Carpet Maintenance and
Troubleshooting
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Carpet in heavily traveled areas receives the most wear. For
better appearance and longer carpet life, try to reduce the
amount of traffic on these areas, or you may use small rugs
in front of heavily-used chairs or furniture. Remove and
clean these rugs while vacuuming the primary carpet or rug.
Occasional moving of furniture and reversing of area rugs
also is recommended. Although some change will eventually
occur in the texture of your carpet, reducing the wear in
paths and in front of furniture will retard this change.
The tufting machine is set to insert the prescribed number
of face yarns in the back. As the carpet or rug is made, the
face yarns will stand erect. After the carpet or rug is
placed on the floor and is subjected to use, there will be
considerable pressure placed on the individual face yarns.
If the density is high enough, the surrounding tufts help to
hold each other erect; however, if the density is too low,
there is less support from the adjacent tufts and some of
the tufts may be pushed over. With some tufts standing, and
others crushed, the cornrow appearance is created. This is
not considered a manufacturing defect.
Cornrowing develops in
the traffic areas or those areas subjected to more foot
action, such as in front of chairs and television sets.
Vacuuming alone will not raise the fallen yarns.
Specially-designed carpet rakes will lift the yarns, but
this may not be permanent.
Crushing is the loss of pile thickness as a result of foot
traffic. Crushing is not considered a manufacturing defect
unless specifically cited in the manufacturer's warranty.
Regular vacuuming may help reduce crushing resulting from
traffic. Manufacturers' definitions of crushing may vary.
The weight of heavy pieces of furniture can cause
indentations in carpet. Some depressions may be permanent.
Use furniture glides or cups under the legs of heavy pieces,
or move your furniture a few inches backward or sideways so
that the weight is not concentrated in one place. To remedy
depressions, work the carpet pile back into place with your
fingertips or the edge of a spoon, and then, dampen the area
and heat with a hair dryer, working the fibers with the
fingers or a spoon.
Give your carpet the normal protection from direct sunlight
that you give any colored fabric. Emissions from heating
systems or chemicals, such as pesticides, household cleaning
agents, and other household items, can also result in color
loss.
Filtration soil may appear as dark or grayish lines on
carpet along walls, stairways, and under doors. It is caused
by airflow over and through carpet, allowing fine soils to
settle on the carpet surface. It can often be attributed to
an improperly balanced ventilation system. In most
instances, the volume of air entering a room exceeds the
HVAC systems capacity to remove air from the structure.
Excess air volume will seek exit sources in gaps along walls
and stairways. Prevent the airflow through carpet and carpet
edges by sealing openings through the carpet and under doors
and baseboards. Keeping the air in the home clean and using
good filtration on the HVAC and vacuum cleaners can help to
alleviate this situation. Filtration soils may require
special cleaning treatment for effective removal. Contact a
carpet cleaning professional for assistance.
The balls of fluff, or loose fibers, found on carpet or in
the vacuum cleaner bag are the normal result of fiber left
in the carpet from the manufacturing process. Removing these
loose fibers does not affect the carpet life or appearance.
Because of their large size, these fibers are too large to
become airborne or respirable. With proper vacuuming, using
a quality vacuum cleaner, most shedding gradually
disappears within the first year after installation.
Manufacturers' definitions of matting may vary. Matting is
usually the result of untwisting of the yarn and
intermingling of the yarn tips as a result of foot traffic.
Matting may be caused by various factors, including
improperly specified cushion, cushion failure, or improper
maintenance. Matting is not considered a manufacturing
defect unless specifically cited in the manufacturer's
warranty.
Most wool and wool-blend carpet made in the United States is
permanently treated to prevent moth damage. Carpet and rugs
made of man-made (synthetic) fibers are naturally resistant
to insects. Synthetic carpet fiber is not a food source, and
is resistant to beetles, commonly called carpet beetles.
However, beetles already in the home may lay eggs in the
carpet pile and hatch in eight to fifteen days. For
assistance in removing beetles or other insects, contact a
professional pest control specialist.
During and immediately following the installation of your
new carpet there may be a slight odor. The odor may result
from the removal of your old carpet and cushion or from the
new carpet, cushion, adhesives, or seaming tape. Ventilation
with fresh air is recommended. Ideally, windows and doors
should be opened, and the HVAC system should be operated at
maximum capacity for 48 to 72 hours.
