Maintenance

Proper Specification

1. Carpet Colour - In heavy traffic areas such as entrances, a darker colour will retain its appearance longer.

2. Survey Your Facility and determine heavy, medium and light soil traffic areas and choose your carpet accordingly.

Heavy - Outside entrances, corridors, elevator lobbies, stairways and main atriums.

Medium - Secondary aisles, office spaces, meeting rooms and executive areas

Light - Back offices, conference rooms and executive areas.

3. Preventative Maintenance - For long term appearance, plan areas to trap soil before it reaches the carpet. Provide adequate walk-off matting at all building entrances. These should be used year round for wiping soil and water.

Routine Cleaning - Vacuuming

1. Equipment - Use a dual motor upright vacuum with a beater-bar or brushes with high suction. Because the carpet is highly abrasion resistant, low settings are acceptable.

2. Method - Slow deliberate vacuum-passes are more effective. A minimum of four passes, forward and back, are recommended for effective dirt removal.

3. Frequency

Spots and Stains

1. Remove spills and stains immediately.

2. Solid substances should be removed first with a spoon.

3. Liquid spots can be dabbed with white blotting paper, repeat the dabbing until blotting paper is no longer wet.

4. If spot is still visible, use a carpet spot remover (use a minimal amount) and dab spot simultaneously with wet cloth or sponge.

5. Never use commercial stain removers which could penetrate through the backing and damage the carpet.

6. Do no walk on the wet spot.

7. For more difficult stains, contact your sales representative. If possible, establish a “hot line” for employees to call for immediate response to spills. Spot cleaning should be done daily. The best time to identify stains is during regular vacuuming.

Deep Cleaning - Restoring

1. Equipment - Hot water extraction is the most effective method of removing deep soil. Units with heavy water pressure (PSI) and strong suction (water lift) are recommended for best results. Water temperature should not exceed 160°F.

2. Method - When extracting, do not “over wet” the carpet and extract as much water as possible with dry passes following the final wet pass. Avoid cleaning chemicals which leave residues. Remaining residue can attract soil and cause more frequent cleaning.

3. Frequency

Monitoring Your Carpet

Do a walk through inspection of all areas monthly. For optimum appearance and protection of your carpet, it may be necessary to adjust the frequencies of vacuuming, spot cleaning and extraction.

Stain Treatment

Resistance to Chemicals

Polypropylene fibres are characterized by outstanding resistance to acids, lyes and salts.

Regular Maintenance

Regular maintenance is especially important in heavy traffic areas. Sand and dirt act as abrasive agents against any flooring product, thereby reducing its effective life. Most products can be maintained by a regular vacuuming or sweeping program. In the event that there is deeply embedded soil, a pressure washer can be used to dislodge it. In circumstances where this is not practical, in the case of carpet matting that is glued down, it can be maintained by steam cleaning and/or shampooing.

The use of petroleum based cleaners is not recommended. Some adversely affect the pile and backing, especially in the case of carpet matting. They also tend to pack down the nap and darken the matting surface at the point of contact.

Spot Removal

When a spill occurs, absorb as much liquid as possible with a clean absorbent material. On oil or grease based stains, apply dry cleaning fluid in small amounts and blot until the stain is removed.

Professional Maintenance

If facilities or equipment prevent you from maintaining your own mats, you can also have them sent to a reputable rug cleaner or have them cleaned at the same time as your carpets.

Drying

Most matting products will dry out fairly rapidly as they are manufactured from synthetic fibers which retain little moisture. Drying may be enhanced by turning the product upside down overnight. When doing so, it is suggested that the drying take place somewhere other than the mat’s normal position so that the flooring area be given time to dry as well.

Storage and Handling

Make sure your matting is clean and dry before rolling up for storage. The storage of wet mats will invariably lead to mold and mildew problems when the mat is put back into service.

Rolling the mat with the nap facing out is recommended so that when the mat is returned to service, any roll memory will be downward on the ends, therefore reducing trip hazards as much as possible.

Lay stored mats flat. DO NOT STAND ON END. A neatly rolled mat at the time of storage will result in less problems when it is returned to service. Use a core whenever possible.

Caution: If the borders on your mats become broken or curled, the mats should be removed from service until the tripping hazard can be corrected. This can be done by trimming back the mat or by cutting off the broken border and gluing on a new vinyl border.

