MILLIKEN MAINTENANCE GUIDE Date: 02/2018

MAINTENANCE
GUIDE
MILLIKEN MAINTENANCE GUIDE Date: 02/2018

MAINTENANCE GUIDE

Contents

• Introduction • Effective Daily Maintenance

• Specifying Carpet for Maintenance Ease • Appearance Management
• Barrier mats for Preventative Maintenance • Restorative Cleaning methods
• Identifying your Maintenance Needs • Contact Us

Introduction Benefits of Colour & Pattern

Milliken modular carpet is designed and manufactured to Colour and pattern selection also go a long way in disguising
cope with the most demanding of working environments soiling and maintaining an acceptable appearance. Pattern
and has an extended life span. However, like any contract has numerous benefits, including creating mood, adding a
carpet, it will begin to lose its original appearance unless textural dimension, and enhancing broadloom appearance.
it is properly maintained. Effective maintenance increases However, one of the most important aspects is the ability to
the lifespan of your flooring, reducing life cycle costs and distract from soiling and staining, maintaining an attractive
environmental impact. Maintenance techniques must, appearance for the life of the product. In this way, pattern and
however, be tailored to meet the needs of each location. its soil-hiding properties can do more for the environment
This guide is designed to help with this. Our Support Service - by extending the life of the carpet more than any other
team is on call for advice on any matter concerning the use single design feature. Whether pattern is created through
of the carpet. Millitron™ digital colour placement or through the use of
solution dyed yarns, maintenance benefits can be achieved in
Support Service Team: the following ways.
T 01942 612 735
• Create tonal variation within colours for the most effective
way of hiding soiling/stains.
Specifying Carpet for Maintenance Ease • Break up larger areas of the floor plane with design to
Selecting the right products from the outset greatly disguise soiling and stains.
influences the ability to maintain appearance with time.
Milliken Modular Carpet incorporates the following features • Effectively disguise soiling, whether small or large scale.
for ease of maintenance:
• Introducing black within the pattern, even for subtle small
elements, will make it more effective at soil and stain hiding.
Treatment: Stainsmart®
This combines fluorochemical treatment, with a stain • Darker, duller colours are most effective at maintaining
blocker which is then heat set onto the fibres for maximum appearance, whilst very pale, extremely vivid, or
durability and efficacy. This unique surface treatment acts extremely dark colours should be avoided.
in many ways;
• Milliken provides light reflectance rating (LRV – Y)
• Helps prevent dry re-soiling of the fibre from dust values for all products. Generally products with an LRV of
and dirt. between 4 & 12 will provide the most practical solutions
for maintainability.
• Improves soil repellence, to enable food and oily spills to
be cleaned easily when they first occur.

• Keeps liquid spills on the surface for ease of removal.

• Assists “stain blocking” by taking up the available dye

sites where stains can lock into the fibres. This prevents
permanent staining.

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MILLIKEN MAINTENANCE GUIDE Date: 02/2018

Barrier Matting for Preventative Maintenance Zone Textile Matting: 'Atrium Plus' is available in roll form
It is well documented that 70%-80% of dirt in a commercial and is suitable in areas where a textile scraper matting
or public building has been carried in by pedestrian traffic. product is preferred. Atrium can be installed alongside
As a result, floor covering is undoubtedly the most abused Milliken carpet in staff entrances, circulation zones, vending
design element in any facility. Good use of barrier matting areas or main entrances, where there is no matwell. Atrium
helps collect dirt from the outside environment, preventing Plus is aesthetically pleasing and has excellent function,
it being tracked throughout the building - saving on cleaning with unparalleled performance in scraping, absorbing and
costs and helping preserve a higher perception of overall concealing dirt and moisture.
cleanliness.

