General Carpet Care

Slowly vacuum clean regularly to remove airborne soiling, dust, crumbs etc. Allow the suction of the vacuum cleaner to do the work and avoid using vigorous downward pressure as this will cause undue destructive friction to the pile and won’t improve suction. In areas subject to the introduction of traffic-borne grit, mud etc. such as entrance doors, concentrate the vacuuming to ensure the removal of harmful grit. Any spots should be removed immediately by dabbing with a damp cloth impregnated with a suitable spotter such as.

Warning– Never over-wet the carpet as colour running or stain setting can occur. Don’t rub or scrub as the destruction of the pile will result and the mark you are trying to remove may be ground in permanently. Don’t delay cleaning, as prompt action will save the day. Don’t trust the care of your carpet to just any so-called cleaner. It is a fact that many operators are inexperienced and ill-equipped, and it is very easy to ruin an expensive carpet. Only allow a recognised carpet cleaning professional to treat one of your most costly furniture items. Odours are most caused by spills, or the odour develops from bacteria, which is producing gas from the spillage. If the spilt material has not penetrated deeply into the fibre, then a thorough washing will usually remove the spill. The deeper the material penetrates the fibre and the longer it remains, the more difficult it will be to remove completely. It is difficult to remove odour-producing stains from the “backing” of wall-to-wall carpeting

ODOURS

Odours produced from materials such as animal waste are virtually impossible to eliminate. Often the most practical solution is to replace the affected part of the carpet and underlay or cushion with a new piece. Some odours, such as those produced by mildew, although removed, may recur with new mildew growth. Natural fibres, dyes, finishing agents, foam or latex-backing compounds may also have odours. A good airing should eventually dispel it but it may take up to a few weeks for the new odour to disappear. A satisfactory solution is to replace the disagreeable odour with a more pleasant one. Professional cleaners and restorers use highly effective deodorisers and equipment to reduce or eliminate unpleasant odours from spillage, animal pet stains, mould, mildew, or musty conditions.

 Animal Stains

Dogs and cats may be our best friends, but not necessarily the best friends of our carpets, draperies, and upholstery. Neglected animal stains have been a problem ever since people and animals bonded together in companionship.

Urine

 There are two types of reactions that can take place between the chemicals in an animal’s urine and those in the dye and fabrics of textile furnishings. The first type of reaction is immediate – as some dyes can change colour as soon as urine comes in contact with them. Often the original colour can be restored by the immediate application of an ammoniated solution. The second type of reaction develops slowly over several days into months – and can result in permanent changes to the carpet dyes and fibre. Not only can the dyes change, but some fibres may become weakened or destroyed by the urine. The decomposing urine can also produce an objectionable odour given off by gases from bacteria. After cleaning, these areas are more obvious because the soils that hid the changed colour and damaged fibres have been removed. There are three procedures to help combat these stains: 1. Absorb the damaged area with towelling, then treat it with household detergent and absorb it into white tissues or towels, and then blot the area with ammonia solution. (Call for formula). 2. Again, absorb the liquids into towelling, then blot the area with the standard vinegar solution. (Call for formula). 3. Again, absorb the area with towelling until it is as dry as possible. Place several dry white terry cloths over the area and weigh down. Allow a minimum of six hours to dry.

 Faeces

Pet faeces tend to be easier to deal with than urine. Compact deposits can be quickly removed with a plastic bag. The surface should then be cleaned with Spotter and blotted dry. Rinse the area with water and blot again, then apply a disinfectant such as Dettol or Solyptol or white vinegar solution. Loose faeces require the same clean-up procedure as described above for fresh urine removal. This should also be followed with an application of a disinfectant. If your pet’s food contains red dye to make it look meatier this could leave a red discolouration at the site of the accident. A professional cleaner may be able to remove this. A word of caution; some disinfectants may cause discolouration of textile furnishings.

