Why
do some Carpets shed and fuzz?
Loose carpet fibers? Some
new carpets shed and fuzz. Are you vacuuming carpet fibers?
Got
Loose
Carpet Fibers? New Carpet Shedding?
Some
carpets tend to shed and fuzz while others do not. Unless you like
vacuuming you need to know exactly why this happens and what you need to do to avoid
the carpet fuzz nightmare! If you recently bought new carpet and are
experiencing a ton of carpet fuzz and shedding, then for you it is already
too late. The shedding will eventually stop, but it could take weeks or even
months before it does. Stock up on vacuum cleaner bags.
If
you have already bought new carpet and your carpet is now shedding and fuzzing,
then you probably have no recourse with the carpet dealers or manufacturer.
While you will not enjoy vacuuming up all the loose carpet fibers, it will
eventually come to an end. It could take a few weeks or a few months depending
on the carpet you purchased and how often you vacuum. The good news is, it will
not hurt your carpet to lose some fiber. It was designed to do this, or should
I say, the manufacturer knows this will happen and figure it into their design.
You, on the other hand, had no idea this would happen and now you are in a panic
to find out why it is happening and what you need to do about it.
Why
do carpets shed? Carpet Shedding
Continuous
Filament verses Staple Fiber Construction.
Continuous
filament
Some
Carpets
made with a Continuous Filament Nylon fiber are basically one long
never-ending strand of fiber. Carpets made with a Continuous Filament will have either
"CF", "BCF", (Bulked
Continuous Filament) or "CFN" (Continuous Filament Nylon) shown on
the carpet sample label. A
Bulked Continuous Filament fiber is very desirable mainly because it
virtually eliminates the shedding and fuzzing you typically get with a Staple Fiber.
Staple
fiber
Carpets
made with a Staple Fiber use short strands from 3-10 inches long. These
short strands are twisted together and then spun into long threads of yarn.
Consumers who buy a carpet made of staple fibers are often plagued with
continual vacuuming to try to keep up with the shedding and fuzzing for up
to a year after installation. Consumers
often report filling up a vacuum bag every time they vacuum. This can be
very frustrating, not to mention time consuming. Pets and small children
often inhale or consume loose carpet fibers which cannot be a healthy thing
to do. It can also damage your vacuum if you allow the loose fibers to clog
the wheels, beater bar, motor and belt.
Any
remedies?
Carpet
retailers seldom take the time to educate consumers about the differences between Continuous
Filament and Staple Fibers and rarely address the possibility of Staple
Fiber carpets shedding for months on end. It's only after the carpet is
installed that consumers discover the truth and at that point there is
usually no
remedy offered by the retailer or the manufacturer. When the customer
complains, The retailer typically tells the
consumer that the shedding will eventually stop and to be patient.
Why
do they still make carpets that shed?
Why
do they still use staple fibers? Because it allows carpet manufacturers more
flexibility when creating new carpet styles. At least that's what they say.
I think it saves them money to use these short lengths of fibers instead of
recycling them. As with any product line, there are many different grades and
qualities. Your job is to know exactly what you are buying BEFORE you agree to
buy it.
Not all staple fibers continue
to shed for months. It depends on the carpet style, how well the carpet is
constructed and the length of fibers used. The shorter the fiber lengths
used, the more prone to shedding the carpet will be. Unfortunately there is
no way to determine in advance how much a carpet will shed.
Carpet
samples will not be marked "staple fiber" they will only be
marked CF, BCF, or CFN to prove it is made from a continuous filament
fiber.
More
Carpet
Information:
-
The
History of Carpet
-
In-Home
Carpet Scams
-
The
Bait and switch scam
-
Why
do some carpets shed and fuzz?
(You are here)
-
Measuring
scams
-
Determine
Your Level of Foot Traffic
-
Carpet
Fibers 1 Nylon and Olefin
-
Carpet
Fibers 2
Polyester and Sorona®
-
Alan's
Preferred
Carpet Dealer Directory
-
The
PAR Carpet Rating System
-
The
2009 Complete Carpet Buying Guide