Research shows that a textile mat of 7 metres in length Zone Textile Quadrus Modular Tiles
will typically remove 92% of the dirt from shoes. Not all
entrances will allow for this, but nevertheless, sensible General
actions can be taken. The OBEX textiles are specifically designed to remove
the maximum amount of tracked in dirt particles. The
• Barrier matting in front of entrance doors must extend high twist and heat set fibres tufted in an open pile
over the full width of the door so that they cannot be construction are excellent at trapping soil and moisture
bypassed. As a minimum, barriers should be large enough and therefore thorough cleaning is essential to ensure
to allow for 5 steps across the matting to remove as much optimum performance and to extend the life of the product.
soil and moisture as possible. Typically, this will be at The textiles will by their nature be the most abused of all
least 2.5 meters, and should follow the pattern of traffic. floor covering finishes within the building. We therefore
recommend the following maintenance regime.
• Placing barrier matting in revolving doors is particularly
effective, as people tend to shuffle their feet, or at least Daily Cleaning
take short steps, when entering such doors. Daily use of a powerful upright vacuum cleaner will remove
loose dirt thanks to its rotary brush action. An additional
• Placing barrier mats inside lifts, or at the top and bottom benefit of the brush action is to groom the pile thus helping
of escalators will prevent dirt ingress into upper floors of to reduce pile flattening. We do not recommend the use of a
a building. suction only machine such as a tub vacuum cleaner because
it cannot successfully remove dirt, nor will it have the
• Using entrance mats in all restaurants / cafeterias, just grooming effect on the pile.
inside the kitchen area, prevents staff tracking kitchen
bourne grease onto the dining area carpet. Note: A Bonnet Buffing type machine should not be used
(could cause untwisting of the pile construction).
• Barrier mats must be vacuumed regularly to maintain
their efficacy. Periodic Cleaning
The frequency of deep cleaning will depend upon site
In order to protect your carpet from damaging grit, dust, dirt conditions and the volume of traffic over the entry system, as
and moisture, Milliken has developed a system of barrier well as evidence of soiling patterns.
matting products - 'Milliken Obex'.
Vacuum thoroughly before using a hot water extraction
External Matwells: 'Prior' is a flexible modular matting machine. The water temperature should not exceed 122°F.
product installed as primary matting within a matwell
or surface mounted with a secured edging system. The For chewing gum removal, we recommend the use of Bye Bye
overlapping heel-safe parallel circle design, incorporating Gum, Rid A Gum or a similar product.
resilient scrapers, makes the product extremely durable and
highly effective at trapping dirt and draining water. Individual Loose Laid Mats: 'Atrium Plus' mats with rubber
backing are suitable when individual mats are preferred. This
Internal Matwells: 'Forma' combines the flexible Prior is a flexible mat for protecting floor coverings throughout a
module with the Milliken Obex textile. Forma ideally fits building. The nitrile rubber backing can be manufactured with
into matwells with a minimum of waste, or can be surface a gripper that minimises mat movement on carpet, or a flat
mounted with a secured edging system. The combination back for hard floor applications.
of the heel-safe open circle design and the unique textile
construction makes it truly efficient in trapping dirt
and moisture.

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MILLIKEN MAINTENANCE GUIDE Date: 02/2018

HOW TO LOOK AFTER YOUR CARPET Heavy traffic areas include: entrances, lifts, reception
areas, busy corridors, cafeterias, vending machine areas,
employee lounges.

Proactive Maintenance Light traffic areas should be vacuumed about twice per week
Proactive, regularly scheduled maintenance removes soil (low occupancy offices, conference rooms, etc).
before it can build up and cause damage to the carpet fibres.
This can actually extend the life of the carpet by maintaining
an acceptable appearance for longer. Reactive maintenance, Effective Daily Maintenance
which is only carried out after a carpet has deteriorated
with heavy soiling, cannot fully restore a carpet to ‘like new’ Vacuum Cleaning
appearance. An effective vacuum cleaning program is essential to the
success of any maintenance plan. Vacuuming removes
abrasive dirt particles, preventing them from abrading fibres
and causing permanent damage.

