How to Avoid Carpet Shedding and Fuzzing

Carpet shedding is a common occurrence with new carpeting. Many people become concerned with the level of shedding that occurs in their brand new flooring. It is understandable as when you purchase brand new carpet most people do not expect that many fibers to come out of their flooring. It leads many people to wonder if their carpet is going to have bald patches.

Consumers often purchase new carpet for their home and are not informed or are unaware that many cut pile carpets with spun yarns are going to shed and that it is a normal and expected thing. Shedding will not affect the performance of a new carpet. Unfortunately not all carpet sales people are thoroughly trained to make buyers aware that carpet shedding is a normal thing.

Carpet shedding is fibers that release from the pile through foot traffic and vacuuming. This is normal for carpets with staple yarn/ spun yarn in a cut pile. The shedding will drastically reduce within a few months of installation in the home. The carpet will shed in a much smaller amount for its lifetime in the home.

There is a another term in the carpet world called fuzzing, this is different from shedding. Fuzzing is when the carpet takes on a fuzzy or hairy appearance sort of similar to an uncombed beard. Fuzzing happens because fibers become loose from the yarn bundle. This can be caused by a number of things and is most frequently caused by: embedded dirt and grit sanding away at fibers, poor latex coating in the yarn bundle, or poor spinning of the yarn in manufacturing.

When Should You be Concerned?

-If you had your carpet for longer than a few months and are still vacuuming up a considerable amount of carpet fibers, it is a good idea to call the carpet manufacturer.

-Test to see if you have shedding or fuzzing by running your hand along the fibers. Find a longer fiber that is sticking up a bit longer than the others and grasp it in your finger then gently pull. If the fiber is not releasing you have carpet fuzzing. You will want to call the carpet manufacturer for their advice on the next steps to take.

A great way to prevent fuzzing caused by dirt and foot traffic is to regularly vacuum and have routine professional carpet cleanings done. Professional carpet cleanings are highly important to the life of your carpet, many people skip out on getting a yearly deep carpet cleaning thinking that their carpet doesn’t need it. Even though we can’t physically see that our carpets are dirty, they get dirty with time. We help many homeowners in Edmonds to maintain and keep their carpets looking fresh and new with routine cleaning. To make an appointment for carpet cleaning in Edmonds head to our contact page or call us any time.  

For more carpet care tips and advice please browse our website. For the best in carpet cleaning in Snohomish County and North Seattle make an appointment with All Kleen.