How to Clean a Berber Carpet

Carpets have become an integral part of many homes and berber carpets are a popular choice in this regard. Berber carpets are made from hand spun natural fibers and are known for their elegance and rich textures. These carpets were traditionally made in the regions of Northern Africa. Wool has been a preferred material for manufacturing berber carpets for a long time. But now they are also available in synthetic fibers like nylon and olefin. Initially, only light and natural shades were used in making berber carpets, which required high maintenance. Today, berber carpets come in a wide range of colors and are preferred by many for their durability and rugged look. However, they need frequent cleaning as compared to other types of carpets.

How to Clean a Berber Carpet

How to clean a berber carpet has been a constant anxiety for the owners, especially with the popular myth that cleaning berber carpets is really difficult and tiresome in comparison to other types of carpets. However, the key to keep your berber carpet clean lies in some simple cleaning tips. Proper cleaning of carpets depends to a great extent, on the type of material used, i.e. whether natural or synthetic fibers are used in manufacturing them. For example, using harsh chemicals to clean carpets made from natural fibers can cause considerable damage to the fibers and colors of your carpets.

Berber carpets are usually so thick that it prevents the frequent accumulation of dirt, as dirt can't easily penetrate deep within the carpet fibers. But on the other hand, it is really difficult to remove dirt if it is trapped within the carpet. Therefore, frequent vacuum cleaning using a suction vacuum cleaner, is a must for keeping your berber carpet clean and beautiful. But for vacuuming your carpet, do not use brushing or beater bar attachments, as it can tear the loops leading to fuzzing and shedding.

If your berber carpet is made from olefin fibers, then it should be considerably resistant to moisture and stains and can easily release dirt from the surface. So you can easily use steam cleaning for these types of carpets. On the other hand, berber carpets made from nylon are relatively less expensive and can retain the same bright color and rich texture even after several washes. Nylon carpets can also resists stains, mold and mildew. For cleaning such carpets you can use low moisture cleaning methods like dry foam. For woolen berber carpets, low moisture cleaning methods like dry cleaning can be used, as they take a very long time to dry completely.

For removing stains from your carpet, you need to clean them as soon as possible before the stains settle down into the fabric of your carpet. But do not use excess water and never scrub the stains, as scrubbing can make the stains more stubborn. Instead, use an absorbent cloth to absorb the stains and then sprinkle water. But do not use harsh detergents or chemicals for cleaning your carpet.

So, vacuum cleaning along with steam cleaning (for nylon and olefin carpets) at least once a year, are sufficient to keep your berber carpets spick-and-span. Besides this, follow the instructions mentioned in the user manual and adhere to the advice of manufacturers or experts, to clean and care for berber carpets.