Berber carpet is one of the most durable types of carpet available on the market today. Cleaning Berber is as easy as cleaning any other kind of carpet. Cleaning Berber carpet is not something to procrastinate about; it can't be left just for your annual spring cleaning, it needs to be done the moment it gets dirty. Cleaning this type of carpet regularly is one secret in keeping it looking good for years.



The best way to clean Berber carpets is to keep them from getting dirty in the first place and this can be done by taking your shoes off, vacuuming regularly, placing small mats over high traffic areas to prevent marks in the carpet and cleaning spots or spills when they occur. Berber carpet cleaning should be taken seriously because if you let a stain set into the carpet, it is nearly impossible to remove and you may continue seeing its little mark for years.

Berber carpet is just a looped carpet and the loops are not of the same size, but large and small are woven together, to create a casual textured looped carpet. Not all Berber carpets wear well because, in order to create the casual look, mills add air to the loops, and air does not resist crushing well. Berber carpets hide footprints and vacuum tracks very well. Berber carpets are generally made out of olefin, nylon or wool and cleaning these different types of fabric is where it gets tricky.

Olefin Berber carpet is one of the most inexpensive fibers of Berber carpet that you can find. Olefin fibers resist all stains, except those that are oil-based, which is excellent in homes where children or pets live. Olefin fibers are frequently difficult to clean because of their tenacious affinity for oils. Olefin Berber carpets respond well to steam cleaning but the drawback is that the cleaning solution tends to slide down the fiber shaft into the backing since it does not get absorbed by the carpet. As a result, drying time on olefin Berber is often much longer than nylon cut-pile. If you have olefin Berber it doesn't matter how much you clean it, you are going to be left with stains.

Nylon Berber carpet still dominates the market and always will. Nylon is soil- and mildew-resistant, resilient and non-allergenic. Nylon Berber is moderately priced and holds up well to wear being harder than olefin but it also stains easier than olefin. Nylon is a good choice for all traffic areas because it is durable and maintains fiber height, and resists soiling, staining, and mildew. When a water-based cleaning solution is applied to nylon carpet, some of the solution is absorbed into fibers, while the rest flows toward the backing due to pressure and gravitational forces. Knowing how to clean Berber carpet will help your carpet last longer and you will be more satisfied with it. Because of the nature of nylon Berber you will find a low moisture or drier method of cleaning will get you the best results.

Wool is the only alternative to nylon carpet and holds a small percentage of the market due to cost and lifestyle factors. Wool is one of the most expensive carpet fibers and will last the longest. Wool naturally resists general soiling, crushing, and most stains, it wears well and dirt comes out easily with cleaning but because it retains the most moisture a dry method of cleaning will get the best results. The biggest concern to be aware of when cleaning wool is to ensure the pH level of the cleaning solution is neutral. A high pH solution will ruin wool carpeting slowly, but surely. This is important to know, because not only will a high pH rating ruin wool; but a high pH rating will void most warranties.

As you can see, cleaning Berber carpet is quite different from cleaning regular carpet. With just a little cleaning and maintenance, your quality Berber carpeting will last you for years. If you have your carpets professionally cleaned, or clean them yourself, on a regular basis, making sure that all the excess water is removed from the Berber carpet you will find that your Berber carpets will maintain their beauty and elegance for many years.