Wool Maintenance

Your choice of wool carpet from Unique Carpets, Ltd. is an investment in beauty, practicality, and ease of maintenance. Ensure your wool carpet will last longer and look better by following the three basic rules of carpet maintenance:

1. Vacuum regularly.
2. Remove spills immediately.
3. Professionally clean as required (usually no more than once every year or two).

Vacuuming

The most important maintenance step is proper vacuuming. Regular and thorough vacuuming at least once a week and more often in heavy traffic areas will remove soil and dirt particles before they become embedded into the pile of the carpet. An upright Vacuum cleaner with rotating beater bar and brush or canister type with a power head are the most efficient cleaners. The head of the vacuum cleaner should be adjusted so that the brushes barely touch the surface of the carpet. The easiest way to do this is to place a sheet of paper under the vacuum and adjust it until you hear the beater bar hitting the paper.

Specifically, Unique recommends the use of a Sanitaire vacuum (models SC688B, SC888N, or SC889).  These models are upright vacuums with a manually adjustable head and very soft bristles.  A dealer in your area can be found at their website

DO NOT use a self-adjusting vacuum since they adjust too deeply into the pile and will cause excessive fuzzing.
DO NOT use an overly stiff brush on the beater bar since this too will cause excessive fuzzing.
DO NOT use any vacuum made by Oreck, Dyson, Miele, Shark as these will cause excessive fuzzing.  In addition DO NOT use any Robotic vacuum or Whole House Central vacuum system.
No claims will be accepted when an Oreck, Dyson, Miele, Shark, Robotic or Whole House Central System vacuum is used.

It is important to remember to move the vacuum cleaner slowly to allow time to remove soil, and above all, make sure that the dust bag is never more than half full. Remember you cannot over vacuum, and vacuuming should begin the day the carpet is installed.

Spot and Spill Removal

The following information provided by Wools of New Zealand.

‍One of the most crucial areas of carpet maintenance is the removal of spots and spills. Acting quickly when anything is dropped or spilled and always having the necessary cleaning materials on hand are of the utmost importance.

‍

Steps for Successful Spot Removal

1. Blot spills with white paper towels or clean absorbent cloth. Scoop solids with knife or spoon.
2. Pretest spot-removal materials in an inconspicuous area.
3. Apply cleaning agent to an absorbent towel, not the carpet, and blot
4. Do not over-wet the carpet.
5. Work inward from the edge of the spot to prevent excessive spreading
6. Rinse by applying clear, tepid water using a clean cloth. Again, work from the edge to the center. Do not rub and do not over-wet.
7. Remove excess moisture by applying pressure with paper towels or absorbent cloth.
8. To dry: apply a ½” thick layer of paper towels over the wet areas and weigh them down. Change as the towels become wet. Brush the pile with your fingers to restore the texture after the area has dried.

General Cleaning

If you’ve taken care to vacuum your carpet as recommended, you may not need to clean your carpet for several years. However, when the carpet does start to look soiled, we would strongly recommend having it professionally cleaned by the dry foam, dry extraction, or spray extraction methods.

Aerosol Foam Shampoo: For light cleaning of small areas, aerosol foam shampoos can be used. The foam is to be sprayed sparingly (to avoid leaving an easily re-soiled residue) directly onto the carpet and worked into the pile with a moistened sponge or brush. After the carpet is dry, which generally takes less time than with liquid shampoos, the carpet is vacuumed.

Dry Extraction (Absorbent Powder): There are several cleaning agents available whose absorbent particles contain moisture, detergent, and solvents. After vacuuming, the powder is sprinkled liberally on the carpet, brushed into the pile, and then vacuumed out. Because the carpet is never wet during this process, there is no down time and the room is ready to use immediately. Any absorbent powder remaining after vacuuming will continue to absorb soil and can be removed in subsequent vacuuming, so there is no concern over residue causing quick re-soiling.

Spray Extraction Cleaning: With the spray extraction method, often incorrectly referred to as steam cleaning, the carpet is injected with a warm water and detergent solution under pressure so that the soil is suspended in the water and extracted almost immediately by a high-suction wet-vacuum system. This method is particularly useful for very dirty carpets because it removes deep-seated soil. Although spray extraction equipment can be rented, it is strongly recommend that this type of cleaning be done only by a trained professional since care must be taken not to over apply the cleanser or over-wet the carpet.