Product Care Tips

For us, a faux carpet is one made from synthetic rather than natural fibres. Although we prefer to use natural, sustainable materials where possible, occasionally these are not always the best suited for certain situations, such as bathrooms, kitchens, commercial spaces or even outdoors. This is where faux carpets such as our collection can step in and something we like to call; smart sustainability.

To control the amount of dirt tracked into your home, use doormats at entrances. Vacuum them twice a week and use the care kit to clean them. Regular vacuuming and cleaning will enable mats to keep trapping dirt before it gets to your carpet. Don’t let mats become a source of tracked-in dirt.

Regular vacuuming will extend the life of your Faux carpet and contribute to maintaining its great appearance. 

Vacuuming should be proportional to the amount of soiling to which the carpet is subjected – the more adults, children and pets you have walking and playing on the carpet, the more often you are advised to vacuum.

For the average household it is good practice to vacuum daily in high traffic areas such as hallways, near entrances or busy living spaces and 2 or 3 times a week for the rest of your home. 

For a thorough vacuum do three or four passes in each direction, north/south and east/west.

As a general rule it is advised to use an upright, brush assisted vacuum for cut pile and suction only vacuum cleaner on loop pile carpet and rugs.

Being made from synthentic materials, spot and spills our Faux carpets, rugs and runners are relatively easy problems to solve. WoolSafe, our cleaning partner, has a separate process when it comes to cleaning products for synthetic floor coverings called CleanSeal. 

Here are some general tips when it comes to spots and spills on Faux carpets,

• As a first step, do not panic, but act quickly as the removal of fresh spots is always much more successful than of old stains.
• Decide whether you can tackle the removal yourself (with the help of this guide). In case of extensive or old, set-in stains, contact your nearest CleanSeal Approved Service Provider.
• Always take up as much of the soil/stain as possible before applying any CleanSeal Approved spot remover. Click here to shop a selection of CleanSeal Approved cleaning products. 
• Before applying any spotting agent, pre-test it on an inconspicuous area of the carpet.
• Always apply the spotting agent on a cloth, not directly on the stain. Wear rubber gloves.
• Never use washing up liquid or other cleaning agents not intended for carpet as they leave sticky residues and cause rapid soiling. 
• Use small quantities of spot remover at a time, repeat if necessary. 2 or 3 light applications are more effective than 1 drastic application. Do not over wet the carpet.
• Always work from the edge of the stain towards the middle to avoid spreading it. Blot, never rub.
• Use solvents with care and ensure good ventilation.
• Always thoroughly rinse out water-based spotters with clean water.

To keep your Faux carpet looking beautiful for longer, it is a good idea to have an all round professional clean and refresh. We would always recommend a certified professional cleaner to do this and the good news is that all WoolSafe approved professional cleaners will have access to CleanSeal products. In addition to this, they will all be conversant with synthetic textile floor coverings. This means that you can confidently have your Faux floor covering professionally cleaned by a WoolSafe approved professional cleaner. 

To find your nearest CleanSeal and WoolSafe approved professional carpet cleaner please click here. 

If you have an urgent cleaning issue or question which we have not been able to answer, please speak to the experts at WoolSafe on 01943 850 817 or pop them an email to office@woolsafe.org, they will be more than happy to help. 

Intec Stain Inhibitor is a solvent free, environmentally friendly solution which, if requested, is applied to your carpet, rug or runner in our warehouse before dispatch*. 

Intec has been specially developed for natural floor coverings and will not alter the products' colour, texture or flame retardancy. 

It's a water-based resinous co-polymer formula that contains no harmful solvents. 

To find our more about Intec, please visit www.intecprotector.com. 

*Please be aware that this is a chargeable service. 

First thing to note is that Intec is a stain inhibitor, not a stain preventor. Intec will reduce the impact of liquid spillages but will not guarantee that a mark will not be left, it all depends on what has been spilt and how quickly it is attended to. Therefore, even if your floor covering has been treated with Intec Stain Inhibitor, we would still recommend that any spillages are treated as soon as possible with one of our Natural Flooring Care Kits to avoid a mark being left. 

By having your new carpet, rug or runner treated with Intec Stain Inhibitor it will also prolong the life of your new floor covering as it will hold dust on the surface resulting in more efficient and effective vacuuming.  

Please note, this is an additional service so if you are ordering your rug or runner online you will need to tick to add Intec Stain Inhibitor as an additional extra. If you are ordering your new floor covering with your local Alternative Retail Partner, please just ask them to add Intec. 

Some general tips to bear in mind when using the Natural Flooring Care Kit, although for specific advice please see the instructions for your type of floor covering. 

