Carpet Stain Removal iPhone App

I love practical solutions especially when they help me deal with messy hassles such as carpet stains.  The latest I've come across is an iPhone app offering specific instructions on how to remove carpet stains! It's the Shaw Floors Carpet Stain Center.

Available free, you can check it out on iTunes or download it directly to your iPhone, iTouch or iPad by searching on the exact name or also "carpet stain" [there may be a few other search terms, but my iPhone isn't cooperating at the moment].

The application lets your search alphabetically through almost 1000 different stain types. Alternatively, you can type the specific stain into a search window. Once you identify your stain, the app offers a recommended stain removal procedure, specific techniques and solutions [aka cleaning solutions] to have handy.

Some additional thoughts relating to carpet stain removal:

• You do want to act quickly when you have a carpet stain.
• You may want to keep handy in your home the carpet cleaning solutions listed. For example, a detergent solution in a spray bottle, water in a spray bottle, solvent, white vinegar, ammonia, ammonia/hydrogen peroxide mixture...
• The technique to use for dealing successfully with carpet stains is "Blot, don't Rub!" Check out this post on How To Remove A Carpet Stain for more detailed instructions.
• Removing carpet stains takes time.

I encourage you to download the app which is mighty handy for dealing with carpet stains.

And, then, let me know what you think!

How To Care For Shag Carpet

This post about How To Care For Shag Carpet is dedicated to my friend Izzy who, in Isabelle Garland's First Smoke Rise Encounter, referred to an extraordinary sight: the raking a shag carpet.  Raking with a pilator as CRI's Bethany Richmond so elegantly demonstrates in this photo, constitutes a best practice in caring for shag carpet.

In my Wear-Dated days, with the expert guidance of Annette Smith, I proudly put together a Shag Carpet Maintenance document. I discovered, in looking for shag raking ammunition for Izzy, that the document was no longer available.  However, I'm able here to recreate most of the content and offer you expert advice on how you should care for your shag carpet.

Here goes...

Shag carpet is back. It’s thick, plush, luxurious and comfortable. It makes fantastic conversation piece area rugs and scrumptious wall-to-wall carpet.  For that reason, we share with you important information on how to care for and maintain your shag carpet.

General Shag Carpet Care:

Carpet generally wants to be vacuumed frequently, ideally twice a week and more often in high traffic areas. Shag carpet is no different. However, one major difference does exist between shag and other carpets, and it has to do with beater bars…

Vacuuming Shag Carpet:

The best way to care for your shag carpet is to vacuum it with a suction-only vacuum. If your vacuum has a beater bar, be sure to disengage it when vacuuming your shag carpet. When disengaged, the brushes on the beater bar should not come in contact with or abrade the fibers as you vacuum. The reason? Using a beater bar or brush may cause the yarns to “feather out” or lose their twist, resulting in pilling or fuzzing. That means your shag carpet would no longer look they way it did when you fell in love with it;. It would lose its unique character.

If you have a particularly thick shag carpet, you might consider using a pilator [see close up in photo] or grooming rake to keep your carpet looking well-groomed and carefully coiffed.

Caring for your shag carpet with frequent and suction-only vacuuming will ensure that your shag carpet provides you with the Beauty, Comfort and Durability you expect from it.

Something else to consider. Your vacuum… Have you checked whether it is certified through the Carpet and Rug Institute Seal of Approval/Green Label Vacuum Cleaner Program? The program has established industry standards on vacuum cleaner performance. Visit www.carpet-rug.org for details and listings.

Additional Shag Carpet Care:

For additional carpet care and maintenance guidelines, definitely speak with your carpet retailer.

For those of you with shag carpet, would you add anything to this post on how to care for shag carpet?

Shag Carpet & Pilator Image credits:

Thank you, Jenn Mendez and Bethany Richmond from the Carpet and Rug Institute, for capturing the shag pilator in action!  Check out the Carpet and Rug Institute Blog for many great carpet related resources.

Extreme Carpet Cleaning Homeowner Tips

Extreme Carpet Cleaning Story Yields Real Homeowner Carpet Cleaning Tips

My friend Bethany Richmond from the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), recently posted an amazing carpet cleaning success story on the Carpet and Rug Institute Blog - about the Jet Stream Grill, a restaurant in Chattanooga, TN. Yes, it's about a commercial environment and not a residence. That means that it's the equivalent of an extreme carpet cleaning makeover situation and there are real lessons for home owners.

Carpet Cleaning Tips For Homeowners

More specifically,

• Vacuum your carpet thoroughly and regularly and don't forget to check your vacuum bag on a regular basis. Be sure to replace it when it's full!

• Don't just use any carpet cleaning product. Check out CRI's Seal of Approval (SOA) products which have earned that Seal of Approval by going through performance tests and meeting specific standards.

• Seriously consider working with a professional carpet cleaning service provider. You can locate an SOA approved service provider by zip code by visiting this page on the CRI website. They use not only approved products, but also approved equipment.

If you're interested in nitty gritty details, check out these two blogposts that Bethany wrote with more details on the Jet Stream Grill carpet cleaning project: Part 1 and Part 2.

