minimum of one cleaning every two years is required
• Lighter colours tend to show soiling earlier

Staining Versus Soiling

It should be noted that there is often confusion about the difference between soiling and staining, and the majority of stain complaints are actually soil-related.

For example, many sugar based spills, such as soft drinks leave a sugar residue after removal; this sticky residue attracts soil from ordinary shoe traffic, and the resulting discoloured 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.

It is important to rinse thoroughly with water and blot dry after removing any spill.

Spot Cleaning

Immediate action is the key - most spills won't stain permanently if you act quickly.

• Do Not Scrub - Always blot, never rub or scrub abrasively, as a fuzzy area may result Scoop up or blot as much of the spill as possible, then continue to blot any residue with a clean white cloth or paper towel, always working from the outer edge toward the centre to avoid the spill spreading.
   
• Cold Water - apply cold water to the stained area with a sponge to flush out as much of the stain as possible, and then blot up.
   
• Scotchguard Carpet Cleaner - apply Scotchguard Carpet Cleaner to the stained area. Work the foam evenly over the soiled area with a clean damp sponge with a blotting action. Remove the excess foam, and rinse the sponge often with clean water.
   
• Apply Water - apply water with a cloth, until the carpet no longer feels sticky or soapy, then blot up thoroughly with a sponge or a paper towel.
   
• Dry - place a few layers of paper towel or white cloth over the cleaned area, to absorb remaining moisture, and weigh them down with an object that will not transfer colour.

With some stubborn stains, it may be necessary to repeat the above procedure. With some spillages .You may need to call in a professional cleaner or alternatively you could follow the steps in the alternate stain removal guide.

As you may not always have Scotchguard Carpet Cleaner available, below is a alternative guide for cleaning up spillages. This guide lists commonly used household items that can be used as alternate spillage removal agents.

This guide includes the treatments and the order they should be tried.

Alternate Cleaning Guide Treatments

1. Scotchguard Carpet Cleaner
2. Warm water
3. Cold water
4. Laundry detergent ( non-biological ) 1 teaspoon in 250 ml of warm water
5. Absorbent paper and hot iron
6. Ice cubes
7. Nail polish remover
8. White spirit
9. Vacuum
10. Rub with coin
11. Spot remover for greasy/oily stains
12. Household disinfectants
13. Chewing gum remover, solvent type
14. Acetone
15. Surgical alcohol
16. Inert absorbent powder
17. Consult professional carpet cleaner

When in ant doubt, call in a professional cleaner.

Alternate cleaning guide cleaning sequence
Type of Spillage	First	Second	Third
Blood	3	1
Burn or scorch mark	17
Butter	11	1
Bleach	3 or	17
Candle wax	5	11
Chewing gum	6/13
Chocolate	1	11
Cordials	3	4 or	17
Coffee	3	4 or	17
Cola	3	1
Cream	1	11
Egg	1
Felt tip pen	8/11	15	1
Floor wax	11	1
Fruit juice	3	1	4
Furniture polish	11	1 or	17
Glue/adhesive (plastic base)	17
Gravy/sauce	1	4
Herbal tea	3	4
Ink fountain pen )	17
Ink (ball point )	15
Lipstick	11 or	17
Milk	2	1 or	17
Mustard	1
Nail polish	7/14
Oil/grease	11	1
Paint ( oil based )	17
Paint ( water based )	17
Shoe polish	11	1
Tea	3	1	4
Urine ( fresh)	3	1	12
Vomit	1	4	12
Wine (red )	16	4

Source: StainGuard brochure from Shaw Indistries Australia Pty Ltd

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