Carpet colour help please!

mek · Jul 30, 2007 8:15 pm

I've had no luck choosing our carpet (looked in three big shops). Greys are apparently not in fashion this year so not much choice.

We found this:

http://www.feltexcommercial.com/products/wool/shinto_ii

in Grey Moon but I'm scared it might look too dark with our white walls. I haven't seen Riverside in "real life" but I think it might be a better choice. What do you think? (Michelle?) Please?

Grey Moon looked about the same as on the website in terms of darkness.

Thanks lots!

P. S. And of course, this is way out of our carpet allowance :cry:

Michelle · Jul 30, 2007 9:18 pm

Mek…….what you need to do is take into consideration ALL the other selections you are using in the carpeted rooms.

What colour your lounge will be, the colour of your bedspreads…..ect.

ALL these selections will factor into your carpet choice….I personally loved the Greymoon, and thought it was very you.

It would be my choice for you. As I told you once before, with your light walls you will need to add mood……don’t be put off by the dark grey flooring. But don’t forget to add extra colour along the way with furnishings.

This can be achieved very easily when doing such a monochromatic colour scheme such as yours.

You have the opportunity to have STUNNING artwork on your walls with your colour scheme!!!!

Go the Greymoon…..I say!

Michelle · Jul 30, 2007 10:01 pm

Just noticed this is the Feltex commercial range….yep pricy!!!!!

But look at it this way…….it will probably outlast you in your home!
This is the BEST carpet to buy; YOU will NEVER wear it out.

To me that’s worth the extra expense. Your home will never give this carpet what it has been made for, I put this carpet in pubs and motels, so you better make the right choice….its not going to wear out in a hurry!!!

mek · Jul 30, 2007 10:49 pm

Thank you Michelle, you are a gem!

The carpet will go into bedrooms, office and small hallway, main hallway, kitchen/dining and living will have big slate grey tiles. And now I have to find a nice rug for the lounge.

penjay · Jul 30, 2007 10:50 pm

Hi Mek,
I'm not sure where in Melbourne you are situated but we bought our carpet through Western Distributors in Sunshine. We wanted grey carpet too. The carpet we chose is a Canterbury, Grey Days. We are really happy with the colour. I was a little worried because I thought it might be too dark but it looks great. The colour seems to lighten when spread across a large area.
Good luck - it's hard to find what you want when beige and brown are the "in" colours.

mek · Jul 30, 2007 10:54 pm

Thanks penjay, Western Distributers was the first shop we looked at, being fussy, the only type I like is loop pile and I couldn't find any in grey. Well they did have one but it was nylon and I wanted wool and the other one was a brown-grey, and I wanted a true grey. Never ends with me... :cry:

royalblue · Aug 01, 2007 3:51 am

I'd say you have found a very nice quality carpet in the Feltex range you mentioned. Thumbs up from me.

Whilst Michelle is right in that it is a hard wearing carpet, don't think it is bullet-proof. The fact is, it does wear as the staple wool fibres gradually wear and shed. But it will age gracefully, and with good care and maintenance, will easily last say 20+ years. Remember, a maintenance strategy should start from day one, with proper preventative maintenance, and professional cleaning about annually.

There is a LOT of misinformation around about proper carpet care. Safeguard your investment by following sound information. This is about the most reliable source for you to follow... http://www.woolsafeaustralia.org/ Col Nation runs the Woolsafe Organisation in Australia, and is one of the most knowledgeable people in the industry.

Ash.

Michelle · Aug 01, 2007 9:13 pm

Hey Ash….thanks for putting up that site, I’ve saved it to my favourites.

Hers a question for you, one of which I could never get a straight answer to.

I was told…..that by cleaning 100% wool carpet too often will strip the Lanoline out.
Therefore making it like a cottonwool ball, and soaking up everything that got spilt on it.

Is this true? By too often I mean once a year.

I was also told that you should put off cleaning 100% wool as long as you can, with care and spot cleaning long the way. Is that true?

Also what is the best carpet cleaner on the market for the everyday person to buy?
I was told Wool Wash.

Thanks Ash.

royalblue · Aug 01, 2007 11:14 pm

Michelle

Heres a question for you, one of which I could never get a straight answer to.

I was told…..that by cleaning 100% wool carpet too often will strip the Lanoline out. WRONG 1
Therefore making it like a cottonwool ball, and soaking up everything that got spilt on it. WRONG 2

Is this true? By too often I mean once a year. WRONG 3

I was also told that you should put off cleaning 100% wool as long as you can, with care and spot cleaning long the way. Is that true? WRONG 4

Also what is the best carpet cleaner on the market for the everyday person to buy?
I was told Wool Wash. WRONG 5

You can see why I make the statement, "There is a LOT of misinformation around..." Carpet retailers are NOTORIOUSLY GUILTY of spreading such misinformation, usually through ignorance.

A1. Lanoline is a grease. It is thoroughly scoured from the wool before it is fit for use in carpets. International standards require that wool has no more than 0.5% lanoline remaining. Think about it.... grease is sticky, it naturally will attract and hold contaminants. Have you seen a pure white sheep? Not likely!

A2. Wool in a carpet has around 30% absorbancy. It's complex cellular structure does have characteristics that make it naturally soil & stain resistant, but if spills are left on it, it will be absorbed and possibly stain the carpet. Prompt, appropriate care to spills is always necessary!

