You’re not alone in being concerned about shedding from your carpet. It can be disheartening when your newly-purchased carpet starts to shed or when an older carpet begins to shed after years of use. Our carpet cleaners on Oahu can help you understand why this may happen, especially in the first few months of a new carpet, and provide you with tips on how to prevent shedding from occurring in the future.
Is Carpet Shedding Normal?
Newly-installed carpets can shed a bit in the first few months, especially cut pile carpets with spun yarns, wool, and shag carpeting. While it may be frustrating to see fibers around your home, this initial shedding should not affect the long-term performance or appearance of your carpet. This shedding should slow down and stop after a couple of months.
If shedding persists or starts again later on, there may be an issue with the carpet fibers or the quality of the fibers. It’s important to contact the manufacturer. Improper care of your carpet can also contribute to shedding. Make sure to consider this as a potential factor if you’re concerned about ongoing shedding issues.
How to Prevent Shedding
Here are some tips for caring for your carpet to prevent shedding and protect its lifespan:
- Maintain a regular deep cleaning routine and avoid using the highest setting on any cleaning machine
- Vacuum with the grain of the carpet to avoid excessive wear and tear.
- Consider using a throw rug in areas of high traffic to extend the lifespan of the carpet and prevent premature shedding.
- Hire professional carpet cleaners once to twice a year to remove deep-set dirt that can cause friction on delicate fibers. They can also help speed up the initial shedding process by removing loose fibers all at once.
By following these steps, you can help keep your carpet looking its best and prevent shedding from becoming a problem.
How Shedding Affects Rugs
In addition to wall-to-wall carpeting, rugs can also shed fibers. This is often a result of the shearing process that occurs after wool and silk rugs are woven. These loose fibers can be removed through careful vacuuming and grooming with a beater brush or horse hair brush. If shedding persists, specialized rug cleaning services from a carpet cleaner can lift away loose fibers and leave your rugs clean and ready for use.
Whether you have a new carpet that is shedding or an older carpet or rug that is starting to show signs of wear, our carpet cleaners can help. Get in touch with the carpet experts at Malama ‘Aina Chem-Dry today by calling (808) 371-8874.