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For your safety, it’s always best to have a thorough understanding of cleaning terminology to avoid accidental chemical reactions by mixing products that shouldn’t touch. Plus, whether you own a business or home that you need to hire professional cleaning services for, you’ll likely find it easier to discuss your needs with a source of reference, so you know what’s what. We recently went through general cleaning industry terms for an overview of definitions, now let’s break down the components of carpet cleaning, specifically.
Carpet Cleaning A-Z
A
Acid Rinse
Also called a “brown out” rinse, an acid rinse is where an acid-based product is run through the extraction cleaning system to rinse out any detergent residue and decrease the pH level.
Acrylic Fiber
A plastic fiber that is commonly used in upholstery, but not often for carpeting.
Anti-Allergen Cleaning
Cleaning to deactivate allergens most frequently found, such as pollen, mold, and dust mites.
B
Berber Style Carpet
A popular choice for homeowners, Berber has large, knobby loops with random specks of color.
Blooming
Carpet fibers untwisting due to regular use, improper heat settings, or poor cleaning quality.
Bonnet Carpet Cleaning
A rotary cleaning machine is used with a cotton pad that has detergent solutions on it to buff the carpet.
Browning
Not to be confused with brown out flushing, browning is when fiber tips on carpeting turn dark after cleaning and drying.
Bulking
A method of fluffing yarns up to provide more coverage, typically done by crimping.
C
Carpet Crushing
Also known as carpet matting, crushing happens when fibers become bent and compressed over time.
Carpet Tiles
A common solution for commercial needs, carpet tiles are individual squares of carpet which make for easier spot cleaning due to the ability to remove squares.
Cookie-Cutter Carpet Repair
A method for repairing carpet when all other resources have been attempted, cookie-cutter repair uses portions of carpet taken from an area out of sight to fix burns, stains, rips, and other damages.
D
Delamination
The separation of the primary carpet backing from the secondary backing.
Denier
A unit of measurement that determines the thickness of fiber threads, low denier counts are softer and silky while high denier counts are thick and durable.
F
Face Weight
A form of measurement that determines the weight of fibers per square yard of carpet, not including the backing.
Fiber
A fine, thread-like material that is converted into yarn to be used for carpet.
Filtration Soil Lines
Dark lines appear on the carpet, typically because of candle soot or aromatherapy practices.
Fray
Damage to carpet fibers (expansion and change in texture) from high foot traffic or improper cleaning methods.
Fusion Lines
Dragging heavy furniture across carpeting creates friction with enough heat to fuse the tips of the carpet together. This is not reversible unless in a very small section.
H
Hot Water Extraction
A cleaning process that agitates the carpet, breaking down buried grime within the fibers before rinsing and turbo-drying.
M
Maintenance Program
Routine cleaning sessions are scheduled with professionals and customized for unique business needs.
N
Nylon Carpet Fiber
A moth and mildew-proof non-allergenic synthetic fiber that is most often used for carpet.
O
Olefin Carpet Fiber
A stain-resistant, low absorption synthetic fiber that is also known as polypropylene.
P
Padding
The layer of cushion between the carpet and floorboard, which extends the lifespan and improves the quality of the carpet.
Pile
Also known as “nap”, the pile is the portion of carpet fibers visible.
Primary Carpet Backing
The main support of the carpet which the tufts are inserted.
R
Resilience
The ability to resist matting, which depends on the fiber, padding, and backing used.
Rippling
Areas where carpeting is loose and appears to have waves or wrinkles in it, typically from high heat and humidity.
S
Seam
The line where two pieces of carpet connect.
Secondary Carpet Backing
Additional material that is added to the primary backing for stability.
Soiling
The buildup of dirt, dust, and grime clinging to carpet fibers.
T
Traffic Lane Spotters
A chemical pre-treatment is applied to specific areas of the carpet before beginning the extraction cleaning process.
Tufting
Inserting loops of yarn into the primary backing of the carpet.
W
Walk Off Mats
Entrance mats that help prevent dirt from spreading throughout the property by removing soil from the shoe, absorbing dirt and excess moisture, and slowing the rate of soil transfer to the carpet.
Z
Zippering
When tufts are pulled from the carpet backing (by snagging on something or being grabbed by a vacuum cleaner), causing long sections of missing yarn.
Hopefully, these terms will help you stay in the loop for the next time you need carpet cleaning.
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