How to Identify Carpet Fibers Type

Here are some tips that may help you identify different types of carpet fibers. This will help you in cleaning the carpet, because different fibers have different approaches.

Most carpets can be cleaned relatively the same way, but in some cases, when you have severe stains and you must get more aggressive in cleaning, it is a good idea to know what are you dealing with.

For instance, if you have 100% polypropylene or Olefin carpet fibers you may use chlorine bleach but you cannot use hot iron or carpet protectors. With wool, on the other hand, you are very limited to what chemicals to use.

The simplest way, to help you with your carpet cleaning, is burning. Here are the tips:

1.Acrylic:

Melts and shrinks from an approaching flame and ignites quickly. It burns with a bright, sputtering flame and a lot of smoke. If you let it burn it melts and drips, has an acrid odor and results a hard black bead.

2.Cellulose:

Cotton, for example, burns and the ash crumbles – so do the protein based wool and silk.

3.Corterra:

It is pretty much like polyester.

4.Cotton or Linen:

Ignite readily with an approaching flame and scorch. They burn with a yellow flame. If you remove the flame it burns with a red afterglow upon extinguishing. Leaves gray, charcoal ash.

5.Nylon:

Melts and shrinks from the flame. While burning melts and smokes a lot. Out of flame burns slowly and tends to extinguish. Burned nylon smells much like celery. The residue is a hard, black or brown, shiny bead.

6.Olefin:

Melts, shrinks in and out of flame. Continues to burn even out of flame. Looks like candle wax and leaves a tough, tan bead.

7.Protein:

Wool, for example, burns well and the ash crumbles. Much like cellulosic fibers like cotton.

8.Rayon:

Scorches and ignites from an approaching flame, in the flame – burns with a blue flame. Out of flame extinguishes itself but with a red afterglow. Smells like burning paper and leaves a gray charcoal, light ash.

9.Silk:

Curls away from the flame. Burns slowly. Some silk glows red. Usually self-extinguishing but may burn very slowly. Smells like singed hair. Leaves black, shiny beads that are easily crushed.

10.Wool:

Chars and curls away from the flame. Burns rather slowly and unevenly. Self-extinguishes. Smells like burned hair. Has irregular black ash. Ashes crumble like all protein based fibers.

This information is used by professional carpet cleaning companies. Now you can use it too.