Best Fiber For Your White Carpet Reviews

You have just bought a new house and the renovations have just been done. The walls have been painted a perfect white, the rooms are decorated with beautiful furniture and the lightings are perfect. Somehow, you feel that something is missing. The floor feels cold to your bare feet.

Yes, what you need is a perfect white carpet decorating your dream home. The carpet will surely give the house a posh and comfortable feel that it is missing. You travel to the closest carpet store you can find to buy your white carpet. When you step into the store, you noticed that all the white carpet textures are different.

The price varies greatly as well. Why are the white carpet prices different? Which texture should I choose? The answer actually lies in the type of fiber that is used to make the carpet. As the type of fiber a carpet is made from affects the price and texture, choosing the right fiber is important in determining how well the carpet fits your home.

The 3 Different Types of Fibers

Before we start considering the pros and cons of each type of fiber, we must understand the basics. Carpets are made from either synthetic fibers, natural fibers or a mixture of both. What are synthetic fibers? Quite simply, synthetic fibers are fibers that are not available naturally and are typically made from petroleum based chemicals. Synthetic based carpets can be found commonly as it is cheap.

This means that there will be plenty of designs that are available for you to choose from. The only downside to synthetic fibers is that it will give you a rougher texture. In other words, this will reduce the comfort of the carpet. On the other hand, natural fibers are made from plant, animals or mineral sources. Typically, carpet makers use wool. As natural fibers are not as easy to obtain compared with synthetic fibers, expect to fork out more from your pockets. Carpet makers generally mix both of the fibers to get the best of both worlds. On to the fibers…

1. Wool

Always feel comfort under your foot

How many times have you stepped on a wool carpet thinking that the feeling of wool brushing against your feet is one of the most wonderful sensations you ever have? A white carpet made of wool is definitely something almost everyone would want to have in their house.

It gives the house a feeling of luxury and comfort. However, wool can be costly and you would need to fork a substantial amount depending on the size of your house.

Pros:

• Comfort: Ever put your feet on a wool carpet? The warm and soft feeling you get when the wool wraps around your toes in a cold stormy night is one of the best feelings that you can experience.

• Flammability: Just as you snuggle with your partner in front of a warm fireplace during a cold night, an ember falls on your beautiful white carpet. With a wool carpet, there is nothing to worry about as wool has natural fire inhibition qualities. Accidentally burning your carpet is something you can stop worrying about.

• Lifespan: Wool is naturally resilient and tough. You do not need to worry about having to change your carpet often.

Cons:

• Mildew Resistance: Despite being easy to clean, wool has the ability to hold huge amounts of moisture making it a perfect breeding place for mildew and mold.

• Price: With comfort comes a hefty price tag. You will need to be prepared to fork out extra to have that comfortable white wool carpet in your home.

2. Nylon

More durability with nylon

Nylon is the most commonly used fiber in carpets. It is highly durable and it does not have the high moisture that is associated with wool making it extremely resistant to mildew and molds. However, it is not as comfortable and does not give the luxurious look that wool fibers are famous for.

There are two types of nylon, type 6 and type 6,6. Type 6,6 is generally regarded as the better of the two as it has higher tensile strength. But with the development of today’s technology, the difference between the two is closing apart.

Pros:

• Price: If you are looking for a cheap carpet that is durable, nylon is your best bet. As nylon is a man-made fiber, expect the price to be a lot lower compared with a carpet made out of wool

• Durability: Nylon is extremely resilient and has a high level of abrasion resistance. You do not need to worry about having footprint marks all over your carpet after a few months.

Cons:

• Comfort: Compared with wool, nylon does not offer the rich feel and look causing the white carpet in the middle of your hall to be slightly incomplete.

• Static: In low humidity, nylon builds up static unless it is treated. However, most carpets made from nylon these days are treated to reduce the static buildup.

3. Olefin

Olefin is resistant to electrostatic build up

Also known as polypropylene, olefin is the second most used fiber in carpets. Due to its dye method, olefin has excellent colorfastness. This results in a good resistance against stains and soils ensuring that your white carpet in the middle of the hall will not turn into a yellow carpet or red carpet.

Besides that, unlike wool and nylon, olefin is extremely resistant to electrostatic build up and can be clean with bleach in some cases. The downside is that olefin is crushed easily and before you know it, your new carpet is filled with footprints.

Pros:

• Colorfastness: The dye method that is used in olefin makes it extremely colorfast. You can be sure that your carpet will remain white even after a few months of use.

• Soil and Stain Resistance: Imagine having a guest over your house when one of them accidently spills some juice on your carpet staining your beautiful white carpet. Olefin solves this problem by being resistant to stains, except oil stains, making your carpet stay white and clean longer.

Cons:

• Durability: Olefin has very poor abrasion resistance due to its low melting point. Dragging your furniture on the carpet will cause the fiber to melt and fuse.

Before you buy:

Each of the fibers has its own strengths and weaknesses. Look through the white carpet samples to help you decide. Most importantly, determining the purpose of getting a white carpet will help you to decide on which type of fiber will suit your home best.