Occasionally, the dark lines around the edge of the carpet can be mold or just a build up of where the vacuum has not been able to reach. Most of the time, however, the dark lines around the edge of the carpet is a phenomenon called filtration soiling. Filtration soiling occurs when the room “breathes” around the bottom of the wall and underneath doors that remain closed most of the time. As the air flows through the carpet, the carpet acts like a filter. The particulate that is filtered has been floating in the air and is extremely small and therefore, extremely difficult to remove. It is as if someone sprinkled copier toner along the edges of the carpet.
Sometimes the filtration soiling can be an indication the air quality in the home is poor. Incomplete combustion of gas heating can contribute to the problem. Burning candles can definitely make it worse. An inspection of the AC system may indicate a need for air duct cleaning. Using the edging tool of the vacuum cleaner can help keep filtration soiling under control.
Most carpet cleaners consider filtration soiling to be a permanent stain. SteamDry Carpet Cleaning has developed a process which will almost always remove the dark lines. When the soiling is severe and has been there a long time, we are not able to remove it entirely, but it will still make a dramatic improvement. I can’t give away all our secrets, but I can say that we use a special cleaning solution applied in a special way and use a special tool to remove the stain.
The removal of the dark lines around the edge of the carpet is included in our SteamDry Premium Package, and are available for an additional charge in our SteamDry Economy Package.