axminster / woven wool MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST 

1. IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS ALL SOURCES OF SOILING 

• Parking lots/Entrances: By maintaining a clean exterior, dirt coming in the building will be minimized. 

• Transition areas (hardsurface to carpet): Clean frequently to prevent soil from tracking to carpet. 

• Food service areas/Restrooms/Water coolers: Matting may be required in areas where moisture, oil and grease are present. 

2. USE ENTRY MATS (KEEP DIRT OUTSIDE) 

• Two mat categories 

• Soil Removal — used at exterior entrances to remove soil from shoes 

• Absorbent mats — used inside to prevent moisture from getting on the carpet 

• Mats should cover at least 6 footsteps to capture soil transferring from shoes. Additional matting may be necessary during inclement weather. 

• Keep mats clean (mats must be properly placed throughout the facility and maintained regularly). 

3. VACUUM (THE MOST IMPORTANT PROCESS IN YOUR MAINTENANCE PROGRAM) 

• 80 to 85 % of dry soil can be removed by proper vacuuming. 

• Select Vacuum cleaners certified in the Carpet and Rug institute's Seal of Approval (SOA) / Green Label Vacuum Cleaner Program (www.carpet-rug.org) 

• Commercial, dual—motor upright, top—loading vacuums are recommended. 

• For loop pile wool and wool-blend carpets, Shaw Industries recommends the use of a strong suction vacuum without a beater bar/brush or a vacuum with an adjustable brush lifted away from the carpet, so it does not agitate the pile.  Carpet with thick, loop pile construction may be sensitive to brushing, rubbing, or scraping of the pile surface and may experience fuzzing and pile distortion with the use of a beater bar. 

• For cut pile wool and wool-blend carpets installed over pad, Shaw Industries recommends the use of vacuums with a rotating brush or combination beater/brush bar which agitates the carpet pile and mechanically loosens soil for removal by the vacuum.  If the carpet is directly glued to the floor without cushion, a vacuum with a rotating brush, rather than a beater bar, should be used.  

• Make sure the belt is in good condition and that the brush or beater bar rotates when in contact with the carpet.  To adjust the vacuum to the correct height setting for the carpet, raise the beater bar/brush to the highest setting and then lower it until it contacts the pile enough to slightly vibrate the carpet several inches away from the machine, but not close enough to cause significant slowing of the motor.  

• Bags that fill from the top are preferred over those that fill from the bottom.  Replaceable paper bags or paper liners for cloth bags are better filters than cloth bags alone because they can trap more of the small particles that cloth bags allow to pass back into the air.  Many vacuums can also be used with microfiltration or high efficiency bags which capture even smaller particles which tend to be related to allergy complaints and can also reduce the need for dusting.  Bags should be checked frequently and replaced when 1/2 to 2/3 full to avoid a decrease in efficiency. When changing bags, also check the belt and replace it if it is loose or worn.  

4. PROMPTLY ADDRESS SPOTS AND SPILLS 

• Use General Soil Spot Removers, like Shaw‘s TOTALCARE® products for most common spots and spills. (For ordering information call 1-800-441-7429 or contact your representative.) Additional cleaning agents (wool safe products) are listed in the Carpet and Rug lnstitute's Seal of Approval (SOA) Program (www.carpet-rug.org) 

• Use solvent spotters for oil/grease (petroleum—based spots). Solvent gels preferred. Follow manufacturer’s recommendations when using solvents. Rinsing may be necessary. 

• Use specialty products (www.proschoice.com) for set stains where color has been added or altered. 

• CTI Pro’s Choice Red Relief (acid dye stains — colored soft drinks, medicines. etc.) 

• Some disinfectants contain chemicals that can stain, discolor, and cause general harm to your flooring product. Quaternary Ammonium Salts are among those that have been found to be harmful to your flooring when used over time.  Take care to choose pH neutral products only. 

• Shaw Industries, Inc. does not recommend the use of cleaning agents with optical brighteners.  

• Avoid over wetting the carpet. Prolonged dampness may cause discoloration, promote growth of mildew and bacteria in the carpet, or cause separation of the backing. 

5. USE INTERIM SYSTEMS TO MANAGE APPEARANCE 

• Encapsulation — process using CRI SOA cleaning agents and a dual—cylindrical counter—rotating brush machine for agitation. 

• Always pre—vacuum. 

• NOTE: Bonnet cleaning is NOT recommended.  

• Wool is a natural fiber; some shedding may initially occur as fibers work their way out of the product until loose. Loose fibers can easily be trimmed even with the pile. 

• Vacuum regularly without the use of beater bar. 

• Blot (do not rub) spills with moist white cloth using cold water. Cleaning agents (wool safe products) are listed in the Carpet and Rug institute's Seal of Approval (SOA) Program (www.carpet-rug.org) 

7. RESOURCES 

• Shaw‘s Technical Support web—based training program is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH-y6NbFUos&list=PLPIvybF4GS2XOHTVtGL_soZZ_Ni0hyr9D 

• For Technical assistance or maintenance related questions contact 1-800-471-7429. 

SUGGESTED FREQUENCY CHART FOR COMMERCIAL CARPET CARE 

• This chart represents a general guideline; your program should be customized to your specific conditions. 

• Extra heavy traffic and soiling conditions require more frequent attention. 

• NOTE: Use of a pile lifter may be a consideration. Pile lifting helps restore the surface pile yarns and helps remove embedded dry sand and soil.