Choosing Today’s Nylon Carpets

Shopping for carpet shouldn’t be a big deal. It’s not something you buy often, so when you do, you need to be armed with as much knowledge as possible. That means knowing where to buy it, how to buy it and most of all, how to look after it! Obviously, Fowles is the place the buy carpet. We have both a discount retail carpet shop and a weekly carpet auction where you can get high quality carpet at up to 90% off. However, once you buy the carpet, you’ll get the maximum amount of value out of it by maintaining it properly.

Fowles Carpet
Fowles Carpet

The ultimate luxury

Nothing beats wall-to-wall carpet. It’s the ultimate luxury. Some people are die-hard natural fibre fans and will not stray from a wool carpet, but no one type of carpet is better than the other. You need to choose what’s best for you and your lifestyle—as well as the size of your budget!

Most opt for nylon or synthetic

Most people are opt for nylon or synthetic carpet; nine out of 10 carpet sales are one or the other. You might have decades-old memories of nylon carpets that looked cheap and shiny, but those memories are long gone and today’s modern nylon carpets not only imitate the look of wool, they have a host of added benefits that only nylon brings.

One of the major changes is that nylon carpets are now ‘solution-dyed’. This means colour is added during the making of the carpet rather than afterwards, which means the carpets of today stay colourfast. There’s also been the introduction of ‘soft-nylons’ which give a great feel. Think in terms of baby-hair versus adult hair. The roughness, or denier, of carpet strands can be compared to the denier used in the manufacture of ladies hosiery; the finer denier, the better the feel—and todays nylon carpets are made from very fine denier strands.

Can’t beat it

You also can’t beat nylon for durability. It’s tough in high-traffic areas such as hallways and stairs and great if you have children or pets. Unlike wool, it’s resistant to mildew, mould and insect damage. Insects love to burrow in natural fibres but will not make their home in a synthetic!

So in a nutshell, nylon carpet looks good and it’s durable, resistant to mould and mildew, has a long life and offers good value for money. Not only that, it’s easy to maintain. The fibres, being synthetic, are very resistant to stains, so a nylon carpet will look better for longer. And unlike woollen carpets that need professional cleaning regularly, you can maintain your own nylon carpet.

Top-tips

  • As soon as your nylon carpet is laid, vacuum it loads during the first week. After that, aim to vacuum a few times a week to remove dust, soil and dirt. The quicker it is removed, the less damage can be done.
  • Always vacuum in the direction of the pile to achieve a uniform finish. But, if the carpet looks flat, then vacuum in the other direction to raise the pile.
  • If you spill something, act quickly. Nylon can handle domestic cleaning fluids better than wool and because the ‘colour-dye’ will not discolour.
  • For semi-solid spills, use the edge of a knife to remove the solids. If there is a liquid spill, work from the outside in.
  • You can choose to have your carpets professionally cleaned every 12 to 18 months. Deep cleaning will keeps them looking new for longer.

At Fowles, our massive carpet auction every Wednesday at 10:00 am almost always has plenty of nylon carpets, and don’t forget, you can recycle your old carpet. It does not need to go into a landfill.