Do You Know Your Carpet Manufacturer Cleaning Requirements?

You don’t know much if anything about your carpet warranty, do you? Don’t feel bad, most people don’t. Why? Because your carpet salesman was more concerned with making his next sale than telling you about your warranty……unless, of course, you bought your carpet from the best locally owned dealers, Bockrath Flooring and Rugs in Kettering, Ohio, or Bud Polley’s Flooring in Tipp City, Ohio.

Why should you read and understand the warranty on your carpet? Because it will show that the manufacturer highly recommends that you have your carpet regularly cleaned by a certified professional to maintain your warranty. Don’t believe me? Here are some quotes directly from the websites of the top two carpet manufacturers, Shaw and Mohawk:

From the Shaw Residential Carpet Warranty Brochure
(02/22/2017)

“Periodic professional cleaning of the overall carpet is highly recommended. The frequency … may range from as little as 6 months to 24 months between cleanings. Your carpet should be properly cleaned at least once every 24 months to maintain its appearance and useful life.

Shaw recommends only hot water extraction (also called steam cleaning), utilizing carpet cleaning products, equipment, and systems certified through the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Seal of Approval Program. These products are listed at www.carpet-rug.org. Warning: non-approved cleaning products and topical treatments… may result in damage to your carpet that will not be covered by our warranty.

Shaw recommends that professional service be performed by an IICRC certified firm. Locate a professional through the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) at 1-800-835-4624 or www.iicrc.org. Cleaning by other professional services may result in damage that will not be covered by your warranty.”

From the Mohawk Carpet Warranty Brochure
(2/22/2017)

“Mohawk requires professional hot water extraction every 18 months using cleaning products, equipment, or systems that carry the CRI Seal of Approval. (Visit www.carpet-rug.org for a complete list of certified products.) Periodic cleaning by a certified carpet-care professional using the hot water extraction method will refresh carpet appearance.”