Dealing with Carpet Shedding, Sprouting and Pulled Loops

After investing in a new carpet, you might come across some common issues which you’ll want to address quickly to keep your carpets looking their best for years to come.

Our guide explains a few things you’re likely to see with a new carpet and how you can take care of them.

Carpets shedding loose fibres

There's a good chance that many newly installed cut pile carpets may lose short fibres over time, which is known as shedding.

Loose carpet fibres make their way onto the surface of the carpet appearing as fluff, and just requires frequent vacuuming to take care of.

Carpet sprouting

Carpet sprouting occurs when a tuft or two works their way to the surface of the carpet, usually because one end of the tuft is longer than another.

Sprouting can be addressed by simply trimming the longer tuft down to size using a pair of carpet scissors or napping shears. You should never attempt to pull the tuft out directly, as this could end up damaging your carpet.

Pulled loops

Pulled loops occur in loop pile carpets when one or more loops have been pulled through the backing of the carpet, often after being caught by a sharp object.

Pulled loops are very easy to deal with by trimming the pulled end down to the same level as the rest of the carpet pile. It's important not to leave pulled loops in your carpet, as this may result in further loops occurring or, more seriously, developing into a 'ladder'. This is a particular concern when the carpet is constructed using continuous filament yarn because the 'ladder' can be extensive.

Carpet care tips from Birch Carpets

Visit our blog to find more tips and tricks on caring for your contract carpets and carpet tiles. If you need more support on carpet care, get in touch with our experienced team who will be happy to help!