Why Road Salt Is Terrible For Your Carpets

Why Road Salt is Terrible For Your Carpets

If you live in a location where snow and ice dominate the winter season, you've likely seen road salt used or even spread some yourself on your driveway. As winter temperatures fluctuate and moisture becomes ice, road salt is a helpful tool many communities use to keep roads and sidewalks from becoming dangerously slick. However, road salt can also cause irreversible damage to your carpeting without the right cleaning and preventative measures. Learn how to protect your carpets from damaging road salts.

What Is Road Salt?

Road salt comes in various forms. Some road salts are a mixture of sodium chloride and magnesium. Also known as rock salt, these road salts are made of halite, the mineral form of sodium chloride and commonly leave behind white stains. In addition to these white stains, blue road salts, made of calcium chloride, can leave a greasy residue. Regardless of the type of road salt your carpets are coming into contact with, it's important to understand the severity of the potential damage and learn how to prevent long-term impacts from road salt.

How Does Road Salt Damage Carpets?

When road salt gets tracked into your home on boots and shoes, it's all too easy for it to end up on your floors. Unfortunately, road salts create a dangerous formula for your carpets. Salt pulls moisture from the air, making it more difficult for carpets to dry out when salts are sitting in them. At the same time, the oily film of calcium chloride can quickly attract dirt and grime buildup from the environment. This combination makes for moist, dirty carpets that just won't get dry or clean and may result in a white stain.

In addition to the dirt and moisture, road salts can also cause permanent damage to your carpets by breaking down the fibers themselves. This cannot be reversed and can occur quickly if the road salts in your carpets are not addressed.

How to Prevent Long-Term Carpet Damage from Road Salt

The best way to prevent long-term carpet damage from road salt is to make your carpets "shoe-free zones" in the winter. By keeping outdoor shoes away from your carpets, you can keep road salts from doing damage in the first place!

Of course, this is not always possible, and road salts can get tracked into carpeted areas despite everyone's best efforts. If this occurs, vacuum up the road salts right away. If staining has already begun, do your best to lift away the salts and schedule a professional cleaning to thoroughly rid your carpets of the salts so that they can't damage your carpet fibers.

As a preventative measure, many households choose to have carpets cleaned and treated at the onset of winter. Along with a deep clean that doesn't pose a risk to the environment or your health, Zerorez® Miami can also provide a fiber-protecting service designed to protect the carpet fibers from dirt and harmful chemicals like road salts. Choose a deep clean that leaves No Residue® behind. Book your appointment today!