And, here's the 6 minute video [Subscribers, click on this link to view the video.]


Since it's winter, you might also want to invest in Walk-Off Mats to Protect Carpet & Floors. I'm ready to reinstitute a 'no shoes inside' policy for my house.

Some of our previous posts about carpet cleaning, care and maintenance:
+ How to remove a carpet stain
+ Keeping Carpet Clean
+ Dog Day Afternoon

Thanks for reading!

Annette's Carpet Corner: Removing Acrylic Paint Stains

HipMama.com recently posted aaaahhhh! about acrylic paint. More specifically: "Does anyone know how to get black acrylic paint off of a carpet, or am I screwed? It says it's a "stainmaster" carpet...but when I tried to clean it up, it made a smeary mess so i stopped... Anyone have any advice?"

What a perfect subject for this episode of Annette's Carpet Corner!

Here's what Annette recommends:

As with all stains, it's best to deal with the stain as quickly as possible.

According to the Wear-Dated Stain Removal Guide, for a paint [oil or latex] stain, it's best to:

+ Remove as much of the paint itself as possible by blotting with a white paper towel or scraping with a dull knife.

+ Apply isopropyl rubbing alcohol to a clean white cloth, white paper towel or cotton ball. If the spot extends deep into the pile, blot until it is removed or no color transfers to the cloth. Do not allow the alcohol to penetrate the backing, as it will destroy the latex bond. If the spot is on the surface only, rub in one direction at a time.If rubbing removes the spot, blot dry and stack several white paper towels over the damp area.

+ Place a brick or similarly weighted object on the towels to keep them in contact with the carpet. The towels will absorb any stain wicking up from the backing to the carpet surface.

+ Allow the carpet to dry, remove the brick and towels, and brush up the pile.

Please remember never use a circular motion to remove a carpet spot as this may destroy the texture!

We also checked the Carpet & Rug Institute's Spot Solver. It makes several important points:

+ That you might want to pretest any spot removal solution (for color transfer to the cloth or damage to the carpet) in an inconspicuous area. If a change occurs, select another solution [Spot Solver offers several stain removal solutions].

+ Don't rub, but do work from the outer edges of the spill to the center to prevent spreading. Be patient. Blot.

+ Consider calling a Professional Cleaner who will have the ability and equipment to apply more aggressive cleaning solutions to remove stubborn stains.

Annette also located this resource aptly titled How To Remove Paint From Carpet. Acrylic paint is water soluble when wet, but not when dry. The author suggests mixing some laundry detergent [Annette suggests 1/4 teaspoon of hand dish washing detergent like Dawn or Joy mixed with 1 quart of water].

She also cautions against mineral spirits, preferring isopropyl rubbing alcohol. She worries that mineral spirits might affect the carpet's stain blocking ingredients. [NOTE: Stainmaster's stain removal guide suggests dry cleaning fluid and a detergent solution.]

What I've learned from all this is that it's best to avoid paint on carpet at all costs. If unavoidable, act as quickly as possible. If you don't notice the paint stain until it's too late, it's probably best to call a professional.

However, should you want to tackle removing acrylic paint from carpet, you have options to explore.

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Wear-Dated On Facebook With Floor & Carpet Tips

Did you know that you can find Wear-Dated on Facebook? And, in no less than two different places.

You'll find a group for the Friends of Wear-Dated and then there's the more serious Wear-Dated page where you can choose to become a Fan.  That's also where I post A Foot's Perspective videos...

I created both last summer after we launched the redesigned Wear-Dated website, drawing inspiration from Wiggly Wigglers in the UK who share marvelous tidbits of advice, humor and information in their regular communications. I decided to do something similar - although no one can come close to Heather Gorringe's deliciously delectable practical advice about wiggling worms and organic compost...

I decided instead to share care tips. With Elizabeth's help, we started posting carpet care tips. And, then, Shannon graciously offered to share non-carpet floor care tips, which we've interspersed in between carpet advice.

Here are the floor and carpet care tips we've shared to date:

Don’t forget to vacuum! Not only does vacuuming regularly maintain the appearance and condition of your carpet, but it also upholds your end of the warranty you have with your carpet manufacturer. Especially if you pinky swore. 

We know you don’t cook, but regardless, always keep cornstarch or cornmeal on hand to soak up greasy stains that may find their way to your carpet. Simply sprinkle it over the stain, wait, then vacuum the spot. Easy as pie. (Things do get a little more difficult, however, when the pie gets all over your carpet.) 

If a liquid spills on your carpet, soak as much of it up as possible with clean, white cloth, then remove what’s left of the stain using a mild solution of liquid detergent and water. Use a detergent that doesn’t contain lanolin or bleach. 

If you have hardwood flooring, you can and should vacuum every day to remove any harmful particles and maintain the floor’s appearance.

When removing carpet stains, always blot, never scrub. 

The best way to prevent dirt from overtaking your carpet is to stop it from even entering your home. Place rugs at your doors to capture the extra dirt that tries to sneak in and consider taking off your shoes before stepping into the house. Your carpet (and your feet) will thank you. 

