Last week DWP Carpet Binding had two pieces arrive which the customer was hoping to have the fringe replaced. One piece in particular had fringe on it that was ripped from the carpet. The customer that brought it into us said that we had done the job less than 6 months ago, further stating they would not be charging their customer for the re-do. This leads me to today's topic:
Beater bars on vacuum cleaners are fringe's worst enemy!
In looking at the carpet, it was very obvious that the carpet was vacuumed and a beater bar was used on the fringe. The stitching of the binding & fringe were still intact, but the carpet itself had been torn. The fringe we use is generally 2 - 4.5 inches in length. When a beater bar is used on such material, it causes tangling and ultimately will damage the carpet or the fringe.
Envision long hair and a round brush. If you're not careful, you'll end up with the brush stuck in your hair; which anybody who has experienced such a thing knows it becomes a nightmare! You can either fight and tug at the brush causing a horrible rat's nest of tangles and knots, or you can cut the hair and end up with a frightful hair style. The same holds true where fringe is concerned. When you vacuum with a beater bar, you will tug and pull at the material until it frees up, which will undoubtedly end with damaged material.
Although professionals will know better than to use a vacuum beater bar on fringed material, not all consumers may know that much. It is very important to use the proper tools on your carpets. When vacuuming a carpet that has fringe on it, do not use the beater bar! If you have the option to use an attachment on the hose, such as one you would use for curtains or hard to reach places, that is the best choice for your cleaning needs. If that option is not available, it would be recommended that you vacuum the majority of the carpet, without touching the fringe. At that point, you can use a broom to sweep away any dirt or dust that may be lingering in your fringe. The alternative to all of that is doing it the old-fashioned way by hanging your carpet over something sturdy and beating it with a broom outdoors! Although these options require more effort on your behalf to get your carpet clean, it is far more effective for the protection of your fringe. There are less chances of ruining the material by steering clear from the use of vacuum beater bars.
For anybody who may be wondering, DWP Carpet Binding repaired the carpet by using latex on both edges that have fringe, prior to doing any other work. Latex helps material stabilize by rubberizing as it dries. This is especially helpful on woven pieces, such as the piece we had to repair. The latex will help the strengthening of the carpet edges so that if a beater bar is used yet again the carpet and fringe stand a better chance. Although latex will be helpful it is not the solution to the problem. I reiterate that vacuum beater bars SHOULD NOT & CAN NOT be used on carpets with fringe!
DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR WEB-SITE & ETSY STORE:
http://dwpcarpetbinding.com
http://www.etsy.com/people/KellyGreenCarpets
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