Carpets have different characteristics and the way one carpet behaves after a wash may be completely different from another. However, there are some issues which will affect all types of carpets, and one of the common carpet cleaning nightmares is shrinking after a cleaning. Shrinkage is a problem which can be avoided when the proper carpet cleaning guidelines for the particular carpet type are followed.

When the cleaning water is too hot

Most carpet cleaning companies use hot water and carpet shampoo in their cleaning processes. Hot water is wonderful for dirt removal, but when the temperature is too high, the fibres forming the carpet will shrink. Most rugs come with a care label that indicates the water temperatures which will be ideal for cleaning. Before taking your carpets to the cleaner, ensure that you have read these regulations and that you share them with the cleaner. In addition to shrinking, steam cleaning a carpet also leads to the formation of residues which minimises the overall effectiveness of cleaning.

Dealing with natural fibres

Today's carpets are mainly made out of artificial fibres. However, there are still lots of oriental rugs which are made of natural fibres such as wool and cotton. These fibres are more susceptible to shrinking than their artificial counterparts. When your carpet cleaner is not careful to find out the types of fibres used to make your carpet, they may end up using cleaning techniques that will shrink the rug. Let the cleaner know that you have a natural fibre carpet so that they can plan cleaning accordingly.

When the carpet is soaked for too long

Most carpet cleaners know that the best way to handle stubborn stains is to soak the carpets for an extended period. They will therefore try and use a lot of water and soap to remove all stubborn stains from rugs and when the material cannot handle the excess moisture, it will start shrinking. Go for a carpet cleaner who has a variety of stain removal methods that do not compromise the state of the carpet, or involve soaking the rug in water for extended periods.

Those are three simple guidelines to help you protect your rug from shrinking during cleaning. The worst thing about shrinking is that it usually affects parts of the carpet unevenly, which means that when the rug gets back, it will have lost its original shape. Hiring professional cleaners protects you from such eventualities.