Mark Cuddy

When it comes to carpet care, most cleaning crews believe the only issues they will need to address are regular vacuuming, spotting as needed and deep cleaning on a timely basis.1 While it’s true that these are the most common carpet care and maintenance issues, there are other concerns that can occur. Addressing 'Dents' One carpet care issue that is actually quite common — and quite problematic — is what are called “dents.” These indentations appear when a chair or heavy piece of furniture is moved, revealing dents where the furniture legs sat on the carpet. This problem occurs most frequently with carpets made of olefin, polyester or triexta fibers. These carpet fibers typically do not have enough resiliency to spring back into shape on their own. If the furniture in question was fairly light or was only on the carpet for a short time, indentations do sometimes disappear on their own over time. If they do not, however, managers and cleaning crews will have to take measures to remove them, especially if the carpet can provide more years of service. One of the simplest ways to remove carpet indentations is to rake, or “groom,” the carpet with a carpet rake. This helps pull the carpet fibers up and, along with vacuuming, may correct the problem. If there are only a few dents, using a coin to rake individual dents may do the trick. However, if this does not work, managers and cleaning professionals will need to bring in the “big guns.” Steam And Extraction Persistent carpet dents can sometimes be fixed using a wall paper steamer. While they are more difficult to find today, steamers designed to remove wallpaper from walls are perfect for this task.2 Once the machine is generating sufficient steam, move it back and forth over the indentation. A hairbrush or carpet rake can also be used to lift carpet fibers. This procedure works best with nylon carpets — the most common type of carpet installed in commercial facilities — as well as wool. If dents persist, vacuum the carpet thoroughly and then clean the area using a hot water carpet extractor. Using heat of approximately 212°F at the wand tip is known to enhance the resiliency of carpet fibers. Follow this procedure by once again grooming the carpet. In most cases, this will rectify the problem over time, if not immediately. 1Carpets are designed to hide soils. However, they should always be cleaned before they become saturated and appear soiled. Waiting too long in between cleanings can damage carpet fibers, shorten the lifespan of the carpet and negatively impact the effectiveness of the cleaning process. 2Wallpaper steamers can often be found online.

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Mark Cuddy

National Sales Manager for U.S. Products

Articles by Mark Cuddy

Tackling An Unusual Carpet Care Problem

Carpet

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