Most homes with carpeting have Berber or cut-pile carpet made of synthetic materials. The carpet's style and quality can play a major role in care and cleaning tasks. Berber carpet has looped pile running in parallel lines (figure A). Berber carpets are the same color throughout the fibers: the dye is injected into the polypropylene before it is formed into carpet fibers. Berber is more expensive initially, but it's much more durable and stain-resistant than cut-pile carpet. Cut-pile carpet uses individual carpet fibers woven tightly together (figure B). The fibers in a cut-pile carpet are colored on the outside and cream or white on the inside. Stains and small burns can be cleaned from most Berbers and cut-pile carpets. Try to clean up spills as quickly as possible. Blot the liquid--don't scrub. To remove stains that have already dried, spray with a commercially available carpet cleaner and allow it to soak in for a few minutes. Then blot up the liquid. Repairing Burns If your carpet has sustained small burns, trim them off with small scissors. Larger burns require more attention. You may need a professional to repair Berber carpets because the fibers are looped together. But you may be able to repair damage to cut-pile carpet by yourself. Materials: Utility knife
Hot-glue gun
Carpet tractor
- Use a carpet or utility knife to cut out the damaged area of carpet approximately 2" past the edge of the burn. Draw the knife between the fibers so that only the carpet backing is cut. Make your cuts as straight as possible (figure C).
- Use the cutout as template to cut a patch from a carpet remnant or from a closet area where the carpet is not often seen.
- Use hot glue to set the patch in place (figure D). Apply glue to the edges of the carpet to prevent the fibers from pulling out. Work the glue into the backing, and glue as much of the edge as possible.
- Roll the seam with a "carpet tractor" to blend the fibers and hide the seam (figure E).
- Check the seams to make sure they're glued properly. If not, pull them out gently, and glue them again.
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