There are a couple common misconceptions we here at Greenway run into on a regular basis. Unfortunately, sometimes these myths are propagated by undertrained or poorly informed third party vendors. It's too bad because the people who lose out are clients who run into problems later on!

Myth # 1     

"I shouldn't Tuftguard (protect) my wool carpet because there's a natural lanolin coating that protects it already."

False! After wool is sheared off the sheep, is goes through a process called scouring. Scouring removes vegetable matter, dirt, impurities, wax, grease (lanolin) and sweat (suint) with detergents and hot water. After the wool is scoured, less than 0.05% of the lanolin remains on the wool. If lanolin were left on the wool, this natural grease would cause it to smell and the rug would resoil incredibly rapidly. Because wool is, in fact, hair fibre and can be dyed easily, it is incredibly important to protect it. Imagine coloring your hair and having a shower after. Your hair is clean, yet it remains permanently dyed. Sometimes we run into this permanent redying when cleaning wool carpets that have been exposed to dyes (wine, tea, coffee), especially ones that haven't been protected! A coating of Tuftguard will act as a barrier, helping to stop dyes from entering the hair fibre and damaging it.

Myth # 2 

"You should wait for as long as possible to clean a new carpet, as it will resoil quickly after it is cleaned."

False! The origins of this myth are uncertain, but I would guess it has to do with improper product applications by uncertified cleaners. High alkaline detergents used by some carpet cleaners are sticky by nature. That is how they attract soils in order to clean. If these sticky detergents are not rinsed out and neutralized with an acid, they will remain sticky in the carpet and cause rapid resoiling. At Greenway we use neutral Ph cleaners and have no need of an acid rinse, however, any certified cleaner should have been trained to leave a carpet in an acidic state. Don't just take my word for it, when you purchase a new carpet consult the warranty! Most manufacturers recommend having your carpet cleaned every 12-18 months. In fact, some warranties will become void if you do not have them cleaned by a certified firm along the guidelines set forth in the warranty. A carpet that hasn't been cleaned in years (or sometimes a decade) will often have permanent damage. A properly cleaned carpet will NEVER resoil more quickly than before.

A quality hand knotted rug, if properly serviced, can last decades.  Certain Greenway customers have rugs that have been handed down through two generations or more.   Sometimes rug edges or fringes can be damaged by wear or the vacuum cleaner. In cases like these, Greenway can have your area rug repaired for you while we have it in our plant for a cleaning!  It is important to note that removing fringes from certain rugs can devalue them, so it is recommended you consult with your technician before deciding on a particular repair. Below are some rug repair options.

BINDING

Binding is the most inexpensive method of repairing a damaged or unfinished edge.  A damaged fringe is first removed (if applicable), a binding tape is then folded over the edge of the rug and then stitched on. Binding tape can be either synthetic or cotton. Binding is available in standard or wide widths.

 Large Binding                                       Standard Binding

SERGING

Serging is another option for repairing a damaged carpet edge. During the serging process, damaged fringes are removed, then  the exposed edge is finished using an overcast stitch. This is the option most recommended for area rugs that had a fringe to begin with.

   Before Serging                                    After Serging

REFRINGING

Refringing is another option in rug repair. The damaged fringes are removed, the edge is bound, and then a new fringe is stiched onto the rug.

Before Refringing                                  After Refringing

If you have any questions about rug repair, please consult with one of our technicians at the time of pickup, or call our office at (250)479-7419.

If you have purchased a tufted area rug with a glued on fabric backing, chances are it may have a foul smell, like burnt rubber or gasoline. This is due to the latex used to laminate the cloth backing to the back of the carpet. Natural latex can smell stronger than synthetic latex, and can smell anywhere from a couple of weeks to lasting for years!

The other, more damaging, problem with a rug with  this odour is that the off-gassing fumes can actually discolor hardwood, laminate, linoleum and wall to wall carpeting permanently. Also, this odour will not wash or clean out of the rug. Believe me we've tried! To avoid this issue, do yourself a favour and buy an area rug that is hand knotted or machine made where the back of the rug is not covered with a fabric. Keep in mind, not all fabric-backed rugs have this problem. Use your nose before making a purchase, there should be NO SMELL of rubber!

Carpet Pooling 1st View

Carpet Pooling 2nd View

"Pooling' and 'watermarking' are forms of pile reversal that can change the appearance of both wool and synthetic carpets. This is a very aggravating problem that can occur in any carpeting at any time in the carpet's life. Even the best and most expensive carpets can pool. Unfortunately it is irreversible and permanent. We have even used the hottest water temperature (the industry standard used to take out 'crush marks' in carpets) on these areas and they will still persist.

In essence, pooling, or 'watermarking',  is when the carpet's yarns are laying down in one direction and adjacent to that area the pile will lay down in a different direction creating a distortion in appearance – and an ugly one at that! In case you are wondering, carpet cleaning does NOT cause this. Notably, even if your carpet is fairly new and this pooling or watermarking occurs, most carpet manufacturers do NOT recognize this as a manufacturing problem and will not warranty against this.

Carpet Pooling Example View 1

Carpet Pooling Example View 2

There is no known explanation as to why some carpets pool in some homes and not in others. The most popular theory for this phenomenon is electromagnetic currents under particular homes, as it has been noted that there have been instances where someone could purchase a carpet that was on display at a distributor, for example, and then take the rug home and have this occur, only to have them buy a completely different carpet and place it in the same place and have the same thing happen.

Note: Pooling usually only occurs in cut pile carpets, not looped Berber carpets.