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Sometimes it seems as if the idea that “carpet cleaning will ruin my carpets “will never die. This is one of the most widely heard misconceptions that we hear and it is based around the premise that cleaning will make a carpet re-soil faster.
The origins of this idea date back many years ago when it was commonplace for carpets to be cleaned using cheap and inferior detergents. These detergents coated the carpet with a sticky residue which then rapidly attracted soil making the carpet look worse than it did before cleaning. It is no wonder then that previous generations of our families lost faith in carpet cleaning and propogated the “don’t clean your carpets” theory that now refuses to die.
In the past thirty years there have been major developments in both carpet cleaning methods and solutions. Historically carpets were “shampood” with inferior detergents. These detergents were left to dry to a sticky residue in the carpet causing the resoiling to happen. You could liken this to shampooing your hair but not rinsing it with water!
Today carpets are rarely shampooed. They are predominantly cleaned using a two part process where a cleaning solutions is applied to the carpet and then rinsed away using some sort of extraction machine. This process leaves carpets cleaner, drier and with less residue.
 Further developments have occurred with the advent of the Woolsafe Organisation(started as the International Wool Secretariat) in 1990. One of the services provided by WoolSafe is the testing and accreditation of wool carpet cleaning and maintenance products. In particular carpet cleaning solutions are tested and accredited as safe for use on wool carpets. Part of this testing is to make sure that no sticky residue is left in the carpet.
Today you can be confident that carpet cleaning won’t ruin your carpets if you use a professional carpet cleaning company like Designcare. At Designcare we use safe and natural solutions which are WoolSafe approved and we can guarantee no resoiling.
 One of our recent projects has been the restoration of a number of fine oriental rugs at 14 Kensington Palace Gardens. This house has been the official residence of the Finnish Ambassador since 1952 and this is a welcome new client for Designcare in 2009.
Kensington Palace Gardens, one of the most prestigious residential streets in the world. It is home to many embassies and diplomatic residences as well as Kensington Palace, where several members of the British Royal Family live.
Brief History
This beautiful house was designed and built by Thomas Cubitt in 1850 and by June 1851, the house became occupied. The lease, for 100 ft of frontage at an annual rent of £75, was granted to Edmund Antrobus in January 1852, and he lived here until his death in 1886. The ground lease was subsequently sold at auction for £8,100 to Henry Solomon of Inverness Terrace, Bayswater.
In 2007 the historic building was sympathetically renovated, drawing inspiration from the Nordic ideals of light and space, giving it a fresh, elegant look.
The residence provides a gracious setting for the Finnish diplomatic representation in the United Kingdom. Decoration of the building, including its various beautiful details, highlights the culture of Finland.
 Designcare have worked very closely with a number of high quality suppliers of carpet. None more so than Arundell Carpets.
For 20 years we have been caring for many installations of their bespoke hand tufted carpets in both commercial premises and private residences.
The beauty and longevity of an Arundell carpet is testament to the workmanship employed and the quality of the material used.
Arundell Carpets was established in 1973 by Philip Arundell. The company has concentrated solely on designing and supplying special hand tufted carpets for Interior Designers and Architects.
From small beginnings, the company has progressed to major complex contracts, none more demanding than the special Oliver Ford designed Dorchester Hotel corridor carpets (8,000m2 supplied over 30 years). The Ritz Hotel London is another major client having done the carpets for main entrance hall (Long Gallery) and other special rooms. They also provide carpets for small and large private residences, private luxury yachts, airplanes and palaces around the world. www.arundellcarpets.com
 An interesting project we are working on this winter is the maintenance of the carpets throughout one of the finest period buildings in London. Designcare have been commissioned to restore the high quality hand tufted carpets at Bridgewater House in St James.
Bridgewater House was designed by Sir Charles Barry (of Houses of Parliament fame) in Italian renaissance style for the Earl of Ellesmere, and completed in the early 1860s. The Earl was the principal heir of the third Duke of Bridgewater (1736-1803), who added greatly to his fortune by building the first important canals in England.
The current owners of Bridgewater House have been loyal clients of Designcare for the past 20 years.
What is draught marking?
Draught marking appears on carpets as dark soiled areas or spots around the edges of rooms or under doorways. In extreme cases it is found across the middle of a room in the configuration of the floorboards.
It is also known as filtration soiling, fogging or dust marks. The cause is always the same. Contaminated air blows through or across the carpet and the carpet acts as a filter, removing the dirt from the air. The resultant draught marking is both unsightly and a problem to remove.
The contaminated air gets to the carpet through:-
- gaps under the skirting board
- gaps between the floorboards
- holes in the carpet caused by nails or carpet fitting tools
- gaps under doors
Prevention?
