CarpetProfessor.com
Why
Do Some Carpets Shed and Fuzz?
Some
New Carpet Styles Shed & Fuzz Like Crazy, filling Up Your Vacuum Bag
again and again, month after month! Unless you really like vacuuming up
a ton of LOOSE Carpet Fuzz every time you vacuum, you need to learn exactly why this happens and
how YOU can avoid being the unwitting victim of a Carpet Shedding Nightmare!
If you have recently bought new carpet and are now 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.
Please
Help! My New Carpet is Going Bald!
Is
your vacuum bag constantly full of loose carpet fuzz? I get lots of emails from unhappy carpet
buyers who complain about Carpet Shedding.
If you have already bought new carpet
and your carpet is now Shedding and Fuzzing like mad, then you probably have no
recourse with the carpet dealer or manufacturer.
Your salesperson probably
didn't mention that your new carpet would shed like crazy after it was installed
so I understand why you are not a happy camper at this point.
While
you will not enjoy vacuuming up all the loose carpet fibers, MONTH AFTER
MONTH... 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. FOR SOME IT COULD TAKE UP TO
A YEAR!
The good news is, a little
shedding will not hurt your carpet and it won't go completely bald. Your carpet
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, probably had no idea this
would happen and now you are in a panic to find out why it is happening, and what
you should do next and who's to blame!
Carpet
Shedding Explained...
Continuous
Filament Fiber vs. Staple Fiber Construction?
What
Does Continuous
Filament Mean?
Some
Carpets are made with a Continuous Filament fiber which is basically
one long never-ending strand of fiber.
Read
the label on the back of the Carpet Sample
Carpets made with a Continuous
Filament fiber will have markings of "CF" (Continuous Filament), "BCF", (Bulked
Continuous Filament) or "CFN" (Continuous Filament Nylon) shown on
the back of the Carpet sample. If it does not have one of these markings,
then it is likely a carpet made from a staple fiber.
A
Continuous Filament fiber is very desirable mainly because it
virtually eliminates the Shedding and Fuzzing you typically get with carpets made from a Staple Fiber.
The
Dreaded "Staple Fiber"
Carpets
made with Staple Fibers use short strands of fiber from 3-10 inches
long. These short strands of fiber are twisted together and then spun into
longer threads of yarn. Consumers who buy a carpet made with 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 AND A POSSIBLE HEALTH HAZARD TO KIDS
AND PETS. Pets and small children often play on the carpet and may inhale
or consume loose carpet fibers which cannot be a healthy thing to do. Loose
fibers can
also damage or reduce the power of your vacuum if you allow the loose fibers to
clog the wheels, beater bar and belt.
Any
Quick Remedies? Nope, It's the nature of the fiber....
Carpet
salespeople seldom take the time to educate or inform consumers about the
differences between
Continuous
Filament and Staple Fibers and rarely address the possibility
of carpets made with a staple fiber shedding for weeks or months. It's only
after the carpet is installed that the homeowner will discover the shedding
nightmare.
There is
seldom a remedy offered by the retailer or the manufacturer
for this problem. When the customer complains, the retailer typically tells the
consumer that the shedding will eventually stop and to be patient. This is
true, but it often takes up to a year for the Shedding or Fuzzing to subside. It's the nature of the fiber....
Why
do they still make carpets that shed?
Why
do they still use Staple Fibers today?
Because it allows carpet manufacturers more flexibility when creating new carpet
styles. At least that's what they say. I think it also 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 available. Your job is to know exactly
what you are buying BEFORE you agree to buy it. That's why I created this
website and offer free carpet information to consumers.
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 for you to determine in advance how much a carpet
will shed. You can avoid the nightmare of excessive carpet shedding by selecting
a carpet made with a Continuous
Filament fiber. This may also referred to as a BCF fiber, or Bulked
Continuous Filament.
How
To Protect Yourself
Be
very careful INTERPRETING what you read on the Carpet sample label! Carpet
sample labels will NOT be marked as a "Staple Fiber". They will ONLY be marked CF, BCF, or CFN to
signify it is made from a Continuous Filament fiber.
If the
Carpet Label JUST says
"100% Nylon" Then you MUST assume the Carpet is NOT MADE with a Continuous
Filament
fiber.
What
might be the cause of your Carpet Wrinkles? If you have wrinkles or waves in your
carpet, find out who or what may be responsible and what you can do to fix the
problem.
More
FREE 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
Complete Carpet Buying Guide
-
How to Measure for Carpet in 4 Simple Steps
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