How to care for your flooring


Looking after a Berber carpet

Caring for a Berber carpet was once considered to be quite a task – but not any more. That’s because Berber carpets are woven in a very dense manner from a tough looped pile in lengths that are parallel and then cut to a short length, which makes Berbers far easier to maintain than previously. However, better-quality Berber carpets such as the ones we sell at United Carpets are made with a tighter weave, so they are a good long-term investment. Try to persuade your family to take off their shoes before walking on your Berber carpet, and vacuum it regularly to remove dirt particles. Turn off the brush element of your vacuum cleaner though as it might catch on the Berber loops.

Looking after a Saxony carpet

At United Carpets, our Saxony carpets are chosen for their luxurious pile, we recommend that you move your pieces of furniture a little now and again to allow the Saxony pile to rise. Because the Saxony carpet pile is lush, it will show footprints and marks from your vacuum cleaner, so make sure your regular vacuuming is light and brisk. Carpets with a thick pile benefit – like most carpets – from regular cleaning, and we’d suggest you deep clean your Saxony carpet at least once a year.

Looking after a Wilton carpet

Wilton carpets are particularly strong and durable because they are woven with either a looped or cut pile, which means Wilton carpets are extremely tough. A Wilton carpet benefits from a gentle vacuuming on a regular basis, preferably with an upright cleaner that has a beater bar if your Wilton carpet has a cut pile, but using a vacuum with just a suction head if the pile is looped. Keep the colours bright by keeping direct sunlight off your Wilton carpet where possible.

Looking after a twist pile carpet

A twist pile carpet is a great choice if you need a durable carpet that resists staining. Many twist pile carpets are made of synthetic fibres that can even be cleaned with a weak bleach solution – fantastic for getting rid of spills! Further good news is that our United Carpets twist pile carpets are highly resistant to crushing, so won’t show footprints. The backing is important, and like other carpets, twist pile carpets always benefit from a good underlay, this helps to protect your twist pile carpet from beneath and gives a luxurious feeling underfoot.

Looking after a cut and loop pile carpet

Cut and loop pile carpet is made in exactly the way the name suggests – some of the pile is cut, while some is in loops. This gives a cut and pile loop carpet versatility, because it creates tufts of different length to make different textures. Try to avoid spills of an oily nature on a synthetic fibre cut and loop pile carpet because these can be hard to remove. Your cut and loop pile carpet fortunately needs less vacuuming than most carpets, because the different lengths of the cut and loop pile means it doesn’t show dust and particles much. Vacuum your cut and loop pile carpet regularly with just the suction nozzle – no beater brushes which can damage the pile.

Looking after laminate flooring

We love laminate flooring in our homes because it’s family friendly, hard to damage and looks extremely stylish. Laminate flooring does need some looking after to keep it in tip-top condition. It’s best to clean your laminate flooring with a damp mop and not use too much water, as this might seep underneath and cause damage. Your laminate flooring will come with a ready-waxed finish, so it does not need to have any kind of extra coating put on top of it.

Looking after real wood flooring

Luxurious real wood is a treat in any home, and looking after real wood flooring helps to make it last for years. Real wood flooring should be swept or gently vacuumed regularly to remove gritty particles that can damage the surface. At United Carpets, we would recommend that you take off your shoes as some stiletto heels can scratch. Real wood flooring can be cleaned with a damp mop, and if you have a waxed finish rather than a varnished finish to your real wood floor, you may need to reapply wax to it every now and again.

Looking after vinyl flooring

Vinyl flooring is a tough and resistant material, and because it is usually water-resistant, we use it in areas of heavy footfall such as kitchens and bathrooms. Vinyl flooring does benefit from some care, though. Vinyl flooring can be susceptible to high temperatures, so it’s a good idea to put a mat near appliances such as your cooker that can give off heat. Sweep your vinyl flooring regularly to take up particles that can scratch it, and keep out dirt by using rugs on top of vinyl flooring in doorways. Your wooden furniture will also wear vinyl flooring, so you can put felt pads on the bottoms of legs to stop them scraping. Vinyl can be mopped regularly – it’s great for keeping clean easily!

Looking after artificial grass

No cutting, no weeding – it couldn’t be easier to look after artificial grass! Your artificial grass will not be affected by sun or rain, but if you wish you can hose your artificial grass down to keep it free of particles.

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