In the past, carpets have been neglected only to be cleaned when it was obvious that attention was necessary. This is known as “crisis cleaning”. This approach is not only old fashioned, but has been proved to be a false economy. In addition to the carpet looking scruffy its life is being drastically reduced. Preventative maintenance, which has to be planned, will extend the life and enhance the appearance of the carpet because the carpet “destroyer” – soil – will be effectively removed.

Keep Soil off the Carpet

Shoe wiping mats, barrier or entrance mats and special soil traps collect most of the dirt before it reaches the carpet. When these are placed properly at entrances from the outside they reduce the amount of soil being tracked into the main building. But even with these precautions soil will find its way into the building to penetrate and damage the carpet.

When left in the carpet, soil particles penetrate and become difficult to remove. The particles if not removed, combine with atmospheric impurities which dull the carpet’s original brightness. Additionally when walking on the carpet the particles virtually grind and cut the fibre thereby destroying your investment.

Danger Areas

A further objective of preventative maintenance will be to confine the majority of maintenance efforts to the areas with the most need. Foot traffic accounts for 80% of the soil deposited on the carpet which builds up in two main areas.

Track-off Areas: This is where foot soil is tracked from outdoors or from hard surface floors indoors. This is where the carpet catches and holds most of the dirt.

Funnel Areas: This is where foot traffic is squeezed through concentrated area such as a doorway or on a stairwell. Soil builds up imperceptibly in these areas. That’s why planned attention must be given in advance. Attention must also be given to high risk areas where spills and stains easily occur such as near vending machines and drinking fountains, in washrooms and around general food areas.