Tips For Cleaning Indoor/Outdoor Carpets
Indoor/outdoor carpets and Astroturf are
completely synthetic, so they are easy to
clean and difficult to damage.
Indoor/outdoor carpet is used primarily on
concrete sub floors or decking. Over the
years, manufacturers have developed more
colors and textures for consumers to
choose from.
The most common indoor/outdoor carpet is
Astroturf. It's a good choice around pools
or on boats.
Newer indoor/outdoor carpet styles have a
lower nap and are more fashionable (so to
speak) The carpet is thin so that it can
be contoured to the surfaces it covers. It
is also much denser than traditional
indoor/outdoor carpet and lasts a lot
longer.
To clean the carpet, simply sweep or
vacuum as you would most other carpets.
For deeper cleaning, scrub the carpet with
a household cleaner, and rinse with a
garden hose.
Most indoor/outdoor carpet is
mildew-resistant, but mold can still grow
on it. To remove mold, wash the carpet
with chlorine bleach and water. Test the
carpet in an inconspicuous area before
using bleach.
Synthetic Berber carpets are made of the
same material as many outdoor carpets.
Although Berber carpets can't be used
outdoors, they may be used on screened-in
porches as long as they aren't glued in
place and no standing water remains on
them.
Cleaning Outdoor Carpeting
Because they are used outside, they tend
to attract mold or growths that feed on
the soil in the carpet. Here are some tips
from for cleaning these materials:
-
Mix no more than ½ to 1 ounce of a
neutral detergent to each gallon of
water.
-
Apply this cleaning solution to the area
to be cleaned.
-
Scrub with a soft brush or push broom.
-
Using a nozzle to increase the water
pressure, hose off the carpet. The
better you rinse, the more soil you will
remove. Hot water is more effective if
you can get it to your hose.
-
Use the push broom like a squeegee to
push the water and detergent out of the
carpet.
The more moisture in the area, the more
frequently organisms will grow, and the
more frequently you will have to repeat
this process.
Types of Indoor Outdoor Carpeting
Indoor/outdoor carpets may look like other
indoor carpets, but a big difference is
the fiber. Indoor/outdoor carpets are made
from olefin, a tough, hard-wearing fiber
well-suited to outdoor use. In fact,
olefin is a trade name for polypropylene,
the material the military uses to make
clothing designed for use in extreme
weather.
As you might expect, olefin is moisture-
and mildew-resistant. It is
stain-resistant, and the color is part of
the fiber, rather than a dye. Ultraviolet
(UV) stabilizers can make it
fade-resistant.
UV-stabilized olefin is required for
outdoor use. Buy carpet that has a
rubber-based backing known as marine
backing. In a protected outdoor
application, such as a porch, UV
stabilizers are still recommended. You can
buy carpet with either marine backing or
polypropylene-based backing. Indoors, of
course, you can use any carpet fiber, but
olefin is well-suited to the basement. If
moisture has been a problem, buy a marine
backing.
Outdoor Carpet
Outdoor carpet is perfect for patios,
decks, boats, yachts, pools, and gazebos.
Outdoor carpet being considered
specifically for outdoor living areas
should be thoroughly checked for
durability ratings, maintenance and
tolerance of weather conditions. Solution
dyes tolerate sunlight better than other
dyes. The fiber also must resist sunlight
and heat.
Outdoor carpet made from
polypropylene/olefin intended for outdoor
use has been chemically treated to resist
sun damage. Untreated polypropylene/olefin
deteriorates in the sun.
Outdoor carpeting must be constructed so
moisture can drain away. It must be
capable of being washed with detergent and
hose rinsed. Jute-backed carpet will rot
if used outdoors. If carpet is used near a
pool containing chlorinated water, it must
be able to withstand the chlorine and any
other pool chemical used.
