You do everything you can to keep your home clean. You dust, vacuum, mop…but have you ever made changing the air filters in your home part of your cleaning routine? If you haven’t, have you noticed those funny black edges on the carpets in various rooms. You know, those ones that no matter how many times you vacuum, they still remain? Those are called filtration lines. They are a sign that 1) you need to change your air filters more often, 2) you may want to consider having your duct work professionally cleaned and 3) it’s time to contact us to come clean your carpets so that we can help you eliminate those nasty black edges!
Ever wonder what those black lines are along the edges of your carpet — at the baseboards and under doorways?
The black lines are a result of filtration soil.
Filtration soiling is pollution that comes from dirty ductwork and settles on your carpet.
Filtration Soiling 101
According to ProCare, the premium carpet & upholstery care specialists:
“This soiling is called Filtration Soiling because it comes from air passing through the carpet as it is attempting to get through the crack between the carpet and the baseboard or under a closed door. As the air passes through the edge of the carpet pile, this microscopic soiling is deposited there (hence the term filtration soiling). This occurs over a significant period of time and is not noticed until a build up has occurred.”
Think of it as soot from your air ducts (…and candles and other things).
This has become a common problem today because homes are much more airtight than in the past and because aromatherapy and burning of candles is so popular today.
But We Vacuum All The Time…
No matter how “clean” your house is or how much you vacuum… it still happens.
Because most homes aren’t 100% airtight, there is naturally a gap between the flooring and the walls. Air moves through that gap, and the carpet acts the same as a furnace filter, trapping the solid particles of “soot”.
And since it’s difficult for your vacuum cleaner to reach every single spot on your carpet, over time the ultra-fine particles have a chance to really bond with the carpet and become more apparent. Especially in those areas that are harder for your vacuum to reach — like around the baseboards!
Most vacuum cleaners do not clean the edges of a carpet very well, as their main effort is in the center of the vacuum orifice. Some vacuum cleaners have a slot at the edges, to help here, but there is no beating action in this location, and the actual suction at the edges is very small, relatively speaking. Source
By the time you notice it, the problem has progressed to the point that you need to have your air ducts professionally cleaned.
For the rest of this article, go to household-tips.thefuntimesguide.com.