Carpet Corn Rowing

Sometimes, after many years of use or even a few weeks, a carpet can develop something called “corn rowing.” This is an apt name as the condition looks like many miniature rows of corn, giving the appearance of a corn field. This is not, however, considered a manufacturer defect. (Corn rowing in carpets look like this or this.

Corn Rowing occurs usually in traffic areas of your carpet, such as hallways or pivot points. It also is more common in carpets with a wider distance between rows and tufts and carpets with a higher pile.

Some things we do can also cause corn rowing. These actions include aggressive vacuuming, incorrect padding, poor maintenance of the carpet, carpets that haven’t been stretched properly, or not adjusting the vacuum to the carpet pile

Sometimes corn rowing just happens, and is inevitable, but there are some behaviors we can maintain in order to prevent corn rowing. One such behavior is carpet raking. This works on longer shag rugs and carpets with a loose carpet pile. The rake can be purchased at any janitorial supply warehouse. Another behavior is changing the direction in which you vacuum. Perhaps one time vacuum toward one end of your home, and the next time, vacuum towards the opposite side, and of course make sure your vacuum is appropriate for your carpet.

Unfortunately carpets do have a memory, and once corn rowing sets in, it is highly unlikely that it can be fixed. We here at JP Carpet Cleaning recommend regular carpet raking as the most likely way to prevent corn rowing.