So you’re having a romantic evening for two when you suddenly realize that the candle has dripped all over your carpet. To remove the candle wax, spread brown paper or terry cloth over the area and iron it on ‘warm.’ The wax will be absorbed onto the paper or cloth. Voila! 

Regardless of the flooring you have in your home, use walk-off mats at all exterior entrances to prevent outside dirt, sand and grit from entering and harming your floors. 

To remove chewing gum from carpet, freeze the area with an ice cube, then shatter the gum with a knife handle. Vacuum, and continue on your merry way. 

If you consider them helpful, please do feel free to share them with others. And, if you're on Facebook, consider becoming a Friend of Wear-Dated.  There are more tips coming and I'd love to see you.

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Annette's Carpet Corner: Claim & Warranty Reference Information

This episode of Annette's Carpet Corner brings you carpet claim & warranty reference information. When Annette speaks with consumers who call into the Wear-Dated warranty service center, she finds that many call out of sheer desperation. They've been given the runaround and don't know where to turn to for help with their carpet claim. Here's help!

If you have a carpet claim or complaint, Annette suggests the following.

Contact your retailer first. Let your retailer help you determine what kind of carpet concern you have and how best to address it. In many cases, your retailer will want to examine your carpet him or herself to better determine next steps.

If your retailer decides that your carpet concern falls under a manufacturer's warranty, then the retailer will initiate the claims process for you you with the carpet mill [i.e., manufacturer]. S/he will provide the mill with your order number or mill invoice number to file a claim on your behalf. Based on what the retailer describes, the mill will then decide what the next course of action will be [e.g., additional inspection, whether to return the carpet to the mill etc...].

If your carpet has a carpet fiber warranty [e.g., from StainMaster, Anso or Wear-Dated] for that specific concern, you will be asked to contact the fiber company directly [although your retailer can initiate a claim on your behalf there, too]. Here are those phone numbers:

+ Anso 1-800-441-8185
+ Invista's StainMaster 1-800-438-7668
+ Wear-Dated 1-800-367-9598

NOTE: if your carpet carries the Wear-Dated warranty, call 3M Scotchgard 1-800-633-3208 for stain/soil concerns or also for advice on how to remove a stain. The 3M service center will transfer you directly to the Wear-Dated service center if you need to file a claim on carpet other than Mohawk carpet or if your carpet was installed prior to 01/09/06.

Annette urges you to definitely attempt to resolve any manufacturer claims or concerns that you have with the involvement of your retailer first before attempting to call directly yourself. Doing so will make life easier for you as the retailer has information that the carpet mill will need readily available [and the retailer is the carpet mill's customer].

There may, though, be instances when you have no other option than to call the carpet manufacturer yourself. For example, if your retailer has gone out of business or if s/he just hasn't provided you with any assistance in getting your concerns addressed. In that case, here are the numbers to call for the major carpet mills:

Fabrica 1-800-854-0357
Gulistan 1-800-869-2727
Karastan 1-800-234-1120
Mohawk Consumer Call Center 1-800-266-4295
Royalty Carpet Mills 1-800-854-8331
Shaw/Tuftex 1-800-441-7429

Annette's final words of advice are to download a copy of The Wear-Dated Carpet Buying Sheet [here's a link to the blogpost about The Wear-Dated Carpet Buying Sheet]. It's important that you know which warranties you have and what they cover before you purchase your carpet. It's also important to understand how best to care for your carpet as that will affect your warranty.

If we've missed something, please do let us know and we'll be sure to address it.

Thanks for reading.

Other episodes of Annette's Carpet Corner include:
+ Annette's Carpet Corner: The Wear-Dated Shag Carpet Maintenance Sheet
+ Annette's Carpet Corner: How To Remove Grease On Carpet
+ Annette's Carpet Corner: Carpet Patches vs. Redyeing

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Annette's Carpet Corner: The Wear-Dated Shag Carpet Maintenance Sheet

Today's episode of Annette's Carpet Corner is about Shag Carpet Maintenance. You see, Annette Smith has seen too many shag carpet horrors coming into the ear-Dated warranty service center. She is now on a mission.

Her mission has to do with educating the world about how to maintain Shag Carpet...

Here's the aggravating part.

Consumers purchase shag carpet and very few retailers take the time to explain to them how to care for their shag carpet.

And, then, guess what happens? After a few vacuumings, the carpet starts to lose its unique character. The carpet yarns start to "feather out" and lose their twist. They start to fuzz and pill and generally look nasty. Not the fashion statement you purchased originally.

That's why she's on a mission. To let you know that this kind of shag deterioration is avoidable, given the right shag carpet maintenance information.

We touched on the subject in a previous post titled What About Shag and Cable Carpets? Since then, though, we've gone a step further and created a separate document on the subject.

It's called the Wear-Dated Shag Carpet Maintenance Sheet and it offers general care tips as well as Shag Carpet specific vacuuming tips. [Note added 1/17/10: I'll be republishing the contents of the Shag Carpet Maintenance sheet as a separate post. I'm also looking to get a photo of a pilator to show you!]

Major tip for Shag Carpets: vacuum only with a suction vacuum.