The best method of preventing draught marking ruining the look of your new carpets is to specify a draught proof installation. This prevents the movement of air through the carpet and may involve the following steps before the carpet is installed:-
- Laying sheets of hardboard on top of the existing floorboards
- Taping all the hardboard joints to prevent leaks of air
- Laying paper on top of the hardboard to add extra draught proofing
- Using flexible mastic to seal the gap between the skirting board and the floor.
If these measures are carried out before the carpet and underlay are installed then it is unlikely that very much draught marking will occur, except in doorways.
Cure?
Most draught marking can be removed by cleaning, but not cured. The microscopic airborne soiling is tenaciously oil bonded to the carpet fibres. The degree of success in the removal of the soil depends on the nature of the soil (pollution) and the length of time that it has been present. At Designcare we have researched and tested many ways of removing draught marking and we are now confident that we can remove the majority of this soiling. However a draught marking problem can’t be cured by cleaning as the soiling will return if the contaminated air is allowed to continue to flow through or across the carpet.
We have invested heavily in state of the art cleaning tools and equipment to ensure that we are always efficient in our work
 State of the art van mounted cleaning system For in-home carpet cleaning we prefer to use our van mounted carpet cleaning unit. The Designcare van is parked adjacent to the client’s home with only 2 small pipes extended into the property to deliver and recover the cleaning solutions and soiled water. These pipes can extend up to 400 feet to reach into even the largest properties. Cleaning temperature, pressure and vacuum levels are all individually controlled at the machine by the operator to ensure that the carpets are cleaned thoroughly but safely.
The cleaning unit is powered by a 69 hp engine (lpg fuel) which provides enough power to deep clean the carpets but leave them touch dry within a short space of time. Carpets are cleaned quicker, deeper and with less disruption withinthe home.
The interior of the van is custom designed with clean water tanks, waste water tanks, shelving and storage for the hundreds of stain removers and tools required for professional carpet cleaning. We believe this is the most advanced mobile cleaning unit in the London area.
For apartments and houses without legal parking we use high performance portable cleaning machines which are operated within the home. These portable cleaning machines are of the highest specification available and will produce outstanding cleaning results on carpets, rugs and upholstery.
 The Detergent Free products we use to clean your carpets and fabrics are the ultimate healthy cleaning solutions. Detergent Free products utilise natural minerals to enhance the cleaning power of water.
These natural minerals are:-
- Sodium Chloride (salt)
- Sodium Citrate(used in medicines, cheesemaking and soft drinks)
- Sodium Carbonate(water softener and used in the manufacture of soap and paper)
- Sodium Bicarbonate ( used in baking, drinks and medicines)
- Lactic acid(found in milk, wine and fruits, used as a food additive
These natural ingredients help to convert soiling and staining into soap and improve the rinsing power of water. The cleaning results we produce with these products are exceptional
Our Detergent Free cleaners do not contain any petrochemicals, solvents, surfactants, phosphates or other man made chemicals. All our cleaning solutions are VOC free and will not contribute to indoor air quality problems.
The benefits of Detergent Free cleaning are:-
- No re-soiling as all residues are rinsed away
- Safe for human health and the environment – 100% natural food grade ingredients
- No smell or chemical odour
- Exceptional cleaning results
Many people are now much more sensitive to the use of chemicals in the home. This is primarily an awareness of the potential danger of chemicals to the health of their family and also a desire to protect the environment we live in.
For some time we have been testing the full range of cleaning chemicals available for use in the cleaning of carpets and fabrics. Our aim was to find the best performing, non toxic, environmentally responsible solutions to use in your home. On completion of this testing process we have adopted a policyof using detergent free cleaning solutions that have been approved both by the Green Seal and the WoolSafe organisation.
These solutions have been proven to provide:-
- Safe for all occupants in the home including individuals with Asthma, chemical hypersensitivity, children and
 pets.
- Reduced impact on the Environment.
Designcare have been approved by the WoolSafe Organisation for the safe and effective cleaning of wool carpets and rugs. WoolSafe is a world-wide organisation dedicated to the promotion of quality care for wool and wool rich carpets and rugs.
We have become WoolSafe Certified Operators. This is a mark of our proficiency in the cleaning of wool carpets. It is only granted to companies that have years experience (20 years in our case) and that are members of a recognised trade association. In addition we were required to participate in the WoolSafe education programme to improve our knowledge and expertise with wool. For the future we are committed to using WoolSafe approved products when we clean wool and wool rich carpeting. We believe that this commitment provides peace of mind to our clients that their valuable carpets are in safe hands with Designcare.
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