Ripples and Buckles in carpet are most often caused by the
failure to adequately stretch the carpet using a power
stretcher, the use of an inappropriate or failed cushion, or
excessive temperature and/or humidity. Ripples can be a
combination of any of the above deficiencies. If ripples or
buckles develop, consult your carpet retailer. Generally,
the problem can be corrected by a qualified carpet installer
restretching the carpet with a power stretcher.
Roll crush usually occurs in areas of the pile yarn that
have flattened because of the weight of the carpet roll.
Areas of roll crush, or flattened pile yarn, are usually
widthwise bands that may appear darker or lighter. Roll
crush is not a manufacturing defect. Most roll crush occurs
as a result of stacking a large number of rolls on top of
one another. Roll crush may occur when carpet is stored at
heights of three (3) or more rolls, or during shipping when
rolls are loaded several rolls high.
Rolls of carpet will sometimes exhibit some degree of roll
crush immediately after the roll has been unwrapped. In most
cases, this minor roll crush will disappear after the yarn
has been allowed sufficient time to "blossom" as it adjusts
to ambient conditions. All but the most stubborn crush marks
in carpet with nylon pile yarn usually can be removed with
steam or hot water extraction cleaning.
Shading is not a change in color, but a change in pile
direction,(pile reversal) that sometimes appears randomly in
a carpet or rug. If you look at the shaded area in one
direction, it will appear darker, but from another
direction, it will appear lighter in color. Solid color,
cut-pile carpet may show shading more than patterned styles
and textured surfaces. Shading is not considered a
manufacturing defect. Pile reversal can also be classified
as shading and is sometimes called "watermarking" or
"pooling." This condition is usually permanent and has no
known cause and no known remedy.
Maintain the beauty of your carpet by cleaning it regularly
before it becomes excessively soiled. While stain-
and soil-resist-treated carpet is now easier to clean,
lighter colors still may appear to soil more easily than
darker tones and may require more frequent cleaning. Medium
and darker colors, tweeds, and textures may be better
choices in a home's high traffic areas.
Dirty, airborne particles may be deposited on carpet,
causing dulling. Dulling is caused by the deposits of all
types of soil. For example, a delicate rose color may
gradually become a neutral taupe because of soil; and light
blue may take on a dull, gray-green hue. Red clay soil also
can cause a pronounced change in some colors. In spite of
such phenomena, the original color of a carpet is not lost,
it is still present under the soil. Oily soil may be very
difficult to remove after it has been on the carpet for a
long time, and may be actually absorbed into the fiber,
causing it to have a yellow cast. Frequent cleanings are
important to avoid this difficulty. Entry mats that trap
soil at exterior entrances, combined with routine cleaning,
provide extra protection for all floor coverings.
Occasionally, a yarn tuft will rise above the pile surface
of a carpet. Just snip off these tufts to the level of the
other tufts. DO NOT PULL THEM OUT. If this persists in a
localized area, contact your carpet retailer. The situation
can usually be corrected by a qualified carpet installer.
Almost all of the carpet manufactured today has finishes
that make it more stain- and soil-resistant. Although
stain-resist carpet is easier to maintain, it still requires
care. Remove spots as soon as something is spilled or
tracked on the carpet. If spills or soil are allowed to
remain, they may become permanent. Call the phone number
(carpet or fiber manufacturer) normally on the carpet
warranty to obtain specific information about cleaning the
carpet.
Topical treatments include soil retardants, stain
repellents, anti-static treatments, antimicrobials, and
deodorizers. The use of after-market, topical treatments
without the expressed approval of the carpet manufacturer
prior to application may void applicable warranties.
Most carpet manufacturers may offer a "wear" warranty of
various time lengths. According to these warranties, "wear"
is defined as the loss of pile weight or pile fiber (usually
ten percent) due to abrasive wear only. What appears to be
wear, or pile fiber loss, may actually be matting, crushing,
or permanent fiber damage caused by soiling, rather than
loss of fiber. There is seldom actual loss of pile fiber.
(See also Matting, Crushing.)
Yellowing in light-colored carpet can be caused by a variety
of outside influences, such as pollutants from heating
fuels, changes in alkalinity, cleaning solutions, and
atmospheric or environmental contaminants. All carpet
yellowing may not be removable; however, the use of acetic
acid (white vinegar), citrus acid, or tartaric acid is often
successful in reversing yellowing. In some cases, the use of
an alkaline detergent solution prior to the use of these
acid rinses may cause permanent yellowing. A solution of one
part white vinegar mixed with one part water is recommended
for consumer use. If yellowing persists or is widespread,
contact a carpet cleaning professional. |
Appearance Retention
