Vacuuming

The first line of defense as a home owner against dirty carpets is the most obvious: vacuuming. Heavy traffic areas should be vacuumed daily. This may seem laborious but it will increase the life and attractiveness of your carpets. Medium traffic areas should be vacuumed twice weekly and minimal traffic areas can suffice with once weekly or even bi-weekly.

Particles of dirt cause additional friction on the fibers in the carpet when it is walked on and this creates additional wear, reducing the life of the carpet.

When vacuuming you should assure that your beater bar is set to the correct height for your specific carpet and that you move the vacuum across the carpet at a reasonable rate. Moving the vacuum to fast will result in dirt not being picked up, effectively making the entire process useless.

Leather care

Fine leather is soft and luxurious making it an ideal choice for furniture. With the right care, leather improves with age, providing many years of enjoyable use. However, even the best leather requires maintaining by regular vacuuming and cleaning.

Different types of leather require different care and maintenance products. If you are uncertain about the type of leather you have, contact the store where you purchased the item.

Spot removal procedures

The following information is only a guide to spot and stain treatment. For further information and guaranteed specialist cleaning and spot and stain removal, contact your local Safeclean Specialist.

Before applying any cleaning or spotting solutions, pre-test on an inconspicuous area.

• Solid type stains should be gently scraped and lifted off the surface.

• Liquid stains should be blotted up with a clean white absorbent material.

• All stains work from the outer edge to the centre of the stain.

• Avoid rubbing, over agitating or too much pressure to avoid damaging the fabric fibres.

• Apply solutions A, B, C as prescribed on the chart for each type of stain. Apply in turn using a clean white absorbent cloth, blot the recommended solution into the stain and blot dry. Follow this method for as long as the stain can be absorbed into the blotting material.

• When the stain no longer transfers to the blotting material, change to the next cleaning solution in the procedure.

• Avoid over wetting and blot the treated area as dry as possible after the application of each solution.

• To avoid causing water or ring marks, make sure that the treated area dries out evenly by feathering out the edges, or dampening the entire panel.

General Care Tips

• Rearrange the furniture and turn cushions occasionally to ensure even wear of the cushions, fillings and fabrics.

• Vacuum upholstery, curtains and carpets often to remove dust and grit that can cause soiling and fibre abrasion.

• Take care when wearing clothing that could cause dye transfer such as jeans etc. Dye transfer on to light coloured furniture can be difficult to remove.

• Protect furnishings from the sun and strong natural light as this will cause fibre degeneration and colour fade. Occasionally, dyes can fade from impurities within the atmosphere such as cigarette smoke, cooking fumes etc.

• Keep pets off the furniture. Pet urine and body oil can be difficult to remove.

• Take proper care with loop, open weave and structural weave fabrics (design created in the weave) to protect against snags.

• Leading retailers recommend that you have your upholstery and furnishings professionally cleaned every 12-18 months.

• Retailers recommend that you use a specialist, qualified cleaner.