Smile Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning

Carpet Types & Fibers

Carpet Pile

Choosing the right carpet is the first step in carpet care. You choose furniture for the appearance and style, but you also consider it's function and fabric type. You should consider carefully when choosing carpet. After all, it's a big investment. No matter which texture or surface finish you choose, look for tightly-twisted, even ends and check that the twist has been heat-set to lock it in.

Level loop refers to tufted, uncut loops of equal height giving it a pebbly look. It's durable, and is great for high traffic areas and informal rooms.

Berber features large, uncut loops of natural toned or feathered fibers. It's very durable and wears well so it's a good choice for high-traffic areas. The style complements contemporary decor and has a casual appearance.

Saxony is a popular classic noted for its luxurious feel and wide array of colors. It's a dense, level cut pile with loops clipped to about 1/2" high. The closely packed yarns give a smooth surface which is perfect in formal settings. The smoothest finished Saxony is sometimes called plush.

Textured is also a level cut pile, although not as densely tufted as a Saxony. Two-toned yarn gives it a salt-and-pepper look so it's perfect in a casual setting. Its tight-twist construction helps it resist soil so it's often a good choice for family rooms and kitchens.

Cut Loop achieves a sculptured pattern or effect with varied-levels of pile of uncut low loops and sheared top loops. It usually features several tones from the same color family and it's this change in color that helps disguise wear and soiling. It essentially looks like a pattern has been cut into the carpet.

Carpet Fibers

Carpet surface fibers are either natural wool or synthetic. The four major synthetic yarns are nylon, olefin, acrylic and polyester. Each has its own properties. It's a good idea to choose your carpet's material based on the use of the room it's going to be installed in.

Wool: This traditional favorite offers a deep, rich look and feel. It has excellent resilience and durability, but is very expensive; often twice as much per yard as nylon. Although it is naturally stain resistant, it requires a high level of maintenance including moth proofing. It also may not perform as well in medium to bright colors. While it's still extremely popular for rugs, it accounts for less than 1% of the fiber used in carpeting.

Nylon: According to the Carpet and Rug Institute, more than 74% of carpets sold have nylon fibers. It is the strongest fiber, making it an excellent choice for the heavy traffic of an active household. It's also the most durable of the synthetics. It is soil and mildew resistant and resilient, but is prone to static. Continuous filament fibers minimize piling and shedding, while cut-filament loop nylon may pill. With advanced nylon brands like Anso IV, AntronPlus, Enkalon with built-in Scotchgard, Stainblocker, Stainmaster, Wear-Dated Ultron and Zeftron, and Worry-Free, it's easy to clean and maintain.

Olefin (Polypropylene): It was originally favored for outdoor carpeting and basements due to its resistance to moisture, mildew, water damage, staining, piling, shedding and static - all for lower cost than nylon. Olefin is also known to be the only fiber in the world to not permanently stain. Now it's more widely used for its durability and wool-like feel and appearance. Since it's dyed before it's made into a fiber, olefin is colorfast. However, some lower quality olefin can flatten and fade in direct sunlight.

Polyester: Some products include Dacron, Encron, Pentron and Trevira. While it's not as durable as nylon, it's quite durable and resists wear. Polyester offers a wide selection of textures and colors which it holds well. It is non-allergenic, sheds moisture and resists moths and mildew at a lower cost than wool or nylon. While it's susceptible to piling, shedding and oil-based stains, it otherwise cleans fairly easily and is enhanced by stain treatments.

Acrylic: Acrylic the closest to wool of any of the synthetics. It's manufactured primarily for commercial use because of its springy feel, soil resistance, excellent clean ability and resistance to static, moths and mildew. It's available in a wide choice of colors, and is less likely to fade in bright sunlight than nylon or polyester. It is susceptible to piling and is slightly more expensive than nylon. Brand names include Acrilan, Orlon, Creslan and Zefron.