Use and Care Manual

3.0
3.0 SPILL AND SPOT CLEANING
SPILL AND SPOT CLEANING
EFFECTIVE SPOT REMOVAL STARTS WITH
THE PROPER PRODUCT SPECIFICATION
If you specify one of Mohawk Group’s stain resistant fiber
systems Duracolor, SmartStrand or ColorShield you are
specifying the best stain resistant systems available. These
products allow 96% of all spills to be removed with water only,
ensuring that your carpet will last longer, look new longer, be
less expensive and more environmentally friendly to maintain.
SPOT CLEANING IS ESSENTIAL
Dry soil often hides within the carpet pile, but spots and spills
can stand out, depending upon the carpet’s color and pattern.
Therefore, to keep your carpet looking as good as possible it’s
essential that spot cleaning become an important part of your
maintenance program. Since most carpet manufactured today
has mill-applied stain blockers and soil-resist treatments, your
chances for success with spot cleaning are greatly improved if you
act quickly and use the proper products, tools and techniques.
TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION
Spot cleaning is often regarded as a cumbersome chore and
very often the same large equipment used to perform deep
cleanings of a large areas ends up being used to clean spots
that should be attended to sooner. Don’t delay cleaning spots
until your regularly scheduled cleaning. The best time to treat
a spot is when you see it, and a simple way to extract it is by
blotting it with a plain, white absorbent towel. If your cleaning
staff has towels at their disposal, they can quickly blot up as
much of a fresh spill as possible.
If the spot has dried, blot it with a towel that has been damp-
ened with plain water or a general-purpose spotter. This is a
great first step to get as much of the contaminant out of the
carpet as possible, and it can remove many common water-
borne spots. If a residue remains, a spot extractor can be used
at a more appropriate time and the spot will disappear with
much less effort.
Another simple but effective option for spot cleaning is through
the use of an absorbent compound. This method, often called
dry extraction, uses an absorbent material that is applied to the
affected area. The compound absorbs and dislodges the soil and
is then easily vacuumed away. This cleaning method has the
advantage of no drying time since little water is used.