Carpet care advice from Avonvale Carpets

The right way to look after your new carpet

All types of carpet will get dirty over time: shoes bring in grime, dust settles from the atmosphere etc., and accidental spillages happen, it’s an unavoidable fact of life. To keep your new carpet looking as good as it did the day it was fitted, all it needs is a little gentle care and attention.  Avonvale Carpets recommends the following approach:

Regular vacuuming

There’s no doubt that regular vacuuming to lift out all the dust and grime is the best way to preserve the look of your new carpet and extend its lifetime. In fact, most manufacturers now recommend that you vacuum two to three times per week. You should use a good quality, upright vacuum cleaner with a spinning brush head (‘beater bar’) for cut pile carpets, and a cylinder cleaner with a suction-only head (with a completely smooth plate) for loop pile carpets to minimise the chance of fluffing and pilling. Our opinion (being owners of one, and finding that many of our customers are too) is that Shark vacuums are too aggressive for loop pile carpets.

Whilst cordless vacuums have made our lives easier, the suction tends not to be powerful enough to reach the bottom of carpet piles, so a corded vacuum cleaner such as a Sebo, for example, should be used. 

Particular attention should be paid to areas such as around skirting-boards and under furniture as this is where dirt tends to gather and where moth activity is most likely to occur. We understand that moving furniture is not always easy but, unfortunately, most manufacturers wont accept poor maintenance as a justifiable excuse if any issues occur.

Attending to spillages

When you do have a spillage, act quickly to avoid permanent soiling or staining. While what’s been spilled will always dictate the best cleaning technique to employ, the following basic advice for spillages is worth bearing in mind:

• Scoop up any soft substance spillage with a smooth-edged spoon
• Remove any obviously loose particles with a vacuum cleaner
• Use an absorbent cloth to lightly sponge the spillage with warm water
• Blot (don’t rub) the spillage with absorbent cloths or plain paper towels
• Place layers of kitchen roll over the spillage area, compress and allow to dry
• Avoid using detergents as these are difficult to completely remove, which weighs the fibre down leading to flattening as well as leaving a ‘sticky’ residue which in turn gathers dust and dirt from the atmosphere

If in doubt, please give us a call or contact a professional carpet cleaning company to advise.

Periodic cleaning

Even if your carpet has been regularly vacuumed and spillages have been quickly tackled, airborne pollutants will ultimately leave a thin grimy film over any carpet. This natural soiling builds up over time and is best removed by a professional carpet cleaner using the most appropriate equipment and solutions.

If you’d like us to recommend a professional carpet cleaner or want more specific advice on caring for your carpet supplied and fitted by Avonvale Carpets, pop into the shop, or call us today on 01225 427 057.