Carpet shedding is one of the most common issues that many homeowners face. While it’s normal for some carpets to shed loose fibers, over-shedding can be frustrating, which can make the overall carpet look unsightly over time.
However, understanding the causes of carpet shedding and how to prevent it can help you maintain a beautiful floor covering. Thus, in this blog, we explore some useful tips to prevent carpet shedding, ensuring your floors stay plush and appear great.
How Can I Prevent My Carpet From Shedding? Nine Pro Tips
Tip 1. Ensure Regular Vacuuming
With time, carpets often lose fibers due to everyday wear and tear. When loose fibers are left on the carpet, they can increase friction when walked on, which can lead to additional wear and tear. This, in turn, can make the carpet look worn and dull.
Regular vacuuming helps you trap these loose fibers from the carpet, which reduces this friction and preserves the carpet fibers in the long run.
Crucial Point: If you’ve got your home renovated, make sure to immediately vacuum and clean your carpet after renovation. Renovation often unleashes dust, dirt, and small particles that may get stuck in the carpet fibers. These particles can act as abrasives, causing the fibers to become brittle and shed more quickly.
Tip 2. Place Doormats
Practically, there’s no way to prevent your carpet from accumulating dirt, dust, and other harsh debris. But the least you can do to protect your carpet fibers from them is to invest in doormats.
Doormats are more or less the first line of defense for your carpets, as they trap dirt, sand, and other particles before you track them onto your carpet. These particles can grind against carpet fibers, causing them to break down and shed.
Tip 3. Choose The Right Cleaning Solutions
Harsh chemicals or overly strong cleaning solutions contain agents that can break down the carpet fibers, making them more prone to shedding. For example, bleach-based cleaning solutions can severely affect the fibers of synthetic fibers, causing them to shed.
On the other hand, acidic cleaners on a nylon carpet can cause discoloration and weaken the fibers, increasing the risk of shedding in one way or another. Thus, always stick to using gentle, fiber-suitable cleaning solutions.
Tip 4. Avoid Harsh Brushing
Regular brushing of the carpet is essential but harsh brushing is something you would want to avoid to prevent carpet shedding in the first place. Harsh brushing can break, fray, or pull out carpet fibers, especially if the brush has stiff bristles or if excess force is applied.
Besides, brushing too vigorously can also alter the texture of your carpet, flattening or distorting the fibers. This not only increases shedding but also affects the carpet’s appearance and feel.
Tip 5. Invest In Carpet Padding
Investing in carpet padding is crucial to prevent fibers from shedding. One of the first tasks of the padding is to absorb the impact of foot traffic. By doing such, it helps protect the carpet fibers from excessive wear and tear, which reduces the likelihood of shedding over time.
Most importantly, padding keeps the carpet in place, ensuring it doesn’t shift or bunch. A stable carpet is less likely to experience fiber breakage or loosening, both of which can contribute to shedding.
Tip 6. Keep A Check On Humidity Levels
This might sound atypical but humidity, indeed, can be one of the major reasons behind carpet shedding. High humidity levels can bring excess moisture into your carpet fibers, which can cause them to swell, weaken, and become more prone to breaking or shedding. This is particularly true for natural fibers like wool, which absorb moisture more readily.
Low humidity, meanwhile, can cause fibers to become brittle and dry, leading to increased shedding as the fibers break more easily. Thus, by keeping humidity levels in check, you can ensure that your carpet fibers remain strong and less prone to shedding.
Tip 7. Place Rugs In High-Traffic Areas
Apart from being a decorative element, rugs also help protect your carpet fibers. In high-traffic areas, like hallways and entryways, carpets often have to endure a lot of foot traffic, which can cause the carpet fibers to tear down more quickly.
So, by placing rugs in these areas, you create a protective barrier that absorbs the brunt of the impact, reducing the stress on the underlying carpet.
Tip 8. Minimize Direct Sunlight
Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can also cause the carpet fibers to weaken and break down. In addition, it can cause the carpet colors to fade over time. Fading can lead to a change in the texture of the carpet, which can contribute to shedding as the fibers become more brittle and less cohesive.
Hence, to minimize direct sunlight, consider using window coverings, such as blinds or curtains, to limit direct sunlight exposure. This simple measure can help maintain the carpet’s appearance and functionality for a longer period.
Tip 9. Avoid Over-Wetting The Carpet
While water is an essential aspect of carpet cleaning, it should be noted that over-usage of water can only do more harm than good to your carpet fibers. For example, steam cleaning the carpet is an effective way to get rid of embedded dirt, stains, and other harmful elements.
However, if done the wrong way, you may dampen your carpet overly, which can make the fibers lose their strength and resilience. Wet fibers (as you should know) are more susceptible to damage and wear, which can lead to increased shedding. Therefore, make sure to use water as needed.
If you are an amateur, then DIY steam cleaning is strictly not recommended. Instead, ensure that you call professionals at Beverly Hills Carpet Cleaning to get high-quality steam cleaning services for your carpet.
Having provided their services to top clients like BBC and Fox Star Studios, their highly-trained and well-experienced professionals use top-quality steam cleaning appliances and solutions to steam clean your carpet, ensuring the results exceed your literal expectations.
The Bottom Line!
Carpet shedding has become quite a normal concern in many households. But that being said, it can also make the overall carpet appear dull and poorly maintained.
Nonetheless, by following a few proactive measures like regular vacuuming or investing in the right cleaning solutions, you can effectively prevent carpet shedding and help prolong the lifespan of your floors.
