Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the facts: No other item in your home absorbs more wear and tear on a daily basis than your carpet, and no other item can impact your home's appearance like your carpet can. ServiceMaster recommends that homeowners follow these steps to keep up the appearance of their carpet and upholstery:
Carpet Care & Maintenance
Have the carpets professionally cleaned at least once a year: A professional cleaner has the equipment and expertise to fully remove dirt and detergent, and will remove most of the moisture in your carpet, something that most hire units don't do.
Vacuum carpets at least once a week: Up to 80% of dirt in carpets is loose dirt that can be removed with regular vacuuming.
Use doormats: Keep dirt, and especially sand, out of the house and off of the rugs.
Protect the surface: Have your carpet fibres protected by a soil protector.
Rotate furniture: Premature wear and spoiling take place when traffic paths are unchanged.
Blot up spills: Quickly clean up spills with a dry, clean cloth or a clean towel. Protect the area until dry.
Upholstery
Avoid direct sunlight: Modern furniture fabrics are usually resilient to sunlight. However, under extreme exposure, even these show signs of fading.
Plump up cushions often: Fillings lose their ability to bounce back if not plumped up to reshape them. Plumping cushions will help them last longer.
Rotate cushions often: Cushions not rotated may experience premature and unnecessary wear. To ensure a longer life for your cushions, rotate them regularly.
Vacuum: Upholstered furniture should be vacuumed on a regular basis to remove dust and loose dirt.
Blot up spills: Spills left unattended may set as stains. Blot spills, never rub!
Spills & Spotting Tips
At ServiceMaster, we deal with thousands of spots and spills every year. A little care taken when these events occur may immediately solve the problem. Use the tips below to help get rid of common household stains found on carpets. However, if the stain is more serious, call ServiceMaster to help.
Grease and Oil Marks: Gently rub in talcum powder or cornflour. Let it set and then brush or sponge powder away.
Mustard Stains: Soak stained area with diluted ammonia. Then dry with a hair dryer.
Pet Urine: Dampen area with equal parts white vinegar and water. Then blot dry.
Red Wine: Use soda water to flush the wine from the carpet fibres.
Blood Stains: Flush with cold water. Avoid hot water as heat will set the blood stain.
Soft Drinks: ServiceMaster spot remover is ideal for this.
Gum: Freeze the gum with ice in a plastic bag and use a blunt knife to remove.
Latex Paint: Soak with washing-up liquid and water. Agitate the area, blot, rinse and blot again. If necessary treat with ServiceMaster spot remover.
Ball Point Ink: Remove with surgical spirit.
Rules for Spot Removal
Remember that the best time to clean up most spots and spills is right after they occur. Using the proper agent, follow these techniques:
- If liquid, blot up as much as possible with a clean cloth.
- If the material is dry, loosen residue with the blunt edge of a knife or spatula. Scrape or vacuum up as much of the residue as you can.
- Dampen clean cloth with the proper cleaning agent for the particular type of stain.
- Blot area gently, working from the outer edge to the centre of the spot. Turn the cloth frequently so you are always using a clean area.
- Repeat this process until the spot is removed or until you no longer have a transfer of the spot to your cloth. Be careful not to get the carpet excessively wet.
- Rinse the spot with water. Blot any excess moisture.
- Align the carpet pile. Protect the area from any traffic and allow to dry.
