Soiling and Extending Carpet Life

Soiling in the carpet is what causes the carpet to become dirty. Soil is any unwanted foreign matter that causes damage to the fiber and/or construction the carpet. Carpet acts like a filter in homes and can trap and hold soil inside until it is removed instead of it floating around the air like it does with hard surfaces. This is why basic cleaning such as vacuuming is very important in extending the life of carpet.

How to Extend Life of Your Carpet

Regularly Vacuuming is very efficient in extending the life of the carpet and should be done at least weekly. Most of the soil deposited in carpets is by entrances because unwanted matter comes from the outside. This is why it is recommended to have small rugs on entrances to catch much of it especially if the house contains hard floors.

Apparent Soil is the appearance of soil or darker spots caused by normal wear and abrasions on the carpet fibers. A common problem which is especially apparent on stairs are Traffic Lane Greys which can be permanent. This is caused by sand scratching the surface of filaments causing light to reflect differently which makes it appear darker or dirty. This is another huge reason why vacuuming is important. On stairs it is recommended to do frequent vacuuming along with putting a drape along the stairs to protect the carpet from high traffic.