Will my carpet shrink after cleaning?

This is a great fear of many people - you get your carpets cleaned only to find they have shrunk!
It can happen, however it is not very likely as long as you have a reputable carpet cleaning company clean your carpets and you don't hire a DIY carpet cleaner.

Why do carpets shrink?

Most carpets these days are now made of synthetic fibers which will not be affected by water in the same way, so these carpets will not shrink.

However, many high quality, luxury woven carpets, such as Axminster and Wilton carpets, are made using wool, or a high wool content blend, with a jute backing. Excessive moisture of the jute backing creates a risk of shrinkage if the carpet cleaner does not take due care.

How to prevent carpet shrinking?

Firstly - avoid using a DIY machine such as a Rug Doctor. They are not very powerful and will leave a good deal of moisture in the carpet after cleaning.

Secondly - hire a reputable professional carpet cleaner with a powerful machine (preferably a truck-mounted hot water extraction system). Check their certification (anyone can say they are certified! However only a reputable tradesman will have full training and certification with a reputable organisation.). Only a trained tradesman will thoroughly inspect the carpet pile and the backing to ensure they know what type of carpet they are working with, so do observe that they do a full inspection. Upon recognising the carpets construction the carpet cleaner will ensure they do not over pre-spray the carpet or use too much water when rinsing.
It would also be advisable to check they are fully insured.

If you have a woven wool carpet it will look like this on the reverse:

Why choose a technician with a Truck-mounted hot water extraction system?

This is the most advanced carpet cleaning technology in the industry today. It is a very powerful machine that will provide the deepest clean, in the shortest time, with superior water extraction capabilities. This means your carpets will have a shorter drying time and will greatly reduce any chance of carpet shrinkage. Many reputable carpet cleaners will also have carpet driers that will reduce the carpet drying time again.

***If you are not satisfied with the moisture in your carpet after the carpet clean do bring it up with your technician****