How to Clean Carpeting

With carpet used in more homes, along with better insulation and heating, static electricity may be more noticeable.

There are many variables such as the physiological makeup of an individual, weight, walking habits and even the type of shoe soles worn.

It's affected by the face fibre of the carpet, construction of the carpet, the backing, type of cushion under the carpet and the kind of floor.

The amount of moisture in the air and, consequently, the face yarns is a major factor in determining if someone is going to get shocked after walking over a carpet.

Static electricity may be noticeable and then it will disappear. It may or may not return. The reason it disappeared is the change of some variable. It could be a change in the type of shoe soles or the carpet has been soiled.

The static electricity on a dirty carpet is less than on a clean one. However, humidity is probably the biggest factor that produces the change.

Moisture in the air will be absorbed by the carpet fibres. The moisture in the fibres is important as the moisture will help to dissipate the electrical charge. If there is sufficient moisture present there will not be enough charge built up to produce a shock.

The earliest method used to control static was to place pans of water on the stove or radiators. Moisture is added to some heating systems today by placing a humidifier on the furnace. If sufficient water is added to the air, it will eliminate the static problem but too much moisture can produce a condensation problem on window glass in the colder climates.

Another method is to spray the carpet surface with an antistatic agent. It is not a permanent treatment as it is slowly removed by the soles of the shoes. If these agents are sprayed in the fall, they will probably be effective until spring. This is the normal season of low humidity and most problems with static electricity.

If static becomes noticeable before spring, then the traffic areas can be retreated. Some of the antistatic agents are sticky and will cause dirt to adhere to the carpet. A carpet retailer should be able to supply an antistatic agent that will not accelerate soiling.

Carpet and rugs can be purchased with special fibres or treatments built into them which will eliminate the static electricity problem.