Regular vacuum cleaning, ideally everyday, will remove grit which cuts into carpet fibres and backing as it is trodden in.  Fluff will form on the surface of new carpets; this consists of short fibres which do not reach the base of the carpet and should be removed for the first few weeks with a hand brush, carpet sweeper or vacuum cleaner. Sometimes, while a carpet is bedding down, short loose fibres, causing small balls or pills of fibre on the surface. These should be trimmed off with siccors; never attempt to pull protruding fibres out of the carpet.

Often the surface of a looped pile carpet may be caught up with a nail, in the base of a piece of furniture for example; this will cause a pulled loop. Look carefully to see if an adjacent loop has been pulled into the base of the carpet; if one has, you may be able to tease it up with a piece of hooked wire and draw the pulled loop back into the surface. If not, you will need to trim the loop level with the surface.

Cleaning carpets
Lightly soiled carpets can be cleaned with carpet shampoo, apply by a manual or electric carpet shampooer following manufacturer’s instructions. Treat heavily stained areas separately and test a small area before treating the whole carpet to check for discolouration. The best shampoos produce a dry foam which does not wet the carpet excessively; if the carpet is too wet, this could cause shrinkage and discolouration. After shampooing, leave the pile sloping in one direction and allow the carpet to dry before walking or replacing furniture on it: vacuum it clean when it is dry.

Heavily soiled carpet will have to be treated by professionals or you can hire a ’steam’ carpet cleaner; this is a large vacuum cleaner with a wet shampoo applicator. A hand-held nozzle sprays shampoo and hot water and the carpet is vacuumed so the shampoo, dirt and most of the water is drawn into the waste tank of the cleaner. The carpet is left drier than after ordinary shampooing, so the furniture may be replaced within about an hour.

Removing stains
when treating stains on carpets you should always test an area to discover whether the treatment has any effect on the colour dyes in the carpet. Remember it is much harder to remove all liquids and semisolids if they are allowed to dry. Stains fall into two basic categories and there are specific treatments for each type of carpet stain.
Water soluble stains These should yield to a carpet shampoo. Remember to add one teaspoonful of white vinegar to each pint of shampoo; this will keep the solution acidic and prevent the dye in the carpet bleeding. Use a clean white cloth to apply the shampoo and blot the stain from the edge towards the centre; don’t rub vigorously. Mop up excess moisture with paper tissues and, when the area is dry, vacuum it clean.
Solvent soluble stains These could be removed with a solvent based dry cleaning fluid, which you should use sparingly. If you have applied water or carpet shampoo to the stain, allow it to dry thoroughly before applying the fluid on a pad of clean cloth. Work from the edge towards the centre and, if blotting is insufficient, rub gently. Turn the cloth as it becomes discoloured and blot excess fluid with paper tissues. Use carpet shampoo to remove final traces of the stain; if it does not, use an aerosol spot remover or call in professional carpet cleaners.

Y

All pile carpets need a little time to settle. During this initial period, bits of fluf will appear on the surface and should be vacuumed away as soon as possible. This does not indicate your carpet is falling appart or indeed that anything is wrong at all; it is simply the excess fibre, left after weaving, which rises to the surface with use.

Be sure to clean your carpet regurarly (with a vacuum cleaner, since ordinary carpet sweepers deal only with surface dirt) to prevent grime and grit becoming embedded in the fibre; and try to avoid walking on it with stilleto or metal-tipped heels or rubber and crepe sole shoes. If possible, rearrange the furniture from time to time. When you do this, lift each piece and carry it to its new location – never drag it across the floor. Look for areas of particularly heavy wear – by the fireplace, perhaps, or in front of the sofa and put down small rugs for protection.

If you see a single thread sticking up from a cut pile, don’t pull it; take a small pair of scissors and cut it neatly to the same level as the rest. Wilton loops also come loose from time to time. If you find a long one, there will be another nearby which is laying flat or seems much shorter than the rest; pull this gently with a needle you should find the raised loop will be lowered.

When it is time for a shampoo you will have to decide whether to do this yourself or hire the services of a professional firm. The latter involves the minimum time and disruption and they are not as expensive or as hard to find as you might think. If you decide to do the job yourself, you can hire an electric (or non-electric) shampooer – there is no need to buy one unless you have a large house with many carpeted rooms to be cleaned regularly. Carefully follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer and be sure not to get the carpet too wet. Remove any stains before you start and try to avoid walking in the wet pile for several hours.

B

Probably the largest amount of money you will spend on your home (apart from the purchase price and rent) will be for carpets and other floor coverings; even furniture may not prove as costly if you shop around or buy it second-hand. Carpets will greatly affect the affect the appearance of the rooms involved, so make yourself familiar with the different types of carpeting available before you make any major purchases.

The quality of the material and the density of the pile used in your carpet are the two most important factors governing its attractive appearance. The best and most common carpets used to be made from pure wool, but now the range has widened to include many synthetics and blends, which often add to the advantages of this type of natural fibre.

One of the most important considerations in choosing carpeting of any kind is its suitability for different purposes. Here we give a general guide set out by the carpet trade for you to follow; but make sure you go to a trustworthy retailer (preferably one you have dealt with before) to make sure you get the best advice.

The following classifications are sometimes referred to by number only: Light domestic Used mainly for the bedroom or other areas which do not suffer from much wear.  Medium domestic More durable than light domestic, but still suitable only for secondary rooms and areas which do
not get heavy wear. General domestic Suitable for living rooms which are not used heavily – for example, in a very small household or one which is made up of adults only. Heavy domestic This is the quality most suitable for well-used family rooms and thoroughfares such as living rooms, halls and stairs.  Heavy contract Unlikely to be needed in any domestic situation, this quality is used for hotel lobbies, airports and other areas which get extremly heavy use.

If you are in any doubt about which grade to choose, go for the better quality – the pain of spending more money initially will not be nearly as great as the heartbreak you will feel when your new carpeting looks tatty and worn well before its time and need replacing. Because the high cost of carpet fitting (if you have this done professionally), this will be much more expensive than it would have been to invest in the proper quality from the start.