"Magnitized" carpet tacks attract dust to carpet - how does one avoid/demagnitize?
Question:We had our carpet cleaned recently and were told that the carpet tacks used to lay our carpet have a magnetic effect on dust. Our upper level and stairway are carpeted while the lower level is tiled. It's evident that this has happened (I guess static electricity caused?) as you can see darker edges to the carpet where the tack strips would run. I'd LOVE to get rid of this issue, but professional carpet cleaning didn't do it. The carpet is probably 4 years old and otherwise in great shape. From what I understand, the fact that we have tile on the lower floor exacerbates the problem on the second level, although I'm not entirely sure why (air intakes on both floors). Suggestions/ideas??
Answers:
What you are experiencing is called soil filtration
Filtration soiling is a term used to describe dark, grayish lines that may appear on carpet. This is not a carpet defect, but a situation in which dust, smog, and other airborne pollutants can accumulate on the carpet face fibers in areas with a
concentrated flow of air over the carpet or through tiny cracks or other open areas under the carpet. The soiling condition can occur quickly or it may develop over a period of months or years.
Filtration soiling areas may appear around baseboards, under doors, along the edges of stairs and possibly away from walls where plywood sub-flooring materials have been joined.
Filtration soiling can occur under closed interior doors where a central heating, ventilation, and air condition (HVAC)
system is utilized. Interior doors should remain open to reduce filtration soiling that may develop under closed doors while the HVAC system is in operation.
Filtration soils may be fireplace or automobile emissions, residue from furniture polishes, fine sand or clay particles, cooking oils, or a host of other soils. Oily airborne
contaminants trapped by carpet fibers will serve to attract more dry soils.
That doesn't make an sense at all. How can dust be attracted to "magnetized" carpet tacks? If you layed a magnet on your counter top for a week, would it have a pile of dust on it? Dust is not metallic, therefore it cannot be effected by magnetic pull. Dust is attracted to static though and the dust that lays on the edges of your carpet, against walls and in corners is there because your vacuum is not as effective in those areas. You simply have a buildup. I would get a bottle of static guard and spray the carpet entirely after giving the carpet a thorough vacuuming including in the corners and edges with the attachments. That should do the trick.
Bo-o-o-o-gus!
Sounds to me like your carpet-cleaner couldn't get the edges clean, so they made this nonsense up! Try using some "high-traffic" carpet cleaning spray on those areas yourself & see if it makes a difference. If it doesn't, it's likely the carpet is more worn where you walk than along the edges (imagine that!), so is losing its color.
Here's an experiment you can try: call another carpet cleaner in your area that would have heard of the company you used, tell them what they said, and ask their opinion!
Tacks with a "magnetic effect on dust", that's golden!
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