CARPET & RUGS
BROADLOOM CARPET
Weekly vacuuming is generally sufficient if you do not have pets. Households with pets may need to vacuum 2-3 times per week.
To treat wet stains you can use a homemade mixture of 3 tablespoons dish soap, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and 2 cups of water. Blot the stain with a cloth or paper towel to soak up any remaining liquid, then apply your stain remover to a cloth and blot until the stain lifts. Use a damp cloth to soak up excess stain remover before patting dry with a dry cloth.
FINE RUGS
Plan on having your fine rugs professionally cleaned every 2 to 5 years depending on use.
Do not steam clean or dry clean your high quality rugs. We recommend having your rugs cleaned by a vendor specializing in hand-cleaning.
Vacuuming should be done on a regular basis to prevent dirt and grit from settling into the pile of the carpet, and it is best practice to use straight suction instead of the beater bar.
Appropriate carpet padding extends the life of a rug.
Blot, do not scrub spots on a rug. Excessive scrubbing can damage and distort the nap on a carpet, and can set the stain further into the rug.
With liquid spills, always remove as much of the spill as possible before adding spotting products by blotting the spill with a clean rag. To clean a spot, always use cold water. If something stronger is needed, we recommend a mild detergent diluted with cold water such as Bio-Clean, Planet Detergent, or Seventh Generation.
Some spots are better handled by professional rug cleaners. Examples include pet urine, vomit, ink or dried wine. The longer you let a spot sit, the harder it will be to get out.
For set stains, test a mixture of 1 part dish soap with 2 parts hydrogen peroxide in a low-visibility area. Dampen the stain with water and blot; then apply the spray, blot, and rinse until the stain lifts. Stubborn stains can be addressed with chemical cleaning agents.
You can deodorize and deep clean carpet with baking soda. After vacuuming and spot cleaning, sprinkle baking soda evenly over the carpet surface and let it sit for at least 30 minutes—longer if possible. After sitting, thoroughly vacuum to remove all baking soda.