WOW! I’ve been busy taking care of customer’s. I simply ran out of time last week to write the last and final article in the “Carpet Series”. However, educating my customer is the second most important thing I offer, proceeded by 100% customer satisfaction on service results..
Let’s take a look into the most popular carpet fiber used in carpeting today. Dupont created nylon in 1938, and it became a commonly used carpet fiber by the 1960’s. The combination of nylon’s many performances and it’s relatively low cost (compared to wool) helped make wall to wall carpeting affordable for the majority of consumers. Installed, wall to wall carpeting is the reason why carpet cleaners are in business today. Thanks Dupont! My family and I are grateful.
THE ADVANTAGES OF NYLON ARE:
Strength: Nylon will not “wear out”. It will “ugly out” from color loss and staining, however.
Resilience: Nylon’s ability to ” bounce back” means it will hold up better to traffic and the crushing of heavy furniture than any other fiber.
Dye-ability: Nylon’s ability to accept a wide range of acid dyes, give the consumer a wide variety of color’s to choose from. Nylon’s dye-ability can also be a disadvantage.
Cleans Easily: Nylon releases soil, including oily soils, readily when cleaned and maintained properly.
THE DISADVANTAGES OF NYLON:
Discoloration: Unless solutions dyed, nylon is subject to discoloration from sunlight, atmospheric pollutants, and bleaching agents found in many household products.
Staining: Nylon is permanently stained by the disperse dyes found in some food products such as mustard, herbal teas, flavored coffee’s and instant soup mixes. Non stain resistant nylon and improperly maintained stain resistant nylon may be permanently stained by acid dyes, such as are used in artificially colored red beverages.
Throughout the years nylon has been improved based on studies and consumer input. You may have heard of the term ” generations of nylon”. There are 5 generations of nylon carpet fibers. Here are some highlights and low lights of each generation
1st generation – strong and resilient fibers but did not hide soil very well. It actually magnified soil and fiber damage. Cleaned well but appeared to re-soil rapidly.
2nd generation – changed the cross fibers so it would hide soil better and diffuse the light better to prevent magnification of light and fiber damage. This helped reduce apparent re-soiling , but static electricity is produced by nylon when humidity is low. This characteristic attracts soil and contributes to considerable discomfort as well as causing problems with computers.
3rd generation – the static problem was solved with chemical treatments. However, durability was compromised. Today fiber producers incorporate a carbon wedge or core into the yarn bundle to produce an anti static product.
4th generation– the problem with soiling was not entirely solved by hiding it (2nd generation) or by static resistance (3rd generation). In the 70’s carpet began to be treated with fluorochemical treatments to aid in primarily soil resistance. This treatment eventually wears off and may be reapplied by cleaning professionals. These products cannot resist acid dyes, which are common in soft drinks, powdered beverage mixes and gelatin’s
5th generation – fiber mills determined that “red stain” dyes from foods and beverages were the primary staining problem that consumers faced. It was found that this staining could be prevented, or at least reduced by treating the fiber with and acid dye blocker. This generation is commonly known as ‘stain resistance” carpet fibers..
Well there you go, a bit of history on nylon carpet fibers and the 5 generations. Consumers should know that if you have a warranty on your carpet fibers, you should know exactly what the interval of cleaning is and who can clean it. Most carpet manufactures require the method of hot water extractions as well as using a professional carpet cleaner certified by the IICRC. Green Bay Floor Restore meets both these requirements. All I ask is that you give us a try. When you do, you will see and know why you will never use another carpet cleaner again. Green Bay Floor Restore is the professionals professional.
Jamie Strohmeyer / Owner Green Bay Floor Restore.