• Soak up liquids with white kitchen roll, tissues, toilet roll or clean cloth.
• Scoop up or gently scrape off solids. 
• Try to identify unknown spots before treatment. If unsure, use the liquid spot remover first*.
• Always work from the edge of the spot inwards. 
• BLOT - don’t rub. 
• Use small quantities of the liquid spot remover at a time, applied to a white cloth - NOT directly to the spot. Work into the spot with a small, soft brush or sponge. 
• When using solvents, always ensure there is plenty of fresh-air ventilation. 
• Always thoroughly rinse out water-based spotters with clean water*. 
• Dry the spot, if possible, with a hair dryer.

* Avoid if you have a delicate fibre carpet, such as Tencel or Silk; or natural plant fibre flooring, such as sisal, coir, jute or seagrass.

To purchase your Natural Flooring Care Kit, please click here or get in touch with our team at Alternative HQ by calling 01264 335111 or emailing hello@alternativeflooring.com. 

Please note, we are only able to supply our Natural Flooring Care Kits to addresses within the UK. 

When we talk about natural plant or delicate fibre floor coverings we mean those that need extra special care and attention. These materials include,

This also includes Wool Mix floor coverings, such as Wool & Sisal or Wool & Tencel. 

To control the amount of dirt tracked into your home, use doormats at entrances. Vacuum them twice a week and use the care kit to clean them. Regular vacuuming and cleaning will enable mats to keep trapping dirt before it gets to your carpet. Don’t let mats become a source of tracked-in dirt.

For natural plant and delicate fibre floor coverings, we recommend using suction only vacuums. Continuous use of models with brushes can distort the fibres of natural fibre floor coverings over time. Vacuum slowly and thoroughly.

We do not recommend using water or steam extraction for natural plant fibre and delicate floor coverings.

Natural fibres such as jute, coir, seagrass and sisal are naturally absorbent, therefore even water could potentially leave a mark. 

To avoid spots, spills and stains from becoming permanent, clean them up as soon as they occur. Please be aware that some things can immediately stain (or remove colour from) the floor covering permanently and this can not be reversed. If you are entertaining, don’t wait until your guests have gone - speed is of the essence.

Some handy instructions on how to use our WoolSafe approved Natural Flooring Care Kit when attending to a liquid spill on your natural plant or delicate fibre floor covering. 

• Place a small handful of the dry compound over the spot. 
• Using the brush provided, gently brush the dry compound through the flooring. 
• Brush in all directions, north/south and east/west. Do not scrub - let the cleaner do the job. 
• Leave for NO LONGER than 10 minutes and then vacuum.
• Wash the brush under warm water. 

To purchase a Natural Flooring Care Kit, please click here. 

Remember: the colour in natural fibre floor coverings is not colourfast and some colour loss can occur. Usually, this is slight and much more acceptable than the spill or soiled area.

If in any doubt, carry out a test with our Natural Flooring Care Kit in an inconspicuous area of the floor covering. Other liquid household products designed for spot removal should not be used on natural fibre flooring and can permanently damage your floor covering.

Please note, we are only able to supply our Natural Flooring Care Kits to addresses within the UK. 

What happens when it comes to professionally cleaning a sisal flooring? How do you give a seagrass flooring a refresh? How should you give a delicate Tencel & wool mix carpet an all round clean? These are questions we are asked regularly, especially when it comes to the natural plant fibre floorings which are known to be 'trickier' when it comes to cleaning.

The great news is that WoolSafe have the answer, their extremely thorough education and training programmes mean that a WoolSafe approved professional carpet cleaner will also be conversant with natural fibre floor coverings, not just conventional or wool carpets. They will offer expert advice when it comes to those stubborn marks on your floor covering as well as provide periodical maintenance cleaning services to keep your flooring looking beautiful for longer.

To find your local WoolSafe approved professional carpet cleaner please click here. 

If you have an urgent cleaning issue or question which we have not been able to answer, please speak to the experts at WoolSafe on 01943 850 817 or pop them an email to office@woolsafe.org, they will be more than happy to help. 

Occasionally, when they are first un-rolled, rugs and runners can be a bit curly and turn-up at the corners. It’s normally just because the product has been rolled up tightly post-crafting and during transit; it gets comfortable and used to being rolled up. 

Rest assured, this can be easily rectified by following these simple steps,

• Firstly, you should try ‘reverse rolling’ – all you need to do is roll the rug the other way, pile side out.
• Leave the rug or runner rolled like this for a couple of days.
• If a rug, try doing this along the length first, and then again along the width.

This should be enough to encourage the rug or runner to lay nice and flat. However, if your new rug or runner is being particularly ‘stubborn’ then a gentle steaming should resolve this issue. Your local Alternative Retail Partner will be able to help you with this.

Like most carpeting, rugs and runners should be vacuumed at least weekly to remove dry soil, lint, and hair. If in an entryway, vacuum more often.

To ensure even wear, your rug or runner should be rotated. Depending on the traffic, the rotation may vary from every six months to once a year.

Depending on the material your rug or runner has been made from, please refer to either, 

• How to clean a natural plant fibre or delicate floor covering
• How to clean a wool carpet
• How to clean a faux carpet

in the sections above. 

