How to Select the Right Carpet Style for your Home

I am asked all the time what carpet type is best for my home.  Well, the answer to this depends on many factors and, quite often, depends on the type of traffic and household setting in question.  Quite often, we walk into a carpeting outlet and, simply, look at the aesthetics of the samples that are on display with little regard for whether  or not the type of carpet is suitable for the proposed space.  So, I thought I'd give you a brief overview of the differing types of carpet styles and interject a bit of my own opinion as to how they stand up to such things as wear and cleanability.

Plush


This style usually comes in a solid color with a cut pile to give the appearance of a perfectly flat surface.  This is a very popular choice with builders and is quite often labelled as a "builders grade". The plus is that it comes in a huge variety of colors and shades. In most cases it is made of nylon and will have a fairly good resistance to staining if maintained and the spills are addressed immediately.  The downside to this carpet choice is that it doesn't wear well. Typically it has a life of about 5 to 7 years.  The traffic shading, especially on lighter coloured versions, start to become permanent within only a year or two. Footprints are annoyingly visable on this type of pile.

Textured Plush


This style has more than one colour mix and has varying heights to the pile.  Again, nylon is the predominant fibre here, so spot cleaning is easier.  The varied pile height also hides vacuum lines and footprints too.  With proper care, this carpet choice has a 10 to 12 year lifespan.

Saxony


This is a very dense carpet. Has a very course or "meaty" look to it. The tips of the carpet fibres are very distinguishable. Like a plush carpet, it shows wear relatively quickly and will also make foot prints and vacuum marks apparent.

Sculptured


Very popular in the 70's and 80's and starting to make a comeback now, this type of carpet has two types of tufts. It usually mixes a berber (looped) construction with a twisted fibre.  A very luxurious appearance mixing shades and colours. The downside, though, is that if you are not up to regular vacuuming, the higher, points of this construction will show wear within a few years. As the higher, twisted fibres shade from wear, the contrast with the lower looped fibres tend to accent the traffic patterns quicker. There is also a risk of snagging with the berber loops of this pile. So watch out for this when pets are present.

Frieze


When asked which is my favorite style>this is it!

It has a very tight twist to the fibres which help with reducing the effects of wear. Lasts a long time.  Average life of this style of carpet is 10 to 15 years or more if maintained well. It comes in a variety of colours and shades.  Looks great, feels great, and easily maintained.

Berber


This is the carpet style that is my least favorite and the one that my customers tend to always regret choosing.


Yes, it looks elegant in the store, which made it popular with decorators.  However, it is plagued with issues. The tufts are looped.  The larger the loop the quicker the appearance of wear.  Wear is caused by friction, not only from foot traffic, but also from the particulate (dirt) that comes off our feet that gets trapped under those pesky loops.  The particles of dirt actually cut into the fibres and magnify the wear. Hence, it is one of the highest maintenance carpet styles around.

Other issues include seam exposure, where the tufts fall to opposite sides of a seam making it very visable in a short period of time.  Snags are very common, especially where pets and children are present. Also be careful moving furniture as this could result in snags. One of my earlier posts addresses snag repairs.

The life of most berbers is about 5 to 8 years depending on how well cared for it is.

Wool or Synthetic??


This is my own opinion.....

I will always tend to favour synthetic fibres as they are more easily maintained than wool.  Most retailers don't advise their customers as to how to properly treat stains or traffic wear when it comes to carpet, especially wool ones. You are restricted greatly, as to what you can use on wool carpets to lift spots.  Wool fibres tend to require more acidic treatments as opposed to the alkyline natured spot removers that one finds in most stores. The use of "soaps" to remove spots on a wool carpet can burn or mark permanently.  Water staining (brown or reddish in appearance) are also quite common on wool carpets.  The use of peroxide or oxygen bleach products is not recommended.

Remember, to call SmithWerks Carpet Cleaning West Vancouver when you are ready to have your carpets or upholstery professionally cleaned.

Great Video Regarding Removing Skunk Odour from your Dog!

Hi All!

Every year I am called to deal with skunk odours in carpet or upholstery. Invariably, it's because the family dog was sprayed by a skunk, the dog panicks, runs inside the house and.....well you know the rest.

Now I can deal with your carpets and furniture, but the dog (or cat) is your department.

So, the other day I came up with a great little video that I found on the internet. It was put together by a vet and gives you step-by-step instructions as to how to safely and effectively deal with skunk odours on your pet. Thought I'd share it with all my fans.  Remember, when you've taken care of Rover, call SmithWerks Carpet Cleaning North Vancouver to take care of the odour in your carpet and furniture fabric. Follow the link.

http://www.ehow.com/video_6533854_rid-skunk-smell-dog.html

Fixing snags in a berber carpet

Hi all!  I came across this great article on fixing snags in your berber carpet. I can also recommend Russell Ward in North Vancouver who does a fantastic job of repairs.  He can be reached at 604-788-2578. And remember, when it comes time to have your carpets or upholstery cleaned, call SmithWerks Carpet Cleaning North Vancouver.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5258445_fix-snags-berber-carpet.html

Removing Ink from Furniture Fabric

This has to be one of the most common stains I encounter when cleaning upholstery.  Follow these simple steps and you'll most likely be successful in removing most if not all the ink mark.


