Properly Caring For A Berber Carpet
Posted on: 19 September 2016
Many homeowners opt for Berber carpet because they love its neat, pristine look. The closed loops give it a somewhat plush texture without looking fluffy or puffy. But in order to keep your Berber carpet clean and in good condition, you must care for it properly. Many standard carpet-care techniques need to be modified in order to be suited for Berber carpet. You have to avoid fraying the loops and getting products trapped below the carpet's dense, looped fibers. Here are some tips for properly vacuuming, spot-cleaning, and steam cleaning your Berber carpet.
Vacuuming The Carpet
With standard, non-looped carpets, you typically use a vacuum with a brush to separate the fibers and ensure everything is sucked out from between them. With a Berber carpet, such a brush will just tear apart the loops, leaving the carpet looking rough and frayed. So, opt for a vacuum attachment without a brush. If your vacuum has a floor attachment, this is the best one to use on your Berber carpet. If your vacuum does not have a non-brush attachment, it's worth your while to purchase a new one that does -- otherwise you might be buying new Berber carpet in a year or two!
Spot Cleaning The Carpet
One of Berber's attractive qualities is its tendency to resist stains. But this does not mean that you don't have to act quickly when you spill something on the carpet. Blot up a spill immediately, and it may not leave a stain. Leave it for a few minutes, and it will soak into the carpet, requiring stain removal.
When cleaning up a stain, you need to be super careful to blot, not rub. Rubbing may tear apart the loops and drive the stain deeper into the carpet. Place a thick stack of paper towels on the stain, and press down. Lean all of your weight on the carpet if you have to!
You need to be very vigilant when cleaning up oily or greasy stains from Berber carpet, since it has a tendency to grab onto oil. Use a mixture of dish soap and water on any stain with a greasy quality. Once again, don't rub. Just spray on the dish soap solution, let it works its magic, soak it up, and then repeat this process until the stain is gone.
Shampooing The Carpet
If you're going to shampoo the carpet yourself, you're going to need a shampooer that operates without brushes. As with the vacuum, brushes will fray the carpet fibers. Make sure you're not depositing too much water on the carpet as you shampoo. It's harder to suck the moisture back out of Berber carpet than standard carpet. If you accidentally over-saturate the carpet, the moisture may get trapped in the carpet padding, beneath the Berber weave, and cause molding. Move quickly with the carpet cleaner to avoid spraying too much water on the carpet. Also, go over the carpet on suction-only mode an extra time or two to remove as much water as possible.
If you hire someone to steam clean your carpet, make sure they have experience cleaning Berber. Also check to make sure they're using equipment without brushes and that they take measures to ensure the carpet dries quickly after shampooing. Be wary of a company that does not use a high-powered suction device to extract water from the carpet after shampooing. You may be able to get away with this when you have standard carpet, but not with Berber. Of course, you should also do your part and open the windows and turn on ceiling fans after the shampooing process; this promotes faster drying, too.
Carpet cleaning prices vary, but you can expect to pay about $25 - $75 per room on average. It's worth having your Berber carpet professionally cleaned once a year or so, as it will keep it looking clean and fresh. For more information, contact a company like 5 Star Carpet Cleaning.
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