What is the black staining along the edge of my carpet & wall?

One of the most frequently asked questions when our technicians go into a home is "what is the black staining along the edge of my carpet and wall?" Unless you have kids that like to play with black Sharpies along the walls, these black lines are most likely filtration lines or Filtration Soiling.

What is Filtration Soiling?

Filtration Soiling is the accumulation of dirt and soot particles along the edge of carpets. It occurs because carpets act as filters for airborne contaminants that can't be reached by vacuum cleaners. It is common in many homes and occurs over time.

Why Do Black Filtration Lines Form?

The lines result from air pressure differentials, with air trying to find the path of least resistance. Air carrying dirt and soot particles is moved through gaps in the wall and floors, and the carpet acts as a filter for those particles. Over time these particles build up along the edge of the carpet causing it to turn black because vacuums can't reach this area.

Indoor air can contain various pollutants, including dust, pollen, oils, and dirt, which the carpet filters, causing the black lines.

Where do black filtration lines typically appear on carpeting?

These black lines often appear in areas with high air pressure differentials, such as corners, stairs, hallways, and exterior walls. They are especially common the riser portion (the part that goes up), along hallways, and along exterior walls. Sometimes we find them underneath doorways, especially if the doors are kept closed, and even underneath drapes, curtains, and sometimes furniture.

How do you prevent black edges on carpet?

There are three things you can do to prevent these black edges:

• Install a good air filter: You need to properly maintain a your air filtration system in your furnace and regularly change or clean your HVAC system's air filter.
• Professional air duct cleaning: Have air ducts professionally cleaned every 3-5 years to improve indoor air quality. (Zerorez® Nashville offers a Zerorez filter as well as air duct cleaning which will help keep this from happening).
• Vacuum frequently: vacuum your carpet regularly, focusing on baseboards and corners, and use the vacuum hose attachments to reach into tight corners and prevent dust buildup.
• Regular professional carpet cleaning from Zerorez: This will remove all the dirt, dust, pollen, and other pollutants in your carpets before they have time to build up. It is recommended to have carpets professionally cleaned every 12-18 months.

How to clean dark edges of carpet

These lines can be ugly, and can be pretty hard to clean carpet edges. The best solution to this problem is having Zerorez, a professional hot water extraction carpet cleaning company, come out and clean it.

Our carpet cleaning process, which begins with our Zr™ Lifter, loosens up the dirt ground deep into the carpet as well as pulls the black staining from the edges of your carpeted areas. We then clean it all away with our non-toxic Zr™ Water which is free of harsh chemicals, soaps, and detergents, yet removes all the oil, dirt, dust, pollen, and other particles and pollutants from your carpet.

Zerorez has the right stain removing solvents and tools to tackle even the worst filtration soiling lines on your carpet.

However, these black lines can become permanent stains as oils can break down and stain the plastic in the fibers, and dirt can become permanently attached to those fibers.

If a normal clean doesn't make the carpet look great again, a stain removal process may be necessary which requires a bit of scrubbing, along with some mild solvents to break up the oils to release the dirt.

Even with the extra treatments, some discoloration may still linger and occur.

In order to keep the staining from coming back, make sure you walk on the carpet with socks (or bare feet) and vacuum the heavy traffic areas at least two times a week.

Zerorez can also apply a premium fiber protector to make vacuuming more efficient.

Click here for more tips on how to maintain your carpets in-between cleaning

Ready to Try Zerorez Nashville?

Give us a call at 615-535-9376 or book your service online by visiting www.zeroreznashville.com.