Like any stain, ink or otherwise, the quicker you address it, the more likely that you are going to be successful in removing the mark.


Start with cool water and gently blot the mark.  I suggest using a clean, white cloth.  That way, you'll be able to see if there is any transfer of the ink to the cloth. Try to avoid rubbing the spot. Vigorous agitation can damage the fibre or even tear it.  Remember!....use cool water! Heat could cause the stain to set making it almost impossible to remove.


When you are satisfied that you have removed as much of the ink mark as possible, you can proceed to the next step.


Surprisingly, hairspray is quite effective in removing ink.  For light ink stains, spray a light application of hairspray on to a clean white rag and gently blot until the ink mark is gone.  For heavier ink marks, spray the ink mark directly, saturating the spot and then gently agitate using a toothbrush. (Uhh, don't use the toothbrush for cleaning your teeth after this) Remember, don't agitate to hard as you could damage the fibre.  Finish, by blotting again with cool water.


Remember, for general cleaning of your furniture or carpets call SmithWerks Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning West Vancouver.

What to do about those unsightly black lines along your baseboards.....

Filtration lines are a common problem in homes today. They are also very difficult to remove. In this article you will learn what they are, how to treat them and how to prevent them.

First lets talk about what filtration lines are. Filtration lines are dark lines that appear around walls and underneath doors. They form when you HVAC system is blowing air into the room. To equalize the pressure caused by the system air rushes underneath walls and under doors. The carpet in this area acts as a filter trapping fine particles of dust and soot. This manifests itself as a dark line.

Cleaning these lines is not that easy. They will often improve but will probably not be completely eliminated. To treat them you will need some white terry cloth rags, a bottle of citrus spotter, a bottle of general spotter and a spray bottle of a vinegar solution(1/3 white distilled vinegar to 2/3 water). First vacuum the area thoroughly. Now spray the spotter on your rag and gently blot the filtration lines. Keep going until no more soil transfers to your cloth. The citrus spotter will remove any greasy soil. Now get your general spotter and spray it on a cloth. Once again gently blot the filtration line until no more soil transfers to the rag. The general spotter should remove any remaining soil. Lastly you will want to spray the area you just cleaned with your vinegar mix. Spray the area., let the solution dwell for a few seconds and then blot it up. This will help remove any residue left by the other spotters.

That's it. You are done. Hopefully most of the stain has been removed but this is not usually the case. The best way to treat these stains is to prevent them. Change your homes air filter often and try to leave doors open so that air has a place to go. Remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

And of course, when it's time to have your carpets or upholstery cleaned, call on SmithWerks Carpet Cleaning North Vancouver.

Blood Stains on Carpet : Cleaning and Removal

For some strange reason, I have been getting a lot of calls regarding blood stains on carpet.  Specifically, what can a home owner do to remove them. Well, all is not lost as long as you follow a few very simple steps.  Like any stains, the quicker you are able to treat them, the more likely you are going to be successful in removing them.

So lets get started

• Remove as much of the stain as possible by blotting with a white paper towel, then neutralize with an ammonia solution (1 tablespoon of clear household ammonia to 1/2 cup of water.). Saturate spot with the ammonia solution using a spray bottle. Do not wet backing. Blot with a white paper towel to remove excess moisture. All solutions for removing blood must be cool.
• Apply a small quantity of detergent solution to the spot. (To make the detergent solution mix 1/4 teaspoon of a hand dish washing detergent which does not contain lanolin or bleach with 1 quart of water; examples of safe detergents are Dawn® and Joy®.) Use a blotting motion to work the detergent into the affected area. If spot is being removed continue applying detergent and blotting with a white paper towel until spot is removed.
• Rinse with tap water using a spray bottle, blot to remove excess moisture.
• Spray lightly with water, do not blot this time; apply pad of paper towels and brick and allow to dry.
• If there is still some stain on the carpet and blotting is not removing it, then moisten the tufts in the stained area with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Let stand for on (1) hour. Blot and repeat until carpet is stain free. Light will cause peroxide to change back to water so no rinsing is necessary. Apply pad of paper towels and weight down with brick.

Remember, when it comes to blood, cool water is the rule. Hot water can set the stain.

And, as always, don't forget you can always call on SmithWerks Carpet Cleaning North Vancouver for all your carpet and upholstery cleaning needs.

Welcome to our New Blog!

Welcome to the new SmithWerks Carpet Cleaning Blog!  Here you'll find interesting tips that will help you care for your carpet and upholstery.

We're very excited that we can provide this additional services to all our past, present and future clients.

Remember, when the time comes, be sure to call SmithWerks Carpet Cleaning in North Vancouver for professional steam cleaning of your carpet and upholstery.