VACUUMS ARE BEING CALLED ON THE CARPET
By Jessica Violand Bruno
Yes, your vacuum is destroying your carpet.
Carpet is declining in sales over the new hard surface options available, but it is still something nice and fuzzy to walk on. Proper care and maintenance of all products will ensure they last as long as they can. With the new innovations of vacuums over the years, many do not work well with the new fibers that are in the market today.
A brief overview of vacuums
The first vacuums used a beater bar that as the Hoover Company advertised “It beats as it sweeps as it cleans”. These vacuums evolved to better ones that were easier to maneuver and worked well for the wall-to-wall carpet that became popular in the 1960s. Over time HEPA filters and brush bars improved on the design making them better at removing dust and allergens from the environment.
A brief overview of carpet and fibers
Wall-to-wall carpeting was first made out of acrylic yarns. While these replicated a wool look and dyed well, they did not have good resiliency and were soon replaced by nylon. Nylon at one time was king of the all the fibers and is still used in carpeting today. Other synthetic fiber types that are in the market, polyester and Triexta, are lower in cost and taking market share away from nylon. The consumer demand for a soft hand has caused manufacturers to produce smaller denier (thickness) fibers and yarns so a very soft carpet is felt. The most prevalent soft style carpets are Shaw Caress (nylon) and Mohawk SmartStrand Ultra (Triexta).
What does that have to do with me?
Many of the new vacuums today are marketed as “no suction lost” and “extreme clean”. While these are appealing to keep a clean home, they don’t always work with the new carpets that are available. Many of the new soft style carpets have so many fibers packed into a small space that there is not much air movement from the backing. So a vacuum that has “no suction lost” will suck the vacuum to the face of the carpet making it extremely difficult to push or pull. Some of the new vacuums available have a very aggressive brush bar. Some of these are marketed as “extreme clean” or “animal” and will hurt your carpet more than help it. If you think about the soft style fibers as hair, the aggressive brush bars are like a wire brush. These aggressive brush bar vacuums will cause severe texture loss by literally combing the twist out of the yarn and will void the warranty on the carpet.
So what should I buy?
The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) has created a Seal of Approval (SOA) program to help guide consumers to vacuums that will work with these new carpets. Here are the guidelines they suggest:
http://www.carpet-rug.org/vacuums.html
To earn the CRI Seal of Approval certification, vacuums must pass the following independent laboratory tests:
• Soil removal — CRI uses NASA-enhanced x-ray fluorescence technology instead of
traditional gravimetrix testing to measure the precise amount of soil removed from carpet — either 30 oz/sy commercial cut pile carpet or 30 oz/sy loop pile carpet. Read More in CRI Test Method 112
• Dust containment — The vacuum must not release more than 100 micrograms of dust
particles per cubic meter of air, keeping dirt and dust locked tight in the vacuum — not
escaping back into the air where it can be breathed. Read More in CRI Test Method 113
• Surface Appearance Change — The vacuum must not affect the texture of the commercial cut pile carpet (900 passes with sample rotated every 50 passes) more than a one-step change based on one year of normal vacuum use. Read More in CRI Test Method 114
There is a list of approved vacuums at: http://www.carpet-rug.org/certified-vacuums.html
What about cleaning?
All manufacturers require you get your carpet hot water extraction cleaned by an Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) trained professional every 18-24 months. The IICRC gives good guidelines on how to hire a professional:
http://www.iicrc.org/consumers/care/carpet-cleaning/
They also give a link to find qualified professionals in your area:
http://www.iicrc.org/locate-a-certified-professional/#north-america
THE BOTTOM LINE
While the purchase of new carpeting is exciting, the proper care and maintenance of it will ensure that you get a lifetime of performance out of it. Using the proper equipment is just as important as the color and style you pick. This is just a guide to help you get the most out of your investment.