Draught Marks

What are those pesky dark lines at the edge of my carpet?
 
Draught marks (or soil filtration lines to give them their technical name) are those dark soiled areas of carpet usually found around the edges of a room next to the wall, under floor-length curtains and under doors. They can develop anywhere there is an air space, such as between floorboards or spaces in the sub-flooring, and are usually more obvious close to radiators, electric floor outlets and gas valves.

The soiling is caused by the passage of air through or across the carpet. Air carries microscopic particles of dirt, dust and soot and as the air passes over the carpet, these soil particles settle and become embedded in the carpet pile. In areas where the air flows over the carpet more rapidly than normal, the carpet acts as a filter, extracting the soil particles from the air. The soil is very fine and can penetrate deeply into the yarns, so special cleaning techniques used by a professional carpet cleaner are required to remove or improve the appearance of draught marks.

Unfortunately, the discolouration cannot always be removed completely. The degree of removal depends on the amount and type of soil, length of time the soil has accumulated, amount of airflow, colour of carpet and type of fibre. The lines can be removed from most synthetic fibres however in severe cases, especially on light coloured carpet, traces may remain after cleaning. It is usually very difficult to remove draught marks completely from wool carpets but definitely worth a try! Why not give us a call on 020 8998 7713 or email us at to see if we can help!