Area Rug Care Tips

• Clean Oriental and Area Rugs professionally every 2-4 years. They will last longer.
• Attend to stains and spills immediately to avoid a permanent stain.
• Vacuum Rugs regularly to avoid dirt and grit buildup.
• Use a pad under area rugs to avoid slippage and unwanted wear to knots.
• Fix damage to rugs to avoid a larger and expensive repair later.
• Rotate area rugs regularly to limit wear and traffic pattern marks.
• Have a Spot and Stain Kit ready in the event of an emergency.

Spot/Stain Removal:

The single most difficult problem and most important step in area rug maintenance is spot removal. Spot removal should be done regularly by someone who has patience and the correct cleaning solution and tools to do the job. Inexperience here can make a spot into a permanent stain.

Detergent Solution: Mix 1/4 teaspoon mild liquid dish detergent in a cup of warm water. (Such as Ivory or Dawn)

Vinegar Solution: Mix 2 tablespoons white vinegar with 4 cups of warm water.

Ammonia Solution: Mix 2 tablespoons clear white non-suds ammonia in 4 cups warm water.

Basic Cleaning Steps:

Scoop up and blot as much of the spill as possible. Vacuum any dry particles. Prepare suggested cleaning solutions, beginning with the first one listed. Pre-test the cleaning solution on an inconspicuous area to ensure colour fastness. Apply the cleaning solution to the stain area. Work from the outside of the stain to the center. Allow the cleaning solution to remain on the spill for about 15 minutes. Blot with a clean white cloth until no more stain transfers to the cloth. DO NOT RUB THE STAIN AREA. Rinse with cold water. Be sure all cleaning solution is removed from the fibre. If you can still see the stain, repeat the process until either the stain is removed or the stain no longer transfers to the cloth. If the stain remains, try the next solution on the list and follow the same protocol above. If the stain persists after trying each of the solutions, contact us for assistance. Once the stain is removed place layers of white paper towel on the site to absorb any moisture. Weigh down the towels with a non-staining glass or ceramic object. You can let them sit overnight. When the fibres are dry, vacuum to restore the texture. These helpful hints are for use on synthetic fibres only. Should staining occur on natural fibre items, contact us directly for assistance.

---

Carpet Care Tips

Carpet manufacturers say the three best things for your carpet are vacuum, spot clean, and vacuum. Regular vacuuming not only removes considerable dry soiling and grit, but it also lifts and restores the pile. 86% of soiling in carpet is dry and can be removed effectively by proper powerful vacuuming and pile lifting. The type of vacuum used is most important. The best vacuum is a dual motor upright, one motor for the brush and another motor for the vacumm. A brush without a beater bar is best for direct/glue down, and a brush with a beater bar is best for carpet installed over pad. Top loading paper filter bags are highly recommmended. Vacumms should be checked and serviced regularly to ensure proper performance. Canister type vacuums without power driven brush heads are suitable for trash pickup and vacumming of non trafficked areas . They are ineffective for pile agitation. Heavily used areas where immediately off the street traffic occurs should be vacuumed daily to stop the migration of dirt. Medium trafficked areas vacuumed every other day and light trafficked areas usually once a week. Each area should have between 3 to 5 passes for effective pile aggitation, vacuuming and soil removal. It is also imperative that the brush go against the lay of the pile so it stands up when vacuumed. This means the operator should always vacuum in one direction as the other way would lay the carpet fibres down, trapping in the soil.

Spot/Stain Removal

The single most difficult problem and most important step in carpet maintenance is spot removal. Spot removal should be done regularly by someone who has patience and the correct cleaning solution and tools to do the job. Inexperience here can make a spot into a permanent stain.

Detergent Solution: Mix 1/4 teaspoon mild liquid dish detergent (with no optical brighteners) in a cup of warm water.

Vinegar Solution: Mix 2 tablespoons white vinegar with 4 cups of warm water.

Ammonia Solution: Mix 2 tablespoons clear white non-suds ammonia in 4 cups warm water.

Basic Cleaning Steps:

Scoop up and blot as much of the spill as possible. Vacuum any dry particles. Prepare suggested cleaning solutions, beginning with the first one listed. Pre-test the cleaning solution on an inconspicuous area to ensure colour fastness. Apply the cleaning solution to the stain area. Work from the outside of the stain to the center. Allow the cleaning solution to remain on the spill for about 15 minutes. Blot with a clean white cloth until no more stain transfers to the cloth. DO NOT RUB THE STAIN AREA. Rinse with cold water. Be sure all cleaning solution is removed from the fibre. If you can still see the stain, repeat the process until either the stain is removed or the stain no longer transfers to the cloth. If the stain remains, try the next solution on the list and follow the same protocol above. If the stain persists after trying each of the solutions, contact us for assistance. Once the stain is removed place layers of white paper towel on the site to absorb any moisture. Weigh down the towels with a non-staining glass or ceramic object. You can let them sit overnight. When the fibres are dry, vacuum to restore the texture. These helpful hints are for use on synthetic fibres only. Should staining occur on natural fibres, contact us directly for assistance.

---

Upholstery Care Tips:

Fabric Care:

• Rearrange the furniture occasionally to ensure even use, of the cushions and wear areas.
• Loose cushions should be reversed weekly.
• Vacuum often to remove grit that may cause abrasion.
• Ultraviolet light (sunlight) will cause fibre degeneration and colour fade. Fabrics must be protected from the sun. Occasionally dyes can fade from impurities within the air.
• Keep pets off furniture. Pet urine and pet body oil can be difficult to remove.
• Structural weave fabrics (Design created by the weave), can snag if not properly cared for. Another reason to keep pets off.

The Furniture Manufacturing Industry utilizes the following codes:

WSpot Clean only with water-based shampoo or foam upholstery cleaner. Pretest for colour loss and fabric compatability. Do not overwet. Use professional cleaning service for overall soiling.

S Spot Clean only with a water free cleaning solvent. Pretest for colour loss and fabric compatability. Do not overwet. Do not use water. Use professional cleaning service for overall soiling.

WSSpot Clean with upholstery shampoo, foam from a mild detergent, or mild dry cleaning solvent. Pretest for colour loss and fabric compatability. Do not overwet. Use professional cleaning service for overall soiling.

XClean only by vacumming or light brushing with a non- metallic brush. Do not use water or dry cleaning solvents. Consult a professional upholstery cleaner.

Spot/Stain Cleaning:

• Indentify the fabric and follow the manufactures cleaning code.
• Always pretest any cleaner in a hidden area for colour fastness and fabric compatability.
• Begin at edge of stain and work towards center. Blot don't rub. "Feather" edges to prevent ringing.
• Clean spots and spills immediately. The longer a stain remains, the more difficult it is to remove and may even become permanent.
• After spot cleaning dry quickly with a fan or hair dryer on low. This will prevent ringing.
• Distilled water is recommended when mixing cleaners with water.
• Keep a small stain small. Use of a cotton swab, dipped into the proper cleaning solution and squeezed out, will work well. The dissolved stain will wick up into the cotton swab and should not spread. ( This is a good fix for small ballpoint ink marks).
• These tips apply to W and WS coded fabrics that can be cleaned with water based cleaners. For S coded fabrics use only water-free cleaning solvents. (Liquid dry cleaner if available or rubbing alcohol)

All upholstered furniture will eventually become soiled through use. The above mentioned tips on fabric care and spot/stain cleaning are suggestions on interim care between cleanings.

• Area Rugs
• Carpets
• Drapery & Blinds
• Upholstery
• Entrance Matting