General Introduction

Growing technology has enhanced the durability of flooring products immensely. Yet, our fast paced world still renders a lot of wear on our floors from spills to the family pet or foot traffic. Regular maintenance and preventative measures can significantly prolong the new look of this important investment. 

The following information is the accumulation of many years of experience, the guidelines of regulatory flooring agencies and the instructions provided by the leading manufactures of flooring products. The manufacturer of your flooring product may have unique guidelines that should be given seniority over the general advice given by Wolfe Flooring. The following guidelines are for regular maintenance, not initial care. Most likely, the initial care your flooring needs is different than regular maintenance. Generally, new flooring products need about 12 to 72 hours after the installation before they are ready for furniture, regular foot traffic, or cleaning of the seams, etc. Techniques, products, etc. change and some situations are very unique; thus, Wolfe Flooring assumes no liability for omissions, errors or the outcome. These instructions may not apply to historic ceramic tile or antique oriental rugs and other very old and priceless flooring relics. Please exercise general caution implementing any of the following guidelines. You're welcome to call us for a specific professional address of your situation.

Carpet

Retain the sales receipt and any product description from the purchase of the goods. If possible, document the manufacturer's name and the manufacturer's full product description including color. Furthermore, retain a sample of the carpet for comparisons. For insurance purposes, it's good to have a picture of your new product in a safe place.

Retain extra carpet and cushion for possible repairs that may be needed in the future. Keep the materials in a dry place that stays about room temperature. Do not put this in the attic. Extreme heat can damage the backing and discolor the yarn.

Keep the outside entrance areas (sidewalks, porches, driveways) free of sand and debris.

Non-staining walk off mats (avoid rubber mats) and entry rugs are strongly recommended at building entry ways (both inside and outside) to catch most of the soiling. The mass majority of the soil and grit that will fall into the carpet will do so in the first six feet of the entrances. Use mats on hard surfaces only if possible. Mats should be cleaned recurrently; otherwise, the mats will accelerate the soiling.

Vacuum the main traffic areas once per day and the general areas once per week for residential carpet. Commercial facilities usually need to vacuum all areas once per day or twice per day. Vacuuming should include between three and six passes. Vacuum in a north/south direction and then in a east/west direction to get maximum benefit. About 80% of soiling in carpet is dry particles. The easiest removal of soil particles is before it sifts down to the base of the carpet yarn, so we can not emphasis enough how important vacuuming is to protect your flooring investment. (Follow the operating manual of the vacuum cleaner's manufacturer.)

Use a vacuum with a beater bar on carpet stretched in over cushion if possible. Use a brush model with no beater bar if your carpet is directly glued to the subfloor without cushion. Adjust the beater bar to the correct height to increase suction. Do not put the beater bar so low that the pile is damaged. Especially, watch the threshold areas. The belts and brushes on your vacuum cleaner should be checked occasionally to verify they're in good working order.

Change the bag on your vacuum cleaner as specified by the manufacturer to not over stress the engine and to maintain strong suction.

Be especially careful when handling household chemicals (e.g., food dyes, acne medicine, cosmetics, hair dyes, cleaners, bleach, insecticide, plant food, paint, etc.). These chemicals can ruin the manufacturer's carpet dye. Wolfe Flooring does provide solutions to these otherwise impossible problems.

Tend to stains and spills immediately after occurrence. Stains set with time. Many stains that may be removable will become permanent after six months. See the home remedies stain removal guide for specific instructions.

Be very careful when using any over-the-counter cleaner on carpet. Some of the name brand over-the-counter cleaners will distort the dye and delaminate the carpet backing. Test the product in an inconspicuous area and leave it for 24 hours. Follow the instructions on the cleaner carefully. Avoid scrubbing the carpet pile because this can permanently distort the yarn.

Have your carpet professionally cleaned on a regular basis. Recommendations vary as to which method and as to how frequently. We recommend that you have your carpets professionally cleaned before the soiling becomes noticeable. Sand and grit accumulates at the base of the carpet pile before it's noticed at the top of the carpet tufts. Sand and grit are abrasive to the carpet yarn, thus shortening the carpet's life span. Another reason to clean the carpet frequently is that we spend most of our time indoors. Clean carpet contributes to a healthy home and office in many ways including the indoor air quality (IAQ). The average is about once per year for residential carpet and about three times per year for commercial carpet. Some manufacturer's warranties are void if the carpet is not professionally cleaned at least every two years. When carpets are steam cleaned, the hot water used should be between 130-150 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the type of carpet you have and the type of soiling. (Lower temperatures are less effective at breaking down oils and soiling. Higher temperatures can damage the backing and remove stain resistance qualities.) The professional cleaning company you use should leave little residue by using high quality solutions and by doing a good extraction/rinse. Detergent residue left in the carpet will be sticky and thus cause the carpet to re-soil more quickly. The professional cleaning company should also safeguard against things like yellowing and overwetting which can cause the carpet to sour. The following manufacturers of carpet and carpet yarn endorse steam cleaning (a.k.a., the hot water extraction method) as provided by Wolfe Flooring: DuPont, 3M, Queen, Honeywell (formerly, Allied-Signal), PatCraft, Designweave, I.I.C.R.C., C.R.I. (Carpet & Rug Institute), Wear-Dated by Solutia (formerly, Monsanto) and others. 

Apply soil protection like DuPont's Teflon™ to prolong the need for professional cleaning and to prevent the likelihood of stains from setting.

Reflect direct sunlight away from carpet to prevent fading.

Use underlayments under rugs to prevent possible dye transfer and to prevent the rug from traveling.

Relocate furniture occasionally to distribute traffic patterns.

Displace the furniture just a little (about 1"-2") when you vacuum to prevent the carpet pile from being permanently crushed.

Clip short yarns that are higher than the pile -- called "sprouts." Do not cut long yarns or pull them out, especially if your carpet has a loop pile. Long yarns can be retufted.

Tend to repairs immediately to keep repair expenses as low as possible.

Avoid dragging heavy furniture across the carpet.

Chair pads are required under roller casters to preserve appearance, prevent accelerated wear, and act as a deterrent toward delamination.

Change the filters in your air conditioning system regularly.

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by Wolfe Flooring, Inc. of Tampa, FL 33637   All rights reserved.
A Full Service Flooring Company:  Sales, Installation, Maintenance & Repairs
Carpet, Rugs, Hardwood, Laminate, Ceramic, Stone, Vinyl, Rubber, VCT
Serving Temple Terrace, Tampa, Brandon, and Surrounding Communities
of Tampa Bay in Central Florida
813-989-2101  or   813-989-2831
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