Sometimes when we clean carpets, as we are cleaning or a short while after, carpets can
ripple. This happens mostly with older tufted carpets in areas of high wear,
such as walkways and in front of sofas and chairs. The cause of this is due to
the warm rinse water causing the backing of the carpet to expand and because
the edges of the carpet are fixed ripples result. Fortunately as the carpet
dries the backing contracts and the carpet returns to its normal shape, usually
within 24 hours.
Unfortunately it is impossible to identify which carpets will ripple and which will not, and
only a relatively small amount will ripple, say
one in fifty, and of those only one in a hundred will not go back to its
original shape and require a carpet fitter to restretch it.
I have put this post on our blog to assure our clients that if rippling occurs it is not a
major problem the vast majority of carpets as they dry will go back flat and
the small number that don’t we can arrange for a carpet fitter to restretch the
carpet.