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The Effects of Chlorine Bleach on Berber Carpet

Kim Blakesley

The effect of chlorine bleach on Berber carpet depends on what type of material is used to make the Berber carpet. Materials used to create Berber include wool, nylon, Olefin (polypropylene), PET (petro-plastic) and other blends. Berber carpet made from wool or nylon have the least problems. Some sellers are promoting Berber carpet saying that bleach will clean stains. Bleach can cause extreme problems when used on Berber carpet.

Skin Irritation and Rashes

Stained berber carpet doesn't always benefit from bleach.

Berber carpets made from any material besides nylon and wool are impervious to color loss when using bleach. The stain is removed, but the bleach sits in the carpet; you can't rinse it out with water. Use ann "anti-clor" chemical to properly neutralize the bleach. The carpet will dry where the chlorine bleach was used, but it leaves behind a residue. The residue can cause skin irritations and rashes on both animals and humans.

High pH Balance

The Berber weave traps the bleach in the carpet backing and in the bottom of the weave to create a high pH balance in that area. The high pH balance creates a type of magnet that attracts dirt and soil. Stains reappear easier in the area that was cleaned with the bleach.

Reactivation

Dried bleach is somewhat dormant, but even a small amount of humidity will reactivate the bleaching chemicals. Bleach is a health hazard; using it on Berber carpet provides an area where bleach can continually cause irritation to the people or animals that touch the spot.