Carpet Smart: A Look at New Technologies in Carpet

As a Home Depot associate in the flooring department, I can attest to the fact that new developments in carpet are making this flooring option very attractive.

There is carpet that can clean the air in your home, and carpet that is manufactured from recycled plastic bottles. There is carpet that resists stains; imagine being able to remove marker from carpeting with a simple solution of bleach and water.

Puresque carpeting, from Beaulieu, is just such a product. During the manufacturing process, the backing and fiber is imbued with an organic salt solution. This solution continually reacts to the pressure from walking on the carpet; the organic compounds released neutralize odors without pulling the odors into the fabric of the carpet.

These compounds that are released are non-toxic. But they are also non-discriminating. Whether it's cigar smoke or roses, this carpet will seek out and neutralize the odor.

The carpet, though, does not retain these aromas. The neutralizing process breaks down the odors and destroys them. Your rooms smell clean, and your Puresque carpet stays fresh.

The solution-dyed nylon fibers are stain resistant. Because the fiber is dyed throughout, not just coated, spot cleaning is easy. Using a 50/50 solution of bleach and water, you can remove marker, ketchup, juice, and all manner of soiling.

Mohawk produces a fine product called SmartStrand, made from Dupont Sorona Polymer. The process gives the strands of fiber built-in protection against stains, even mustard. What's the significance of this? Often, a manufacturer's warranty against stains will not include mustard. But the SmartStrand resists stains because the protection works from the inside out; fibers are not just coated with protective soil resistant substances.

Do you think green? I don't mean green carpet. I'm talking about carpet that is environmentally friendly. Look for carpeting with PET content. This innovative process creates carpeting from recycled plastic bottles.

Beverage bottles are made with PET (polyethylene terephthalate) resins. This is high quality plastic, and when reduced to chips, washed, and extruded into fibers, it can then be used to make the yarns for carpeting. The resulting products are soft to the touch, stain resistant, and durable. The environmentally conscious buyer will definitely want to consider carpet made with PET content.

Often, customers will ask me about health issues and using carpet in the home. Those with respiratory problems have sometimes been advised to avoid carpeting. This is because for many years carpet would off gas; that is, for a few weeks after installation the carpet would leech out volatile compounds such as formaldehyde. It was also thought that carpet would harbor dust and pollens that could trigger respiratory episodes such as asthma attacks.

Carpet manufacturing processes have changed, greatly reducing the amount of volatile compounds used. As for harboring air-borne nasties, carpeting will hold no more dust and pollens than your couch, your drapes, your clothing. And with the high-powered, bagless vacuums available on the market today, the health issues once associated with carpet all but disappear.

The one thing I always tell my customers is to approach their selection with an eye toward color and feel first. Puresque is available in 31 colors, and the SmartStrand has a variety of styles and colors as well. Carpeting made of PET polyesters are soft and colors remain true for up to seven years. I tell my customers they can find the color and style they want, and make a good choice for their family's health and the environment.

The technologies of today that have made carpeting easier to clean and maintain, environmentally and health friendly, make carpet shopping not only about floor coverings, but about making positive choices for your home, your family, and the planet.