Congratulations on your new wool carpet purchased from and installed by Cavendish deVere. This is your guide to cleaning and maintaining your carpet so that it looks good for longer.

Wool carpet is a beautiful flooring and a worthy investment. It?s durable, naturally stain resistant and environmentally friendly. To keep it at it's very best you need to clean it regularly with a vacuum, ensure you blot spills immediately and get it professionally cleaned with a steam cleaner at least once a year. Looking after your wool carpet will mean it looks good for longer. You should get a minimum of 5 years from this type of carpet and up to 15 if it is well cared for.

Regular maintenance

Invest in a good vacuum cleaner

Use a good vacuum cleaner with soft bristles that sucks like a winded monkey. The soft bristles will gently agitate any trapped dirt and the more powerful the suction the more dust, dirt and subsequent bacteria will be pulled out of the fibres and into the vacuum for disposal.

At first vacuum every day for a week

A newly laid wool carpet will 'shed' for a few days. Fibres and lint will malt from the backing. This is completely normal but can be unsightly so vacuum your new carpet every day for the first week or so and then reduce as the weeks go by.

Clean regularly

In high-traffic areas get the vacuum out twice a week. Stair, hallways and landings get a lot of foot traffic and vacuuming it will bring out the dirt and make the pile springy. Vacuum once a week in low-traffic areas even if it isn?t walked on much because it will remove dust or dirt that moves through the air and settles.

Removing stains

Spilled something on your wool carpet? Don't panic Captain!!!!!!!!

But don't hang about either! Wool naturally deters liquids from absorbing into its fibers but that doesn't mean you can leave it. Get moving and blot spills immediately. That means get paper towels and stand on them. Don't rub back and forth, let the towels absorb the moisture. Anything solid scrape it up as best as possible and then get the towels down.

Fresh wet stains

On wet stains you can use plain old water if it's still a fresh spillage. Get a bottle and fill it with warm water then spray a little on the spill after you have blotted as much as you can up. Lightly rub the water onto the stain with a soft cloth or sponge and then blot any excess water up again with a dry cloth or paper towel.

Pet 'accidents'...

Don't be too cross, it's only a carpet. Anything more than a water based stain and you are going to have to make the call on whether it is worth calling a professional. That depends on the seriousness and amount of staining and the cost of the carpet. But if you are going with then DIY option then speed is of the essence. Solids - yep, scrape them up. Liquids, blot them as much as possible and then it's time for the baking soda and vinegar.

Baking soda will absorb the smell and white vinegar will disinfect the area. Liberally sprinkle baking soda onto the stain and let it sit for 30 minutes. This will pull out a lot of the nastiness. Now vacuum. Then make a cleaning solution out of 1?2 cup (120 ml) vinegar, 2 cups (470 ml) water and 1?2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of liquid dishwasher detergent.

1. Dip a clean cloth or sponge in the cleaning solution and wring it out
2. Lightly rub the stain using circular movements
3. Rub a damp sponge or cloth over the area to rinse
4. Blot with a paper towel
5. Repeat

Stubborn and serious stains

Lipstick, rust, oil and crayons can be classed as serious carpet abuse and you may want to inform your local professional cleaner. However, if you want to have a crack at this type of stain then soak a clean rag with white spirit or turpentine and lightly dab and blot the stain with it. Once (if) the stain disappears, blot all excess moisture up with a dry, white paper towel. Repeat as required.

Water-based stubborn stains

Water-based stains like wine, coffee, tea and juice can be cleaned with a wool detergent and white vinegar. Mix 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of wool detergent, 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of white vinegar, and 4.25 cups (1L) of warm water. Dampen a cloth in the solution, lightly rub and dab the stain. Now use a damp sponge to remove the cleaner. Blot all water up with a dry paper towel and let the area dry for several hours. Red wine? Should still work with this method but there are some more tips for removing red wine from carpet - just don't use bleach on a wool carpet, it will take the colour out of it.

Annual steam cleaning

It will pay dividends in the long-term

Do yourself a favour and give your carpet a steam clean once a year. Wool is great at hiding dirt which is why it makes such a great floor covering. However, as you walk around on it any trapped dirt or dried mud will rub the fibres down and wear them making them thin. A steam clean will remove them and make your carpet smell nice, bounce around and last much longer

Move all your furniture out

Remove all furniture and items from your carpet and find a place to put them. You'll have to wait at least a day for the carpet to dry before you can put them back, so stack furniture along the edges of another room not being cleaned.

Get someone else to do it

Life is short and you are busy. As a Cavendish deVere client you are not likely to be the kind of person to scrimp so get your carpet professionally cleaned by a local carpet cleaner. USe a reliable professional with a commercial hot water extraction machine and ensure they are well versed with cleaning wool carpets. Make sure they are insured!