DIRECTIONS:

1. Make sure surface area is clean and dry.



2. Apply a drop of water approx. 1″ in diameter.

3. Allow the water to stand for approximately 5-20 minutes, depending on the porosity of the stone

4. If the water beads above the surface, your stone is protected, or dense enough to help prevent stains.

5. If surface is unsealed, the water will absorb into the stone and darken the surface.

Allergens

Some biopollutants, such as animals, dander, house dust mites, and mold, have been linked to allergies and asthma, and many of these substances are commonly found in the average home.  It is important to understand that the mere presence of allergens does not in itself pose a hazard.  The allergen must be inhaled for exposure to occur, and in order for inhalation to occur, the allergen must be airborne.

Carpet acts as a trap for allergens

Carpet is capable of holding significant quantities of soil, dust, etc., without appearing very dirty.  It has been demonstrated that carpet is quite efficient at keeping allergen and other small particles such as pollen out of the air.  In fact, data from a Swedish government study indicates that when use of carpet declined, the number of people reporting allergy problems increased.

Regular vacuuming with a vacuum using a high-efficiency filter and periodic cleaning using the hot-water extraction cleaning (”steam cleaning”) removes the majority of allergen from carpet as well as significantly reducing mite populations.

Research has clearly shown that there is no correlation between allergen contained in carpet and allergen in the air in the carpeted room.

Research on carpet

In 2002, two schools in North Carolina were the subject of a study conducted by Research Triangle Institue (RTI) and University of North Carolina (UNC) investigators.  One school had mostly resilient tile floors, while the other was 70-75% carpeted. The study found that airborne contaminants, possible sources of allergens, were higher over the tiled floors than over carpet.

Also in 2002, Professional Testing Laboratory studied the effect of foot traffic on air quality, using commercial carpet and commercial vinyl flooring.  Following 16 minutes of foot traffic over both surfaces, the particulate concentration over the vinyl floor was found to be four times that of carpet.

Other studies, including one using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), have reinforced these findings and concluded that carpets actually reduce exposure to particulates and potential adverse health effects.

In a recent paper, “Carpet, Asthma and Allergies – Myth or Realty,” Dr. Mitchell Sauerhoff, Ph.D., DABT, examined numerous scientific studies and other research contradicting some long-held beliefs on carpet’s alleged negative characteristics.

Sauerhoff concluded, “…based on the available science, carpet does not cause asthma or allergies and does not increase the incidence or severity of asthma or allergies symptoms. In fact, with respect to asthma and allergies, multiple studies have reported fewer allergy and asthma symptoms associated with carpet.”

Pad makes carpet feel better.

Every step you take creates hundreds of pounds of pressure per square inch in your floor covering. Carpet padding, or cushion as it is sometimes called, helps alleviate that pressure. The decrease in pressure helps make your carpet feel richer, thicker, and softer.

It will make your room quieter and warmer.

Carpet cushion can significantly improve a carpet’s sound-absorption and improve its thermal insulation properties.

It will help you keep your carpet cleaner

Dirt can grind down carpet fiber the way sandpaper wears down wood, and thus shortens carpet life. A quality cushion makes cleaning more efficient because it raises carpet off the subfloor and provides an air space underneath, allowing the carpet to breathe. When you vacuum, that space allows more air to come up through the carpet, carrying more dirt along with it. The result is more effective cleaning every time.

And most importantly, it will make your carpet last longer.

A quality carpet cushion helps decrease pile crushing, the acute compression of fibers in a high-traffic area, particularly in hallways. The pad allows the carpet to maintain its pile height and stay looking new for much longer. Industry studies have shown that quality cushion can actually increase the useful life of carpet as much as 50%

Information provided by Shaw Carpet.

According to the experts, regular vacuuming and maintenance won’t always prevent damage caused by traffic, children, pets and other normal wear. Over time, carpet may become soiled, torn, burned, or lose color.

Trained, certified professionals offer simple suggestions on how to keep carpet looking new. Some common problems these professionals encounter include:

Open seams: Seam failure has a variety of causes and can become an unsightly hazard if not repaired promptly.

Burns or melted areas in carpet: Excessive heat or sparks from a variety of sources, including fireplaces, cigarette ashes, or irons can melt carpet fibers. Restoring your carpet’s appearance may involve clipping or replacing the singed tufts.

Pulled yarns or missing tufts: Pulled yarns or missing tufts are caused by a number of conditions including normal wear and tear, improper shipping/handling or pet damage. Sprouting tufts should be clipped immediately, and simple repairs can prevent further damage.

Bleached spots and discolorations: Chlorine bleach, acne medications or harsh cleaners can remove or alter the color of your carpet. Often re-dyeing or replacing carpet in the affected area is the best option to restore its appearance.

Ripples: Buckles or ripples may form in carpet over time. If left uncorrected, they may lead to premature soiling, wear or delamination. To prevent this, the carpet should be re-stretched.

To help maintain your carpet’s appearance and ensure satisfaction with the services performed, the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) recommends hiring an IICRC-Certified Firm employing an IICRC-Certified Repair and Re-installation technician to repair your carpet.

