Personal TouchCarpet Cleaning

Serving Chillicothe & Southern Ohio since 2000.

740-779-DIRT (3478)

Fiber and styles of carpet.

Nylon holds about 60% of the carpet market

today. Nylon has excellent resilience

(the ability to spring back to its original shape)

excellent abrasion resistance, mildew resistance,

and very good color retention. Nylon also has a

good “hand” (Feels good to the touch). Generally

nylon cleans up well and if kept clean, will hold

up for many, many years.

On the downside it can easily be stained by acid type dyes such as those used in most food and drinks. Applying a product like Scotchgard will help nylon carpet resist soiling, makes blotting up liquid spills easier, helps stains release more easily the next cleaning.

 Common household cleaners such as toilet bowl cleaner and bleach can permanently damage the color.

 

Olefin or Polypropylene holds about 30% of the market. Olefin is a by-product of gasoline refining. Olefin costs significantly less than nylon and its inherently stain resistant, in fact chlorine bleach has no effect on it. Olefin is mold resistant. It is also resistant to fading from sunlight and therefore is an excellent choice for outdoor use.

 Olefin‘s biggest drawback is its lack of resilience (the ability to spring back to its original shape), its strong attraction to oily soils. Olefin has a natural attraction to oil. It loves it. It can’t get enough oil. If your olefin carpet is near an asphalt drive or walkway, you’re asking for trouble.  If the oil from asphalt (or any oil for that matter - including motor oil, peanut butter, vasoline, etc.) is left in the carpet for a matter of time, even a few weeks, A PERMANENT YELLOWING OF THE CARPET FIBERS MAY OCCUR.

Olefin is used in most Berber carpets or where a less expensive carpet is required and life expectancy and long-term appearance are not important.

Olefin is the most heat sensitive of all yarns. It has a lower MELTING POINT than nylon, even merely sliding a fairly heavy piece of furniture across an olefin carpet can permanently damage the fibers.

Wicking or reappearing spots in Olefin are a common complaint. Wicking is the upward motion of water and cleaning solution during the drying from the base of the tuft to its tip carrying with it any remaining soil, which is then deposited on the tips of the carpet.

 

Polyester holds only about 8% of the carpet market. It had been gaining in market share because it was easily made form recycled 2 liter pop bottles. Polyester is inherently stain resistant and has a much better “hand” or feel to it than Olefin.

On the downside it has the same drawbacks as Olefin, lack of resilience (the ability to spring back to its original shape), its strong attraction to oily soils.

Wool has about 2% of the market. At one time wool was the primary fiber for carpets but its cost and the advent of Nylon and other fibers resulted in decreasing share of the market. Wool has some excellent qualities. It hides soil better than synthetic fibers. Wool is the preferred carpet if cigarette burns are a problem, because it doesn’t melt like synthetic fibers. Wools high content of moisture and protein component provides a natural flame resistance. Wool also has the best “hand” or feel to it than all of the other carpet fibers.

Drawback to wool is it’s cost.


Carpet Styles

Berber: A bulky knobby looking loop pile. The knobs or loops are much larger than commercial loop carpet. Berber is usually made form olefin or a blend of olefin and nylon.

Problems with Berber.

Very hard to hide the seams. Zippering  is caused when one of the tufts of carpet has been pulled from the backing resulting in a long lengthwise unraveling of the carpet. If you see a snag you best cut it before your vacuum gets a hold of it. Slow drying and wicking or spots reappearing after cleaning. If your Berber is made for Olefin, irreversible pile crush and matting are always major problems. The larger the loops are in an Olefin Berber the worse the matting and crushing problems become. Because the loops are large on Berber you can not use thick or soft pads under the carpet.

Level Loop. A loop pile where the loops all have the same length. It has a smooth level surface. This type of carpet is used in kitchens and bathrooms  in the home and in commercial areas.

Multi-level loop pile:

Usually has two to three different loop

heights to create pattern effects, providing

good durability and a more casual look.

Cut pile: Loops are cut, leaving individual yarn tufts. Still one of today's most popular constructions, its durability is achieved with factors including the type of fiber, density of tufts, and the amount of twist in the yarn.

Cut and loop pile: Combination of cut and looped yarns. Provides variety of surface textures, including sculptured effects of squares, chevrons, swirls, etc.

Sculptured. A cut and loop patterned carpet where all of the high pile is cut and the low pile remains a loop.

Plush / Velvet – A luxurious Smooth, highly finished, sheared level cut pile carpet surface with a very smooth, formal look. Plush is longer and more dense than a Saxony.

Saxony – A dense smooth, level cut pile carpet with surface yarns that are closely packed and twisted so that the yarn ends are visible and even across the face, create a less formal look.

Minimizes foot prints.

Friezé  ( “free-zay” )-- In this cut pile, the yarns are extremely twisted, forming a "curly" textured surface.  This informal look also minimizes foot prints and vacuum marks.

Shag. Lets just hope it doesn’t come back in style.