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First
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You May Experience These Things... |
Shedding
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Most carpets retain some loose fibers after they leave the mill or
store. These fibers often appear as balls of fluff on the surface of your
carpet or in your vacuum cleaner. With time, they will work their way out of
the carpet and no longer be a nuisance. Shedding primarily occurs with cut
pile carpets. |
Sprouting
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Occasionally, loose tufts will appear above the carpet surface. To
remove the loose tufts, clip them to be even with the carpet's surface. DO
NOT PULL OUT LOOSE ENDS! If you do, you will permanently damage the carpet. |
Sprouting
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You may notice some variations in the color of
your carpet - one area may seem to change color when you look at it from
different directions. This is because light reflects differently as the pile
is pushed in a variety of directions. Foot traffic generally causes this to
happen and the best solution is to sweep or vacuum the pile in a uniform
direction. Shading is impossible to eliminate in some cut pile styles, and
is part of the character of velvets and saxonies. |
Shading
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You may notice some variations
in the color of your carpet - one area may seem to change color when you
look at it from different directions. This is because light reflects
differently as the pile is pushed in a variety of directions. Foot traffic
generally causes this to happen and the best solution is to sweep or vacuum
the pile in a uniform direction. Shading is impossible to eliminate in some
cut pile styles, and is part of the character of velvets and saxonies. |
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Rippling |
During times of high humidity, your
carpet might experience some slight rippling. This situation usually
resolves itself as the carpet settles. If the problem persists, please call
your flooring retailer. |
New
Carpet Smell |
Like new cars, some new carpets
have a "new carpet smell." It is nothing to be concerned about and usually
goes away within a week, sometimes within days. There are some things that
you can do to minimize the smell. Most importantly, be sure to ventilate the
area as much as possible. You should open the doors and windows. Use fans to
keep the air circulating during installation and for up to 72 hours
afterwards. Take advantage of your heating or air conditioning fans, if you
have them. You should also vacuum your carpet often to help remove the odor. |
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Static Electricity |
When your home's relative humidity is low, a
static charge can build up in your carpet as you walk across it. If you
touch something made of metal, you get zapped. There are commercially
available products you can apply to your carpet to reduce or eliminate
static electric build-up. Patience is also a good remedy. Your carpet will
hold less of a charge as time goes by. Most nylon fibers are pre-treated to
reduce static electric build-up. |
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Crushing |
Your carpet will display crushing in spots where heavy
objects have been placed. To raise the pile back to its former height, you
may have to do some vigorous brushing. You can also try passing a hot steam
iron over the indentations — but bring the iron no closer than 6 inches
above the carpet. Be sure to contact your sales professional or manufacturer
of your carpet to avoid nullifying your warranty. |
How to Keep Your New Carpet Looking New . . . |
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Vacuum |
Vacuuming is key to keeping your new carpet looking new.
Dirt and grit embedded in the pile will affect your carpet's color and cause
matting, so you'll want to vacuum heavy-traffic areas every day if possible.
Less heavily used areas can be maintained with once-a-week vacuuming. Vacuum
about three passes for light cleaning, and up to seven passes where there is
more soil. |
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Remove stains with Capture! Capture is a water-based cleaning
solution with a mild lemon fragrance, and it's your carpet's best friend.
Capture safely cleans your carpet without damaging the fibers or
stain-resistant finish, and it will not void carpet warranties. It is
designed to absorb oily and water based soils that your vacuum cannot, and
can therefore enhance the results of vacuuming. With Capture, carpets can be
cleaned without steam or shampoo. Even better than its stain removal
ability, Capture reduces allergens and is safe around children and pets. If
you have carpets or area rugs, ask your Flooring America sales professional
about Capture. |
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Steam Cleaning |
Most manufacturer warranties require professional
cleaning. The most commonly recommended method of cleaning is good
old-fashioned "Steam Cleaning." This method is also called "Hot Water
Extraction*". The best advise we can give is to deal with a trusted
professional. The most important aspect of the cleaning is the actual
operator. The cleaner will need to use a solvent in the water.
Some cleaners use too much solvent which can lead to rapid re-soiling.
Please make sure the cleaner is thorough, protects your furniture and uses
the correct amount of solvent.
*Do not use hot water extraction with natural fibers. It may
cause fading or shrinkage of wool or sisal. |
Warranty and Required Maintenance
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Regular carpet care and routine maintenance
are essential to maintaining your warranty coverage. Over time, normal
foot traffic and soiling will cause a change in any carpet's appearance. Hot
water extraction, either alone or in combination with cleaning, is required
to maintain your warranty.* The service must be performed by a trained
carpet care professional every one and a half to two years to refresh the
texture and rejuvenate the fibers in your carpet. You must retain your
receipts for proof of maintenance service, should a warranty claim arise. |
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Keep
These Handy |
The following solutions should be kept handy for treating
spills and stains.
Detergent: Mix 1/2 teaspoon clear
dishwashing detergent with 1 cup warm (not hot) water.
Pre-Soak Solution: Mix 1 teaspoon enzyme
laundry detergent (such as Axion, Biz, or others) with 1 cup water.
Hydrogen Peroxide: Mix 1/2 cup hydrogen
peroxide (3% strength available in drugstores) with 1 teaspoon of household ammonia. Use within
two hours of mixing.
Ammonia: Undiluted household ammonia.
Dry Powder Cleaner: Powdered carpet
cleaner like Capture.
Dry Cleaning Solvent: Non-oily, non-caustic
type sold for spot removal for garments. Caution–may be flammable. |
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How to Keep Your New
Carpet Looking New . . . |
