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Natural Fibers in Carpet and Rugs

12/12/2017

24 Comments

 
Natural fibers aren’t as common as synthetic fibers in carpet today, but when encountered it is important to know what they are and which specific cleaning technique(s)/chemical(s) should be used.

These are fibers that originate from plants, animals and insects.

Most natural fabrics are very absorbent and require special care and skill, especially with the chemistry used in your cleaning process.
 
Protein fibers
 
Protein fibers come from animal or their by-products (wool and silk). Sodium hypochlorite, also known as common household (chlorine) bleach, will soften and even completely dissolve protein fibers, causing permanent damage.

Protein fibers are naturally flame resistant, and normally will hide dirt and give fabrics a “warm” look and feel. For commercial applications, this is a consideration, as more architects and building maintenance managers are concerned with safety (flammability).
 
Wool specifics

The fleece of a sheep or lamb; the most common natural fiber.

This three-part fiber (epidermis – the outer layer of the fiber – cortex and medulla) dates back to 2,000 BC. Wool has a natural crimp which makes it resilient (bounces back when crushed).

Use care with alkalinity. Most cleaning chemicals are alkaline. Damage to wool fibers can be caused by strong alkalinity and, in some cases, acidity. Detergents chosen for cleaning wool should be approved for wool fibers. Dye migration can occur with high pH.

When agitating wool fibers, be cautious. You can “felt” the fabric. Felting is the interlocking of the scales of the wool fiber and can make the carpet appear “slimy” during cleaning. Felting is also caused by high alkalinity.

Only use fluorochemicals (which lower surface energy of fibers, resisting water, oil and dry soils) as fabric protectors (Teflon, Scotchgard, various brands). Silicones block the pores of wool fibers, causing degradation (and rapid resoiling on any fiber).

Wool can be damaged and degrade and lose strength if left for prolonged time periods in direct sunlight.

Lamb wool is the first fleece that is sheered from a sheep that is eight months or younger. It is soft and fine compared to subsequent sheering.

Virgin wool is wool spun for the first time. Pulled wool is taken from slaughtered animals.

Wool hides dirt, so the carpet may have much more soil than first estimated.

Wool can sustain insect growth.

Bleeds (with moisture), crocks (with or without moisture, but with agitation).
 
Silk specifics

Produced by the silkworm, it is the strongest of all natural fibers.

Silk fibers will easily watermark, so be sure to clean them evenly.

Texture distorts easily. Yellows with age. Spots easily. Damaged by alkaline and perspiration.
 
Cellulosic fibers:
 
These come from plants or vegetation. Examples are cotton and jute. Rayon is regenerated cotton product (cheap and weak).

Only these fibers can have “cellulosic browning” from “lignin”, the substance in plant matter. Alkaline agents (see section on “chemistry” later in this manual) intensify this, and are not effective in removing browning. If you need alkalinity (such as ammonia), always neutralize with an acid (such as citric or acetic – vinegar).

Using too much water or not drying a fabric fast enough contributes to browning.

Cotton is highly absorbent which means longer drying times. These fibers are taken from the seed hairs of the cotton plant via ginning.

Jute is made from the stalks of the jute plant. It is used mostly as a secondary backing on tufted carpet and warp and fill yarns for woven carpet, and blended with sisal for mats. It has good dimensional stability and resistance to dry heat. But it may shrink and rot or brown with over wetting and improper drying. Natural fibers may take longer to dry because they are more absorbent then synthetic fibers.

Other natural fibers found in carpet and rugs include coir (coconut husk), seagrass and sisal (agave plant) – use low moisture cleaning with these fibers and wet the surface evenly.

24 Comments
Jessy link
1/4/2018 02:15:47 pm

I really like how you explain the difference of fabrics in detail. Thank you for sharing this article!

Reply
Russ Morris link
2/7/2018 07:58:33 am

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Joe Braxton link
3/6/2018 11:40:58 am

Very well written article with complete description on best tips of carpet cleaning which are different in their own ways. This well written article is very helpful for me. Thanks for sharing this information.

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Carpet Care and Beyond link
5/13/2018 08:20:22 am

We're a big fan of IICRC articles! Thank you

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Paul Brown link
1/17/2019 08:52:08 pm

Natural fibers are new to me. But when you described its features as it is inflammable and all......really that was just mind blowing. Thanks for sharing the concept of natural fibers with me.

