Carpet Care – Pulled Loops, Shedding and Sprouting

The following information should be able to assist you when it comes down to caring for your new carpet.  There are a few issues that may occur with your carpet, particularly when new, that are perfectly normal and wouldn't be considered as manufacturing faults, they are simply a normal phenomenon that will occur in products which are tufted or woven using yarn.

Pulled Loops

Pulled loops can only occur in loop pile carpets when one or more loops have been pulled through the backing of the product. Pulled loops are most likely to occur when a sharp object has caught the loop in situ. Pulled loops are very easy to deal with, usually by trimming the pulled end down to the same level as the rest of the pile. It's important not to leave pulled loops 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.

Shedding

There's a good chance that many cut pile carpets may lose short fibres.  Short fibres are formed when spun yarn is cut for tuft formation.  These loose fibres make their way onto the surface of the carpet and they can appear as fluff. These excess fibres can be removed by using a vacuum cleaner and may occur for some time after a new carpet has been installed.

Sprouting

Occasionally a tuft or two may work their way to the surface of the carpet and this usually occurs when one end of the tuft is longer than another. For example - the sprouting tuft will be in the shape of a J instead of a V. This issue can be resolved 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 as this could potentially end up damaging your carpet

All Birch contract carpets and carpet tiles are designed to give maximum performance but to keep them looking in great condition, read our guidance on How To Clean Your Carpet.

For more support on carpet care please contact our experienced team for advice.