Choosing the right carpet for your home

Every day I'm out there cleaning both commercial & residentia carpet. Out here we have plenty of sand which is the most destructive element for any carpet. 

One of the major reasons that carpets get replaced is due wear and scratch.

In the U.S. we use more synthetics for carpet than natural carpeting. We have 3 main synthetics that we use: Nylon, Polyester & Polypropylene (olefin). That is the list from best to worst.

Nylon Carpet is the most durable and it's not uncommon to find nylon carpets from the early 80's that is still in great condition. This carpet is great for wear and it cleans up very well. It has one drawback and that is that it is easy to stain with dyes and tannins. A good carpet cleaner can remove most of these stains and if not color repair or a carpet patch may be in order. It is a good idea to have your nylon carpet Scotchguarded at the recommendation of your carpet cleaner to prevent possible staining. So, since this carpet is a stainer you should consider the cheaper carpet - polyester if you have young children.


Polyester is a cheaper product in quality and it should be very much so in cost compared to a nylon. If you have young children this is probably the carpet that you want to get installed for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that this fiber is almost resistant to many stains that nylon is not. The second reason is that you don't need to keep this carpet Scotchguarded like a nylon carpet. Now, many will disagree with me on this because scotchguard is a big seller for us with carpet cleaning and the makers of the various carpet protectants want this stuff sold. The teflon products are not good for us, the carpet is usually a playground for young children and I maintain that kids should not be allowed to crawl & play on the carpet that has been scotchguarded. The polyester carpet since it is in the plastic family is non absorbant, Scotchguard will not absorb into the fiber and therefor will run down the fibers and the non adherant Scotchguard dries to small flakes & go airborne for you to breathe. So, polyester needs to Scotchguard or teflon protectant.

Polyester is a great grease, oil and petroleum magnet, this is the stuff that will stain a polyester. You don't want a polyester carpet in the dining room or in the bathroom where the makeup station is. Polyester wears rapidly, that sand and grit that gets in between the fibers will scratch up those traffic lanes before you know it leaving you with permanent trails throughout your home. For this reason this carpet must be vacuumed most frequently to remove the damaging particulates. But, since this fiber is a grease magnet it will get oily just from bare foot traffic and the oily fibers will start to hold the particulates. This is why you need a carpet cleaner to remove that oily soil.

Another place polyester does not do well is the stairway. The noses and the pivot areas on the landing will wear & become very noticeable.


Polypropylene (olefin) is commonly synthetic Berber in the home and is used in most commercial glue down carpets. This carpet fiber has all of the characteristics of a polyester but on a larger scale. It is also prone to friction burn from sliding heavy furniture on it. The greatest thing about berber and it's the only one that I can think of is that it seems to help with those with allergies. Unlike cut pile there are no small fibers that go airborne that can cause some people issues.

When it comes down to it carpet is still a great floor covering. One of the best things that I like about carpet is the fact that it has a charge that attracts and holds dust particles that otherwise continue to get get kicked up & float around compared to hard floors. Carpet is the best and biggest air filter in the home.



If you are considering replacing your carpet you may want to ask your Carpet Cleaners opinion on what may be right for you.