A3. Build up of soil and contaminants shortens the life and possibly damages the carpets. Australian Standard 3733:1995 states that as a guide, domestic carpets should be professionally steam-cleaned about once a year, (with a MINIMUM of every two years). This is also recommended by other authorities, including the Woolsafe Organisation. Not having carpets cleaned regularly is NEGLECT and may void you warranty.

A4. See point 3. That's like saying when you buy a new car, you should put off changing the oil as long as you can! UTTER NONSENSE!!! False economy, and simply BAD ADVICE! Of course proper care and prompt attention to spots & accidents is essential.

A5. The best way to ensure a product is appropriate, safe and works is to buy a product that bears the 'Woolsafe' trademark. These products have been tested and certified to be safe for carpets. There are several 'wool wash' products on the market, that are not suitable. There are countless other carpet spotters on the market that are unsuitable, and cause all sorts of problems.

My advice when it comes to your wool carpets is to choose a Woolsafe Certified carpet cleaning technician to keep your carpets in good condition and looking their best.

Ash.

Michelle · Aug 03, 2007 2:08 pm

Thanks for all those explanations Ash, much appreciated!

I have printed out your information so I can now tell my clients the real info.

Thank you!

mek · Jan 09, 2008 9:16 am

Ash, if you're reading this, I wanted to ask you how often I should vacuum the above carpet. I've checked the Feltex website and they have lots of useful info but only for commercial applications where they say it should be vacuumed daily. Surely I don't have to do that?

BTW, the carpet looks stunning, I love it.

royalblue · Jan 09, 2008 11:15 am

mek

Ash, if you're reading this, I wanted to ask you how often I should vacuum the above carpet. I've checked the Feltex website and they have lots of useful info but only for commercial applications where they say it should be vacuumed daily. Surely I don't have to do that?

BTW, the carpet looks stunning, I love it.

Good

Common sense should prevail. I could quote Standards and such, but really, its up to you. It will depend on your environment, amount of traffic (number of occupants+pets+guests) etc.

Think about your hard surfaces such as a mantle piece. You see how dust accumulates in your home. You may not see it, but it will be settling on your carpet as well.

I know I have been quoted as saying upright vacuum cleaners are much more efficient (coz they are), but a good HEPA canister vac will be OK if you do it regularly. With your carpet, an upright may be a little more aggresive than you need for general vacuuming.

Here's what I'd suggest for an average family (2 adults, 2 kids)....

Pick up litter, and stuff ASAP. Little crumbs, and bits can be recovered by hand or with a carpet sweeper. About every 1 to 2 weeks, thoroughly vacuum exposed areas. About every three months, move furniture as required to give an all over, thorough vacuum. Pay attention to under beds.

When your Woolsafe technician comes after about a year, vacuum well before he comes, including along walls & crevices. He should give it a detailed vacuum with a commercial upright vac as well before steam cleaning it.

Remember, an important preventative maintenance matter is keeping entrances to your home well swept, and empty door-mats of accumulatee soil every few weeks or so.

Have you got a Woolsafe approved carpet spot cleaner handy?

Cheers!

Ash.

bec · Jan 09, 2008 11:29 am

ash are there recommended wet/dry vacuum cleaners on the market?

also what do you use as a spot cleaner?

royalblue · Jan 09, 2008 11:44 am

bec

ash are there recommended wet/dry vacuum cleaners on the market?

also what do you use as a spot cleaner?

Wet/dry vacs are handy to suck up spills etc, (I have no names to suggest) but they are usually very poor in terms of air filtration in the dry mode, so I don't recommend them for general dry vacuuming.

I use a diluted carpet detergent that is Woolsafe approved, that I buy in 20 litre drums at about $160 each. This list of spotters is from the Woolsafe site as tested and approved (but I haven't used any). They have to meet stringent Woolsafe criteria though.

1001 Pet Stain & Odour Remover WD-40 Company
1001 Troubleshooter WD-40 Company
Carpet Power OzKleen
Dyzolv Dyson Appliances
Escort Stain Remover 1 Clantex
Escort Stain Remover 2 Clantex
Host Spot Remover for Carpets Host/Racine Industries Inc.
Mr Muscle Multitask SC Johnson
Vax Spot & Stain Remover for homes with pets Vax
Woolclean Absorb-It Wools of New Z. (Nth Am.)
Woolclean Carpet Spot Removal Kit Wools of New Z. (Nth Am.)
Woolclean Dry Spot Remover Wools of New Z. (Nth Am.)
Woolclean Spot Remover Wools of New Z. (Nth Am.)

bec · Jan 09, 2008 11:57 am

thanks!

mek · Jan 09, 2008 10:19 pm

Thank you Ash. I have been vacuuming weekly as the colour shows absolutely everything. And the carpet is still shedding a bit.

Can you please recommend a good spot cleaner. Thanks.

royalblue · Jan 09, 2008 10:38 pm

Bloody hell!

This is getting confusing

Bek or Mec or Mek or Bec or whatever!!!! :roll:

This is an excellent product that I'd recommend. The Zenith Encap spot & stain remover. You might need to contact Sonitron to see where you can buy a bottle locally. See http://www.sonitron.com.au/BRIEFS%20OCTOBER%202007.pdf

Besides that, any of the Woolsafe spotters already mentioned.

Any new wool carpet will shed fibres, especially in the beginning. Don't worry about it. It gradually settles.

Ash.