Cleaning Berber Carpets the Proper Way

Cleaning berber carpets the proper way requires an understanding of what such a carpet is, and how to care for it properly. Different types of berber carpet need correspondingly different methods of care.

Over the years there have been many different types of carpet, including materials and manufacture, all of which aim to provide not only an attractive and comfortable carpet for the home, but also a carpet which will remain looking good for as long as possible. At times, this has involved the manufacture of carpets which are rich thick and fluffy, and while these are extremely comfortable and look attractive, they can quickly become matted and soiled.

During the 60s and 70s there was a trend for carpets to be manufactured in a way that they were highly durable and able to withstand a high level of traffic, resist a significant portion of the inevitable dirt, and grime which is ground into all carpets. However, these tend to come from synthetic materials, often at the cost of comfort.

Today, one of the most popular types of carpet for the home is the berber carpet. Berber carpets come from a number of different materials, the most common of which include wool or nylon. The name berber refers not to the material used, but instead to the actual weave of the carpet. Regardless of the material used, berber carpet is very small loops densely packed together, either creating a pattern or a uniform color. It is the fact that the carpet uses extremely small, tightly packed loops that it is able to withstand a great deal of traffic and resist a significant amount of dirt.

Because this type of carpet has such a close, tight weave, it is able to resist dirt and stains much better than most carpets. It is necessary to remove the stains and dirt quickly because the close, tight weave will make the stains very difficult to remove once they sink into the carpet. Cleaning a berber carpet often involves quick first aid in the event of spills from either powders or liquids.

Cleaning berber carpets thoroughly could involve a steam cleaner with a cleaning solution. This will certainly be very effective, and a perfectly satisfactory way of thoroughly cleaning the carpet. However, because of the tightly woven fabric the solution will be harder to remove, meaning that the carpets may take much longer to dry than other types of carpet. Therefore if you are using this method to clean your carpet make sure that you allow plenty of time for drying, and it is advisable to choose to do the cleaning on a warm dry day.

One of the best ways of ensuring that the carpet remains looking in good condition is to prevent any surface dirt, dust or grime from being allowed to penetrate the weave, and so regular vacuuming is very important. If you remove your shoes before walking on the carpet, you will help to prevent this surface dirt and any damage that may occur.

Vacuuming a tightly woven carpet is much easier than a loose wool carpet, for example, since the dirt and dust tends to sit right up on the top of the surface. As long as you give it a good vacuuming before you try to wash it, because the water could force the dirt down through the carpet, and it will be much more difficult to remove.

Nylon berber carpets are extremely popular, being less expensive than the wool equivalents. Nylon is also able to resist stains such as mold or mildew quite easily, whereas a wool carpet would be permanently damaged because of these types of stains. To clean a nylon carpet it is best to use a cleaning method, which is low in moisture. This will ensure an excellent cleaning result, while at the same time helping to reduce the time that it will take for your carpets to dry.

Wool berber carpets are the most expensive, but they are also able to resist both stains and wear much more effectively than synthetic materials. However, wool is absorbent and so any cleaning method will need to use as little moisture as possible. However, as long as a low moisture method is used, a wool berber carpet should end up looking as good as new.

Perhaps the easiest type of berber carpet to clean is made of Olefin, which is a synthetic material that is extremely resistant to stains. Olefin carpets are almost entirely stain proof except for those stains, which are oil based.

Whichever type of carpet you have remember never to scrub a stain, as this will only help it to penetrate the carpet deeper. Use an absorbent cloth to lift the stain, and use water to dilute the stain. If you do this immediately, this should mean that, most stains would easily come out.

Cleaning a berber carpet can depend on the material used to make it and the density of the weave. Each different material has its own particular maintenance needs, although the general approach of rapid cleaning of spills and regular vacuuming applies to each one of them.