San Diego's Fashion Flooring Center

Care and Maintenance

Caring for your STAINMASTER carpet is as easy as one, two, three. Follow these simple steps and your carpet will feel great, look wonderful and last for years.


Routine Care
  • Vacuuming removes dirt that dulls appearance
  • Select a vacuum with good suction and strong beater bars, which brush the carpet and loosen dirt
  • Change vacuum bags and filters regularly

Long-term Care
  • Treat your carpet well, and it will provide you with years of comfort and beauty

Spot Treatment
  • Clean up spills promptly
  • Take aim at stains with our comprehensive Stain Removal Guide

Professional Cleaning
  • Get your carpets professionally cleaned at least every 12 months, even if you clean them yourself in between
  • Lighter shade carpet may require cleaning more often
  • Professional cleaning methods include steam cleaning (known as hot water extraction), absorbent pad or bonnet cleaning, rotary shampoo, and dry foam powder.

Stainmaster Care and Maintenance Emergency Cleaning and Care

FOOD
Clean spills up immediately. See below for exact directions.
FURNITURE
Place glides under heavy furniture to combat crushing. Rotate furniture to give carpet a rest.
SUNLIGHT
To prevent fading, avoid long hours of direct sunlight on carpet. Close blinds or shades periodically. Select a lighter colored carpet in sun-drenched rooms to minimize fading.
TRAFFIC
Change traffic patterns. Rotate furniture, so people have to alter their path through the room.
OUTSIDE DOORS
Place doormats inside and outside of exterior doors to minimize tracking in dirt.
RIPPLING
High humidity and heat can cause wall-to-wall carpet to ripple. Call a professional to re-stretch it with a power stretcher.
ANIMALS
Vacuum often and use deodorizer on previous "accident" sites. Some animals will have repeat "accidents" because they're drawn to the smell.
CIGARETTE AND OTHER BURNS
Place glides under heavy furniture to combat crushing. Rotate furniture to give carpet a rest.

Emergency Cleaning and Care Spills happen. Stains don't have to. Follow these general guidelines to prevent carpet blemishes whenever you have a mishap.

Basic Cleaning Steps For All Food and Beverage Spills
Scoop up as much of the spill as possible, with a towel or a spoon.
Blot the spot, don't rub or scrub. Gently press clean cloths into the stained area to remove moisture. Scrubbing can damage the fiber and set the stain into the carpet.
Apply warm, not hot, water to the stained area and blot until the stain stops transferring to the cloth.
If you can still see the stain, make a Detergent Solution by adding 1/4-teaspoon dishwashing liquid to one-cup warm water. Don't use too much soap, because it's difficult to rinse out of the carpet.
Apply the detergent solution, let sit five minutes, rinse with clear warm water. Repeat until all the detergent is removed.
Place layers of white paper towels on the spill to absorb the liquid. Weight down the towels with a non-staining glass or ceramic object. You can let them sit overnight.
When the carpet is dry, vacuum to restore the texture.
If you can see the stain after all this, repeat steps 3 through 7. It means the stain penetrated deep into the pile and has wicked up to the surface.