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All
About Carpet
All carpeting begins from the conversion
of raw fiber that is (with a few
exceptions) spun into yarn and then
made into carpet by one of three
methods - weaving, tufting, or bonding.
There are two sources of carpet
fiber: natural (like wool, silk,
and cotton) and man-made (like nylon,
polyester and acrylic). Natural fibers
provide soft, low luster colors,
long term performance, and other
aesthetic qualities. Synthetic fibers
offer brilliant colors, easy maintenance,
softness and outstanding value.
Color is introduced either at the
raw fiber stage, or when the yarn
is spun into the thickness, weight,
and length used in the particular
carpet. (An especially skilled job,
yarn spinning has its own specialist
companies.)
Today, most carpet is made of synthetic
fiber. Nylon is the most popular,
and offers the best performance and
styling flexibility of all natural
and synthetic carpet fibers. It accounts
for over 65% of all carpets manufactured.
Carpet Care
Let's start by saying that the most
important thing you can do to prolong
the life of your new carpet or rug
is to vacuum it. Regular vacuuming
removes those nasty dirt particles
that leave it looking dingy over
time and abrade the fiber, which
shortens its lifespan. Use a vacuum
that has a rotating brush or beater
bar, which stimulates the carpet
tufts and loosens the dirt and soil.
(Plus, schedule regular professional
cleanings to remove soil accumulation
that your regular vacuum can't reach.)
If your area rug has a fringe, make
sure it's sewn on well, and use the
vacuum carefully.
If you have a thick carpet and want
to remove any tracks the vacuum makes
(it's called shading), you might
try vacuuming in one direction, and
then smoothing the carpet surface
by hand.
You can help to reduce wear in your
carpet by occasionally alternating
your furniture placement to change
the "traffic lanes" and
allow the carpet to wear more uniformly.
Be sure to vacuum these specific
areas more often to reduce dirt particles,
which can lead to matting too.
Carpet First Aid
In case of spills on your beautiful
carpet, the best way to remove any
liquid stains is, generally, to first
remove the excess liquid with several
layers of clean, dry paper towels.
Then apply a diluted hand washing
detergent to a clean cloth and gently
blot the stain until it's removed |
