The popularity of Berber carpeting in North American homes is unrivaled. Carpet fanatics are captivated by its classic elegance, intrigued by its clean appearance and compelled to make it their own by the promise of comfort due to its durable yet refined nature. Berber is the diva of carpets, as temperamental as it is beautiful.
If Berber is your flooring of choice, it is to your advantage to know how to maintain it well. A crash course on the nature of this type of carpet as well as some of the most common issues it presents will do you a world of good; this way, you understand exactly how to utilize your flooring for maximum functionality and minimum wear. Use the following three tips to kickstart a new phase for the beautiful Berber in your home.
What’s Your Carpet Made Of? Find Out!
If you assume that all Berber carpets are made equally, think again. Berber is a type of design and construction as opposed to a kind of fabric or fiber. All carpets made in this style are not made of a common fiber. These three fibers make up the bulk of Berber on the market today:
• Wool
• Olefin
• Nylon
Generally, Nylon or wool Berbers are the most durable and pleasant, though Olefin is the more synthetic fiber and therefore cheaper as well as abundant. If you follow directions carefully, you can try the fiber test on your carpet as described in this dedicated Berber carpet guide.
Implement a No-Pets-On Berber Policy
Do you let your pets roam free? Is one of your family roamers a cat? If so, think twice about letting the exploring take place on your carpet. Berber is favored because of its endurance for high foot traffic. This does not extend to pets with sharp claws, or shoes with sharp heals for that matter. Berber is a looped carpet pile which, if unraveled even slightly, can come entirely undone.
With that said, let’s face it: Pets love cozy carpets, and Berber is no exception. If you cannot keep your beloved furball off of your Berber flooring, you can still do damage control in the form of repairs. If the looped pile is unraveled, Calling in a team of professionals can make all the difference in terms of saving the Berber flooring as a whole.
Stay On Top With Regular Cleanings
Berber carpets are woven for convenience and durability. The tightly woven fibers keep dirt from setting in deeply, allowing you to maintain the carpet’s cleanliness without much effort. If you choose to forego regular professional carpet cleanings and you refrain from frequent vacuuming, however, the dirt will indeed settle below the surface where it cannot be accessed easily. Educate yourself on the proper cleaning procedures for your particular fiber type to ensure that you are maintaining it properly on your own, then commit to scheduling regular professional cleaning appointments approximately every couple of years. Cleaning household carpets every too often is too costly and it breaks down the glues in the backing so that it will bubble and start to look unsightly.
Keep in mind that a standard vacuum cleaner with rotating bristles will likely damage your Berber carpet. As the bristles rotate, the loops are caught in the brush and are at great risk of being unwound. With suggestions on the best vacuum cleaners for Berber in abundance, you will likely have no issues finding one that works well with your fiber type as well as Berber in general.
Berber carpeting is a useful and desirable type of flooring. As an owner of such a floor surface, you will pay the price of maintenance, but it will be worth your while.
Photo Source: courtesy of Wikipedia
