How to Care for Carpet Filtration Lines

If you have a lighter shade of carpet, you may have experienced dark lines that appear on the carpet. This soiling is called filtration soiling because it comes from air passing through the carpet as it is attempting to get through the crack between the carpet and the baseboard or under a closed door. This occurs over a significant period of time and is not noticed until a buildup has occurred.

This type of soiling is difficult to remove because the soil particles are so fine that they penetrate deep into the carpet pile, sometimes into the backing of the carpet. Can it be removed? Sometimes. With special products, time and effort, reasonable results can be achieved.

Prevent Further Staining

To help prevent filtration soiling, vacuum and wipe the edges of the carpeting on a regular basis. You’ll also want to tackle the cleanliness of the air in your home. Clean out the air ducts and get a new air filter. Reduce the smoke that you’re putting into the air by nixing smoking or overuse of candles. Finally, you can get door gap spacers that will help slow the air flow under doorways.