Carpet & Flooring Care Guide

The carpets and flooring that we supply are high quality and should give many years use, if looked after. Please always follow the manufacturers instructions for care and cleaning. The following are general recommendations.

Carpet & Rug Care

• Direct sunlight can cause fading – blinds and curtains will protect your carpet from the colour fade caused by sustained direct sunlight.
• Use furniture cups to help reduce indentations from furniture.
• Vacuum regularly to remove dirt and dust, and to help keep the tufts upright. For cut pile carpets, a vacuum cleaner fitted with a beater bar and/or brushes is recommended. For loop pile carpets a vacuum cleaner without a beater bar or brushes is best, as beater heads and brushes can catch and lift the fibres, and eventually, this will give your carpet a bobbled or felted appearance.
• Move furniture regularly if possible, to avoid indentations.
• If carpets or rugs are by external doors, use doormats to remove dirt and moisture from shoes.
• Keep pets nails trimmed.
• Do not pull at loose tufts. If a piece of fibre sticks out, trim it so it is level with the rest.

Spillages:

• Deal with spillages immediately.

• For liquids, blot up as much as possible with a clean absorbent white cloth/kitchen roll – do not rub.

• For semi-solid substances, carefully pick up as much as possible, using a plastic spatula if required.

• If there is a stain, work from the outside in to avoid spreading.

• For wool carpets, just use a little warm water and kitchen towel and gently blot the stain, replacing the kitchen towel as necessary, but do not over wet the carpet. When the stain has faded significantly, swap to use a clean white cloth and a little warm water and continue blotting until the stain has disappeared. Blot dry as much as possible. If the stain does not go, seek specific advice for the type of stain.

• For polypropylene carpets, if water alone doesn’t work, as long as the carpet is 100% polypropylene, you can try the same method using a mixture of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. Again blot dry as much as possible after cleaning. If the stain does not go, seek specific advice for the type of stain. Do not use bleach unless you are sure the carpet is 100% polypropylene.

• If you do use proprietary cleaning agents, apply to a cloth and not directly to a carpet. If a cleaning agent is used then the area should be rinsed with clean water, but do not over wet the carpet. The pile should be gently brushed up to help the carpet retain its appearance as it dries.

• Once the carpet is dry, vacuum to restore the fibres.

Flooring Care

• For heavy furniture, use furniture pads or mats, under legs and castors.

• Avoid dragging furniture or heavy objects across your flooring – lift into place.

• Place mats at external entrances to limit the dirt being brought in from outside. However, avoid ones with a rubber backing, as some rubbers could leave a bit of a stain.

• Minute scratches can build up damage over time, so keep the floor free from dust and grit by regularly sweeping and vacuuming.

• Avoid walking on with stiletto or spike heels, as they can cause damage to the top wear layer of the flooring.

• Keep pets’ nails trimmed.

• Do not use harsh chemicals or abrasive materials on the flooring.

Cleaning:

• Clean up spillages, especially liquid and semi-solids as quickly as possible.
• Vacuum regularly, at least once a week or more often for high use areas, using a floor-brush attachment. Do not use a vacuum with a beater bar attachment, which can scratch the floor's finish. Alternatively, a dry microfiber dust mop can be used to pick up dirt and debris from the floor or sweep with a soft brush, then use a vacuum or dustpan to pick up the debris.
• Always vacuum or sweep the floor before washing, to remove dust and grit.
• Follow the manufacturers instructions for washing, but avoid too much water and never use harsh chemicals or abrasive materials.

Wooden Flooring Care

Engineered wood flooring has the same appearance as solid wood flooring, but offers greater structural stability, so it is easier to maintain. It can cope with changes in temperature and moisture levels better than solid wood flooring, but care should be taken with both. Even engineered wood flooring should not be allowed to get soaking wet, and moisture should not be allowed to stand on the flooring. When choosing your flooring, talk to our experts for advice on what is best for you.

Wooden flooring is susceptible to dents and scratches, which some people like as it adds character to a floor, but others prefer to keep the wood in perfect condition. If you do prefer it in pristine condition, prevention is better than cure, and there are some simple steps you can follow to avoid this damage:

• Use furniture pads under table legs and castors.
• Never push or drag furniture around - lift any furniture that needs to be moved.
• Place mats at external entrances to limit the dirt being brought in from outside. However, avoid ones with a rubber backing, as some rubbers could leave a bit of a stain.
• Minute scratches can build up damage over time, so keep the floor free from dust and grit by regularly sweeping and vacuuming.
• Do not allow your floors to be walked on with stiletto or spike heels, as they cause considerable damage to the top wear layer of the flooring.
• Keep pets nails trimmed.
• Do not use harsh chemicals or abrasive materials on the flooring.

Cleaning:

• Clean up spillages, especially liquids and semi-solids, as soon as possible.
• Vacuum regularly, at least once a week or more often for high use areas, using a floor-brush attachment. Do not use a vacuum with a beater bar attachment, which can scratch a wood floor's finish. Alternatively, a dry microfiber dust mop can be used to pick up dirt and debris from the floor or sweep with a soft brush, then use a vacuum or dustpan to pick up the debris.
• Always vacuum or sweep the floor before washing, to remove dust and grit.
• Follow the manufacturers instructions for washing, but never use a wet mop, always ensure it is well wrung out, so it is only damp, and never use harsh chemicals or abrasive materials.