• We recommend an upright dual motor vacuum cleaner.

These machines, with independent motors for suction and
brushing, are the most effective. The rotary brush action
knocks the dirt loose so that the vacuum can lift it out of
the carpet. The brushes should be set so that they are in
contact with the pile surface. An additional benefit of this
brush action is to groom the carpet pile, thus helping to
reduce pile flattening.

• It is preferable not to use single motor suction-only

machines, such as a tub vac, as these will only remove
Identifying Your Maintenance Needs surface debris, and not embedded dirt, which can
Different areas of your interior are subject to different types contribute to pile flattening. Tub vacuums are ineffective
and levels of use, and this will determine the level and with modular carpet constructions due to the dense pile
frequency of maintenance needed. For example, areas of and impervious backing, which prevent air flow through
heavy traffic will be soiled more quickly, and more severely the product.
than areas of light usage, and will need daily vacuuming.
Similarly, areas around drinks vending machines and within • Vacuum bags should be emptied regularly and all
restaurants will need daily spot cleaning. housekeeping personnel should be made aware of this.

Please note that Bonnet cleaning is NOT an approved

cleaning method for Milliken carpets. The rotary action of
this method can cause permanent damage to the face of the
carpet, and will invalidate Milliken Warranties.

Spot and Stain Removal

Daily removal of spots and spills helps to maintain the
carpets appearance between scheduled cleaning. Since spots
are unsightly and detract from the carpet appearance it is
worth taking quick action against these. This also reduces the
likelihood of a permanent stain.

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MILLIKEN MAINTENANCE GUIDE Date: 02/2018

Water-based stains carpet. These soils can easily be removed, and the colours
Most spots and stains are water-based (e.g. tea, coffee, soft thus significantly brightened by implementing a programme
drinks, wine) and can be removed using Milliken Easi-Step of cleaning with Milliken’s Capture. Use of Capture offers
prespray or equivalent. excellent cleaning with rapid drying and minimum interference
to your guests and your normal day-to-day operations. It is
• Ideally, avoid letting the spill dry, and remove as much of also one of the quieter cleaning procedures available.
the liquid as possible, by blotting on a dry cloth when the
spill first occurs. For thicker spills, remove the majority of • Capture extraction powder compounds are made up of
the substance with a spoon or spatula first. synthetic polymers or organic soil absorbent substances,
and act like micro sponges attracting and absorbing
• Blot the stain with absorbent paper towels or cloth. When small particles of soil, including oily soils, which are then
no more liquid is removed, mist with Milliken Easi-Step to removed with the powder on vacuuming.
rehydrate and dilute the residue of the spill and repeat.
• In addition to being a highly effective cleaning method,
• Avoid harsh rubbing of the carpet. Capture cleaning with dry powder extraction uses
significantly less water and energy than the alternative
• Any residual stain can then be treated as part of a daily methods listed, which is better for the environment.
removal procedure. Where it is not practical to catch
all spills as they happen, it is preferable to adopt a daily
regular spot removal procedure. Use of alternative cleaning products
• Apply prespray to the dry stain and brush in. Allow 30 • If alternative removal products are used, a test should
seconds to activate then remove by blotting with a be done to check for colour bleed from the carpet fibres.
dry cloth. Any alternative prespray or detergent should have a pH
between 6.5 and 8.5, and the carpet should be left with a
• Apply Capture dry cleaning powder to the presprayed Neutral pH 7 at the end of cleaning. We recommend you
carpet and brush in, leave to absorb the stain for several look for products that have been tested and approved by
minutes, then vacuum out. the Woolsafe organisation www.woolsafe.org.

