An effective maintenance plan needs careful supervision,
trained personnel and the correct equipment.

These considerations should be part of the planned programme:

Soil

The fibres used in Nexus carpets are engineered to resist soil build-up. Choose carpet textures and colorations carefully to reduce the visibility of soil between cleanings.

Carpet colour can significantly lessen the visibility of soil between cleanings.

Lighter colours should be reserved for rooms where soiling is less prevalent.

Multi-coloured or patterned tiles should be used in high-traffic areas and areas adjacent to external doors. In particular, carpets that combine two or more colours (e.g. grey, beige, brown or rust) will camouflage visible soiling until it can be removed.

To protect the installation's appearance, Nexus Grimebuster
walk-off mats should be placed at all entrances to carpeted areas to serve as soil barriers. Additional walk-off mats can also be laid inside entrances and at other strategic locations to remove the fine particled dirt that can cause carpet discolouration. Mats should be large enough to allow at least two or three steps before reaching the carpet. They must be vacuumed daily and cleaned regularly to ensure their efficiency. Walk-off mats placed in lifts act as a further barrier to soiling of carpeted areas.

Carpet protectors

Office furniture castors can damage a soft floorcovering and for this reason Nexus recommends the use of protective mats. A chair mat will protect the floorcovering and enable easier movement of the chair.

One of the greatest advantages of using carpet tiles in a commercial installation is the flexibility it offers. You can easily lift tiles laid in a heavy traffic area and substitute them with tiles lifted from a more moderate traffic area.

On a major contract, it is advisable to order a surplus of stock, to rotate in areas subject to heavy traffic, as part of a maintenance programme. If this is done yearly, in conjunction with a cleaning programme, the life of the installation will be greatly prolonged.

Vacuuming

Regular vacuuming is the most important component of carpet maintenance. It is the primary means of removing dry soiling, the basis of effective soiling control.

Loose particles account for up to 80% of the total soil in a carpet, and become harder to remove the further they are pushed into the pile. Vacuuming daily removes loose soil from the installation and keeps damage from hard, sharp dirt particles to a minimum. Both medium and heavy contract locations should be vacuumed at least once daily.

Nexus recommends that wet cleaning should be done on a regular basis. The frequency of wet cleaning will depend on the level of traffic and the nature of soiling. Periodic wet cleaning is best left to the professional carpet cleaner, as he will be able to judge accurately which cleaning method will give optimum results. There are three methods at his disposal:

• rotary brush shampooing
• spray extraction (steam cleaning)
• removal and washing method

Stain removal procedures
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