Belt Maintenance: Some vacuums use a
tradition round belt. This belt has an approximate lifetime of 40
hours, then it will tend to lose its memory and will not stay tight enough to turn the roller
brush continually. As the roller brush heats up it will have a
tendency to stop turning, therefore reducing its ability to agitate
the carpet and help remove the dirt and grit that is embedded in
the carpet. This action can also develop the smell of burning
rubber, which many owners will mistakenly diagnose as a defective
vacuum, when in fact; replacing the belt would be a quick and cost
effective fix. In addition, the belt has the important function of
acting as a “circuit breaker” for the motor. The belt protects the
motor from overheating and causing internal failure. For instance,
if the vacuum picks up a large household object such as a sock,
this causes the roller brush to stop which in turn will stop the
motor from turning. The belt will heat up and break apart, freeing
up the motor and eliminating heat damage to its internal parts,
which could cause failure of the motor. Proper belt installation is
very important on vacuums equipped with a round belt. Since a
figure 8 is required to connect the belt from the roller brush to
the motor pulley, installing the belt the wrong way will make the
roller brush turn the wrong way. The best way to determine if the
belt is installed properly is to follow instructions under belt
cover, or you can tell immediately when you start to vacuum. The
vacuum will be hard to push forward and will eject dirt from under
the front of the vacuum. When the belt is installed properly the
roller brush will turn in the same direction as the wheels turn
when you push vacuum forward. |
Carpet Maintenance: Vacuum often: You can't
vacuum too often. Use a vacuum with a beater bar or rotating brush
which loosens the dirt for the vacuum to remove. Vacuums with
top-loading bags are preferred over bottom-loading bags. Change the
disposable bag or empty the vacuum often. Carpet with thick loop
pile construction (berber) may be sensitive to brushing. rubbing.
or scraping of the pile surface which may cause fuzzing and pile
distortion. It is recommended that vacuums with suction action only
be used on these styles. Carpet sweepers and electric brooms are
useful for picking up crumbs and surface soil, but it's important
to know that they will not clean deep. Clean spots and spills
promptly: - Give Prompt attention to
spots and spills for best results.
- Use a spoon or dull knife
to remove solid materials.
- Blot up liquid spills
with a white towel.
- Never rub, scrub, or use
a brush. This may cause damage to the carpet fibers.
- Use a cleaning agent and
procedure appropriate for the type of stain being removed.
- Apply all cleaning agents
to the cloth rather than directly to the stained area to avoid
saturating the carpet when spot cleaning. Clean the fibers, not the
backing.
- Do not rush. Deep stains
might require repeat cleanings because they can "wick" back up
again initial cleaning.
- Work
from the outside to the center of large stains. This prevents
spreading.
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Stain Removal: Step 1: Using
detergent Mix 1 teaspoon of mild
laundry detergent (non-bleaching brands) with two cups of water.
Stir the solution gently. Using a clean white cloth, dampen the
fibers in the stained area with the detergent solution. |
- If necessary, use your
fingertips to work the solution to the base of the stain.
- Re-wet the stained carpet
fibers with clear, lukewarm water.
- Cover the area with an
absorbent, white towel and apply pressure to blot.
- Repeat the rinsing /
blotting procedures until you are sure all traces of the detergent
have been removed.
- If the stains are
removed, place white paper towels over the stained area.
- Weight the towels with a
heavy, color-fast object such as a plastic wastebasket with a
weight inside.
- Change the paper towels
as stains wick up until the area dries.
- If stains remain (unless
they are from coffee, tea or urine) proceed to step 2. For coffee,
tea and urine stains proceed directly to step 3.
Step 2: Using
Ammonia/Water Note: Do not use on coffee, tea or urine
stains. Mix 1
tablespoon of non-bleaching, non-sudsing household ammonia with 1
cup of lukewarm water. Apply this solution as outlined in Step 1,
rinsing the area in the same manner. Note: Even if stains disappear after using the ammonia solution,
it is necessary to use Step 3 - the vinegar solution - to
neutralize the ammonia solution. Step 3: Using
Vinegar/Water Mix equal
parts of white vinegar and water. Apply this solution as outlined
in Step 1 and 2. Rinse and blot. Fold paper towels and place over
the stained area. Weight towels with a heavy, colorfast object such
as a plastic wastebasket with a weight inside. Continue to change
paper towels until the area is almost dry. Gently brush pile to
lift tufts. Allow carpet to completely dry before walking on carpet
surface. Note: You must use Step 3 if you first used Step 2. It is
important to neutralize the ammonia solution. |
