Shrinkage

Description
Like all textiles, rugs and carpet are prone to shrinkage when exposed moisture. This shrinkage is observed as skewing or dimensional changes.

Cause
During weaving, yarns are kept under tension by the loom, and the fibres remain stretched till they come in contact with moisture; absorption of moisture loosens these fibres, causing shrinkage. The factors that affect the degree of shrinkage are type of fibres, construction of carpet, and the density of face yarn.

Treatment
It is reasonable to expect some shrinkage during wet cleaning or due to spillages. These can be minimized by stretching the carpet or rug during cleaning process. Most experienced cleaners would be aware of this potential problem but beware of the inexperienced ones! If this is the result of a flood replacement will usually be required as delamination may ocure.