Month: April 2021

There are many things that can go wrong with your carpet after it’s been cleaned. One of the most common issues is shrinkage. We’ve received many calls from “do-it-yourself” carpet cleaners, who have hired a machine from the supermarket, only to find that upon the carpet drying it has shrunk significantly! In some cases this can be fixed, but sometimes the carpet may have to be replaced! In this article, we’ll explore what causes carpets to shrink.

Carpets come in a variety of constructions, and some are more prone to shrinkage than others. Carpets that have a jute backing are most likely to shrink under certain conditions, which we’ll look at later.

Why is this? Well, Jute is a natural fibre that is commonly used as carpet backing, due to its high absorbency properties, it swells up when it comes into contact with water, which puts stress on the carpet causing it to shrink.

How can you avoid shrinking your carpets?

Having a little knowledge about the construction of a carpet can go a long way in helping you to avoid some common carpet cleaning problems, such as shrinkage.

The first thing you may want to do is identify the backing of the carpet. You can do this by finding a corner piece and lifting it off its gripper. If it’s Jute it will be brown in colour (see picture below). Once you’ve identified it you’ll know that you have to be extra careful with the amount of water you use on the carpet. If you’re using a carpet cleaning machine you’ve rented from the supermarket, this may be difficult to do because they tend not to have very strong vacuum motors, which means they don’t get as much of the water out of the carpet as a commercial carpet cleaning machine during the rinsing stage. So what often happens is the water seeps deep into the Jute backing causing it to swell.

So if you do go the DIY route be conscious of this, and try not to spray down too much water into the carpet when rinsing it.

What happens if my carpets have shrunk?

Shrunk carpets can usually be salvaged, unfortunately rectifying the issue comes with an additional cost. You will need to hire a carpet fitter to re-stretch the carpet back to its former size.

If you want to avoid any unwelcome surprises after having your carpets cleaned, or you have challenging stains on your carpet like ink stains, we would suggest you hire a reputable carpet cleaning company like ours to do the work for you. We have never shrunk a carpet, and we never will. Our low moisture cleaning technology uses minimal amounts of water, so there is no risk of overwetting the carpet. In addition to that our cleaning process involves using a heat blower to have your carpets dry within 30 minutes of being cleaned!

Most carpet manufacturers recommend that you get your carpets cleaned every 12-18 months. Doing so will ensure that your carpet has a long life, stays free of spots and stains, and stays in good condition for several years. But eventually, you will need to replace your carpet. Here are 4 signs that it’s time to do just that.

1.You have carpet stains that can’t be removed

Professional carpet cleaners can often remove stains from your carpet, but unfortunately, there are situations where the cleaning technician can only improve them slightly. If you have a heavily stained carpet with stains that won’t budge your best option may be to replace the carpet.

If the staining has been caused by a pet, and it will still be around when you replace the carpet, then you’ll want to factor this in when purchasing a new one. Ideally, you’ll go for something that’s more resistant to pet stains, such as a synthetic carpet. You’ll definitely want to stay away from wool!

2. Your carpet has a horrible odour that won’t go away

Just like carpet stains, a carpet cleaning technician will be able to eliminate nasty odours the vast majority of the time. However, this task becomes more difficult when the cause of the odour has seeped into the backing of the carpet. It’s not the end of the world if that happens, because the technician may still be able to flush the offending liquid and its odour out of your carpet. But sometimes it’s not possible due to the construction of the carpet. Some carpets contain latex or a layer of plastic (or both even) in the backing. The problem with these types of carpets is, a cleaning solution can be flushed into the backing, but it can’t be sucked back out, even with specialist equipment used by a professional. If the water remains in the backing it can cause the odour to get worse. If the spill and odour have only covered a small part of the carpet, the area can be cut out and replaced with a spare piece. But if the spill and odour cover a larger area, then you will need to replace your carpet.

3. Wear and tear has got the better of your carpet

If a carpet has been looked after and cleaned regularly it can last for 20 years or more. But eventually, wear and tear will get the better of it. The more people and pets you have in your house walking on it every day, the quicker it will happen. The carpet pile will become worn and unsightly at this point, so you’ll know when the time has come.

4. The Padding Has Worn Down

The carpet pile is not the only thing that wears away, the same thing happens to the padding. Especially in areas with a lot of foot traffic. Signs that the padding has worn away may vary depending on the material it’s made from. But common signs are ripples in the carpet where the wear has occurred, and in some cases, there may be a crunching sound when you step on worn areas.

Find out why carpets sometimes shrink after being cleaned and what you can do about it if you find yourself in that situation. Or explore the other articles on our blog

A number of our carpet cleaners found that many of our customers use the term stain when in actual fact they’re talking about spots. The terms mean two different things, and in this article, we’re going to look at the differences between them.

Stains and spots both occur as a result of spillage or something being dropped on a carpet. But the key difference is that a spot will not leave a permanent mark, because it cannot bond to the carpet fibres. Common examples of spots include mud, dust and soil. These do not change the colour of the carpet pile because they do not contain artificial dyes or anything that can permanently change the colour of the carpet. More often than not spots that are made up of these substances can be removed.