Shaw sells PTT under the Corterra brand name, and Mohawk currently sells PTT under two umbrellas; Smartstrand and SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona renewably sourced polymer.

On March 20, the Federal Trade Commission approved a new class of fiber formerly listed as a sub-classification of polyester and called polytrimethylene terephthalate or PTT.

Henceforth, PTT is to be called by the generic name “triexta” and no longer designated under the polyester classification.

This ruling is significant and historic for the carpet industry. This is the first extension that the FTC has approved for textiles in five years and the first extension for residential carpeting in 50 years, since nylon was established under the Textile Fiber Act in June 1959.

The FTC requires three criteria to be proven for a subclass name to be granted:

• It has the same general chemical composition as an established generic fiber category.
• It has distinctive properties of importance to the general public as a result of a new method of manufacture or substantially differentiated physical characteristics, such as fiber structure.
• The distinctive feature(s) of the fiber suitable for uses for which other fibers under the established generic name would not be suited, or would be significantly less well suited. Triexta, polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), is similar to polyester, polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Both are dyed with disperse dyes. However, PTT is said to be superior to polyester PET in at least three ways:
  1. softness or hand
  2. durability – more durable than polyester and comparable to nylon, and
  3. permanent stain resistance to common household foods including: red wine, colored beverages, mustard.

Like most synthetic fibers, PTT also is allergy friendly (mold-resistant) and kid safe.

Origins of Triexta

Triexta (PTT) was originally developed and patented by the DuPont in 1941. In 1999, Shell began and marketing PTT under the trade name Corterra.

Like most synthetic fibers, the PTT polymer was derived from petroleum products. However, it did not gain much traction in the carpet market, because of the dominant position of nylon, and the allocation of manufacturer resources to extruding and processing nylon fiber.

Since 2001, Shaw Industries, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., has marketed the Corterra trade name and has manufactured carpet using PTT, initially for the multi-family housing market.

Triexta, Mohawk’s version of PTT has been marketed under their SmartStrand trade name since 2004. However, when PTT is combined with DuPont’s bio-component made from 37% corn sugar (Bio-PDO), it is marketed under the trade name SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona.

While the professional carpet cleaning industry is always excited by new developments in polymer chemistry, the triexta fiber designation raises a number of issues for professional cleaners:

Dyeing
While triexta can be dyed in a variety of ways, the most common technique employed is continuous dyeing using disperse dyes. At this writing, there appears to be no effort to use print dyeing on triexta carpet. Staining
Although both polyester PET and triexta PTT resist acid dyes, they also resist strong disperse dyes, such as the turmeric used to color yellow mustard. Bleaching
Triexta is resistant to strong oxidizing bleaches, such as sodium hypochlorite, even in concentrated form (6%). In fact, it is said to resist bleaching even better than polyester PET. Fading
Triexta has been subjected to a wide range of colorfastness tests including high concentrations of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and light and sun fading. Its performance in this area is superior to polyester and Type 6 nylon and comparable to Type 6,6 nylon.

Oil Absorption
Triexta is oleophilic, and performs similarly to polyester PET and olefin. Although additional long-term testing is required, it appears to respond well to removal of oily spots and soils (petroleum, animal, vegetable) using dry solvent spotters and cleaning additives (e.g., propylene glycol).

Hand
Triexta’s hand, while a somewhat subjective evaluation, is achieved by the polymer itself, and is noticeably softer than polyester, and comparable to nylon fiber. Typically, triexta is extruded in the 13-16 denier range. PDO, made from corn sugar, results in the same fiber polymer as that produced from petroleum.

Texture Retention
Both fiber producers and retailers confirm that triexta, which has been on the market since 2004, is not subject to the texture change that is so prevalent in cut-pile or, to a lesser extent, even loop-pile polyester PET carpet that is exposed to vacuuming and traffic over time. Its texture retention is said to be comparable to Type 6 nylon and even as good or better than Type 6,6 nylon.

Cleaning
Cleaning polyester (PET) never has been a problem, and the same should be true of triexta as long as consumers stick to a reasonable frequency (annual for frequently trafficked carpet). In fact, there are no special requirements for cleaning triexta that go beyond the cleaning principles that apply to any other synthetic used in today’s broadloom carpet. However, the impression of cleaning, where light pastels are concerned, may be another story. But that’s a specification problem…

At this point, PTT does not hold a significant carpet market share; however, promotion by major industry players, such as Mohawk, Shaw and DuPont, may change that. As far as long-term performance is concerned, only time will tell. Rest assured, however, that professional cleaners, who deal with the effect of fiber characteristics long after carpet purchase and installation, will be among the first to know.