Milliken does not accept liability for colour loss or fibre • Chlorine bleach must NOT be used on most Milliken
damage due to incorrect cleaning solutions. products. Contact the Milliken Support Services Team for
details of Chlorine bleach resistant product lines.
Oil based stains
Certain oily/greasy stains should be treated with a solvent
based removal product, such as Prochem Solvall, followed by Restorative Maintenance
Capture® powder or similar to remove solvent residue. Inevitably, there are some areas that will need more
aggressive cleaning. These include all areas where food and
• Apply to a cloth and dab gently from the outside to avoid beverages are consumed, and areas in close proximity to
spreading the stain. external doors.
Chewing gum In areas close to doors, begin by pile lifting. This makes use
Chewing gum can be removed with a specialist spray removal of a two motor vacuum cleaner – one to drive the brush and
product. This freezes the gum and enables it to be scraped off the other to provide the suction. A pile lifter resembles a
using a spatula or blunt knife. conventional upright vacuum cleaner, except that it is pulled
backwards over the carpet, towards the operative and against
the lay of the carpet. In this way, the pile is opened up, and
Appearance Management large amounts of particulate dirt left behind by inefficient
Most areas never need wet cleaning, and it is a waste of daily cleaning, can be removed from the base of the pile
effort and resources to do so. There are many places in where it is likely to cause abrasive damage.
every location where soiling levels are only light. You will
know where these areas are in your own establishment, but Where food and beverage spillages are concerned, the
typically they include conference rooms, internal corridors, first step should always be concerned with stain removal.
and offices. However, there is no doubt that periodically, it If you have implemented the good housekeeping and daily
will be necessary to carry out light maintenance of carpets maintenance procedures recommended earlier, spot and
in these areas, simply to brighten the colours. Atmospheric stain removal should require a minimum of effort at this stage.
pollution contains grease borne soils, which tend to make
colours less vivid and generally reduce the vibrancy of the

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MILLIKEN MAINTENANCE GUIDE Date: 02/2018

Hot Water Spray Extraction Cleaning Who to call for assistance

This method offers a very effective way to remove Milliken is committed to service and quality.
heavy soiling; We believe that maintenance is an integral part of specifying
and purchasing a carpet, and so offer a dedicated Support
• Hot or warm water and detergent are sprayed onto the Service Team, experienced in technical and practical aspects
carpet tiles under high pressure; the same machine is then of carpet management. To obtain cleaning products, or to
used to vacuum up the excess water, detergent and soil. receive further information, please contact:
The carpet tiles will need up to 24 hours to dry and should
not be walked on until they are completely dry. T +44 (0)1942 612 735
• Begin by using a prespray over all areas to be cleaned. E [email protected]
This increases the contact time of the detergent and
increases cleaning efficiency.
For more information on Obex matting:
• Allow the prespray to remain in contact with the pile
for approximately ten minutes before extracting with T +44 (0)800 964 569
a good spray extraction machine (ten minutes is the E [email protected]
recommended time to obtain maximum efficiency; more
than this and the prespray will begin to dry out, reducing
its effectiveness). www.millikenmats.com

• A system of working should be developed, whereby one

area of the room is presprayed, awaiting cleaning, whilst
an adjacent area is being cleaned.

• Drying rates can be improved by increasing ventilation or

using air movers.

This method can be effective when carried out correctly,

however potential disadvantages include;

• Over-wetting the carpet tiles can lead to tile curling, rapid

re-soiling or mildew and odour, where the carpet tiles take
a long period to dry out.

Note: this method raises the humidity within the room making
it unsuitable for computer rooms. It is also unsuitable for
raised access flooring, as the flooring is not guaranteed to be
watertight, and the electric cables can be affected. Adhesives,
which may be used during the laying of the carpet tiles, can
sometimes be affected by water.

Milliken cannot be held responsible for any damage caused by

over-wetting.

• As detergent may be used with these methods, there may

also be a tendency for inexperienced operators to over
apply detergent in the belief that this will provide a more
effective clean. Over application of detergent can lead to a
detergent residue being left on the fibres, which will attract
rapid resoiling - causing loss of appearance.

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