One of the most challenging issues that carpet cleaners and home owners have to deal with are filtration stains. These are those unsightly black lines that run along your baseboards or, quite often, under doors leading into closets or rooms.
So what are they? How are they caused? And, what can be done to remove them?
Well, the answer to what they are is simple. Air in your home travels. In homes that have forced air heating and cooling, the issue of filtration marks can be more acute. There is a gap, typically, between the wall and the floor joists of a building. As air circulates around the house, it finds its way to this gap. As the air passes through the gap, your carpet acts like a filter, picking up dust, pollutants and soot. The same effect occurs under doors leading to rooms or closets.
As this soiling accumulates, it starts to "scratch" or etch the carpet fibre. As an unfortunate result, these marks, quite often , cannot be fully removed. The degree to which the stains will be removed is dependent upon the length of time the soiling has been allowed to accumulate, the type of pollutants present and the volume of air flow.
Your SmithWerks professional can help determine the likelihood of full removal of these stains.
Steps to prevent the formation or filtration lines would include proper sealing of the gap between floor and wall joists prior to the installation of carpets. Regular vacuuming with particular attention to the carpet immediately next to the baseboards using your vacuum's edging tool. Be careful not to scratch your baseboard paint.
