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Carpet Fiber
Nylon:
This is the most popular carpet fiber because it is the strongest fiber.
It is resistant to wear and matting. This fiber is stronger than
olefin but will not resist stains as well. DuPont™ and Solutia™ (Monsanto)
are the two most common brands because they spend more money on marketing.
However, test results are mixed as to whether or not their products are
significantly better than “non-branded” nylon. Based on my readings,
it seems that wear is pretty comparable, but stain resistance may be higher
with branded nylons. You can expect to pay about an extra $1.00 to
$2.00 per square yard for branded nylon.
Olefin (Polypropylene):
This is one of the most stain resistant fibers on the market today.
These fibers are “through color” substances, which means that the color
is added during the production of the fiber (not dyed later). This dying process is called "solution dyeing". This
fiber is popular in indoor/outdoor carpets because it is resistant to
stains, moisture, mildew, and static electricity. Olefin can even
be cleaned with bleach. However, this fiber will mat more quickly
than nylon. This fiber wears best
when it is used in a dense, low tuft pile or loop. Olefin is often used
in berbers.
Polyester:
Polyester is made from a plastic similar to nylon and olefin. PET polyester is actually made from recycled plastic soda bottles. Polyester generally suffers from the same matting problem that Olefin suffers from. But polyester is not always solution dyed, so it is not always as stain resistant as olefin. Polyester is also cheaper than nylon. Although the fiber manufacturers have made significant improvements to polyester in recent years, I still think olefin or nylon are better choices.
Wool:
Wool is the most expensive of the carpet fibers and is therefore generally
used only in luxury carpets and area rugs. Wool gained its popularity
because it was used in very dense carpeting and has a very soft feel.
If you buy a wool carpet, make sure it is dense.
Cotton:
Cotton is soft, but it does not resist stains or matting well. It
also absorbs moisture which makes it difficult to keep clean. I do
not recommend buying a cotton carpet.
Acrylic:
This fiber provides the softness of wool at a lower cost. It is also
moisture and mildew resistant. However, because it does not wear
well it is best left for bath mats or “throw rugs.”
There is no such thing as a fiber that is completely stain proof or a fiber that is a “miracle
fiber”
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