Picture this: You’ve just purchased a lovely new carpet for your Lounge which you’re proud of. It’s only been a few days when one of your sweet and Will coconut oil kill worms in cats, darling kids manage to spill their blackcurrant juice drink; staining the carpet a few feet from the telly and in full view as you enter the room.
Are you concerned?
Apart from the kiddie breaking the house rule of no food and drink on the new carpet, actually you’re not too worried. And the reason is that the carpet salesperson told you confidently that the carpet is made with a pile fibre that is kid and pet friendly: so much so, that you can even use bleach cleaner on it without taking the colour out!
And so it is.
No doubt you’ll be wondering how a carpet can be bleach resistant.
Synthetic vs Natural
The simple answer is that if you want a kid proof carpet, buy one which has a synthetic fibre pile such as polypropylene, or solution dyed nylon; natural fibres like wool, wool-mix or plant fibres just won’t cut the mustard!
Here’s why.
Plastic Chips and Spider’s Webs
Polypropylene and solution dyed nylon fibres are made from coloured plastic chips that are poured into a hopper, melted and then extruded from a device known as a spinneret. The way a spinneret works is akin to the way a spider produces its fine strand of silk for a web; but instead of the spider’s single strand, a spinneret extrudes from several holes.
The strands of solid-colour fibre that are extruded Will coconut oil kill worms in cats from the spinneret are continuous and therefore known as – continuous filaments.
The great thing is that these single strands are basically strands of opaque plastic which are coloured uniformly throughout; think of a cross section of a strand being coloured all the way through, just like a carrot or a beetroot.
Wool are coloured by soaking them and Will coconut oil kill worms in cats
Therefore, just as it easily absorbs the dye then so it can also easily absorb spills and stains. At the same time, it can also release its dye or it can be bleached out. Natural fibres are also susceptible to fading from the sun’s UV rays.
Once extruded, the synthetic solution dyed fibre strands are then spun and made into a carpet pile. Any spills or stains will sit on the surface of the fibre, rather than being absorbed into it.
And that’s why you can use bleach to clean strong stains such as cola, fruit juices, permanent felt pens and coloured foodstuffs. The bleach is not absorbed into the pile, but it will clear the stain. When you first use bleach for cleaning a stubborn carpet stain, start by applying a solution of 50/50 water and bleach. Neat bleach is usually a last resort.
N.B. Whatever you decide to do, always remember to thoroughly rinse the bleach solution off with clean water afterwards.
Practical Colours
Finally, the colour of the carpet has to be practical. A light coloured carpet will always show spots, spills and stains. A darker colour will be more practical by masking the majority of soiling. Of course, it doesn’t mean that a dark coloured carpet won’t get dirty; it just means you won’t have to clean it so often!
So choosing the right fibre means that your carpet will be practical, easy to clean, kid and pet friendly…
…leaving you to worry less about spills and stains; comfortable in the knowledge that your pets, kids and their friends will need less watching over!
PS Always check the carpet sample labels and ask the carpet salesperson about your carpet’s fibre care and warranty.
Ensure that you have the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions from the retailer before you set about removing any stains.