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How to keep your carpet looking like new

Regular cleaning is the key to longevity

A new carpet can be a big investment. So, looking after it is important. There’s no big secret to it. A carpet needs to be kept clean and maintained with the correct products. If it isn’t looked after properly, with regular maintenance, it will need replacing far quicker.

Why is regular cleaning important?

Hygiene and cleanliness – Imagine how dirty a carpet in an office can get. The footfall on certain areas of the carpet will be high and dirt from outside will be brought in, and carpets have also got to contend with food and drink that gets dropped during the day. This can create stains and also be unhygienic. Bacteria from food residue can survive in your carpet for some time, creating a risk to health.

Airborne germs, such as the common cold and norovirus, will cling to carpets too. As people walk around the office, they release the dust and germs into the air. Not a pleasant thought.

Vacuuming is an essential part of carpet maintenance, but this will only collect the dust near the surface. It doesn’t reach down into the carpet and it can’t kill germs. For that, you’ll need to have your carpets professionally cleaned which will clean the carpet from the bottom up, removing visible dirt and getting rid of germs which lie beneath.

It’s not just office carpets which take the brunt. Think about a reception area of a residential building. The footfall by the lifts will be heavy, good entrance matting will greatly reduce the amount of dirt walked through, but it can’t collect it all.

Colour change – If a carpet becomes dirty in parts, such as the walkway from an office to the lifts, it can create a greying appearance. This is caused by the dirt and abrasion of heavy traffic. Vacuuming regularly will limit this affect, by lifting the pile of the carpet and helping to restore the colour. A professional cleaner will use special mechanical brushes to do this for you. A steam clean of the carpet will also remove the dirt which you can’t see and return the carpet to its original colour.

Your warranty – Most warranties on a carpet will come with the understanding that it will be maintained and cleaned as stated by the manufacturers. If the cleaning and maintenance hasn’t been carried out, you could find that your warranty is invalid.

If your carpet gets stained try and remove it ASAP for best results, here are our Spot Cleaning top tips:

The chance of removing a stain completely, is far more likely if the spillage is cleaned up immediately. When tea or coffee is spilt on a carpet, the hot liquid burns into the fibres making the stain more difficult to get out.
Use paper towel or a clean white cloth to mop up the spill immediately and then use the correct cleaning product to address the stain. Carpets are often protected with a stain protection coating and while this means liquids take longer to sink into the fabrics of a carpet, if left they will still cause damage.

Another top tip is to use the correct product and cleaning method for the spill. A greasy stain will need a different approach to spilt coffee. Glue will need a different treatment than dried in stains, for example.

Spillage checklist:

  • Remove spillages immediately with paper towel or a clean white cloth
  • Never scrub the stain. This may spread it and push it into the carpet, just blot it
  • Never use hot water to clean a stain, use cool water to avoid spreading the stain
  • Refer to the maintenance booklet or your manufacturer’s warranty to find out which products are recommended for use.

Call in the professionals

Loughton Direct is a division of Loughton Contracts plc, who as the UK’s leading flooring contractor have more than 30 years’ experience of flooring. From supplying replacement carpet tiles, to guidance on maintenance.
You’ll get a maintenance plan, designed by our experts, to show which areas of the building need to be cleaned when and with what. All of our products are certified environmentally friendly.

You can chat to us on the instant messaging service on the bottom right hand side of your screen, or contact us on 0208 508 9394.