If your vacuum has a beater bar, disengage it. Immediately!

For particularly thick Shag Carpets, consider a grooming rake or pilator...

Download a copy of the Wear-Dated Shag Carpet Maintenance Sheet, and, please, if you know anyone with a Shag Carpet, let them know how important it is to know how to care properly for their carpet.

Thank you.



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Happy Thanksgiving!

Tapis d'Automne originally uploaded by code poet.

From all of us at Wear-Dated, to all of you who read The Carpetology Blog, we wish you a wonderful and beautiful Thanksgiving.

We hope that carpet will feature as a prominent backdrop to your holiday celebrations - both inside and outdoors - as you celebrate with family and friends.

Remember, if you encounter any Thanksgiving dinner stain mishaps, no worries! Just visit the Wear-Dated website Stain Removal Guide where we offer advice for berry, butter, gravy and wine -- and everything in between.

And, here, we show you how best to remove a carpet stain in A Foot's Perspective - Episode 15: How To Remove Carpet Stains. You see, there's a technique to it.

Thank you for reading.

Thank you for celebrating all things related to carpet with us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

~ The Women of Wear-Dated

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Annette's Carpet Corner: How To Remove Grease On Carpet

In reviewing some of the Wear-Dated website stats, I noticed that one carpet stain type comes up repeatedly: How To Remove Grease On Carpet. Definitely a topic for Annette's Carpet Corner!

Imagine the following scenario... [this one comes from the Cleaning Tips Forum from iVillage GardenWeb]: your major appliance has stopped working. You call in a repair person who solves all of your immediate problems, but leaves... a grease stain on your carpet. Yikes! What to do?

[And, this could just as easily be your exuberant 10 year old who comes in after fixing the greasy bicycle chain or...]

Calling Annette Smith to the rescue with the solution for grease on carpet! You can also find it on the Wear-Dated Stain Removal Guide.

First, attend immediately to the stain. Don't procrastinate.

Second, get all of your tools assembled before getting started.

Third, attend to the grease stain as follows:

Remove as much foreign material as possible by blotting with a white paper towel or scraping with a dull knife. Apply isopropyl rubbing alcohol to a clean white cloth, white paper towel or cotton ball. If the spot extends deep into the pile, blot until it is removed or no color transfers to the cloth. Do not allow the alcohol to penetrate the backing, as it will destroy the latex bond.

If the spot is on the surface only, rub in one direction at a time. If rubbing removes the spot, blot dry and stack several white paper towels over the damp area. Place a brick or similarly weighted object on the towels to keep them in contact with the carpet. The towels will absorb any stain wicking up from the backing to the carpet surface. Allow carpet to dry, remove the brick and towels, and brush up the pile.

NOTE: Never use a circular motion to remove a spot as this may destroy the texture. If you are even tempted, watch A Foot's Perspective - Episode 15: How To Remove A Carpet Stain.

Annette cautions that no carpet is immune to some types of stains. If your stain persists, definitely contact a professional carpet cleaner.

And, for particularly difficult carpet maintenance questions, Annette strongly recommends that you contact a company that specializes in repairs to determine all of the options available: step #1 is to visit the IICRC for a certified carpet repair resource.

NOTE: For expert advice on how to go about removing a carpet stain, do read and watch A Foot's Perspective - Episode 15: How To Remove A Carpet Stain. In fact, you might want to bookmark this one.






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Spooktacular Stains - Removing the Remnants of Halloween from Your Carpet

While walking Vegas through my neighborhood recently, my boyfriend said that our poor pooch got spooked when they passed a house particularly enthusiastic about Halloween this year. Complete with giant inflatables, a "graveyard" and plenty of orange and black, apparently this house made Vegas hang her head and attempt to slink to the other side of the street.

This little scenario made me realize that whether we like it or not, Halloween is coming at us with an intensity that begins earlier and earlier each year. Much like department stores decorating for Christmas in October, many families are now decorating for Halloween in September. And this means that on October 31, the parties, celebrations and extravaganzas will take place with an overwhelming severity. Which also means that, for the average homeowner, the likelihood that something Halloween-related will get smooshed into his or her carpet has increased exponentially.

Carpetology Blog to the rescue! Below are a few Halloween-y items that could potentially create spooktacular stains on your carpet. We've included the best ways to prevent those stains from remaining with you all year, and links to more information.

Candy - Be it Swedish Fish, Skittles or Laffy Taffy, having sugary, brightly colored candy stuck in your carpet can be a bit of a problem.

[Photo at right from http://www.adorablegiftbaskets.com/media/candy-parade-gifts.]

First, scrape up any semi-solids with a spoon. Then, you have a few options. WearDated.com suggests blotting the spot using a white cloth and a detergent solution (1/4 tsp. detergent/1 qt. water). The Carpet & Rug Institute suggests the same method, but offers a few other solutions to try when the detergent solution stops transferring the stain to the cloth. [Search under 'candy' in the Spot Solver.]

When the stain is removed, rinse with clean, cold water and blot. WearDated.com suggests making a pad of white paper towels and placing it on the spot, weighing down with a brick until dry.

