Carpet Maintenance Guidelines

Carrying out a good maintenance program has a positive effect on the appearance and performance of carpet. You protect your investment and give it a longer life. However, defining and executing the most effective cleaning method is not the only aspect of a good maintenance program. Prevention must also be an important part of this. 

A preventive measure that you can take is to install a clean-off zone (for example DESSO Protect ) at all entrances, with sufficient length and starting outside the building. This measure is essential to keep the dirt out. Another important preventive measure is to select the right products in terms of colour, pattern and structure for all parts of the building. Tarkett recommends a three-part maintenance program for the DESSO carpet consisting of regular, periodic and specialist maintenance. For more information and details on each of these three parts, please contact your local representative.

1. Regular maintenance

Regular maintenance consists of a combination of both vacuuming and stain removal and should be performed as often as required for different areas in a building. Effective vacuuming is a necessary part of a good maintenance program and keeps pollution to a minimum. Clean-off areas and areas with a lot of walking, such as corridors and reception areas, must be vacuumed intensively on a daily basis. For areas such as offices and conference rooms, it is sufficient to vacuum daily to remove visible dirt and to vacuum thoroughly at least once a week. For best results Tarkett recommends a powerful upright brushed vacuum cleaner with efficient, clean filters.

In addition to regular vacuuming, stains also need to be removed to keep the floor looking good. If there is a spill, it is best to wipe it up immediately to avoid permanent stains. Absorb excess moisture first (from the outside in) and avoid rubbing and excessive use of water. Stains that have dried or are older can first be treated with a blunt object (eg a spoon); the dry residues can then be removed by vacuuming. Most (water-based) stains can be removed with a clean, white cloth and lukewarm water, possibly with a suitable carpet cleaner. Oil-based and chewing gum stains should be treated with a special carpet cleaner.

2. Periodic maintenance

With periodic maintenance, your DESSO carpet continues to perform well and it is also less often necessary to have expensive and disruptive specialist maintenance performed. In general, periodic maintenance is performed 1 or 2 times a year, depending on the specific need in the building. From the wide range of cleaning methods available, Tarkett recommends two: dry cleaning with crystals and powder cleaning. The crystal dry cleaning method is a low moisture procedure in which crystals are sprayed onto the carpet and gently brushed into the piles; after about an hour of drying, crystals and dirt are removed by thorough vacuuming. The main advantages of this method include that the space remains accessible during the treatment,

Powder cleaning uses 'dry' powder (it may feel damp); this is sprinkled on the carpet by hand and brushed into it mechanically. It is necessary to pay extra attention to the complete removal of all residues of powder and dirt; these residues are not colourless and can therefore make the carpet dirty again more quickly. Powder cleaning is not suitable for needle felt products ( Forto / Lita ), and products with high-cut pile. Before performing either of these methods, you should always vacuum and both methods should be tested on a hidden corner of the floor to make sure the carpet is colourfast.

3. Specialist maintenance

Over time, dirt can build up deep in the pile of a carpet; it may then be necessary to call in the help of a specialist to get the carpet looking like new again. This usually needs to be done every three or four years. Tarkett recommends the spray extraction method for deep cleaning your carpet. This method should always be preceded by intensive vacuuming and, if possible, also remove stains or pre-spray to loosen stain residues.

As a Cradle to Cradle® company, Tarkett is committed to designing and manufacturing its products in such a way that they have a positive impact on people's health and well-being and can also be separated and recycled. C2C principles should be integrated into the maintenance program. Here are some suggestions to ensure that the DESSO carpet continues to meet high environmental standards:

• Be careful about using energy and water when vacuuming and removing stains. When removing stains, we recommend using the safest cleaning agents; look at chemical composition and the effect on maintenance personnel and users, but also at the amount of residue that remains in the carpet.
• The advantage of periodic cleaning compared to specialist cleaning is that cleaning agents and residue do not end up in the surface water.
• Other tools, for example machines for specialist cleaning, must be assessed on their use of energy and water and of cleaning agents that end up in the surface water.
• At Tarkett, DESSO carpet tiles are designed in such a way that they can be recycled with minimal effort. Tarkett is therefore also proud of its ReStart ® collection program and the recently opened Carpet Recycle Center for the recycling of carpet tiles (50 cm x 50 cm) with PA6 yarn. With a good maintenance program and the use of the safest cleaning agents, the material returned to the recycling streams is of maximum quality; that is definitely worth taking into account.

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