Carpet Cleaners Calgary, Know Which Fiber Is For You!
Can’t stand that stain that is marring your precious carpet? Are you unable to get that tough stain to go away? Has all of your scrubbing and tugging been in vain? As our previous posts have shown if stains are not going away then it is likely because you are not using the correct equipment or are using an incorrect type of technique that is specific to the fibre the carpet is composed of. Your carpets aren’t bulletproof and if you want them to last you have to take the necessary precautions and care. (Or you could just buy a whole new batch of carpets to drape your house if you feel in the mood to drain your resources).
Carpet Fibers and Their Types
Carpets are made of various types of fibres and identifying the one which is more suited to your needs is an important decision because carpeting your home requires quite a bit of investment falling short only by the home itself and a car. The question is to strike a balance between your budget and home decoration needs. The United States produces 6 major types of carpet fibres,
- Nylon
- Olefin
- Acrylic
- Polyester
- Wool
- Cotton
We shall now take a look at the Natural Fibers, Cotton And Wool.
Cotton Carpets
Cotton is more commonly used in area rugs which are mostly handwoven. They are obtained from hand looms, made by the expert hands of skilled and imaginative weavers. They bring beauty and delicacy adding to the decor of your home. Cotton rugs are available in a variety of designs, solid monochromes, stripes, checkered weaves and a blast of colours. Cotton is a fabric that is easily cleaned. Just like your cotton clothes they require minimal effort and maintenance on the part of the homeowner and are therefore usually preferred for fireplace rugs, kitchen or entry rugs.
Now decoding the fibre from the cleaning perspective is as simple as looking at the properties of cotton. They are dampened easily and depending on the thickness of the rug may take a while to dry up. Most stains are easily removable, the more persistent ones are removed with the help of basic detergents, cleaning solutions and even some chemicals like hydrogen peroxide. These rugs are easily cleaned and a little bit of vacuuming will do wonders in keeping the dust away but the colour of the rugs may fade overtimes since cotton rugs are on the lower end of the inexpensive carpets if the dye used is not of high grade.
Another small note that you should keep in mind while using some chemical solution to clean the fibre is that cotton tends to brown if the solution has an alkaline pH, ie, pH > 7.
Woollen Carpets
Wool is the other common natural fibre obtained from sheep that has excellent dyeing properties and can be cleaned in a variety of common ways.
Most Persian carpets are made of wool. Persian/Iranian carpets are of the highest quality and are in great demand in the Western countries of the world. This makes Iran one of the largest exporters of fine carpets. Wool’s protein content and moisture retention capabilities make it resistant to the flame which makes it an appealing choice for families having young children. The safety advantage of woollen carpets makes it the fibre of choice for environments that put safety first such as trains and aircraft. Most Oriental wool rugs are highly durable and stain resistant if cared for properly and will outlast generations of people.
All of these advantages have an obvious downside which will weigh down your pocket. The price of fine woollen carpets is beyond the reach of most consumers. Other disadvantages are that heavy foot traffic will easily cause your fine woollen luxury to submit and get bald patches. You will also need to have your carpet moth-proofed if you don’t want this lovely creature to nibble down on your precious carpet. Luckily, most woollen carpets, especially in the US come permanently moth-proofed. There is a various way to handle woollen carpets to spare yourself the trouble of having to spend hours removing dust or dirt!
For detailed steps in handling your woollen carpets, check out our exclusive article, brought to you by none other than us at Carpet Cleaners Calgary!
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