How to Clean the Dirty Edges of a Carpet

The draught marks on carpets and rugs are caused by what is known as filtration soiling and are mostly visible along the edges of the affected item. At first, you might think that you are dealing with some sort of mildew but this is not exactly what is going on.

So, if you:

• Wonder why the edges of your carpet get dirty;
• Want to know how to clean them;
• Are looking for ways to prevent it from happening again,

Keep reading! This article will answer your questions.

These greyish-dark lines on carpets are most visible around the baseboards, near air vents and doors, or along the edges of stairs. This suggests that the issue at hand has something to do with the ventilation of the room. Thankfully, a carpet cleaning may bring back the aesthetics of your rug but you still need to check your home ventilation system to prevent those filtration lines from reoccurring.

Here we will explain exactly what causes the dark spots and share with you how to effectively clean the dirty carpet edges.

How to clean the edges of the carpet

These spots are actually quite difficult to remove and vacuum cleaning alone won’t do the trick. The dirt has settled deep between the fibres and it needs to be dislodged with water and forceful scrubbing. Here is how to deep clean the dirty carpet edges:

What causes the black lines at the edge of your carpet?

The issue is known as filtration soiling, a problem that comes from an imbalance in the ventilation of the space.

The rate at which air leaves the room is lower than the rate of which it enters. When this happens, some of the escaping airflow is forced to go through the available alternative routes such as the small spaces under closed doors and between floor boards. When the air passes through the carpeting, it is being filtered by the fabric. The piece begins to accumulate pollutants and the black marks become visible with time.

What are filtration soils?

Here is a quote from Carpet & Rug Institute:

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.

You can find their technical bulletin on the subject of carpet filtration soiling here.

How to keep the carpet edges clean and prevent filtration soiling

The tactics for keeping these black lines on your carpet from coming back range from free to generally cheap and should be easy to incorporate within your household or place of business. Follow the steps below to prevent or at least reduce the filtration soiling of your carpets:

Our deep carpeting cleaning also does the trick!

If you have the time and are willing to put in the manual work, then you can solve this problem on your own. But keep in mind that we can lend you a helping hand, especially if it’s high time to give your carpeting a comprehensive wash.

We perform professional hot water extraction clean which is the best and most efficient way to clean dirty carpet edges. Hot water extraction, commonly known as steam cleaning, quickly dissolves the accumulated grime and removes it almost immediately along with 95% of the moisture. In addition, we can treat your carpets and rugs with stain protection product to prolong the result.

Takeaways

• Dark dirt marks around the edges of your carpet are caused by an issue called filtration soiling.
• Filtration soiling occurs when there is an imbalance in the air ventilation of the room.
• To clean up these stains, you need water and vigorous scrubbing.
• You may need to use detergent for more persistent stains.
• Prevent this from occurring by reducing air pollutants, minimising dust accumulation and fixing any ventilation issues.

***

Okay, now you know what causes these dark lines on your carpet’s edges. Has this guide been helpful to you? Let us know in the comment section!