Stair Runner Care in a Brooklyn Walk-Up

In a Brooklyn brownstone or walk-up, the stairs are the highest-traffic floor in the house. Every person, grocery bag, stroller and delivery goes up and down the same narrow strip. A stair runner takes that without complaint for years, but it wears in a very predictable way, and you can slow that down.

Why the middle of each tread wears first

On a staircase, people place their feet in nearly the same spot on every step, close to the middle of the tread. That strip gets pressed, ground and scuffed a thousand times more than the edges. Add the nosing, the rounded front edge of each step, where heels land when you walk down, and you have two lines of wear on every tread. Dirt works its way into the fibres at those points, so the center darkens and the pile flattens while the edges still look fine.

How to vacuum a runner

Start at the top and work down so you are never stepping on a step you have just cleaned. Use a brush attachment or a hand vacuum on each tread, then the crevice tool along the edges and into the corner where the tread meets the riser. Go slowly. Grit is what cuts the fibres, and it sits deep, so a quick pass lifts little. Vacuuming a couple of times a week is plenty, and more often if you have pets that shed. Take care that the vacuum cord does not trail down the stairs while you work.

Check the rods and the edges

Many runners are held by stair rods, the metal bars that sit at the back of each tread, or by tack strips along the sides. If a rod works loose, the runner shifts and bunches, which is a trip hazard and wears the fabric faster. Tighten what you can, and if a rod or a section of binding looks damaged, have it repaired. Also look at the edges of the runner where it meets the wood. Fraying there is easier to fix early than late.

Shift the runner once in a while

If your runner is held in a way that allows it, moving it a couple of inches up or down the staircase once or twice a year moves the worn points off the sharp edges of the steps. It is a simple way to even out wear. A rug pad underneath gives the runner a little more cushion and keeps it from sliding.

How stairs are priced

At ASAP Carpet Cleaners, stairs are $9 per step. A straight flight of 12 steps comes to $108. Counting by the step means you know the number before anyone arrives: count your treads and multiply.

Landings and hallways are priced separately, because they are flat floor and are cleaned differently from the treads. A landing is $45 and a hallway is $75. A typical walk-up job is a flight, a landing or two and the hall at the top, and you can add them up before anyone arrives. We also give discounts for multiple rooms, and estimates are free.

Keeping them clean between visits

• Put a mat inside and outside the door, and ask people to wipe their shoes.
• Blot spills as soon as they happen, from the outside edge in.
• Vacuum the middle of each tread and the nosing more often than the rest.

When your runner needs a deep clean, our stair, landing and hallway work is described at carpet cleaning. We cover Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx, Long Island and Westchester.