General Information

If immediate action is taken to remove the animal stains, little or no change in colour should occur and the ‘accident’ will not become apparent after your carpet or textile has been professionally cleaned. If the pet ‘accident’ is forgotten it will return to haunt you, as dried urine will smell like strong ammonia when humidity is high or when the spot is re-wetted. Faeces and urine can contain harmful bacteria. A spot that is small on the surface of carpeting is often many times larger on the underside. The urine can damage both dyes and textile fibres as described above. The change usually isn’t noticed until the textile furnishing is cleaned. The damage caused by aged urine requires professional restoration, possibly colour tinting, and sometimes removal of the offending carpet and cushion. A professional cleaner has methods available to minimise discolouration, disinfect the area and reduce the smell. It is often impossible, however, to completely restore the original appearance of a textile furnishing that has been damaged with aged pet urine.

Standard Solutions

Test these solutions first by applying an as small amount in an inconspicuous area to determine its effect on the fibre and dye. Wait thirty minutes to an hour to see if any colour changes or other problems may arise

Standard white vinegar solution: One part white vinegar to two parts water. Standard ammonia solution: One tablespoon of cloudy household ammonia in a cup of water.

Standard detergent solution: One teaspoon of neutral white or colourless detergent, and 1 teaspoon of white vinegar in a cup of lukewarm water. Make sure the detergent is bleach free.

Reappearing Stains

Have you recently had your carpets cleaned, only to find a mysterious stain appear where it may not have been noticeable before? Or was the cleaner successful in removing certain stains when the carpet was just cleaned and still damp, only to have some stains reappear after the carpet had thoroughly dried? This common situation is called ‘reappearing or wicking stains’ and is caused by staining from a prior spillage having dried down at the base of the carpet pile.

Although the surface staining may have been partially or fully removed from the top of the carpet, some of the discoloured stained matter remained – hidden deep down in the pile. During a thorough wet cleaning, the hidden stain is wetted & becomes mobile and wicks up to the top surface of the pile as the carpet dries. Since the wall-to-wall carpet dries from the bottom up, this leaves the top part of the pile as the last to dry completely. This is how the mysterious staining wicks or finds its way up to the carpet surface. You can usually remove most or all of this reappearing stain by moistening it and then blotting it with absorbent white towelling. Lightly mist the stained area with water and blot it with towels.

Cover the stained area with towelling, add a layer of aluminium foil or wax paper on top and then weigh it down. Wait 30 minutes or so and then remove the weight and repeat as needed until the stain is removed. A second approach is to use a multipurpose carpet spotter or dry cleaning fluid-type spot remover. Follow the manufacturer’s directions exactly and pre-test the product for safety before using it. Use the product sparingly and rinse frequently – blotting with absorbent towels as the last step. A third alternative is to apply one of the dry extraction carpet cleaning compounds (a “powder” type carpet cleaning product). Lightly massage or brush the cleaning compound into the stain. Leave it to work for about 30-60 minutes to absorb the stain material and then thoroughly vacuum. Dry compounds often leave “ring” marks. Consumers who try to remove stains using the wrong cleaning products, compounds or methods may only make the stained areas more noticeable. If in doubt about any, of these procedures or their safety, contact your local professional carpet-cleaning company or Ncca.

 Forgotten Spills

Sometimes stains that have been hidden by soil are revealed after cleaning. These stains, which did not immediately cause discolouration, are often from spilt liquid containing colourless sugar that remained on the fibres. After long exposure to air, they change to insoluble brown stains. The stains may look like a brownish discolouration but often remain unnoticed because of the accumulated soil covering them. Some food and drink stains may inevitably turn even darker from the necessary drying action after a thorough cleaning. Other kinds of stains can be caused by water soaking through and dissolving materials that caused browning or dissolving fugitive dyes from the back of the carpet, rug, or upholstery. Because the fibres act as wicks, moisture will rise to the surface to evaporate, and discolouration will be left. Consumers who try to remove stains by using the wrong cleaning compounds and procedures may only make the stained areas more noticeable. Professional cleaners use special cleaning and stain removal treatments to improve the appearance of forgotten drinks spills – cola, coffee, tea, alcoholic beverages, soda and others. Even with the best treatments, some coloured residue or caramelised sugar stains resulting from the prior spillage may remain.