You should be aware of how the combination of carpet fiber, construction and color you select can be expected to perform in your home. The following information will help you understand the normal changes that can occur to different types of carpets. This can help you select a carpet which will be easier for you to maintain, so you can keep it looking "new" longer.
Carpet and Rug Institute
Scotchgard™
National Wood Flooring Association
Stainmaster®
AnsoNylon®
Wear-Dated®
Atmospheric Soil/Dirt
Dust, pollen, smoke, cooking vapors and other air-transported materials will settle on any floor. Where air is forced through the carpet under doors, by air conditioning outlets, etc., soil will deposit in streaks or spots (filtration marks). Professional cleaning may temporarily correct this, but the condition will reoccur until the airflow is corrected.
Buckling & Puckering
After extended use, a carpet may develop a series of ripples or ridges. This may be attributed to one or more of the following:
1) Dampness between carpet and floor after periods of high humidity.
2) A soft or low-density foam or rubber pad allowing distortion of the carpet under foot.
3) Inadequate stretching of the carpet when originally installed.
Restretching by a competent installer should correct most of these.
Burns
Remove the charred tips of burned fibers by cutting with fingernail scissors. If the burned spot is deep, it may require repair. See your installer or dealer about the condition.
Corn-Rowing
Rows sometimes appear in certain styles of carpet in high traffic areas. This can be caused by pile crushing in traffic patterns or by repeated vacuuming always in the same direction. Brushing with a grooming tool, vacuuming with a unit having a beater bar and frequently changing the direction of the vacuum strokes will help minimize cornrowing.
Fading
Science has yet to develop a color that will not fade with time. All carpets will slowly lose some color due to natural and artificial forces in the environment. This can be delayed by:
1) Frequently removing dirt by vacuuming.
2) Regularly changing air filters in heating and air conditioning systems.
3) Keeping humidity and temperature from getting too high.
4) Reducing sunlight exposure with window coverings or sunlight filter materials.
Footprints
Most deep cut pile carpet will show shoe or foot impressions. If you find this objectionable, a carpet of lower pile and denser construction can help minimize this condition. Textured saxonies and frieze constructions are ideal for minimizing the appearance of footprints.
Fuzzing
Fuzzing is caused by embedded dirt and grit cutting fibers but leaving them still bound at one end. Carefully clip off the protruding fibers. Fuzzing is an indication that more frequent vacuuming is required.
Indentations (from furniture or heavy objects.)
Shift location of furniture from time to time. Brush the dented area or use a grooming tool to loosen or stand the crushed tufts upward. Holding a steam iron several inches above the carpet surface, Steam the dented area lightly and brush the tufts upward with your fingertips. Do not let the iron touch the carpet.
Pile Crushing
Pile can become crushed or compacted with use. Vacuum against the lay of the tufts with a beater bar machine or brush with a pile groomer to lift and restore the crushed pile.
Pilling
"Pills," small balls of entangled fibers and lint, usually occurring on loop pile carpets, can be safely clipped off with scissors.
Seams
In larger installations or non-standard shaped rooms, and/or at the transition between rooms and halls, seaming may be required. Usually your salesperson can tell if a room will need a seam. Where possible, seams should run perpendicular to windows and not parallel. If seams show at all, they'll be slightly more apparent with loop pile carpets than cut pile styles.
Shading/Vacuum Cleaner Marks
Shading is a normal characteristic of a luxurious, dense, cut pile of carpet. Shading typically becomes most apparent right after vacuuming. This visual effect is caused by the tips of the tufts reflecting light differently than the sides of the tufts. It is an aesthetic quality in the carpet design, not a defect.
Shedding
Shedding is normal in new cut pile carpets. The amount of fiber loss is of no consequence. Regular vacuuming removes the loose fibers without harming the carpet.
Snags
If tufts are pulled out of the carpet, clip them off with scissors. Never pull them. If a long "run" occurs, see you carpet dealer to have the yarn retufted or glued back in place. Snags occur most frequently in loop pile carpets.
Soil/Dirt
Lighter color carpets show soil, spills, and tracked-in dirt more quickly than darker shades. Choosing a darker colored carpet can help reduce the appearance of soiling. Use doormats to help minimize tracked-in soil- and clean the mats frequently. Frequent vacuuming of the carpet at the entryway is also important.
Sprouts
To remove yarn tufts that stick up higher than the carpet, clip off the excess length with a scissors or a fingernail clipper. Do not use a knife. This is not a carpet-manufacturing defect.
Staining
By choosing a carpet made from an advanced nylon carpet fiber with stain protection, most food and beverage spills can be cleaned up effectively if attended to promptly.
Static
Use a humidifier when room air is dry to further reduce static electricity.