Reply
Jamaica link
1/30/2019 11:47:47 pm

Reading this article made me realize a lot of things. It has also parted me a lot of informations that will surely help me in the future. Thank you so much for this and I hope you would do more like this. This had been nice I hope to read more of your articles because you are such a great writer! To help you with your duties at home try our <a href="https://cottoncare.com.sg">sofa cleaning services</a> Just visit our site for more details.

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John Fernandes link
4/7/2019 11:03:58 pm

Thanks from the bottom of my heart for this pretty informative post. Learned few more thinks about carpet and rug cleaning and i'm grateful for the same.

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4/12/2020 03:50:10 am

We all know about the site and preparing for cheap quality furniture I have found and making the great objectives as well. Thanks for updating more furniture info.

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Carpet Cleaners East Brunswick link
9/19/2020 05:44:03 am

Not use too much water while blotting the spot surface. Use wet towel and blot it over the carpet stains to remove it.

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Green Carpet Cleaning Boston link
11/5/2020 03:19:43 am

Carpets are one of those which we ignore while cleaning because cleaning them is a tough task to do. You need proffessionals carpet cleaners who can do this for you and they are well specialized in it.

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Mold Removal Company Reston link
11/6/2020 06:54:35 am

Mold removal is a very tough and hard process, if you are trying yourself. For proper removal, you can hire professional mold removers for cleaning the molds.

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Professional Carpet Cleaning link
11/9/2020 06:14:29 am

Having a clean property is a superb feeling for anyone, especially when you have carpets that significantly add magnificence and elegance to your place.

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Deep Carpet Cleaning Silver Spring link
11/10/2020 04:29:16 am

Your carpets are filled with alot of stubborn dirt which doesn't comes out by simple washing method. You need to hire carpet cleaners as they have specialized way of cleaning for these type of fabrics.

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Carpet Cleaning Bethesda link
11/15/2020 05:02:19 am

Soft fabrics of a carpet can be easily damaged by using inappropriate ways of cleaning them. So, you can easily hire professional mold cleaners because they have proper knowledge and skills through which they clean all type of carpets and stains easily.

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Carpet Cleaners Washington link
11/18/2020 01:15:54 am

If you want to clean carpet at genuine price, always get in touch with professional and certified company because they have knowledge to deal with all type of carpets.

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Carpet Cleaning Bergenfield NJ link
11/18/2020 02:45:33 am

Carpets cover a large area of your home and having clean carpets also make house clean and beautiful. Thus, it's essential to maintain carpets and ensure proper cleaning by professional cleaners.

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Carpet Cleaners Baltimore md link
11/23/2020 09:31:38 pm

You should hire carpet cleaning services for better maintenance of your carpet because your carpets are getting dirtier easily by daily foot traffic and also many more reason behind it.

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Mold Inspection Cost link
12/18/2020 12:52:19 am

A professional service provider will thoroughly clean the infected place after successful mold removing and guarantee the homeowner for a safe and healthy environment.

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Professional Carpet Cleaning Fort Lee link
12/20/2020 11:25:43 pm

We as professional steam carpet cleaners offering best of residential steam carpet cleaning have experience and skill to make your carpets look entirely clean.

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Carpet Cleaning Edison link
12/30/2020 05:22:49 am

Carpet cleaning should be done at least once every month, if not more. It is better to hire experts for the carpet cleaning.

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Don Johnson link
2/3/2022 05:50:39 am

Thanks for sharing such informative blog.

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steamsmartpro link
5/17/2022 02:41:45 am

I agree! Many households believe in the common misconception that vacuuming is all it takes to remove dirt and debris from their carpet, but unfortunately, that is not always so. Many problem areas do not get the care and attention they need, leading to an accumulation of dust and pollutants that can trigger allergies and asthma. That's why we need rug cleaning!

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Jimmy Martin link
10/13/2022 12:10:43 pm

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Matrix Hospitality Furniture link
2/14/2023 03:16:44 am

Thank you for the advice.

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    Jeff Cross...

    ... is the executive editor of Cleanfax.com and an IICRC-approved instructor. His goal is to help cleaning and restoration technicians to become the best in the industry. He can be reached at (740)973-4236 or by email (click here)

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