Since it's best to clean using only one pass and since Berber tends to hold liquid more than most carpets, you might imagine that extracting stains is difficult. It's very tempting to try to take up spills or clean heavily soiled areas like traffic paths with repeated machine passes. However, making multiple passes (except to vacuum only) is unwise because the more liquid you put down, the deeper Berber carpet channels moisture - even into the pad. This is called over-wetting and the results from it can range from being left with a musty smelling carpet from the trapped moisture to a wicking up of stains previously left so deep in the carpet that they come up literally from the backings and pad.

The best way to achieve professional results cleaning stained or high-traffic areas on Berber is to use Rug Doctor's specialty products.

If the machine cannot remove tough stains in one pass despite pre-treatment, allow the carpet to dry completely and re-clean rather than risk over-wetting.

Preventing Musty Odours Over-wetting Berber can sometimes result in musty odours due to the carpet remaining damp for too long. If over-wetting occurs your first step should be to try to remove as much moisture as possible by repeating vacuum-only passes. It's a good idea to rinse the dome filter of the machine even if it doesn't look blocked to maximize the machine's vacuum airflow. Then allow the carpet to dry thoroughly. If weather permits open windows and doors to increase air circulation or use fans, heating or air conditioning to speed the drying process. Problems are rare so it's likely you won't experience them. Rug Doctor machines have extremely powerful 1.9 hp vacuum motors and do an excellent job of removing liquid from carpets. However, if a musty smell develops, allow the carpet to completely dry and re-clean using Rug Doctor Carpet Cleaner and Odour Remover combined in the machine. Odour Remover's active enzymes will attack and consume the odour at its source. Follow the instructions above to help accelerate drying.

Removing Stains that Wick-Up Regardless of whether you're cleaning Berber or the more common cut pile carpet, occasionally if over-wetting occurs, pet accidents you may have been unaware of or spills you once thought had gone can reappear due to wick-up. Concentrated, large spills or pet accidents often pass straight through the carpet and settle deep into the backing and pad where they spread out and are especially tough to remove. When carpet is over-wet these old spills will dissolve and wick up the carpet strands as it dries. Because the spill moves to the surface after the machine has cleaned the area, a concentration of the spill will remain on the top of carpet strands once the liquid has evaporated and become a stain.

If stains from wick up are evident once the carpet has completely dried, there are two approaches you can take to cleaning. For a small area stain, spot treat using Urine Eliminator. This can be done with or without a follow up machine cleaning. For larger areas you can choose to re-clean just using Rug Doctor Carpet Cleaner - but make your cleaning passes faster than normal, about 1 1/2; to 2 feet per second, and use additional vacuuming-only passes.

Remember, Berber carpet just takes a bit more time but just like any other carpet it can be cleaned safely and very well using Rug Doctor.