Dirt…what dirt…I didn’t see any dirt! Ohh…you mean the dirt still stuck in my carpet! Exactly, wasn’t the carpet just cleaned? Yes it was, then why does it still look dirty? You mean the traffic areas still look dirty? Yes, the traffic areas still look soiled! Well , the carpet cleaner said that wear can sometimes make traffic areas look dingy even after a cleaning. Is this True? Hey guys, Aqualux Carpet Cleaning here to help answer your question. Here we go!

Carpet professionals…yes we are! We have been in the carpet cleaning business for many years and have tons of experience dealing with high traffic areas, especially on light colored carpet. Let’s begin by answering the question. So, can high traffic areas still look dingy/dirty after a cleaning? The answer is YES!

Here’s why:

  1. If the carpet is petroleum based (super synthetic) then soil tends to bond to the fiber in a different way than natural fiber carpet. It’s both good and bad, depending on the method of cleaning and experience of the technician. Typically, a more concentrated solution may be used to treat this (such as a pre-spray) But, then pre-sprays have their drawbacks as well. We will talk about that later.

  2. Wear DOES affect the look and feel of carpet. So, a high traffic area will look different over time and darken as well. It’s almost like the soil penetrates the fiber. You can compare the wear to a pillowing affect. This is a rippled worn look that mushrooms the top of the carpet fiber. This mushroom affect (carpet is no longer twisted) causes the carpet to look worn and dirty, but really the carpet is clean…just looks dirty!

  3. Wycking and re-soiling is another cause for dirty/dingy traffic areas. As mentioned above, this is where a pre-spray can backfire! The point, pre-sprays take aroung 10 minute dwell time to really work. What happens is the pre-spray solution will penetrate the backing and soak into the padding. So more is NOT always better! A good carpet technician will know better, but an experienced one can cause another problem by over-doing-it!

So, how do you know what’s causing the problem? Well, it’s difficult to say, unless you know what to look for during the cleaning.

Best Solution:

    1. First, it’s best to know your carpet. For example, what type of carpet do you have…synthetic or natural fiber?

    2. You live in your home, so you should know the traffic patterns established. Think about that as you decorate, rug runners and other things can be used to eliminate wear.

    3. Pets…Pets…Pets! How many do you have? Well, the more traffic from our furry friends (oily paws) makes traffic areas worse! This should be considered when purchasing type and color of carpet.

    4. DO YOUR RESEARCH! Hire a qualified carpet cleaning company that uses a high-heat cleaning method such as hot water extraction. Ask about the products they use. Are they natural or not? Do they use detergends or solvents? Are they leaving a residue behind?

Knowing what to ask is hard sometimes, but educating yourself is a good thing! Of course, you cannot possibly research everything, but we are here to help answer those questions. Stated above, is a pretty generic and simple way to look at it, but the facts are there! Hope this helps!