Accidents Happen, We’re here to help!

Accidents happen, especially around the holidays, which is why Shaw Floors created an iPhone app to help fight carpet stains. In order to keep your carpet looking its absolute best, quick and effective stain removing is crucial. There are around 1,000 stain removing techniques at your fingertips with this app.

Here are common holiday items and quick tricks that you can use to keep your carpet looking beautiful through the holiday season!

Pumpkin:

1.     Scrape or blot up excess spill.

2.     Apply detergent with a damp towel. Blot; don’t rub.

3.     Apply water with a damp towel.

4.     Blot; finish with a weighted pad of towels; if stain is still present, continue as follows

5.     Apply detergent solution with a damp towel; leave on for 3-5 minutes. Blot; don’t rub.

6.     If stain is removed, finish with a water rinse. Blot, then apply a pad of weighted paper towels. If stain is not removed, continue as follows

7.     Apply hydrogen peroxide/ammonia solution; let stand for 2 to 3 hours under a weighted sheet of plastic wrap.

8.     Repeat application of hydrogen peroxide/ammonia solution and allow to dry under weighted plastic wrap until removal is complete.

9.     Apply water with damp towel.

10.  Blog; finish with weighted pad of paper towels.

11.  To neutralize the area, apply white vinegar only after stain is removed.

Cake:

1.     Scrape or blot up excess spill.

2.     Apply detergent with a damp towel. Blot; don’t rub

3.     Apply water with a damp towel.

4.     Blot; finish with a weighted pad of towels.

We are here to help keep your carpet looking great and radiant this holiday season. Contact me with all your carpeting needs in time for your holiday guests to arrive!

Don’t forget that our flooring specialists at StarFloors are always here to answer any questions and concerns you may have regarding your area rug choice. We are available toll free at 866-503-STAR (7827) or on the web at www.starfloors.com. You can also submit your questions to us at www.facebook.com/starfloors or on twitter @starfloors_

Which Carpet Fiber is Right for You?

When shopping for carpet, it’s important to think about how your carpet will perform once installed. Two carpet samples may look the same, but there are many differences between the fibers that make up that carpet.

Some carpets look new for a long time, others look old within a short time. The difference is in how well they resist soiling and matting. Most carpets do not wear out. They get soiled, change surface texture, and mat, which makes them look old. Take the opportunity to review the information to help determine which carpet fiber would be best for you and your living space or work space.

FIBER OVERVIEW

Carpet Fiber	Advantages	Disadvantages
Nylon	Nylon carpet wears very well. Nylon provides great style and lots of diversity, it is also the most widely accepted and used carpet fiber. Nylon is easy to clean, extremely strong, resistant to matting as well as moths, moisture, and mildew. Third and forth generation nylon is static resistant and nylon is considered to be a very eco-friendly "green" fiber.	Nylon tends to be more expensive and can be stained by oil and grease. Nylon also degrades and fades in sunlight.
Polyester	Polyester performs and wears almost as well as nylon, and polyester resists stains better than nylon fiber. Polyester is fade resistant and a cost-effective choice for you living/work space. Polyester has a soft luxurious feel, it has excellent resistance to abrasion, and excellent resistance to mildew.	Polyester fiber traditionally does not have the same wear reputation as nylon, but has improved tremendously with new polymers in the last decade. Additionally when polyester has exposure to sunlight, the fiber weakens.
Polypropylene	Very cost-effective The most stain resistant fiber Additionally, polypropylene is colorfast, a strong fiber, soil and water resistant, has good stain resistance, no static problem resistant to moths and mildew, and can be used as an indoor or outdoor carpet.	Polypropylene is limited to mostly loop construction and does have some color limitations.Depending on the carpet construction, polypropylene can tend to mat. Ask your flooring specialist for more information regarding your polypropylene carpet selection to see if this is a factor to consider.
PTT (Triexta)	PTT performs well in high traffic and has a soft hand.	Cannot be stain treated.
Plushes (Cut Piles)	Plush carpet offers timeless style and a great value.	Not as unique as other carpet types.
Cables	Cable carpets are very stylish and have a good hand.	Cable carpet fiber is more costly than other carpet options and has some performance limitations.

