Common Carpet Problems You should Know About
Shedding & Pilling
Shedding
Shedding is the fluffing or fuzzing of short, loose fibers which remain in a new carpet after manufacture. Shedding is a normal process which does not damage the rug, nor does it indicate any defective condition. New carpet and rugs tend to shed loose fibers for several months. If during this time the carpet is not vacuumed thoroughly and regularly, the fluffing may continue for as long as a year, sometimes longer. The fibers coming out are those which are not anchored into the back of the carpet. They are short fibers which are not tightly held in the tufts or fibers which have fallen into the pile during the shearing operation. Even though the volume of fiber lost may appear to be great, the actual amount is small when the total amount of fiber is considerered. This loss will not appreciably change the wear life.
Pilling
In some cases only one end of the fiber is worked out. Sometimes the fiber is tightly twisted or entangled in the tuft. When this situation occurs the fibers entangle and form a fuzzy ball, referred to as a "pill". Pilling is not a problem if the pills break off or are pulled out by the vacuum as they form. A strong fiber such as nylon will resist this breaking. This results in small spider-like pills over the entire surface of the carpet, perhaps more concentrated in the areas of greatest traffic.
Thse pills can generally be removed by lifting the main ball portion with the thumb and forefinger and, with scissors, cutting the fiber which holds the "ball" onto the carpet . Take care not to pull any excess fiber from the carpet or damage the pile when cutting.
