Video Proves Which Cleaning Method
Carpet Manufacturer’s Prefer

Have you seen this video? Mohawk Carpeting made a video touting their new SmartStrand carpets. They laid down carpet in the pens of several zoo animals at the Dallas Zoo—elephants, rhinos and camels—and let the animals do what they naturally do. Yes, that means urinate, defecate, trample and track in mud and dirt onto the carpets. And they did it for three weeks! You can imagine how ruined a carpet would be with a pachyderm putting its full weight onto it over a three week period. Of course, rhinos and camels are no lightweights, either! Not only did the animals trample the carpets, they trampled their waste into them, too. The zookeepers didn’t think the carpets would stand a chance of ever getting cleaned. Thus, the Mohawk Zoo Challenge!

I'm often asked what's the best fiber to choose for new carpet.  I'm not associated with any retailer so can offer an unbiased opinion.  In a nutshell, the best overall choice for most applications is nylon.  It's the best wearing for a cut-pile among the synthetics, and gives a better color selection in a berber or commercial loop. It cleans very well.

Polypropelyne, also called olefin, is great in a loop for wear and stain resistance.  It is widely available in commercial carpets, berbers, and outdoor carpet. Colors aren't quite as vibrant, and it doesn't do well with oil-based stains. But overall it cleans very well.