Loops	Loop carpet fiber provides excellent performance in high performance areas because it minimizes the appearance of footprints.	Loop carpet does not feel as luxurious to the touch as other carpet fibers.
Friezes	Frieze carpet provides great performance and a soft hand. Frieze carpets are very trendy and offer many stylish options.	Frieze carpets tend to show more footprints than other carpets and can are more costly than other options.

Wool	Wool fiber is crush resistant, has limited pilling problems, wool is very durable, and is very eco-friendly.	Wool soils easily and must be imported because domestic fibers are finer and weaker thus making it more expensive than domestic fibers.
Acrylic	Acrylic fiber has a wool-like appearance with low moisture absorption and cleans easily. Acrylic fiber has good stain resistance and is resistant to moths and mildew as well as  to sunlight damage.	Acrylic fiber is not as strong as other synthetics produced in short fibers and crimped poor resistance to matting stained by oil and grease.

 

Don’t forget that our flooring specialists are always here to answer any questions and concerns you may have regarding your carpet choice. We are available toll free at 866-503-7827 (STAR) or on the web at www.starfloors.com. You can also submit your questions to us at www.facebook.com/starfloors or on twitter @StarFloors_

StarFloors Cleaning Tip of the Month!

At StarFloors, we love to share our tips for keeping your floors as clean and stunning as the first day they were installed. This month's floor care tip features a product that is highly effective but also a staff favorite at StarFloors.

Shaw’s R2X Stain and Soil Remover

If you know Shaw that you have probably heard of R2X before.
R2X is Shaw’s patented carpet protective system, which is applied to most of the carpets they manufacturer. R2X represents a breakthrough in soil and stain resistance technology. Most stain and soil resistance systems are topically applied and provide adequate protection only around the surface of the carpet. Comparatively, the R2X system produces total fiber coverage and protection from the top to the bottom of the yarn. The superior repellency of R2X keeps liquid stains on the face of the carpet where they can be easily removed by blotting.

"Shaw's patented and exclusive R2X system goes beyond conventional repellents that only protect the surface of the carpet. With R2X, carpets are armed with total fiber coverage, offering complete protection from the top to the bottom of the yarn. This total fiber coverage offers unprecedented protection against household spills and everyday soiling. With R2X, spills that reach the base of the yarn don't penetrate and wick back to the top as they do with conventional solutions."
-Shawfloors.com

Fortunately, for us, Shaw also created an effective household cleaner, R2X Stain and Soil Remover, which harnesses this R2X power. To date, this is one of the most effective and convenient ways to clean tough household spills and stains that attack your floors. The best part is that R2X is available for soft and hard surface flooring!

R2X Carpet Stain & Soil Remover for Carpet

Shaw’s R2X Carpet Stain & Soil Remover for Carpet is an extremely effective spot cleaner for most household stains and soiling, and its use eliminates the need for rinsing. With R2X, there is no residue to rise out of the carpet, and the cleaned area has been re-protected to guard against future problems. R2X gets rid of tough household spills and stains on carpet and can be used on all water-safe fabrics and upholstery (including wool). With R2X Carpet Stain & Soil Remover, just clean, blot dry...and forget about it!


R2X Hard Surfaces Flooring Cleaner

Shaw’s R2X Hard Surfaces Flooring Cleaner leaves your ceramic, laminate, pre-finished hardwood, and vinyl flooring sparkling clean. This stain remover is gentle enough for all types of flooring and powerful enough to tackle the toughest stains.

The benefits of using R2X for your hard surface flooring include:

• R2X is a multi-purpose cleaner that removes tough dirt, grease, and scuffs
• R2X will not cause dulling or leave a sticky residue
• R2X does not need to be rinsed


Best of all, R2X Stain and Soil Removers and R2X Flooring Cleaner have been tested and given the coveted Good Housekeeping Seal by the Good Housekeeping Institute. R2X Stain and Soil Remover also earned the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Seal of Approval and the Wool Safe Certificate of Accreditation.

For a rather inexpensive cleaner, R2X really packs a punch.
If you are looking for an effective floor cleaner that will get the job done, use R2X from Shaw.

This cleaner can be purchased at a retailer near you or by visiting: Shawfloors.com