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Carpet Cleaning and Care Made Simple

As you survey your newly carpeted OHi remodeled rooms, you may notice a slight nervous feeling with every guest you invite. While guests result in a night of laughter, connection, and love it can also mean mess, or even worse, spills and stains that you can’t control. But before you hide all the wine and coffee, banish your kids and pets to the basement, and purge the menu of anything containing chocolate, remember there are less drastic measures to be taken. After all, what is a good time without wine, coffee, and chocolate?

Instead, check the list below to find care and maintenance guides for the carpets we install. If it is a bigger issue, we have also included warranty information. Don’t feel like reading through twenty pages? We’ve got you covered by highlighting the most important details.

General Carpet Maintenance

With the carpet cleaning product market overflowing, it can be a daunting task to select the right product. Turns out, the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) has done all the hard work for you by creating a list of approved cleaning products and vacuum cleaners. In fact, investing in a high-quality vacuum cleaner could be the biggest difference in keeping your carpets looking fresh and clean. Be sure to vacuum frequently to maintain the proper fluffiness and remove embedded dirt. As for the products you use, be sure to follow the list, as straying from it may actually invalidate your warranty with many of the carpet companies listed below.  

Flooring & Carpet Company in Chicago

Other things to note, include realizing that not following the care tips provided by the companies will make the warranty null. For example, if you use a cleaning product with bleach, they won’t cover whatever stain you were trying to remove. However, some warranties, such as Mohawk, will still help with an accidental bleach stain. When removing stains, use a white cloth so that no fabric dyes leak onto the carpet. Only dab. We don’t want to see any scrub-a-dub-dubbing here, so lose any brushes and the urge to rub a stain. In order to not spread to spill more, start on the edges and work your way in.  

Finally, and most importantly, have your carpet installed professionally from places like OHi. This ensures proper installation and will start you off on the right foot with no snags. If you place a warranty claim and they find it wasn’t professionally installed, they could refuse to service you. We are now going to take a deeper dive into the care and warranty details from our best-selling brands. Certain tips found can be used for all carpets, but were specifically mentioned by the brand in which that note is included. 

Mohawk Carpets

Never let a stain linger. While it may not be easy to remove guests who have overstayed their welcome, with stains, you can take control with immediate action. If the culprit is a food spill, try to remove the substantial material with a spoon, without mashing any into the carpet. Dab with water and a little detergent. Follow-up with vacuuming. If the stain persists, repeat the process. Choose a vacuum with large wheels and a rotating brush. This allows it to move easier over the plush surface, while still gathering deep dirt. If stain still won’t go away, try moistening the tufts with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Leave for an hour and then dab. Repeat if necessary. 

Most care and maintenance guides instruct you on how to remove specific stains from butter to wine, however, Mohawk recommends you start every attempt with what they call Procedure A. Mohawk instructs you to, “mix a solution of ¼ teaspoon of clear hand dishwashing detergent with 1 cup of water. Stir gently.” With that solution, blot at the stain with a white handcloth. Be sure to not soak the ground. Rinse by dabbing lukewarm water to area where solution is applied. Then cover with a white absorbent cloth and press down. If stain remains, repeat. After repetition, if stain remains, check Mohawk's guide on extra steps to clean. 

Click here to find the complete care and maintenance guide

Click here to find the complete warranty guide

Shaw Carpets

While you may not want to be a doormat, you should definitely invest in a couple doormats. Shaw, and most other carpet companies, suggest you at least place a doormat by any outdoor entrances in order to catch any mud, leaves, and outdoor debris. However, they know tracking in dirt is inevitable, which is why they have two preferred cleaning methods. First, they recommend hot water extraction, which is more commonly known as steam cleaning. They consulted the Carpet and Rug Institute to compile a list of certified cleaners, so you don’t use a person who leaves your carpets sopping (which could hurt the binding and fibers). For regular cleaning, however, Shaw goes a step beyond their competitors by creating R2X Stain and Soil Carpet Remover, which is approved by the CRI and Good Housekeeping. Keep a bottle tucked away for any emergency.

Shaw’s care guide reflects many others with a discussion of carpet crushing, the phenomenon that occurs when furniture is left in one spot too long, or in high traffic areas. Their suggestion is to rearrange the furniture frequently to reduce the amount of crushing and change traffic patterns. If you move furniture and find it to be crushed, go no further than your utensil drawer. Grab a fork and comb through your tufts until you approve of how they look. You can also use a grooming tool.

They also mention how to reduce fading (you can’t prevent all fading because it is a natural occurrence). Invest in drapes or blinds, we recommend Hunter Douglas, and use them during peak sunlight hours.

Click here to find the complete care and maintenance guide

Click here to find the complete warranty guide

Fabrica Carpets

This may be one of our higher end carpet brands, which is why we checked for any difference in their care suggestions. We found that they suggest more extensive vacuuming. They recommend for high traffic areas, once a day pushing the vacuum slowly 4-6 times in 90 degree angles to ensure getting all the dirt out. Other companies recommend pushing the vacuum 2-3 times. They also suggest using a vacuum with an adjustable beater bar in case you have varying carpet thickness. They have a handy guide on where you can expect the heaviest traffic in your home to take extra precautions in those areas. If kitchens were frequently carpeted, we’re sure it would include the spot in front of the fridge.

As for cleaning, while they approve of steaming your carpets, they recommend a dry extraction method called HOST. It will minimize risk of shrinkage and allows you to walk on your carpet while it’s being cleaned. If post-installation or during your daily cleaning you use any topical treatments, you invalidate your warranty.

They also warn against two natural occurrences that may be frustrating or concerning at first. Shedding will occur, especially in high traffic areas, but the amount will reduce over time. Also, beware of static shock, which may occur in the first months post-installation due to the carpet lacking natural moisture. However, you must wait it out and should not use a static reducing spray, which will simply leave a sticky residue.

Click here to find the complete care and warranty guide

Other Carpet Manufacturers

Dixie Home
Click here to find the complete care and maintenance guide

Click here to find the complete warranty guide

Dream Weaver
Click here to find the complete care, maintenance, and warranty guide

Godfrey Hirst
Click here to find the complete care and maintenance guide

Click here to find the complete warranty guide

Masland
Click here to find the complete care, maintenance, and warranty guide

Phenix
Click here to find the complete care and maintenance guide

Click here to find the complete warranty guide

Stainmaster
Click here to find the complete care and maintenance guide

Click here to find the complete warranty guide

Stanton
Click here to find the complete care and maintenance guide

Now What?

There are endless possibilities for making your current home into your dream home, and OHi has been helping families in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs remodel their homes since we founded our family business in 1900. Our expert team members will help you find design inspiration and carry out your vision. We’ve been improving our neighborhood one home at a time through expert advice, exclusive products, and exceptional service. Check out our portfolio, or contact us to speak with an OHi family member about your remodel! 

Article Categories: Flooring, Carpet
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