Makeup - When you're a kid, makeup brings every costume that much closer to reality. Except when the make-up winds up on the floor instead of your face. But if that happens, all is not lost. Simply scrape up the extra using a dull knife (or vacuum, if it's a solid), then use a white cloth to blot the stain with isopropyl rubbing alcohol (the CRI suggests using a detergent solution).

If the spot extends deep into the pile, blot until it is removed or no color transfers to the cloth. However, if the spot is on the surface only, rub the stain in one direction at a time - never use a circular motion because it could harm the carpet's texture.

When the stain is removed, rinse with cold water, then blot (the brick trick mentioned above works at this point too).

A major watch-out with alcohol, though: Do not allow the alcohol to penetrate the backing, as it will destroy the latex bond. Annette says "it is important to know this because otherwise you will end up with tufts coming out of the carpet!"

Chocolate -Kit Kats, Snickers, Hershey bars... delicious to your tastebuds, but deadly to your carpet. To remove the remnants of a chocolate casualty, get rid of as much as you can using a spoon, then blot, blot, blot. Wear-Dated suggests neutralizing the stain with an ammonia solution [it consists of a household ammonia solution of 1 tablespoon of clear household ammonia per 1/2 cup of water], then blotting it with a detergent solution and a white cloth. Rinse, blot and weigh down with towels and a brick.

Keep in mind that with all of these stain solutions, time and patience are both required. You may need to rinse and repeat a few times before the stain leaves your carpet completely. And don't forget that you can look up the solutions to these and many other stains using the Stain Removal Guide at WearDated.com and the Spot Solver on the CRI's Web site.

Additionally, remember these key handy-dandy tips from the CRI when you're removing unwanted stains:

• Pretest any spot removal solution (for color transfer to the cloth or damage to the carpet) in an inconspicuous area. If a change occurs, select another solution.


• Act Quickly! Delaying may cause the spill to become a permanent stain.


• Many spot removal solutions leave residues in the carpet that may attract soil. Thoroughly rinse the area several times with lukewarm tap water. Blot with paper towels and pat dry after each rinse. Several rinses are often necessary to thoroughly remove residues.


• More tips can be found here, at the Carpet & Rug Institute's Web site.

Good luck, and of course, have a happy Halloween!

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A Foot's Perspective - Episode 15: How To Remove A Carpet Stain

This episode of A Foot's Perspective captures expert advice - courtesy of Annette Smith - on how best to remove a carpet stain.

How difficult can it be to remove a carpet stain? Liquid in, liquid out - right? Well, not quite. Or, at least, not that quickly.
And, in terms of how I do it, well - aren't all surfaces the same? Doesn't the movement I use to wipe Windex off a grease-covered counter top the same I should use on carpet? Or, can't I just energetically rub that stain out of the carpet?
Absolutely not!

Here follows a primer on how best to go about removing a stain on carpet.
As mentioned in Carpet: The Solution for Uncertain Economic Times?, if you have a carpet stain, attend to it immediately!

Next, before applying any substance onto your carpet, work with water. Water is your best first line of defense against carpet stains. More often than not, water will take care of the problem.

Notice the spray bottle filled with water in the photo above, and in the video.

If water doesn't do the trick for the stain on your carpet, please only use the method recommended for that stain.

Definitely assemble your tools before you attend to the carpet stain: water, paper towels, and any other materials based on the method recommended for that stain substance. Also a brick or a massive dictionary or some old Encyclopedia Britannicas.

Note the movement that Annette uses to deal with the carpet stain. Is she wiping? No. Is she rubbing? No. She is blotting. And, blotting only. Blotting intensely and blotting consistently.

Here's something else I learned from watching [and videotaping] Annette removing a carpet stain. This will take a while. It will take longer than you expect. But, it works - if you blot, if you work consistently and if you start with water. Here, watch this episode of A Foot's Perspective:
[Subscribers, please click on this link to view the video via YouTube.]

What do you think? Are you ready to banish the rubbing or wiping motion? Ready to blot only, and start with water?

Let me know how it goes.

For the most recent episode, visit A Foot's Perspective - Episode 14. Or you can scroll through previous blogposts with links to all previous episodes of A Foot's Perspective.

Thank you for watching [and reading!].








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Carpet: The Solution for Uncertain Economic Times?

Yes, you read right: carpet may just be the solution to uncertain economic times. Here's my reasoning.

Unless you've been living in a fall-out shelter, you know that the economy isn't at its best right now - to say the least. And because of this, it's easy to get swept up by worry about the condition of your bank, your job and your 401K, especially since the media hasn't covered anything else in recent months except the impending presidential election. And of course, while you're worried about your job and your 401K, you've probably abandoned all hope of selling the house you planned to move out of a year ago. Don't lose hope yet. You may not be able to buy a new house right now, but you can certainly spruce up the one in which you're currently living with carpet.


In fact, Wear-Dated just sent a news release out into the world discussing ways in which homeowners can enhance and add value to their homes. If you're searching for information on carpet and carpet care, you may come across it, but we thought these were such great ideas, you might want to read about them here as well.

