Many cleaners have a love/hate relationship with olefin Berber carpet.
We love how it cleans up, but hate the problems we can have after cleaning.
If you use the same procedures and chemistry to clean olefin Berber, nylon Berber and wool Berber, you could end up with problems. Mr. Chem Dry carpet cleaning Utah is up for the challenge.
Berber is a style of carpet that originally was the name of wool loop carpet made in England. Today, it’s the name for Berber “style” carpet that is one of several different face yarns.
Olefin is a very common fiber of choice for Berber styles. Olefin is practically non-absorbent — making it naturally stain resistant — as it only absorbs one-tenth of one percent of its weight in moisture.
This causes problems, however, with typical spotting. A spill on olefin, because it is almost non-absorbent, can run down to the lower part of the fiber or the backing without being absorbed by the fiber. Nylon or wool, unlike olefin, will absorb much of the substance before it reaches the backing.
This is not to be confused with dry particulate soil that must be vacuumed and that can work its way down into any carpet pile.
The spills have now created unseen stains that can be sitting below the surface waiting to come to the top. Some migrated below the surface during the original staining, while others were on the surface and were wiped off or worn off with vacuuming or foot traffic.
When we clean using hot water extraction, the olefin loops are moistened. This moisture provides a route to the surface for the “slush” that has been created by mixing our water with the unseen spill material in the carpet.
Olefin itself doesn’t wick the soil, but the moisture that is sitting on the outside of the fiber provides a great ride to the top for the spilled material. The surface soils have cleaned off beautifully, while the sub-surface materials are on their way up to the surface to cause the cleaner heartache.
Just as they weren’t absorbed on the way down, they’re also not absorbed on the way back up. We would still love to help with your olefin berbers carpet cleaning Utah needs, and feel up to the challenge.