Empire Carpet Maintenance - Performance Characteristics
Proactive care of your new Empire Carpet can add significantly to the performance of your purchase. Carpet is a textile product. You may therefore notice some common textile characteristics in your new purchase. Below are examples of the most common textile characteristics you may experience along with care recommendations.
It is not uncommon for new Carpet to shed. Shedding is defined as cut ends of fiber during manufacturing that surface with use. This is normal for staple construction. There is generally no danger of excessive fiber loss.
o Care Recommendation: Ensure that you are vacuuming your Empire Carpet frequently to minimize shedding.
Sprouting can be caused by a variety of different elements that have sharp edges, such as a vacuum cleaner, a child’s toy, high heels or an animal’s nails. These loose ends are known as “sprouts” due to their appearance.
o Care Recommendation: If the loose ends extend above the rest of the Carpet pile, carefully clip them so that they are even with the pile surface. It is important that you never try to pull out any loose ends because it may cause the Carpet to unravel. After clipping the ends, ensure that you smooth the area with your fingers.
All Carpet fibers crush under heavy stationary loads. These “crushed” areas can appear to be flattened and tightly packed together over time.
o Care Recommendation: Crushing may be reduced by shifting the furniture or object regularly. These areas may also be improved by covering them with a damp, clean white cloth and then briefly applying low heat with an electric iron that does not damage Carpet fibers. This also depends on the fiber type used in the manufacturing process. It is recommended that you test Empire Carpet in an inconspicuous location. Keep traffic off of the treated area until it is dry.
Shading is commonly mistaken for color fading. Also known as “color walkout,” this condition generally occurs after a Carpet has been in service for a period of time. Color walkout will appear as a general loss or lightening of color in the traffic lanes. Normally, this is a direct function of poor maintenance and/or reorientation of pile yards is not considered a manufacturing defect.
o Care Recommendation: Brushing the pile all in one direction may temporarily correct shading. However, shading is also part of the Empire Carpet styling and should be expected in varying degrees.
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