The easy way to clean
Berber carpet

As a tightly woven, looped carpet Berber has a
tendency to absorb stains and spills deep into its
fibres where the looped structure and its tight weave
can make them difficult to remove.

CLEANING BERBER CARPETS

As with most types of carpet, Berber's preferred method of cleaning is wet extraction and the Rug Doctor machine can provide this.

As Berber is a tightly woven looped carpet, it has a tendency to allow stains and spills to be absorbed deep into its fibres where the looped structure and tight weave can make them difficult to remove. This looped structure also tends to make Berber carpets retain moisture and take longer to dry. Despite this, by making only slight changes to the normal Rug Doctor cleaning method, you can achieve professional quality results when you clean it yourself using a Rug Doctor machine.

Rug Doctor makes it easy

Successful cleaning of Berber requires only that you take more deliberate cleaning passes and plan to take a little extra time to make additional vacuuming only passes (ie not with the red spray button pressed).

The process is quite simple:

Clean with a Rug Doctor machine using only one cleaning pass while pressing the red spray button on the handle to release the cleaning solution. Move the machine backwards at a quick pace of about 1-2 feet per second.

Make a second pass without pressing the spray switch so that you are vacuuming only over the cleaned area. This pass may be more effective when done at a right angle to the first. In both passes be sure to keep the vacuum slot at the front bottom edge of the machine snug against the carpet. Berber's loops tend to have a bumpy texture that can cause the machine to bounce along the surface. This can make the vacuum less effective so it's important to make the second vacuum only pass slowly while keeping the machine from bouncing.

Depending on the season, turn up the heating in the room and also use fans to accelerate drying. On dry, warm days you can open windows or doors to circulate air.

Avoid the temptation to make more than one cleaning pass

It's very tempting to try to take up spills or clean heavily soiled areas like traffic paths with repeated machine passes. But remember, Berber tends to hold liquid more than most carpets - so it's recommended to clean only in one pass

Multiple passes (except to vacuum only) is really to be avoided because the more liquid you put down, the more likely you are to over-wet the carpet and the results 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.

Pre-treat problem areas and stains before cleaning

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

Pre-treat high-traffic areas with Rug Doctor's Traffic Lane Cleaner. Pre-treatment penetrates fibres to loosen the oily and embedded dirt that's tracked onto carpets from outdoors or kitchens. Follow with machine cleaning.

Rug Doctor's Spot & Stain Remover and Urine Eliminator can be sprayed on or applied by saturating a towel and transferring the product evenly over the stain to prevent "pour through" of the liquid to the backing. Apply a clean, dry towel to the spot and stand on it with your full weight to soak up as much of the stain as possible. Follow with machine cleaning.

These methods allow the problem areas to be prepared for stain removal by the machine so that one-pass cleaning can be more effective. In the case of Spot & Stain Remover and Urine Eliminator you need not wait to rent or use a machine to effectively clean with them, they're excellent just by themselves.
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.

Over-wetting can sometimes results in problems, however...

Over-wetting 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, heat 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 extracting liquid from carpets. However, if a musty smell develops, allow 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 and odours that wick-up from the base of the carpet: Regardless of whether you're cleaning Berber or pile carpet, occasionally if over-wetting occurs or, for instance, there has been a pet accident that you may have been unaware of or spills you once thought had gone - these can reappear due to wick-up.

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 to 2 feet per second, and use addition
vacuuming-only passes.

Getting that professional quality clean

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.

Troubleshooting guide

If you are having any problems using your Rug Doctor please refer to our Troubleshooting guide by clicking here. If you are still experiencing problems please call our Consumer Support Specialists (Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm, Saturday 09.00am to 5.00pm, Sunday 10.00am to 4.00pm (excluding: New Years Day, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day)) on 01903 235558. Click here for more information.