When a spillage involves a substance that contains dyes, you’ll end up with a stained carpet. Common stubborn stains include curry, coffee and pet urine. In addition to that, some stains may also weaken or even destroy carpet fibres, really affecting its look feel, resulting in the carpet having to be replaced in the worst case scenario.

What has started as a spot, may eventually become a stain when the wrong cleaning products are used to clean it, thus making the situation even worse. This is even more likely to happen if the cleaning products are at the lower or higher ends of the PH scale, or in other words, strong acids and alkalis are used. Often times you are better off letting a professional deal with the spot or stain, this greatly increases the chance of it being removed.

Another thing to be aware of with stains is they need to be addressed in a timely fashion. The longer they’re left, the more problems they can cause. This commonly happens with pet stains, which over time can actually chemically burn certain types of carpet fibre, resulting in permanent damage.

Spots on the other hand are often a lot easier to remove and tend not to cause permanent damage to the carpet fibres they come into contact with. Often they can be removed with a hoover, dustpan and brush or a wet towel. They become more of a problem when they’re a combination of both a spot and a stain (i.e. coloured candle wax solidifying on the carpet is another common example of this) because, as mentioned earlier the latter can lead to permanent discolouration and other damage.

If you have any spots or stains you’re worried about, give us a call today. We would be more than happy to assist you.

If you want to give your surroundings a warmer, more intimate feel with the added benefit of a pleasant odour, nothing does this better than candlelight. But as you know, candles are made of wax, and when wax drips on your carpet it can cause a small headache. If your carpet is made of wool, we have a solution for removing spilled candle wax from it. PLEASE NOTE, WE DON’T RECOMMEND USING THIS APPROACH ON SYNTHETIC CARPETS DUE TO THEIR LOW MELTING POINT. With that said, let me outline the simple process you can follow to remove candle wax yourself, instead of having to call your local carpet cleaner.

You’ll need the following items: A paper bag or terry towel, a butter knife and an iron.

First of all let the wax harden, as solid wax is much easier to remove than semi-solid wax is. It shouldn’t take long for the wax to harden on its own, but if you’re in a rush you can aid the process by placing a bag of ice cubes on the warm wax. If you decide to do this make sure you use a transparent bag without anything printed on it, the last thing we want to do is exacerbate the problem by having dye from the bag transfer onto the carpet!

Now that the wax has solidified, get the butter knife and use it to remove as much wax as you can. You should be able to remove most of it this way, but there will still be some wax present on the carpet.

Take the paper bag or terry towel and place it on top of the wax spot. Now you’ll need to get your iron and turn it on. You need to be cautious here and set your iron to a low temperature, we don’t want to burn the carpet! Place the iron over the terry towel/paper bag and slowly slide it along. Doing so will gradually melt the wax, which in turn will be absorbed into the terry towel or paper bag. Do the same on other areas that have wax until all of the wax has gone.

Use a cloth and some cleaning solution to blot the area clean. If your candles had dye in them, the dye may have transferred onto the carpet. If this is the case you may need to call on the services of a professional to see if the dye stain can be removed.

Assuming you’ve managed to clean the area with no problems and the carpet is now dry, your next step will be to vacuum the carpet to realign the pile. Ideally, you’ll want to use one with a brush to achieve this goal.

If your carpets have started to smell, you may be tempted to head to the nearest supermarket to pick some carpet deodorising powder. After all, it seems like a great, cost-effective, short-term solution, and it does the job effectively.

But have you ever considered the possibility that these powders may actually be damaging your carpet, and potentially putting your family’s health at risk?

While there are many pros for using these products, there are also many cons against using them. We’ve outlined some of them below.

They May Aggravate Allergies and Breathing Issues

If you suffer from allergies be aware that carpet deodorising powders may trigger them. Teary eyes, coughing and a runny nose a few of the symptoms people with allergies may experience when using these products. The same applies to people who have breathing conditions such as Asthma. If any of this applies to you and you absolutely must use one of these products, then maybe get another family member to apply and vacuum up the carpet powder while you go out for the day. Or alternatively employ the services of a professional carpet cleaning company, which can give your carpet a thorough deep clean, using safe solutions that are less likely to trigger allergies.

They’re Not Good For Pets

If you have pets, make sure they are kept out of any rooms that are being treated. Although many of these powders have been deemed “pet safe”, there have been many reports of pets getting sick upon coming in contact with the powder. The powder tends to get into every nook and cranny, so it’s not hard to believe that some of the powder will be missed during the initial vacuum cleaning.

The Powder Particles Become Trapped In The Carpet

The idea behind carpet deodorising powders is pretty simple. You shake the deodorising powder over the carpet and let it sit for a bit before vacuuming it up. However, there is one small problem with this idea that often gets overlooked. Most residential-grade vacuum cleaners are not strong enough to suck out all of the powder. Over time this powder builds up deep within the carpet fibres, adding to any dirt that has already accumulated over the months and years.

In conclusion, we live in an age where we’re told that many questionable things are healthy for us, but often these claims don’t hold up under scrutiny. We would advise anyone who purchases a carpet deodorising powder to check the ingredients, and purchase the brand that contains the least amount of chemicals.

If you’d like to talk to one of our experts about a carpet odour issue, give us a call.

 

Would you like to find out more about how to deal with issues that commonly affect carpets in the home, such as candle wax or oil stains? Then continue to explore our blog for more informative articles.