Interim maintenance is an important component of extending the life and beauty of carpet.

Instructions

Always wear personal protective equipment when handling chemicals. Wear gloves when spotting carpet. Review the product labels and chemical SDS. When using a pump sprayer it must be properly labeled.

Prepare the floor

A

Remove furniture and fixtures, then vacuum the carpet.

TIP: While you are vacuuming, take note of heavily soiled areas that may require special attention.

B

Dilute First Step or Impact EES into the pump sprayer according to label directions.

C

Place Wet Floor signs blocking off the carpeted area to be cleaned.

ReadySpace Method

1

Fill the solution tank with warm water and add 2 ounces of Last Step Carpet Rinse per gallon of water.

2

Lightly pre-spray the entire carpet.

3

Heavily pre-spray traffic lanes and problem areas, then brush the pre-spray onto the surface with a carpet brush or carpet rake.

4

Treat spots and stains with carpet spotter.

5

Allow the products to dwell for at least 5 minutes.

6

Plug in the ReadySpace machine and adjust the handle. Beginning at the point farthest from the exit, clean the carpet with the ReadySpace machine using a forward and backwards motion.

7

Wait approximately 30 minutes before removing wet floor signs and returning furniture.

TIP: To speed up drying time, use an air mover.

8

When you are finished, empty and rinse the ReadySpace machine. Return your supplies to the cleaning supply area.

Bonnet Cleaning Method

Check your carpet manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations and warranty requirements before using this process.

1

In your cleaning supply area, fill a bucket and wringer with cold water. Add 6 ounces of Impact EES per gallon of water, or another Maintex carpet shampoo.

2

Immerse the bonnet pads in the solution and wring them out. Place the treated bonnet pads in a clean trash liner and transport them to the area to be cleaned.

3

Pre-spray only traffic lanes and problem areas so as not to overwet the carpet.

4

Treat spots and stains with carpet spotter.

5

Allow the products to dwell for at least 5 minutes.

6

Attach the pad driver to the floor machine and attach a bonnet to the pad driver. Make sure the bonnet is centered.

7

Begin cleaning in an area farthest from the exit to avoid walking over wet carpet. Overlap the passes and move forward and back as you work. Work in an area of no more than 10 x 20 feet.

8

Check the bonnet for soil. When the bonnet has become dirty, flip it over and use the clean side.

9

After using both sides of the pad, place soiled bonnet in the second trash liner and replace with a clean bonnet.

10

After you have finished cleaning the area, use an air mover to accelerate drying.

11

Check that the carpet is completely dry before removing wet floor signs and returning furniture.

12

When you are finished, clean and thoroughly rinse the bonnets by hand or in a commercial washing machine, then hang to dry. Return your supplies to the cleaning supply area.

13

After the carpet is completely dry, daily vacuuming will continue to remove crystallized residue resulting from encapsulating during the cleaning process.

Knowledge Quiz

Test your comprehension by completing the knowledge quiz.

Launch Quiz

Interim Carpet Maintenance

Question 1 of 10.

How often should interim carpet care take place?

1. Three times per year

2. Every month

3. On a regular schedule based on your facility's specific use patterns

While three times per year is a good rule of thumb, frequency of cleaning schedules should be determined by traffic flow, weather conditions, appearance, and soil level. Consult with your supervisor or Maintex representative to determine your maintenance schedule.

Question 2 of 10.

True or False: You should vacuum the carpeted area before performing interim carpet care.

True

False

First, remove any furniture, then vacuum to remove surface soils. During the vacuuming process note any heavily soiled areas that may require special attention.

Question 3 of 10.

True or False: You should never place a label directly onto a pump sprayer bottle.

True

False

If chemicals are used in secondary bottles they must be properly labeled.

Question 4 of 10.

Pre-spraying carpet problem areas will increase cleaning effectiveness. What is the recommended dwell time for carpet pre-spray?

1. 1 minute

2. 3 minutes

3. 5 minutes

4. 15 minutes

Allow carpet pre-spray to dwell for at least 5 minutes. Always place Wet Floor signs before pre-spraying carpet.

Question 5 of 10.

True or False: Regardless of whether you are using the ReadySpace or bonnet cleaning method, you should pre-spray the entire carpeted area.

True

False

When using the ReadySpace method, lightly pre-spray the entire carpet and heavily pre-spray traffic lanes and problem areas. When bonneting, only pre-spray traffic lanes and problem areas, to avoid over wetting the carpet.

Question 6 of 10.

Before using the R3 ReadySpace machine, fill the solution tank with warm water and:

1. Impact EES or Maintex Just Right Carpet Spotter

2. Last Step Carpet Rinse

3. Nothing else

Using Last Step leaves the carpets rinsed, residue free and soft to the touch.

Question 7 of 10.

Which of the following statements is NOT true about bonnet cleaning?

1. The bonneting process transfers soil from the carpet to the bonnet.

2. You will likely need multiple bonnets to clean a carpeted room.

3. You can only use one side of the bonnet, then it must be replaced.

4. You should work in an area of no more than 10 x 20 feet before checking the bonnet for soil.

Depending on soil conditions, the amount of bonnets used will vary. Plan on using multiple bonnets and replacing them as they become soiled. Use both side of the bonnet. Never use hard surface floor machine scrub pads on carpet.

Question 8 of 10.