PREVENTIVE  MEDICINE  FOR  YOUR  FLOOR

VACUUM:
     When it comes to maintaining your carpet, one of the most critical areas of focus is the traffic areas. If
ground in soil is not removed on a regular basis, the traffic areas will begin to wear excessively. The dirt is
extremely abrasive against the fibers of the carpet as you walk back and forth on it.
VACUUMING: Vacuum your carpet often. All carpets should be throughly vacuumed - regardless of usage-
at least two or three times a week with a heavy-duty, upright vacuum, with brushes set at the proper height
for the carpet. This removes the sharp soil that can cut and slice the fiber causing premature wear. Much of
this soil is not visible to the eye. Vacuum before the carpet looks soiled. Remove any loose particles such as
loose food, leaves, pieces of crayon, bugs, etc., as these items can cause a spot on the carpet. Proper
vacuuming means at least three or four passes with the vacuum should be made over each section of the
carpet, regardless of type of fiber and vacuum used.
     Before each vacuuming, the vacuum bag should be no more than half full. We find in-house vacuum
systems, such as those built into the walls, do not properly maintain any carpet.

SPOT  REMOVAL:
     The second area of focus is spot removal. You must react to " danger" spots immediately-- red wine,
red beverages, urine, blood, etc., can cause a permanent stain if not treated immediately. Listed  are some
steps that you may take to properly maintain your carpet, just  refer to "SPOT GUIDE."
 
 

Immediate spot removal is key to a clean carpet. Special care must also be taken in how spot cleaning is performed. When a carpet is new,or has sufficient protector on it, plain tap water will remove many spots.  However, for those spots that will not move easy with water, you must use a spot cleaner. We recommend "SPOT BEATER." It  handles spots that are either "water-soluble"  or "oil-soluble" (capable of being dissolved or liquefied). Spot Beater - Not Sold in Stores Contains no CFC's. An instant carpet stain remover which requires no rubbing, scrubbing or vacuuming - just spray and blot! No mixing, no measuring, no spilling - perfect product concentration and delivery everytime. Leaves no ring or residue. Formula has been recommended by America's leading consumer test magazine as the most effective carpet stain remover available. Formulated for tough carpet stains that general carpet cleaning products can't remove. Removes both oil and water-based stains, regardless of age! Non-toxic and non-corrosive, with a neutral pH factor which will not harm any synthetic rugs. Shipping/Handling not included.  The large size can 16oz is $10.50 and the 6oz size is $5, it is an excellent emergency problem solver for most spots.It's a great idea to keep a can both upstairs & downstairs or at both ends of the house.

PROTECTIVE  COATINGS:
     Residential carpets are treated with stain resist properties and soil resistors. The soil resistor part is 
known as Teflon, 3M Scotchgard, or Stainshield. After 2 or 3 years ,much of the soil-resistor wears off,
depending on traffic. At that point you should consider having a professional carpet cleaner re-apply the
treatment after professional  cleaning.  The soil resistor will help the soil slide off of the carpet easier when
vacuuming, spots will be easier to remove, and professsional cleaning will be more effective the next time
it is cleaned.
 

PROFESSIONAL  CLEANING:
     Professional cleaning removes the damaging soil from the traffic areas that vacuuming has not been able
to remove. As a general rule, cleaning by a certified professional firm, should take place about once per year.
MANY STAIN RESIST WARRANTIES REQUIRE PROFESSIONAL CLEANING EVERY 2 YEARS.
If you have extremely heavy traffic areas, clean more often. Rule of thumb: If there is any visible soil whatsoever
on the carpet, it is time to be cleaned. For extremely heavy traffic areas, cleaning may be required more often.
Proper professional cleaning will not leave a sticky residue behind and can be done as many times per year as 
needed. DuPont Stainmaster, "We recommend that carpet be professionally cleaned every 12 months,"  and
further  "to maintain texture retention warranties, we recommend carpet be professionally cleaned with hot-
water extraction every 18 to 24 months."  This recommendation is consistent with most  leading carpet 
manufacturers.

WARNING:  By not maintaining your carpet properly, you could suffer one or more of the following :
1) Warrany voided; 2) Rapid resoiling; 3) Damage to fibers in traffic areas; 4) Unremovable spots;
5)Shorten the life of carpet.   Copies of specific warranties on your carpet are usually available upon
request. Stain resist warranties can vary from 5 to 20 years. ALL STAIN RESIST WARRANTIES
REQUIRE REGULAR CLEANING AND IMMEDIATE SPOT REMOVAL. Note:UNINFORMED
CARPET CLEANERS MAY VOID THE WARRANTY, SO BE VERY SELECTIVE WHICH
COMPANY YOU HIRE.