Basically, realize that - even in a depressed market - your house's interior doesn't have to reflect the mood of the outside world. Plus, if you give your home's decor a boost, you may give your own morale a boost as well.

Tip #1 – Don’t let carpet stains sit – take care of them immediately. Whether carpet already covers the floors of your home or you’re in the market for new flooring altogether, you can keep your carpet looking like new using the Stain Removal Guide at WearDated.com. Here, you’ll find everything from the tools you should have on hand to the steps for removing specific stains like hand lotion, catsup and candle wax. Choose a stain from the drop down menu and read step-by-step instructions to safely remove it from your carpet. [Image at left compliments of ABC Rug & Carpet Care.]

Tip #2 – Your carpet’s color can make a beautiful design statement. To learn more about color as a design tool, make sure to visit us here at The Carpetology Blog. If you haven't already, do read our discussions about the impact color has on home design, home décor ideas from Wear-Dated’s color guru Ann Hurley, and seasonal predictions for color and design trends. You can also access the blog from the Wear-Dated Web site home page or check out excerpts in the Wear-Dated website Newsroom.

Tip #3 – Give your home a modern makeover with carpet! Compared to buying a whole new house (or the pain of trying to sell your current home), carpet costs very little. Add design flair to a room with a stylish new frieze, a retro shag or a subtle loop. Try on hundreds of carpet styles and options in the Plan & Design section of WearDated.com.

And don't forget, you can find a Wear-Dated retailer using the Find Carpet Retailers function on WearDated.com. Making an easy way to freshen your interior - and banish uncertain economic times - just around the corner...

P.S.: Christine suggests another carpet solution for uncertain economic times...

Tip #4 - Carpet can help insulate your home. Especially since, according to Sunbeam bedding, 74% of Americans are considering not increasing the heat this winter to stay warm, but rather piling on the blankets. Carpet with proper padding can significantly improve warmth in the winter and coolness in the summer, helping make your home more energy efficient.

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Annette's Carpet Corner: Carpet Patches vs. Redyeing

Earlier this year, in Why Save Carpet Scraps From Your Installation, Annette Smith explained why holding onto scraps from your carpet installation makes sense. That post generated thoughtful comments from Chris Howell-Colorful Carpets Certified Dye Master about the benefits of re-dyeing carpet rather than trying to repair with a carpet patch.

I discussed the matter with Annette. She sees all kinds of carpet care and maintenance situations - including carpet repair questions - in her role with the Wear-Dated warranty service area. Her reaction: "He makes a good point about re-dyeing being a solution when something has taken the color out of the carpet as long as whatever has come in contact with the carpet has not degraded the fibers."

However, she pointed out that she has encountered several situations when re-dyeing was not an option and offered the two photos below to help illustrate these situations.

This first image represents a quarter-sized portion of carpet without fiber tufts. [To the right of the white towel], you'll notice a bald section in the carpet. The fiber tufts are gone and what is left is the backing scrim.

[According to the independent inspector who personally inspected this situation, some kind of chemical substance must have come in contact with the carpet and 'eaten away' or melted the backing substance. The consumer had kept the tufts that came out of the carpet in a baggie and when viewed under UV light they illuminated - indicating the presence of a chemical substance. He also performed a tuft bind test on the tufts around the area of tuft loss which indicated that the carpet was not defective.]

In a case like this, the best solution is a repair patch with a matching carpet style scrap.

Now, as Chris Howell points out in his comments, a patch may stand out especially if the carpet was installed a while back and in a high traffic area which would -over time- cause the texture to change. However, as a consumer, you may decide that patching the bald spot is a better solution than replacing the entire carpet.

The second photo captures an extreme case of pet damage to a carpet. [Note that this represents a loop construction which is not recommended for a household with pets, especially dogs. The reason: their nails can get caught in the loops and pull the loops out of the backing, eventually leading to this kind of situation.] In this case, a cat - who used the carpet as its litter box - damaged the carpet. The carpet was only about a year old and the cat had damaged more than one area.

Not a pretty picture.

However, if you're not in the mood to replace the entire carpet in this room, using a carpet remnant in the same color and style makes for an acceptable solution.

Annette explains that an important aspect of the conversations the Wear-Dated warranty service center has with consumers is to explain what options they have available to deal with carpet situations.

In many cases, it's not about the warranty, but rather what the range of options are between doing nothing and ripping the carpet out. Although a patch may stand out in terms of color variation and texture differences, it may represent an acceptable solution.

For particularly difficult carpet maintenance questions, Annette says that we generally advise consumers to contact a company that specializes in repairs to find out what all their options are. The first step is to visit the IICRC and find a certified carpet repair resource.

I encourage you to read the original post and comments. I've recaptured here Chris' check list of questions to consider when seeking a carpet dyeing professional:

• Is carpet dyeing the main focus of their business?

• Do they have Certified Dye Technicians who will be performing the work?

• What kind of training and credentials does their technical staff have?

• Are the dyes guaranteed to be permanent and colorfast for the life of the carpet?

• Will the dyes leave any kind of residue?

• Do they have a portfolio of letters of reference and endorsements?

