Have you ever wondered what those black lines are on your carpet? Either along the edges or under doorways, particularly airing cupboard doors? They’re often dismissed as dust, but when you vacuum them, you find that they can’t be removed.
Whats the problem? and what causes this?
We call this “filtration soiling” or “draught marks” and it occurs when air moves through the cavities; under the skirting and floorboards.
As air draws through, the carpet acts as a filter trapping these tiny floating particles that are often greasy soils.
Smoke, fireplace ash, cooking oil, traffic fumes (if you live near a busy road) are just some of the causes and this is why they’re so difficult to remove.
What Can I Do About It?
A good professional carpet cleaner should be able to at least reduce their appearance. Since every carpet and it’s environment differs, 100% removal success is not always achievable on filtration soiling and you’ll be advised of this during your carpet cleaners’ pre-inspection.
It’s important to note that however well your carpet cleaner can remove or reduce these draught marks, they’re more than likely to return over time as the cause of the problem is not with the carpet itself.
You’ll need to prevent the movement of air between floorboards, skirting and any gaps. This is done by sealing joints and small gaps. If you’ve got the old style floorboards in your home, you could overlay these with hardboard and tape the joints. All of which your floor fitter can fix before installing new or reinstalling your carpet.
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If you need any advice or information on our carpet cleaning services, please fill out the form or contact us on 0800 566 8949. We’d love to hear from you!