How to Care for Your Carpet—A Homeowner's Guide

When it comes to maintaining your carpet, some of the most critical areas of focus are the traffic areas. If ground in soil is not removed on a regular basis, these areas will begin to wear excessively. The dirt is extremely abrasive against the fibers of the carpet as you walk back and forth on it. The second area of focus, of course, is spot removal. You must react to danger spots immediately. Red wine, red beverages, urine, blood, etc., can cause a permanent stain if not treated immediately. Listed below are the steps that you must take to properly maintain your carpeting.

Warranty
Copies of specific warranties on your carpet purchase may be available from your carpet retailer. Stain resist warranties can vary from 5 to 20 years. ALL STAIN RESIST WARRANTIES REQUIRE REGULAR CLEANING AND IMMEDIATE SPOT REMOVAL.

Vacuuming
Vacuum your carpet often, once or twice a week at least. Vacuuming removes the sharp soil that can cut and slice the fiber causing premature wear. Much of this soil is not visible to the eye. Vacuum before the carpet looks soiled. Remove any loose particles such as loose food, leaves, pieces of crayon, bugs, etc., as these items can cause a spot on the carpet.

Professional Cleaning
As a general rule professional cleaning by an IICRC-certified firm should take place about once a year. For extremely heavy traffic areas cleaning may be required more often. Proper professional cleaning will not leave a sticky residue behind and can be done as many times per year as needed. MANY STAIN RESIST WARRANTIES REQUIRE PROFESSIONAL CLEANING EVERY 12–18 MONTHS. Professional cleaning removes the damaging soil from the traffic areas that vacuuming has not been able to remove. WARNING: UNINFORMED CARPET CLEANERS MAY VOID THE WARRANTY; BE VERY SELECTIVE WHICH COMPANY YOU HIRE.

Spot Removal and Interim Cleaning
Immediate spot removal is key to a clean carpet. Great care also must be taken in how spot cleaning is performed. When a carpet is new, or has sufficient protector on it, plain tap water will remove many spots. However, for those spots that will not move easily with water, you must use a spot cleaner. Select a spot cleaner that is recommended by the carpet manufacturer or by your trained and certified professional cleaner. Most spot removers that are purchased over the counter leave too much soap residue and can cause yellowing. Avoid using foam carpet cleaners or any product that is not made specifically for carpet.
Apply spot cleaner sparingly to white terry cloth and gently massage spot causing it to transfer into the cloth. Never pour spot cleaner directly on carpet. If the product you are using seems to cause the spot to re-soil over a few week period, discontinue use. Any spot that you are not able to remove, and for pet urine or feces, call your professional cleaner immediately. Please follow our spotting guide included in this booklet or on our Web site.

Protective Coatings
When high quality carpets leave the mill, they have protector applied, but no protector is permanentWhen high quality carpets leave the mill, they have protector applied, but no protector is permanent

After a period of time, some of the soil-resistor wears off.  At that point you should consider having a professional carpet cleaner re-apply the treatment after a professional cleaning. The soil resistor will help the soil slide off of the carpet easier when vacuuming, spots will be easier to remove, and professional cleaning will be more effective

Night & Day use MAXIM ADVANCED Premium Carpet Protector, the only protector that restores your carpet protection to like factory-new condition by providing ALL the protection, including dye blockers, originally applied during manufacturing. MAXIM ADVANCED carpet protector will help your carpet stay cleaner and stain-free longer. Each time your carpet is professionally cleaned, reapply MAXIM ADVANCED to prolong the life and your enjoyment on this valuable investment.