• Are Materials Safety Data Sheets available for inspection to prove non-toxicity of their solutions?

• Do they use liquid dyes as opposed to powder dyes? (Liquid dyes do not leave a powdery residue behind)

• Are they willing to guarantee that newly dyed carpet will have even coloration?

• Are they willing to provide a written guarantee to attest to the results and the quality of their work?

• Are they able to achieve perfect color matching?

So, hold onto carpet scraps; you never know when you might need them for a carpet patch repair. If you decide to redye your carpet, be sure to ask the kinds of questions that Chris shares.

The final word from Annette's Carpet Corner is to determine what all of your options are. What's right for one person, may not be right for another. Be sure, too, to visit the IICRC to find certified carpet repair resources.



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Wear-Dated, Scotchgard™ Protector & Advanced Protection For Carpet

I get very excited about a product like Scotchgard™ Protector Advanced Repel Technology from 3M for improved soil resistance and spill repellency in carpet. One reason has to do with my Wear-Dated connection in that this is specifically relevant to carpet made with Wear-Dated carpet fiber.

The other reason has to do with my biggest carpet fear. You see, when I visit my mom I dread that I might mess up her carpet. She has white and very pale beige colored carpet throughout her house. A spill or a stain guarantees me a visual reminder for years to come. Not to mention verbal reminders...

That's where spill repellency comes into play. It means that the individual fibers in a carpet are less likely to absorb the liquids in a spill. That then means that it's easier to clean up a spill, and a lot less likely that the spill will create a stain.

Some background.

As described in Wear-Dated & Scotchgard™ Protector on the Wear-Dated website, Wear-Dated® announced a strategic branding initiative with Mohawk and Scotchgard™ Protector from 3M in December 2005.

Essentially, all Wear Dated® Carpet Fiber styles from Mohawk Industries feature Scotchgard™ Protector from 3M. The result: advanced protection for carpet.

[And less guilt when I visit my Mom!]

Here's how the process works [you can also read Scotchgard™ Protector's description of Advanced Repel Technology] as we describe it on the Wear-Dated website:

A unique patented process applies Scotchgard™ Protector Advanced Repel Technology in such a way that it simultaneously attaches both the soil protector and stain blocker to each individual fiber giving advanced deep down protection. This process provides better and more even penetration from the tip of the fiber to the bottom (the advanced deep down protection.)
Soil resistance occurs because the protective treatment surrounds each individual fiber with an invisible shield against dirt and soil. Dirt does not readily adhere to the carpet fibers and it vacuums up more easily. As mentioned above, the improved repellency provides for stain resistance from the most common food and beverage spills, so stains clean up more easily.

Annette, though, strongly recommends that you not forget to vacuum regularly [i.e., at least twice per week; more frequently in high traffic areas; for shag carpet, be sure to use suction only!] to remove loose soil.

Here is a link to the Scotchgard Protector Advanced Repel Technology brochure from 3M.

Another benefit from both consumer and carpet perspectives has to do with Warranties.

All Mohawk carpet made with Wear-Dated carpet fiber features Scotchgard™ Protector Advanced Repel Technology. Those carpet products feature a limited ten year stain and soil resistance warranty [vs. a full seven year stain and soil resistance warranty].

That means an additional three years of peace-of-mind.

Finally, you can't beat the stain support that the Scotchgard Service Center provides. With two decades of experience handling stain and soil inquiries and amazing knowledge, the service center folks offer live assistance to help consumers figure out how best to remove stains. And, if that approach doesn't work and a claim is opened - based on a stain covered by the warranty [i.e., it's caused by common food and beverages] - a technician will be dispatched out to demonstrate cleanability.

There's a reason that 3M's Scotchgard brand ranks as a highly trusted brand with consumers with 99% brand awareness [and 96% brand awareness among US Women 25-64 years old based on a 2006 survey].

All carpet from Mohawk - Wunda Weve and Horizon - and Karastan made with Wear-Dated carpet fiber features 3M Scotchgard Protector Advanced Repel Technology.

Ever since that December 2005 announcement about our strategic brand alliance, we've been thrilled to pieces about the connection with 3M Scotchgard. And, even more so now.

I hope you are, too.



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A Discussion About Carpet Maintenance With Kerns Carpet One Floor & Home

"90% of consumers are never told how to maintain their carpet."

So says Bill Kerns, President of Kerns Carpet One Floor & Home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And it's a missed opportunity to build a relationship with customers, as well as reduce claims and complaints.

According to Kerns, 40% of manufacturer claims are maintenance related. Help a consumer understand how to protect her investment and you will have a customer for life.

Powerful words and actions.

Annette Smith and I recently spoke with Bill Kerns and Tony Marotta, his carpet maintenance expert. We wanted to understand how Kerns Carpet One Floor & Home - a family run retailer in business over 70 years - goes about educating the consumer, particularly in view of new cleaning requirements that went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 and further ones that went live on Jan. 1, 2008. Not following these requirement can nullify carpet warranties.

