Carpet Care

INTRODUCTION

The planning function in carpet maintenance is step number one. Facility managers and maintenance supervisors who understand this step can have clean looking carpet everyday within a low budget.

There is a big difference between cleaning carpet and maintaining carpet.

Cleaning is the removal of apparent soil. In the minds of many commercial carpet owners, cleaning takes place imprecisely "as needed". But soiling is a cumulative process which, if allowed to go too far, cannot easily be reversed. Maintenance, on the other hand is a planned on-going process designed to retain carpet appearance at a good level every day; i.e. no obvious
soil build up.

THE GOALS OF THE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM ARE:

1. To keep the Carpet looking its best.
2. Improve ROI by extending the life of the carpet.
3. Provide a cleaning schedule based on in-house soiling conditions.
4. Provide training on proper carpet maintenance procedures.
5. Improve and maintain a healthy indoor environment.


PROGRAMMED MAINTENANCE IS A COMBINATION OF:

A. A Comprehensive and Effective Matting Program.
B. Scheduled Preventative Maintenance. (Which Include)
1. Scheduled Vacuuming.
2. Spot cleaning.
3. Periodic Thorough Cleaning.


PLANNING A PROGRAMMED MAINTENANCE SYSTEM REQUIRES:

I. A custom design for your facility (there is no "standard" program which applies to all facilities).
II. Identification of traffic areas.
III. Establishing the maintenance appearance and soil removal requirements for each area.
IV. Choosing the correct equipment and maintenance chemicals.
V. Personal training and program re-evaluation.


CARPET LOCALIZES SOIL

Carpet tend to catch and hold soil and spills where they occur; hard surfaces tend to allow soil and spills to spread faster and farther. Eighty to eighty-five percent of the soil in a building is tracked in on shoe soles. The greatest concentration of soil is found in track-off, funnel and main
traffic areas.


IDENTIFY KEY TRAFFIC AREAS

High traffic areas such as track-off areas, funnel areas, and main corridors tend to control overall maintenance duties and determine cleaning frequency. They also present the most difficult problems. These areas should be identified on a floor plan where traffic flow patterns have been
determined.


MINIMIZE SOIL

Removing soil from shoe soles at entrances will reduce soil accumulation on carpet in the interior of the building. Scraper type mats at building entrances will scrape off larger particles of soil. Carpet faced mats used at entrances will wipe soil from shoes. Walk off mats will further reduce soiling. A severe internal track off areas (lunch rooms, kitchen areas, gyms, etc.). These mats should be vacuumed frequently and cleaned on a regular basis.


VACUUMING

Aggressively vacuum track off and funnel areas daily even if soil is not visible. Severe soiling location may require vacuuming two or more times daily. During periods of construction, remodeling, inclement weather, etc. more frequent vacuuming may be required.

Areas of moderate traffic will require less vacuuming. Time and effort should be invested where soil is localizing seen or unseen.

This correct prevention maintenance vacuuming plan will increase the useful life of the carpet.


SPOT CLEANING

Food, beverages and many other spills, if unattended, will retain soil. If "sticky", the spilled substances will cling to shoes and be tracked elsewhere. Removal of many spills and spots is relatively easy with proper techniques. Allowing spots to accumulate will only make removal more difficult. Prompt removal is essential and cannot be over emphasized.


SPOT CLEANING PROCEDURES:

Prior to using any spot cleaner, read the label instructions and understand all cautions and procedures associated with the product. DO NOT USE SPOT CLEANERS WITH OPTICAL BRIGHTNERS.


WATER-BASED STAINS:

Remove solid or semi-solid materials with a scraper or vacuum. Use a clean white, dry absorbent cloth to gently blot the liquid. Continue to blot until the stain does not transfer to the cloth. DO NOT RUB THE STAIN!.

Flush the stained area with cold water. Blot as described above. Continue to flush and blot until the stain is removed or no longer transfers to the clean cloth.

If the stain is not completely removed, lightly mist a general purpose spot cleaner onto the stain and repeat the blotting procedure. After using a spot cleaner, completely remove the spot cleaning chemical from the carpet by flushing with clean water and blotting with a clean cloth.

A wet and dry vacuum or small extractor can supplement the above procedure.


OIL-BASED STAINS:

Apply a broad spectrum spotter or solvent-based spot cleaner to a clean, dry, white cloth the apply to the spot. Blot the spot from the outside edge to the center of the spot. DO NOT RUB THE STAIN! DO NOT OVER APPLY A SPOT CLEANER!

Repeat the process as needed to remove the spot.

GUM REMOVAL:

Scrape or vacuum as much solid gum from the carpet as possible. If gum is still sticky, do not scrape or vacuum. Apply a citrus solvent by injecting under the gum. Let the solvent work for 5 minutes. Blot or gently scrape the gum from the fiber.

UNKNOWN STAINS:

Treat first as water-based stains. If this procedure fails, blot area dry, and treat as an oil-based stain.


EXTRACTION:

Water extraction is the recommended and most effective method to deep clean. When used as part of a preventative maintenance program, extraction will be done on carpet before it is visibly dirty. The following basic steps are to be followed:

1. Vacuum the carpet.
2. Spot clean as required.
3. Apply a pre-spray to ALL CARPETED areas to be cleaned paying specific attention to high
traffic and heavily soiled areas. The pre-spray can have a stand time of up to 15 minutes.
Do not let the pre-spray dry.
4. Use clean water in the extractor. Chemicals to improve rinsing can and are approved to be
used. DO NOT ADD DETERGENTS TO THE EXTRACTOR WATER!
5. Agitate carpet area to be cleaned. Most of today’s carpet extraction equipment has agitation
brushes built in to the units, for those that don’t us a hand-held grooming brush with handle.
6. EXTRACT USING CLEAN, CLEAR WATER IN THE EXTRACTION SOLUTION TANK. Heavily
soiled areas may require more than one extraction pass. The carpet is clean when the
extract water is clear.
7. "Dry Vac" the area, using extractor suction only (no spray). This procedure will remove
additional water and accelerate drying.
8. Allow the carpet to dry completely prior to use. Portable blowers can reduce drying time.


MAINTENANCE CHEMICALS:

When working with maintenance chemicals, follow all instructions and remember, MORE IS NOT BETTER! Always review the material safety data sheet (MSDS) if any chemical in use