Do your wool carpets and/or rugs shed when you vacuum?

Wool carpets and rugs are very durable but have you noticed that the fibers are getting picked up by your vacuum. Are you worried that the carpet or rug is degrading? Don’t worry. This is a natural characteristic of wool carpets and rugs.

Some pilling and shedding can occur with all wool carpets and rugs. This is a natural characteristic of wool because wool carpets and rugs are made from short “staple” fibers. A staple fiber is a short length of fiber generally ranging from 4 to 8 inches long which is then spun into a yarn comprised of these short lengths. As we all know, wool is sheared from sheep. The result is short lengths of fiber which is then woven into a yarn. Because the yarn is made up of millions of short fibers, there are millions and millions of ends of these fibers in the carpet. Kind of like split ends in a person’s hair. It is impossible to remove all of these loose ends in the construction process. The result is these ends come out or shed when vacuuming.

Once again, no need to worry. Wool carpets will not wear out from the loss of fiber. Just like any carpet/rug type, they can “ugly out” from use and abuse but they won’t fall apart.  Also, the thicker the carpet yarn, the more likely you are to see shedding. Once again, no need to panic. The shedding should diminish with time but it will never go away completely. There will always be some fiber in the vacuum canister. Remember, this is normal.

For more information on carpet, rug and upholstery care, visit my website at  www.graysoncleans.com.

Have Your Carpets Lost Their Luster, Don’t Give Up On Them

You may look at your carpets, want to replace them but would rather not spend the money. With a little effort, you can extend their useful life and maintain your beautiful home. Typical situations that mar the beauty are spots and spills, wear patterns and rippling or buckling of the carpet. I have addressed ways to remove spots and spills in past blogs, however, sometimes they are permanent. For these situations, a strategically placed throw rug or piece of furniture may be your best approach. High use areas or traffic patterns are a result of concentrated foot traffic that is actually wearing the carpet away. Because the tops of the carpet fibers are being worn and frayed, they look dull. These frayed fibers will also absorb spills quicker and hold dirt more readily than non-worn areas. Therefore, more frequent vacuuming (daily would be great) of the traffic patterns will help them look better and last longer. Immediate blotting of any spills will help reduce the probability of them becoming permanent stains. Carpets that are rippling or buckling can be the result of different factors but they can be easily and economically remedied by having the carpets stretched.

Finally, periodic professional cleaning by experienced companies will restore and maintain their beauty.

For more information, visit my website www.graysoncleans.com.