To approach the question, how to prevent carpet wicking; we need to understand what causes carpet wicking and what it is. Carpet wicking is when a spill or soiled area is able to penetrate deep into the carpet and even once the carpet is cleaned, the stain still reappears days later. In technical terms, wicking is the result of soil trapped in carpet padding or subflooring that moves to the tips of carpet fibers as it dries after cleaning.
The best way to prevent wicking is to clean up the spot or spill immediately after it occurs, don’t let it sit and penetrate into the carpet. If you aren’t able to get to the spill immediately, cleaning using a technique called low-moisture mode can help. This will extra the residual soiled area once it dries without adding too much additional moisture.
While it can be tempting to repeatedly attempt the clean the area, the addition of water will cause the stain to show up deeper and more prominent once dried. Cleaning the area and drying it immediately is key.
There are absorbent powders that will absorb moisture and soils that normally wick to the surface but those should be applied and used by professionals only.
If someone spills something on the carpet at your office, clean it up immediately and make note of the area for the cleaning crew to treat with care when they come in to clean your carpets at the workplace. Carpet cleaning, especially commercial should be left to the professionals to prevent and treat wicking. Call ServiceMaster of Wake County for a free estimate on treating your carpets today!
