Best Method for Cleaning Berber Carpets

Berber carpets are beautiful, timeless and durable and hides dirt better than most other carpets, but it’s probably one of the hardest to maintain and clean.

Berber carpet pulls dirt towards the bottom of the fibers and keeps it there because the loops, twists and lumps in the weave makes it difficult to extract dirt with a vacuum.

There are different materials used to make a Berber carpet; natural fibers such as Wool and synthetic materials like nylon, polyester, and olefin. Wool being the most expensive and durable, olefin being the most economical choice and will wear faster than the other options.

Cleaning some Berber carpets, can – at times, be difficult for even professional carpet cleaners to get completely clean.

So how can you maintain the timeless style of a Berber carpet and keep them looking good?

Regular Vacuuming

Because dirt doesn’t show as much with Berber carpet, some people don’t vacuum as often as they should. This can actually shorten the lifespan of the carpet.

Vacuum Berber frequently and do not use a vacuum with a beater bar. This can cause fuzzing, fraying, tearing and possible shredding. A beater bar can even snag on a loop and pull the entire string out of the carpet.

Carpets should be cleaned with a vacuum that uses suction only; the more suction the better, at least once a week. If you are a large household and there are high traffic areas, you may want to vacuum daily to keep it from looking crushed and dingy.

Don’t be super aggressive when vacuuming to avoid damaging the fibers. Slow, steady and thorough suction vacuuming is the best way to vacuum this carpet.

Professional Cleaning

Because of the unique way Berber carpet is made, it holds dirt, wicks water and some materials stain more easily. Although you can clean Berber yourself, professional cleaners have the right equipment to get your carpets clean and to remove as much water as possible for a faster dry time.

Quite often when we clean carpets ourselves, we tend to use more water than necessary and rental equipment just can’t extract enough moisture out of the Berber which can cause mildew and a whole other set of issues.

Having your carpets cleaned every 12 to 18 months is ideal for a small household. Larger and more busy households may need a professional cleaning more often.

Spot Cleaning Berber

Take a clean rag or paper towel and dab at stain to soak up as much as you can first. When finished, wet another clean rag or paper towel with cool water and firmly dab at the stained area.

Work from the outside of stain in towards the middle. Do not rub or you risk making the stained area larger. Dab with another clean rag or paper towel. Repeat as needed.

Other methods are to mix a solution of 5 parts water to 1 part white vinegar or use a cleaner specially formulated for carpeting.

You should never use detergent/soap when cleaning ANY type of carpet because detergent will leave a residue behind that is hard to completely get out. The residue that remains will only attract dirt and in a few short weeks, you’ll see more staining.

Test any new cleaning methods in an inconspicuous spot prior to using.

Maintaining Berber Carpets

Berber carpets are a great addition to any home but because Berber has tight loops, it’s easy for dirt to get in but hard to get it out.

To keep the carpet looking great, below are some tips:

• Keep mats at door entrances to wipe shoes off.
• Take shoes off at the door.
• Do not use a beater bar or rotating brush and get a vacuum with good suction.
• Clean spills as soon as they happen. Then pour a little baking soda on the spot to try to soak up the rest of the moisture on the carpet. Vacuum.
• Vacuum regularly.
• Try to limit the amount of food and drinks in a room with Berber carpets.
• The best way to clean nylon Berber carpet is dry cleaning. It’s hard to get the water out of dense Berber carpets so drying times are increased if these carpets are steam cleaned.
• The best way to clean olefin Berber carpets is steam cleaning with high extraction water recovery that is provided by truck mount cleaning services.
• Keep dogs’ nails trimmed to keep from snagging carpet fibers.
• Berber can snag easily so don’t drag furniture across the carpet.

It might sound difficult to keep Berber carpets clean, but if you keep these tips in mind, your carpet will stay beautiful for years to come.

Don’t be afraid to buy a Berber carpet. They’re beautiful to look at, durable, and not as hard to clean as long as you keep up on it. Perhaps the best way to keep them clean is not to let them get dirty in the first place (Oh, how we wish!)