If you purchased an inventory home from us, you most likely have a home that includes an upgraded carpet from either Mohawk or Shaw. Upgraded carpets are our first choice in our inventory homes because they have longer warranties than base grade carpet. They also include Stain and Soil Resistant Technologies that are better than the base grade which translates into happier homeowners for us!
Have you ever stopped to think that in most homes, the carpet is the largest area covered that takes a beating daily? Most homeowners are concerned with how to take care of their carpet and prevent spills from staining. Did you know there is a difference between “Soil” and “Stain”? A stain is the red dye left over from a Gatorade spill. Soil is the dirt that can penetrate in between the fibers causing a darkening of the look of the carpet. Our upgraded Shaw carpets all have R2X technology which is a wash of the fibers that combines a stain and soil resistance which is better than a topical treatment (like spraying Scotchguard on your carpet before you move in) which only affects the topmost fibers of your carpet. Mohawk uses a similar wash technique for their Revive technology.
Here are some great carpet care tips compiled from the Shaw and Mowhak websites.
- Preventative measures like mats at outside entry areas can reduce the amount of soil tracked into your home.
- Move your furniture around. This can refresh the pile under heavy pieces.
- Clean area rugs often and check for colorfastness before laying them over your carpet.
- Vacuuming. Did you know it’s not just a once a week chore? In heavy traffic areas of your home, you should vacuum the traffic lanes daily and the entire area twice weekly. One pass of the vacuum is not enough either-up to three passes for light soiling and five to seven passes for heavy soiling. Change the vacuum direction on each pass to refresh the pile and prevent matting.
- Cut burned parts of carpet with curved nail scissors.
- Always blot spills, never rub or scrub aggressively. Here is a quick link for specific spill instructions from Shaw. Here is another one from Mohawk.
- Have your carpets professionally cleaned by hot water extraction, most commonly known as “Steam Cleaning” every twelve to eighteen months depending on the number of occupants in the home