What is Wicking and How to Prevent it

 

Wicking is the upward motion of water during drying from the base of a tuft to its tip carrying with it any remaining soil and contamination, which is then deposited on the tips of the tuft. This will show as stains reappearing after the carpet has been cleaned.

Some types of carpets and fibers are more prone to wicking than others. To help reduce the chance of wicking, we pre-vacuum thoroughly, and make sure to make extra dry strokes with the wand, and increase air flow in freshly cleaned areas to help dry the carpet as quickly as possible.  We also use an anti-wicking agent with our clean.To reduce wicking on these, pre-vacuum thoroughly, make extra drying passes, and use air movers to speed up drying.

   If wicking from spotting or a spill is anticipated, the last step after spot removal should be to leave down a weighted dry towel. The towel will absorb the stain and keep it from staying in the carpet. You can also use a topical treatment to help reduce the chance of the stain showing back up.  Taking these measures will help do as much as possible to help prevent wicking from being a problem and keep your carpet looking clean.

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