Written by Ruth Travis & Jeff Bishop

1.  Keep walkway and entries clean to eliminate tracking and debris.
2.  Use mats to trap soil at entries to protect carpets and reduce the quantity of particles that eventually becoming airborne.
3.  Clean shoes at entries to reduce fine particles such as lead.
4.  Use quality vacuum equipment. Check the Carpet and Rug Institute’s list of vacuums that passed the Green Label Program at: www.carpet-rug.com.
5.  Use high-efficiency vacuum filter bags. Small particles can pass through inexpensive paper filter bags.
6.  Vacuum frequently before soils become embedded in the carpet.
7.  Use quality reusable electrostatic filters for HVAC systems. Remove and flush them free of collected soils monthly.
8.  Have the carpet cleaned professionally. To find a certified technician, check with the IICRC at (800) 835-4624 or www.iicrc.org.
9.  Clean upholstery, drapery, bedding and other fabric surfaces; wash linens weekly.
10.  Control moisture and humidity to keep down dust mites and mold.

To keep your furniture clean, its necessary to conduct routine maintenance, including periodic cleaning by a certified technician every 12 to 24 months. Furniture and fabric manufacturers recommend that consumers not wait until sever soiling occurs before cleaning because the greater the soiling, the less the likelihood of restoring the fabric’s original color, appearance, and texture, and the greater adverse effect on indoor environmental quality.

Regular cleaning by a trained, certified professional can help restore your upholstery’s appearance, extend its life, and keeping it looking “like new”. In addition, certified professionals can offer simple suggestions to maintain a clean and healthy environment. These tips often include:

Control soil by using arm caps and rotating seat cushions frequently to prolong life and appearance of areas prone to wear and tear.

Remove dry soil by vacuuming and, depending on the fabric, brushing to remove dust and soil particles.

Increased cleaning may be required when fabric is subjected to heavy use, or when it is located in homes occupied with persons with allergies or respiratory sensitivity.

To help maintain your furniture’s appearance and ensure complete satisfaction with the services performed, the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) recommends hiring an IICRC-Certified Firm employing IICRC-Certified Upholstery and Fabric Cleaning Technicians (UFT).

These widely used comments have stemmed from unfortunate encounters with uninformed
cleaners that have left the carpet with an overload of detergent residue. The consumer has assumed that this is the case with all carpet cleaning and resolved to wait until the carpet is in dire straights to clean it.

The good news is that a properly cleaned carpet will not re-soil as quickly and will actually last
longer. Why? Because damaging soils are removed with effective cleaning. Soil that is
not removed by vacuuming, even though it can rarely be seen by the naked eye, cuts and slices
on the carpet fibers as the carpet is being walked on breaking down the carpet yarns in the
traffic areas. The result is that even with restorative cleaning at that point, it will not correct the damage that has been done to the fiber. Fiber producers and carpet manufacturers recommend that a residential carpet should be professionally cleaned at least 18 to 24 months for best performance, more often in heavily trafficked and heavy soiling situations.

A Clean Carpet is a Healthy Carpet

Not to mention that a carpet that is not cleaned on a regular basis is an unhealthy carpet. Carpet is like a filter. It collects soils, pollens, insecticides, exhaust, etc. that gets tracked in or blown in from the polluted outdoors. This creates and unhealthy indoor environment.

One of the unique characteristics of this type of floor covering material is the tendency to develop mysterious dark spots when cleaned, regardless of the method used. Generally bringing a “worn” Sisal back to it’s original state is a lost cause. Also, Sisal stains very easily. One of the best things to do is have it protected with a solvent based fabric protector to resist against water spots that result from any type of spillage. In addition to developing dark spots, Sisal may also “lighten” when cleaned.
The best way to clean plant material is with a low moisture approach. This can be done with a dry-cleaning system or a water extraction system as long as the water pressure is regulated well. The bottom line is that these products are not very spillage, traffic or cleaning friendly. However, you can’t beat the look.

Place this type of floor covering in a non-traffic, non-spillage area to prevent over use. Have a light, maintenance cleaning done about once a year to remove surface soils, pollen, asphalt, exhaust and other foreign matter that finds its way into our homes.
A final note about Sisal is that some wool carpets come in a “Sisal style.” These products are made to look like sisal, but are actually an entirely different material.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Due to the natural characteristics of these types of materials our company requires a written release of liability before proceeding with cleaning.

Pet urine can cause permanent damage to your floors and fabrics. It can also create an unhealthy indoor environment. When urine is first deposited onto a floor or fabric, it is in an almost “neutral” state which means it is easier to remove when it is fresh. Once it dries, it turns “alkaline” and becomes more difficult to remove. If left for days or weeks, depending on the fabric or floor type, it will permanently change the dye structure, therefore causing permanent staining. Even if the soluble deposits are removed, the damage to the dye structure may already be done.

**This means that no one can guarantee complete removal of all urine spots. Please consult with your technician if you have questionable urine spots on your carpet.

To prevent permanent staining in the future, clean urine spots immediately by blotting with a white terry cloth towel or plain white paper towels until no moisture is transferred. To clean the spot, mix 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts water and massage (don’t rub) into the spot with a white terry cloth. Once you have “flushed” as much of the urine out as possible, blot with dry cloths until dry to the touch. *If you have a small extraction machine, flush with fresh water until spot is removed. *DO NOT USE OVER THE COUNTER, GENERAL SPOTTERS OR EXTRACTION DETERGENT. IF YOU DO NOT USE THIS FORMULA, ASK US ABOUT SPECIAL PET SPOTTERS.