Now you have your new carpet installed here are a few points that sometimes occur and some helpful hints on maintaining it.

Pole marks

We have to roll carpets to transport them and sometimes the edge of the carpet makes a line across the width making a line in the pile, usually 12”-18” in from the end.  This will gradually disappear with use and vacuuming  it is not a fault.  Also due to the rolling of carpet sometimes with the velvet and thicker heavier piles you can see ‘bands’ again across the width of the room.  It is due to the rolls weight pressuring the pile at the bottom of the roll.  Again it improves quite quickly with use and vacuuming.

Joins

Sometimes due to the width of the carpet you have chosen we have to make joins.  Joins tend to show when first done and they need time to ‘bed in’.  The join is usually ‘hot welded’ by running an iron over some special tape fusing the two pieces together.

Fluffing

Some carpets particularly woollen ones tend to fluff quite a bit initially and fill your vacuum bags.  This gradually becomes less over time and is quite natural.

MAINTAINANCE OF YOUR NEW CARPET

Everyone has their own ideas regularities and methods for cleaning their carpets.  These tips are to help you get the best from the carpet you have chosen.  The advice on how often you need to vacuum your new carpet varies from daily to the old wives’ tale for a new carpet leave it to settle for at least a month!!  We are all different and expect and want varying things from our new floor.

My advice is, it is up to you, the old wives’ tale is a big NO so you perform your cleaning as and when you feel it’s necessary.  Most carpets require vacuuming reasonably regularly darker colours will show bits and crumbs more easily than lighter colours and textured or patterned so how often is usually dictated by this.  If you have read my notes on choosing a carpet you will be aware of the different types of pile and fibres so having now made your choice, why not check the manufacturer’s advice for your product.  Again, a simple message is pile carpets versus looped pile. Loop piled wool carpets generally prefer to be vacuumed with a suction only vacuum and piled carpets can be vacuumed by an upright beater bar type of vacuum.  So as said earlier check your particular manufacturers recommendation as some do actually contradict the simple message for looped pile carpets.  Why are looped piles susceptible to this action? Wool is a soft fibre and in a loop construction the beater bars/brushes are agitating the fibre on the side of the yarn and can cause ‘fluffing’ ‘pilling’ this why the general consensus is vacuum onl

If you want to keep your carpets looking their best an upright vacuum lifts the pile. A vacuum only machine just sucks the bits and dust off the surface.  Take a good vacuum like a ‘Henry’ it is powerful and works well BUT TO LIFT THE PILE YOU NEED THE BRUSHES IN THE DOWN POSITION ON THE HEAD TO AGITATE THE PILE. Please try it, it’s very hard work and people don’t do it, they lift the brushes up and skim over the pile.  Over the years on occasion I have attended problems of poor appearance to find that the carpet is vacuumed with a suction only vac bristles in the ‘up’ position. When the Vac is replaced with a good upright the pile gradually lifts and appearance is improved.

It is worth mentioning at this point how it is important to keep your vacuum in good order!  They are all different but they all can and do get blocked up.  It only needs an annoying ‘pickup’ of a hair clip, paper clip, twig or whatever that gets stuck in a bend of hose or tools.  Most  vacuums ‘heads’ can be easily opened and  need cleaning regularly.

No matter how expensive or good a carpet is supposed to be, we walk on it and therefore it does react and settle and change in appearance, it flattens!

Cleaning and spills

When an accident happens what is the best action? Number one DON’T grab a cloth and rub it, all you will do is make the situation worse.  Take stock of the problem, it’s a liquid spill, best option, kitchen towel or something absorbent and blot it carefully. If it’s say ‘ketchup’ a ‘blob’ of something, get a knife or a spatula and try and remove the most of the substance, then blot and follow with some shampoo and blot again.  Mud or dirt? Sometimes best to let it dry and vacuum off.  Always check the manufacturers cleaning instructions.

Hot tea and coffee? If the carpet is made of polypropylene then it’s not a problem but if it’s wool if the liquid is hot it actually dies the carpet tea or coffee colour.  Why? Wool is a natural ‘light’ colour so if you want a red carpet the wool is heated up in a vat and you add red dye to make it red.  The problem is the temperature.  Cool tea/coffee probably ok Hot tea/coffee a big problem!

My tipple, red wine, say nothing and quietly panic!  No really just blot and keep blotting till nothings coming off.  If there’s still a mark add some water to dilute and blot again (whilst praying!)

For other substances apply the “take stock of the problem” and use the appropriate solvent.

EG nail varnish, apply nail varnish remover and blot.

In the case of polypropylene fibre carpets you can use bleach, yes bleach but 90% water and 10% bleach should remove most stubborn marks.

If you have chosen a very pale coloured carpet it’s advisable to gently clean areas of concentrated use (doorways stairs etc) to keep gradual soiling to a minimum, probably once a month. We carry a good cleaner in stock for this purpose and I suggest you spray it onto the area and gently wipe over with an absorbent material like a clean towel, you will be surprised how much ‘soiling’ you remove.

How often should I have my carpets cleaned?  A question often asked.  With wool and wool mix carpets try to leave as long as possible as the cleaning tends to remove the natural oils in the wool and they tend to soil more quickly following cleaning.  It is up to everyone how often you clean, as you will have learned reading the guides on buying etc its how light or dark your carpet is, textured patterned that will determine this for you.