Proper Specification

1. Carpet Color – in heavy traffic areas such as entrances, a darker color will retain its appearance longer.

2. Survey your facility and determin heavy, medium and light soil traffic areas then choose your carpet accordingly. Heavy for outside entrances, corridors, elevator lobbies, stairway and main aisles. Medium for seconday aisles, office spaces, meeting rooms, atriums. Light for back offices, conference rooms and executive areas.

3. Preventive Maintanance – for long term appearance, plan areas to trap soil before it reaches the carpet. Provide adequate walk-off matting at all building entrances. These should be used year-round for wiping soil and water.

Routine Cleaning – Vacuuming

1. Equipment – use a dual motor upright vacuum with a beater-bar or brushes with high suction. Because the carpet is highly abrasion resistant, low settings are acceptable.

2. Method – slow deliberate vacuum passes are more effective. A minimum of four passes, forward and back, are recommended for effective dirt removal.

3. Frequency – heavy traffic, vacuum daily. Medium traffic, vacuum every other day. Light traffic, vacuumm once or twice a week.

Spots and Stains

Remove spills and stains immediately. For liquid and minor spills, clean with water and blot with white cloth. For more difficult stains, contact a professional cleaning guide for appropriate cleaner or solvent to use for category of stain. Spot cleaning should be done daily. The best time to identify stains is during regular vacuuming.

Deep Cleaning – Restoring

1. Equipment – hot water extraction is the most effective method of removing deep soil. Units with heavy water pressure (psi) and strong suction (water lift) are recommended for best results. Water temperature should not exceed 100° f.

2. Method – when extracting, do not over wet the carpet and extract as much water as possible with dry passes following the final wet pass. Avoid cleaning chemicals that leave residues. Remaining residue can attract and soil and cause more frequent cleaning.

3. Frequency – heavy traffic to medium traffic, extract a minimum 2 times a year. Light traffic, extract once a year.

Monitoring your Carpet

Do a walk-through inspection of all areas monthly. For optimum appearance and protection of your carpet, it may be necessary to adjust the frequencies of vacuuming, spot cleaning and extraction.

Proper Specification

1. Carpet Color – in heavy traffic areas such as entrances, a darker color will retain its appearance longer.

2. Survey your facility and determin heavy, medium and light soil traffic areas then choose your carpet accordingly. Heavy for outside entrances, corridors, elevator lobbies, stairway and main aisles. Medium for seconday aisles, office spaces, meeting rooms, atriums. Light for back offices, conference rooms and executive areas.

3. Preventive Maintanance – for long term appearance, plan areas to trap soil before it reaches the carpet. Provide adequate walk-off matting at all building entrances. These should be used year-round for wiping soil and water.

Routine Cleaning – Vacuuming

1. Equipment – use a dual motor upright vacuum with a beater-bar or brushes with high suction. Because the carpet is highly abrasion resistant, low settings are acceptable.

2. Method – slow deliberate vacuum passes are more effective. A minimum of four passes, forward and back, are recommended for effective dirt removal.

3. Frequency – heavy traffic – daily, medium traffic – every other day, light traffic – once or twice weekly.

Spots and Stains

Remove spills and stains immediately. For liquid and minor spills, clean with water and blot with white cloth. For more difficult stains, contact a professional cleaner or consult a professional cleaning guide for appropriate cleaner or solvent to use for category of stain. Spot cleaning should be done daily. The best time to identify stains is during regular vacuuming.

Deep Cleaning – Restoring

1. Equipment – hot water extraction is the most effective method of removing deep soil. Units with heavy water pressure (psi) and strong suction (water lift) are recommended for best results. Water temperature should not exceed 100° f.

2. Method – when extracting, do not over wet the carpet and extract as much water as possible with dry passes following the final wet pass. Avoid cleaning chemicals that leave residues. Remaining residue can attract and soil and cause more frequent cleaning.

3. Frequency – heavy traffic to medium traffic, extract a minimum of 2 times a year. Light traffic, extract once a year.

Monitoring Your Carpet

Do a walk-through inspection of all areas monthly. For optimum appearance and protection of your carpet, it may be necessary to adjust the frequencies of vacuuming, spot cleaning and extraction.

Place the mat upside down and hit it gently to release the dirt. Vacuum on a daily basis.