Don’t panic if you spot a stain on your carpet. Today’s high-quality carpet fibres allow most stains to be easily removed. However, which cleaning method depends on the type of stain. 

React quickly

Stains in carpets should always be treated immediately. The earlier you fight the stain, the easier the removal.

• Absorb liquids immediately with an absorbent cloth such as kitchen paper, toilet paper, cotton towel, ...
• Remove solid substances with a spoon. Any remaining residue can be treated.
• The majority of stains can be removed using tepid water.
• When applying cleaning agents, follow instructions on the packaging. Put on a cloth first and not directly onto the carpet and always test first in an inconspicuous area.
• By working your way inwards from the outer edge of a spot, you can prevent the stain from spreading.
• Avoid rubbing the stain, only dab it, as this can cause the stain to spread and damage the carpet.
• After applying the treatment, blot the area as dry as possible by applying pressure with paper towels or absorbent cloth.
• Apply a thick layer of paper towels over the wet area and weigh them down to dry the carpet.
• Brush the pile with your fingers to restore the texture after the area has dried.
• If you are in any doubt, please contact a local cleaning expert.

Warning: Chlorine-containing products risk bleaching your carpet.

Tepid water

Tepid water is lukewarm, meaning that it is neither hot nor cold to the touch. Tepid water consists of two parts cold water and one part boiling water, which renders a temperature of about 40 degrees Celsius, which is round about 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Stubborn stains

Most of the stains on carpets can be removed with a towel and tepid water as described above. Some stains however are best treated differently:

• Mud: Do not use water to remove a mud stain from a carpet. It is best to allow sand, mud and suchlike to dry out. When the stains have dried out you can thoroughly vacuum clean them.
• Candle wax: Moisten the carpet around the wax stain with cold water. This makes sure that the grease cannot penetrate deeper into the carpet. Then heat the candle wax with a hairdryer to make it liquid again. After a short while you can dab up the liquid candle wax with a towel. Caution! Never use an iron to heat up and remove candle wax from your carpet. You’ll risk leaving burn marks.
• Burns or scorch marks: do not use water on these stains. The carpet material has been damaged and cleaning is no longer possible. Cut off the hairs. Take new carpet fibres from a spare piece and adhere this to the bald patch with glue. Special solutions exist to remove very stubborn stains. We recommend the products from James and Dr. Schutz:  www.james.eu and www.dr-schutz.com

Regular vacuuming can literally extend your carpet’s life. The type of vacuum cleaner and vacuum floorhead you use is important. A vacuum’s performance will vary based on the carpet’s fiber type and construction. A good vacuum cleaner typically has features that allow you to adjust the height, beater bar rotation and fan speed.

We only give general advice about vacuum cleaners as there are so many good brands or models. We forward you to consumer review websites for more detailed information.

Beater bar

Manual adjustable height of the beater bar is the most important feature because this enables the machine to be used on a wide variety of carpet types. If your vacuum is set too high above the carpet surface, the vacuum can’t attract the gritty soil below. If the setting is too low, the vacuum’s beater bar or brushes can damage the carpet’s surface, causing it to look worn and frayed.

For carpet with a cut pile an adjustable, rotating brush will help loosen deep rooted dirt and particles but this will agitate the yarn.

HEPA, High-Efficiency Particulate Arrestance

Use a vacuum cleaner with a good and efficient HEPA-microfilter system in order to be able to remove fine dust and maintain a good indoor climate. The HEPA filter system extracts 99,97% of pollen, dust, animal scales and other particles.

Do I need an expensive vacuum cleaner?

No, invest in a good vacuum cleaner to get the dirt you can't see. There are many affordable vacuums on the market today effectively cleaning carpets.

Do I choose an upright or cylinder vacuum cleaner?

Both types are suitable for carpet cleaning. You should base your choice on the area you will be vacuuming and your individual preferences. 

• Upright vacuum cleaners deliver great performance for carpet, help combat pet hair with their beater bar and typically have large heads to cover more surface area and reduce vacuuming time.
• Cylinder vacuum cleaners are smaller and lighter, making them ideal for smaller houses and are more suitable for cleaning a wide range of surfaces, including hard floors, rugs and carpets.

Additional advice

The suction of the vacuum cleaner should be sufficient enough to go through the backing of the carpet and pick up any dust and dirt settled there.

Keep the suction hose and attachments free from foreign bodies.

Examine the suction head for rough, sharp edges or bent metal which could damage the carpet.

When should you consider deep cleaning?

Vacuuming regularly is the most important step for carpet cleaning. However, deeper extraction cleaning takes care of removing tough, stubborn and deep lying dirt.

There are several deep cleaning techniques. The most common ones are steam cleaning and spray extraction.

How often deep cleaning must be done depends on carpet use and care methods. Do not wait until dirt is visible on the carpet. If the carpet is already heavily dirty cleaning is all the more difficult and expensive and, as a result, its life is considerably reduced.

You should use a recognized professional carpet cleaning company, ex. www.ncca.co.uk, to undertake the work.