When purchasing carpet, consumers must consider factors such as expense, function, traffic, resilience, and stain resistance.
Most carpets today are made of one fiber, although there are blending fibers can result in a superior product. These are the basic fibers available:
Wool – the most expensive fiber; the most popular natural fiber; soft, warm, comfortable feel, durable, naturally resists stains, easily cleaned; more often used for area rugs; no natural resistance to moisture and abrasion; high maintenance; susceptible to moths; often blended with nylon for greater resilience
Nylon – the most popular and resilient carpet fiber; soft feel, resists wear and fading; easy to clean; nonallergenic; can be treated to resist stains; available in many colors; good for high-traffic areas; some nylons are prone to static, may pill; often blended with olefin
Olefin/Polypropylene – once used primarily for outdoor carpeting because of its high resistance; to fading, stains, and moisture; low static and colorfast fiber that looks and feels like wool
Polyester – less expensive, less easily cleaned, and less durable than nylon; permanently stain and fade resistant; nonallergenic, versatile and available in many textures, may pill
Acrylic – most closely resembles wool in appearance and feel, manufactured mostly for commercial use, resists moisture and mildew, easily cleaned, low static, available in many colors