Carpet Smart: A Look at New Technologies in Carpet

Ready for new carpet in your home? Be prepared to shop for carpet in a whole new way.

As a Home Depot associate in the flooring department, I can attest to the fact that new developments in carpet are making this flooring option very attractive.

There is carpet that can clean the air in your home, and carpet that is manufactured from recycled plastic bottles. There is carpet that resists stains; imagine being able to remove marker from carpeting with a simple solution of bleach and water.

Puresque carpeting, from Beaulieu, is just such a product. During the manufacturing process, the backing and fiber is imbued with an organic salt solution. This solution continually reacts to the pressure from walking on the carpet; the organic compounds released neutralize odors without pulling the odors into the fabric of the carpet.

These compounds that are released are non-toxic. But they are also non-discriminating. Whether it's cigar smoke or roses, this carpet will seek out and neutralize the odor.

The carpet, though, does not retain these aromas. The neutralizing process breaks down the odors and destroys them. Your rooms smell clean, and your Puresque carpet stays fresh.

The solution-dyed nylon fibers are stain resistant. Because the fiber is dyed throughout, not just coated, spot cleaning is easy. Using a 50/50 solution of bleach and water, you can remove marker, ketchup, juice, and all manner of soiling.

Mohawk produces a fine product called SmartStrand, made from Dupont Sorona Polymer. The process gives the strands of fiber built-in protection against stains, even mustard. What's the significance of this? Often, a manufacturer's warranty against stains will not include mustard. But the SmartStrand resists stains because the protection works from the inside out; fibers are not just coated with protective soil resistant substances.

Do you think green? I don't mean green carpet. I'm talking about carpet that is environmentally friendly. Look for carpeting with PET content. This innovative process creates carpeting from recycled plastic bottles.