Our wool carpets are made from sheep's wool. They are either 100% wool or the wool yarn has been mixed with another material.

Please note for ranges where the wool has been mixed with a 'delicate' fibre, such as sisal or Tencel, please refer to our Natural Plant Fibre & Delicate Floor Coverings area for cleaning and care guidance.

However, if the wool have been mixed with a hardier synthetic fibre, such as nylon or polyester you can treat as a wool carpet. 

To control the amount of dirt tracked into your home, use doormats at entrances. Vacuum them twice a week and use the care kit to clean them. Regular vacuuming and cleaning will enable mats to keep trapping dirt before it gets to your carpet. Don’t let mats become a source of tracked-in dirt.

There are many different styles and constructions of wool carpets and therefore the vacuuming recommendations differ. Please follow the particular recommendations for each range, which can be found in the Product Information area of each individual product. 

For best results, vacuum carpets two to three times a week - every day if possible. Concentrate on the areas where people walk most often, such as in front of doorways, hallways, around living-room furniture and in front of the TV. Make a minimum of three passes with your vacuum in these areas. Make sure drive belts are in good condition and ensure that bags are emptied or changed regularly. Even a half bag will reduce the efficiency of the vacuum cleaner.

Never use detergents such as dishwashing liquids, soaps or other cleaners recommended for general household use. Although they may clean the carpet satisfactorily, they will almost certainly cause problems such as rapid resoiling, colour bleeding or other damage to the pile or backing of the carpet.

Some handy instructions on how to use our WoolSafe approved Natural Flooring Care Kit when attending to a liquid spill on your wool carpet. 

• Blot the spot with a clean, absorbent white towel or clean white paper cloths. Continue until no more liquid or colour transfers from the spot onto the towel/cloth.
• Use the spot remover sparingly on a white towel and dab onto the area. 
• Brush in a small amount of the dry compound using the brush provided. Brush in all directions, north/south and east/west, then sprinkle the area with more granules. Do not scrub - let the cleaner do the job. 
• Leave the compound to rest on the area and dry fully, then vacuum. 
• Repeat steps 2 to 4 if necessary. 

To purchase a Natural Flooring Care Kit, please click here. 

Please note, we are only able to supply our Natural Flooring Care Kits to addresses within the UK. 

Although hardier than a natural plant or delicate fibre flooring, wool carpets would really benefit from a regular all round, professional cleaning. But who would be best to use? The great news is that WoolSafe have the answer, their extremely thorough education and training programmes mean that a WoolSafe approved professional carpet cleaner will also be conversant with your beautiful wool carpet. They will offer expert advice when it comes to those stubborn marks on your floor covering as well as provide periodical maintenance cleaning services to keep your flooring looking beautiful for longer.

To find your local WoolSafe approved professional carpet cleaner please click here. 

If you have an urgent cleaning issue or question which we have not been able to answer, please speak to the experts at WoolSafe on 01943 850 817 or pop them an email to office@woolsafe.org, they will be more than happy to help. 

WoolSafe are our cleaning partner who are on hand to give expert cleaning advice. 

WoolSafe have an extremely thorough and extensive education and training programme. This means that a WoolSafe approved professional carpet cleaner will be conversant with natural fibre floor coverings, floor coverings made from delicate materials, wool carpets and synthetic carpets. They will offer expert advice when it comes to those stubborn marks on your floor covering, rug or runner as well as provide periodical maintenance cleaning services to keep your flooring looking beautiful for longer.

A few general tips and some handy advice from the experts at WoolSafe, 

• As a first step, do not panic, but act quickly as the removal of fresh spots is always much more successful than of old stains.
• Decide whether you can tackle the removal yourself. In case of extensive or old set-in stains, contact your nearest WoolSafe Approved Service Provider.
• Always take up as much of the soil/stain as possible before applying any WoolSafe Approved spot remover.
• Before applying any spotting agent, pre-test it on an inconspicuous area of the carpet.
• Always apply the spotting agent on a cloth, not directly on the stain. Wear rubber gloves.
• Never use dish washing liquid or other cleaning agents not intended for carpet as they leave sticky residues and cause rapid soiling.
• Use small quantities of spot remover at a time, repeat if necessary. 2 or 3 light applications are more effective than 1 drastic application. Do not over wet the carpet.
• Always work from the edge of the stain towards the middle to avoid spreading it. Blot, never rub.
• Use solvents with care and ensure good ventilation.
• Always thoroughly rinse out water-based spotters with clean water.

Get step by step advice on how to tackle certain types of stains with the WoolSafe Stain Wizard.

Simply select what has been spilt from the extensive drop down and Stain Wizard will give easy to follow guidance on what to do. 

To find your local WoolSafe approved professional carpet cleaner please click here. 

If you have an urgent cleaning issue or question which we have not been able to answer, please speak to the experts at WoolSafe on 01943 850 817 or pop them an email to office@woolsafe.org, they will be more than happy to help.