Carpets, Salt and Boston Snowstorms

Salt can be both a friend and a foe to carpeting.  It can be a lifesaver if you own a pet that has fleas.  Many have discovered how salt is an effective, natural way to curb a flea infestation in carpeting. The salt works to dehydrate the fleas and their eggs, eventually killing them.

Salt can also be your carpet’s worst enemy, especially following one of the worst winters in Boston history. The chemicals used to melt ice and clear walks can be particularly destructive to carpet fibers.  They can cloud the color of carpet as the salt residue dries and remains on the fibers.  The small particulates are sharp and can break down the carpet fibers, as well as get ground into the carpet backing.

It is particularly important to deep clean carpets following the winter season to extract the salt and dirt tracked in during snowstorms and inclement weather. If extraction cleaning is not implemented to remove the salt, the carpets are damaged due to the stripping of their chemical compounds.

In addition to an extensive extraction cleaning of carpets after this harsh winter season, the Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI ) recommends a carpet maintenance program that defines various areas of your facility based on traffic intensity, and suggests the proper scheduling of vacuuming, spotting and extraction cleaning.

High traffic areas include entrances, hallways, break rooms, cafeterias, corridors, elevator lobbies, stairways, main aisles and waiting areas.  They should be deep cleaned with professional carpet extraction equipment on a quarterly basis.

Moderate traffic areas include secondary aisles, research areas, conference rooms, classroom, and atriums.  They should be deep cleaned every six months. 

Light traffic areas, such as private offices, cubicles, storage rooms and executive areas, can be deep cleaned with extraction equipment once a year.

> Read CRI’s Carpet Maintenance Guidelines

> Check out Banner\’s line of extraction equipment and chemicals and list pricing