Vacuums and carpet damage

[broomvac]

Hi everyone,

I know that grit damages carpets, but, still, let’s discuss: do vacuums also damage carpets? Which is the lesser evil?

Do vacuum agitators “untwist” carpet yarns over time, causing the matted look, or do they help to stand the pile back up and prevent untwisting in the high traffic areas?

Deep inside, I’m slightly (moderately) nervous that vacuums with stiff bristles might be slowly unraveling carpet yarns. Please put my mind at ease!

 

[tolivac]

Weren't some Dyson vacuums "accused" of causing carpet damage?Folks liked seeing the "stuff" swirling around in the dust cups.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Well, Hoover

always advertised that they "make rugs last longer". The bristles on a Convertible were/are just right.... I never heard of rug damage from a Hoover cleaner.
It was just the opposite.

 

[electrolux137]

Thank you, Google...

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https://thefloorpro.com/community/topics/another-carpet-damaged-by-a-dyson-vacuum.4952/

 

[madman]

Maybe don't vacuum every day. idk

 

[kirbysthebest]

I vacuum daily

and have never had a problem.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I have my late great aunt's

Chinese rug. It's over 70 yrs old now and has ONLY EVER been cleaned with Hoover vacuums. I did have it professionally dunk washed and re-fringed in Dunmore PA. After 70 years........ BUT, the carpet , itself, is wearing in places, but NOT because of the vacuum, simply age for a wool rug.My friend, Tom,(A.), suggested I send TTI photos. Perhaps I will.

 

[huskyvacs]

Yes, they can - but it depends on what combo of carpet and vacuum you have. Dysons have really rock solid stiff bristles that will cause friction burns and rip apart rugs - that's how they claim to clean so good, because the bristles act as both a beater bar and a sweep. Same with your under $70 price point Bissell and Eureka vacuums. Dirt Devils have always had fairly soft bristles that are easy on carpeting.

Beware of a lot of cheap throw rugs and area rugs made today that have upside down "U" hoop fibers. Vacuums will catch those and unravel the rug faster than you can blink.

Walking with shoes on in the house does not damage carpet or rugs unless you are practicing to be the castle guards at Buckingham Palace.

2008+ manufactured large wool rugs are very prone to grit and trample damage regardless of how meticulous you are, so they need to be vacuumed daily to keep the fibers fluffed and stop grit from sawing at the fibers.

If you have wall to wall carpeting - as long as it wasn't cheaply installed or have cheap thin backing - is pretty hardy and durable. I had cheap wall to wall carpet in my house and it bunched up in places, worn sheer in others, and came un-tacked along one wall. It was really bad and the backing was as thin as a cracker - it had no rigidity. The carpet got ripped out in 2008 anyway because I had a rude cat that just went crazy and started peeing in all the corners and in places on the carpet and I had to take all the carpet out because the smell was so bad. There was gorgeous hardwood oak flooring under the carpeting anyway from when they built the house in 1950 so it all worked out.

Also shampooing at least 3 times a year with a good shampooer washer/extractor (the right way, not by just loading soap into the carpet and sucking it back out) can help keep your carpet fresh and rejuvenated - and maybe get a carpet rake and rake the fibers every month or so too.