Carpet Cleaning

How do i know if my carpet needs cleaning?

By: Ben | Filed Under Carpet Cleaning Resources, How do i know if my carpet needs cleaning?

Apart from the obvious carpet wine stain that has appeared after a party or a carpet coffee stain after the kids have knocked
over your cup, there are tell tale signs that a carpet is in need of some type of cleaning.

The most common signs are as follows:

  1. The carpet is looking dull or tired.
  2. The colour has faded in comparison to the parts of the carpet that have been obscured by furniture.
  3. The carpet pile is looking worn and flattened.
  4. There are visible stains and marks.
  5. There is a noticeable odor from the carpet.

Once you have identified that your carpet or rug is in need of some tender loving care (aka cleaning..!!) you must then make a decision on which carpet cleaning method you will use.  The decision on your carpet cleaning method will often have derrived from your carpet type, which will also influence the carpet cleaning product and your the carpet cleaning equipment that will be preferable for your type of carpet.

How do you identify the different types of carpet ?

By: Ben | Filed Under Carpet Cleaning Resources, How do you identify the different types of carpet ?

There are several different types of Carpet which can be normally identified by the type of pile as indicated below. Different types of carpet might require cleaning with a different cleaning method, a different carpet cleaning product and different carpet cleaning equipment. So it is important that before you take on the task of cleaning the carpet that you are aware of the different carpet types:

Below is a guide providing detailed descriptions of the most common types of carpet, which will hopefully enable you to easily identify your type before cleaning:

Cut Pile often has a smooth finish and is often known as a “velour” or “velvet” pile. It brings a classic look to a room giving it a luxurious and sensual feel to it. It can be easily identified as the tops of the loops of wool are cut and the yarn slightly twisted to produce tufts of yarn that stand upright to produce a smooth and even surface.

Hard Twist is a variant of Cut Pile which features yarn twisted to high degree and then set. This ensures a hardwearing texture which will minimise tracking i.e. footprints, shading i.e. irregular light and dark areas in the pile and shedding i.e. yarn becoming loose and broken. All in all this makes the Hard Twist Pile a popular and practical choice when it comes to choosing a carpet type.

Shag Pile is another variation on the traditional cut pile style. The difference comes in the Shag Pile’s tufts of yarn which are longer and give a carpet a thicker more luxurious look and feel. Although the Shag Pile is probably the most luxurious type of carpet it comes at a cost being generally more expensive than other carpet types.

Level loop pile is formed with continuous loops of yarn of uniform length creating a very hard wearing durable carpet pile. This particular carpet pile has been designed to minimise tracking (i.e. footprint marks).

Textured loop pile is formed with continuous loops of yarn of differing pile length creating a different more sculptured look to the level loop pile. Like its level loop pile counterpart, it is a very hard wearing durable carpet pile which has been designed to minimise tracking (i.e. footprint marks).

Wool or Sisal pile carpets and rugs are now becoming very popular. This stylish raw looking, woven texture of wool or Sisal (coir and seagrass) provides a durable surface that is easily cleaned and generally hard wearing. The raw look and feel, make it a popular choice within the eco friendly minded people.