Shedding of Carpets
New carpeting made from spun yarn, especially cut pile, will shed little bits of fibre for a limited time. Eventually, those loose sheds will be taken up in a vacuum cleaner. Shedding is more common in wool than nylon and other synthetics. To avoid shedding select continuous filament fibres.
Sprouting
Occasionally, you may find small tufts of fibre sprouting above the carpet surface. Simply trim with sharp scissors. Don’t try to pull them out since you may pull other fibres out in the process.
Snags
Sharp-edged objects can grab or snag a carpet fibre. When this happens cut the snag off. If the snag is especially large, call in a professional.
Shading
Shading is a characteristic of fine, cut-pile carpets. Household traffic causes the pile to assume different angles. As a result, the carpet appears darker or lighter in such areas. It’s part of the natural beauty of plush carpet – light reflects differently as the pile is pushed in different directions.
Rippling
In wall-to-wall carpeting, high humidity may cause rippling. If the carpet remains rippled during normal humidity, have a professional restretch the carpet.
Static
Cooler outside temperatures often create static electricity. To avoid the problem altogether, look for carpets with a built-in anti-static protection. Meantime, a humidifier will help control static build – up.
Crushing
Unless you plan to live without furniture, your carpet will display crushing in spots where heavy objects are set. To raise the pile to its original height, you will have to do some vigorous brushing. If the indentations are particularly stubborn, you can try passing a hot steam iron over them – but no closer than six inches above the carpet, be sure not to press iron down.
Matting
Matting is not the same as crushing. Matting is the physical entanglement of the fibres on the surface of the carpet pile; when compacted under use, a loss of pile height may result. Many different factors can contribute to matting; for example; tip bloom (when tips of carpet tufts lose some of their twist) often leads to the entanglement of the carpet fibres. Any foreign material in the carpet can accelerate the condition. Sticky residue left from a spill or improperly used carpet shampoo is especially harmful as well as materials used as runners or walk-off mats which rub against the surface pile, can also contribute to matting. Proper maintenance is the key to reducing matting problems.
Fading
Most high-end carpets meet or exceed Colour Fast Standards as per the Canadian Carpet Institute Guidelines. However all carpets will slowly loose some colour due to natural or artificial forces in the environment. This can be controlled by: frequently removing dirt by vacuuming, regularly changing air filters, keeping humidity at normal level and setting the temperature from getting too high, reducing sunlight exposure with window coverings.