More specifically according to Janet Herlihy's 5/5/2008 FCW writeup titled "Cleaning requirements raise awareness," the major carpet mills - Shaw, Mohawk, Beaulieu, Blue Ridge and Tai Ping Options - "announced that to maintain warranties on certain residential carpet, they would have to be cleaned according to a schedule using cleaning products and equipment with the Carpet & Rug Institute's [CRI] Seal of Approval [SOA]."

Most of the cleaning schedules range from 12 to 24 months, with some in the 12 to 18 months range. Please be sure to check your warranty requirements! [Note: the Wear-Dated warranty requires professional cleaning every 24 months.]

Effective Jan. 1, 2008 - according to FCN's Sarah Zimmerman in "Carpet maintenance and cleaning allocated by mills" from 5/19-20/2008 - a new requirement has gone into effect: to only allow professional carpet cleaning from IICRC [the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification] accredited and certified carpet cleaners.

The genesis of all of these new requirements and regulations: diminishing consumer satisfaction with carpet because of the level of incompetence demonstrated by so many installers and carpet cleaners. "In fact, CRI found in a study done on chemical cleaning agents nearly 80% of the products on the market were as effective as water, and many heightened resoiling" which led to the SOA program, and the Green Label vacuum program. The IICRC addition helps guarantee consistent high-quality workmanship.

Says Kerns: "It means that consumers won't be at the mercy of fly-by-night operations. They can count on approved cleaning solutions, methods, and technicians." However, consumer education is paramount, as without knowing about these stipulations, consumers might easily void the terms of their warranties. "What a way to burn bridges with consumers!" he adds.

Kerns Carpet One Floor & Home has trained its salespeople, giving them talking points to bring up with consumers, and demonstrating to them how best to maintain carpet. Tony gets personally involved in these demonstrations. After all, the Kerns organization takes carpet maintenance seriously!

They refer to teeth and hair to help illustrate the importance of carpet maintenance: Why brush teeth? To maintain the longevity and health of teeth and mouth. It's the same with carpet. Maintaining it extends the life expectancy of carpet. Proper maintenance means fully removing soap after cleaning otherwise it attracts more dirt. It's best to rinse with non-soap. Just like washing hair. And, it's important to reapply factory protectors for stain and soil resistance.

Now, let's put things into perspective. Kerns Carpet One Floor & Home takes cleaning so seriously that it has established an IICRC certified cleaning service: Kerns Carpet Cleaning, which also offers upholstery and area rug cleaning services.

Kerns explains that it's important to talk about maintaining floor coverings. It's an expensive investment and needs to be cared for. So, the organization takes a lead on this front by offering carpet cleaning services. On selected items, Kerns Carpet One Floor & Home offers a $100 carpet cleaning gift card to new customers. This entitles the customer to 150 square feet of free cleaning or a spot cleaning during the first year of ownership of their new carpeting. It's a marvelous reason to followup on if there's been no redemption within that first year and helps to reinforce that they are there to help. They also offer a free spot cleaning bottle at the time of the order.

How best to maintain a carpet:
+ Vacuum frequently.
+ Immediately clean stains and spots by spot cleaning.
+ Professionally clean carpet using an IICRC certified cleaner and CRI approved cleaning products every 12 to 24 months depending on the carpet manufacturer's warranty requirements [can range from 12 to 18 months].

Cleaning frequency varies with households. A house with animals and kids will experience more soiling and may require cleaning twice a year, whereas one without may find that yearly cleaning with traffic lanes done more often works well.

Kerns and Tony explained the IICRC cleaning methodology:
- pre-vacuum to remove 80% of the soil
- with CRI solutions, agitate, rinse, groom, then with an air-mover dry the carpet

Tony says that he routinely cleans a room in salespeople's homes so they understand and feel comfortable recommending the service. It's effective and generates customers for life. Per Kerns, "we see a customer every 7 to 12 years for carpet replacement, but every year because of the relationship we've built through the cleaning service."

NOTE: Prior to a claims-related inspection, a customer must have their carpet cleaned within 30 days before opening a claim if the concern is stain/soil. Please refer to the warranty terms for details. Customers have an obligation to maintain their carpet.

"Carpet is safer than hard surface. It's a lot easier to maintain than hard surface. It's a beautiful product that offers so many benefits - including stylishness - to a consumer. Why not make sure that consumers understand how to care for carpet? That way we ensure they are totally satisfied, we prevent them from voiding warranties and give them a reason to come back for more carpet," states Kerns.

"Carpet is also expensive and by providing the proper maintenance information and offering a cleaning service we can help the customer preserve the investment they are making in their home. This added touch helps us forge a long term relationship with the customer and provides us with more opportunities in the future," adds Kerns.

Thank you, Bill and Tony, for explaining how best to maintain a beautiful carpet. It's a complicated subject and the better a consumer understands her obligations under the warranty terms, the happier and more satisfied she will be. And the better her carpet will look over time.

Click on this link to locate IICRC certified cleaners. Click on this link for CRI - SOA approved products. Click on this link for details on the Wear-Dated warranty.

Note: if you have shag carpet, please do NOT use a beater bar. Instead, use a suction-only vacuum cleaner. See Shaw/Tuftex Care & Maintenance of Shag Carpet.


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