A new generation of carpet — and the equipment to keep it clean — gives specifiers more cost-effective options

— By Alan S. Bigger and Linda B. Bigger

From offices to hallways and cafeterias to classrooms, locker rooms and lounges, every area of a facility is a candidate for carpeting. There is little doubt that carpet has become a more affordable, cost-effective specification option for housekeeping managers and designers.

Matching the growing use of carpet in many facilities is a new generation of carpet-care equipment designed to keep carpeted areas looking their best. Carpet manufacturers are not resting on their laurels, however. They have been improving their products in recent years based upon end users’ needs and wishes for more durable, flexible and cost-effective carpet.

Long performance life
The carpet industry has been revisiting the durability of carpet fibers, and manufacturers are well aware that managers want floor coverings to last a long time. One carpet industry representative says school districts, strapped for money, often expect carpeting to last up to 12 years. But based upon years of experience with facilities and carpeting, industry representatives say the most common range for carpet life expectancy is 7-10 years.

The carpet industry has been addressing the desire for longer carpet life by manufacturing fibers that withstand the various needs of institutions. Nylon especially has evolved through five generations, with each generation seeking to address the need for increased durability.

Manufacturers also have made changes in primary and secondary backings, as well as in methods for weaving fibers. Latex, vinyl and polypropylene backings now are widely available, and surface fibers are woven using different methods with a variety of textures, such as looped, cut pile, mixed pile, and multi-level loops. The primary purpose of these changes is to extend carpet life.

Ease of maintenance
Carpet manufacturers have developed new dyeing techniques to ensure that carpet colors stay bright and vibrant. The most popular dyeing technique for nylon is solution dyeing, in which the pigment is inserted into the melted polymers during extrusion. This method increases color fastness and minimizes fiber dulling after installation.

Several manufacturers also are marketing carpet with built-in stain resistance. The primary focus of this feature is repelling dirt before it is absorbed into the fiber surface. Other manufacturers market carpet with a soil-resistant treatment that is applied after the fiber is manufactured.

Flexible installations
Facilities seek flexibility when specifying carpet, so carpet today is available in broadloom form in 6-, 12- and 15-foot widths. Also, modular carpeting is available in tile sizes ranging from 18 square inches to 36 square inches, and some carpet manufacturers offer tiles in different shapes.

The availability of different shapes and sizes affords managers and designers an opportunity to blend style and functionality. Various carpet widths can be used to maximum advantage. For example, 6-foot-wide carpet can be used in narrow hallways, while greater widths can be used in larger areas or rooms. Carpet also can be inlayed with various styles and colors, as can modular carpet squares.

A common rule of thumb says that 20 percent of floor surfaces absorb 80 percent of the dirt. Given that statistic, modular carpeting systems afford managers the option to replace parts of a carpeted surface, instead of the entire carpet.

Carpet manufacturers also have broadened the range of colors, designs and options available to managers. For instance, many colors available to commercial and institutional facilities are the same colors that had been used exclusively in residential settings.

Meeting specialized needs
The desire to install carpet in nearly every nook and cranny of facilities has given rise to new special needs. For instance, in areas of facilities that house specialized electronics or laboratories, static must be kept to a minimum, so more carpet manufacturers offer carpet that minimizes static.

Some facilities require anti-microbial surfaces, and this feature is being engineered into carpet. Also, institutions are concerned about indoor air quality (IAQ). So manufacturers are developing products that meet or exceed IAQ standard tests, such as ASTM D-516 recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the American Society for Testing and Materials, as well as the Testing and Labeling Program by the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), called the CRI IAQ.

Added value
The multiple designs and features of carpet coverings afford managers and designers a world of colors that provide warmth and comfort, while at the same time ensuring a durable, long-lasting floor covering.

Carpet can add sound-deadening characteristics in spaces that must have a degree of sound control, and it can add warmth by affording a degree of insulation over hard floors that otherwise would be cold. With the multiple colors, shapes and design or carpet, managers and designers can specify carpet to rival complex designs available in hard floors, such as inlaid tiles and designs.

Life-cycle costs
The proactive housekeeping manager is always looking out for facilities’ long-term needs, and this effort includes seeking to extend the life expectancy of big-ticket items, such as machinery, HVAC systems and even carpet coverings.
With increased durability of carpet fibers and easier cleaning, carpet surfaces often meet or exceed managers’ expectations for life expectancy and life-cycle costs.

Equipment issues
No matter what type of flooring or floor finish a manager selects, if it is not maintained properly, its life-cycle replacement cost will skyrocket. To keep up with the demand to maintain carpet effectively and efficiently, manufacturers of carpet-cleaning equipment have brought to market a new generation of equipment.

Vacuums. From uprights to backpacks, manufacturers have increased vacuums’ power, size, durability, effectiveness and environmental features. Vacuums are more efficient and powerful and much lighter than previous models, making them more portable, whether pushed along the floor or carried on the back. Most models also can carry attachments such as crevice-cleaning tools, brushes and extension wands.

Portable machines. Managers can choose from many types of portable equipment, including portable extraction units not much bigger than a briefcase and walk-behind machines that can be moved easily between buildings.

Among the innovations in portable carpet care are an extractor that recycles water and, thus, runs longer without having to be refilled and a machine that doubles as a wide-area vacuum cleaner and extractor that uses minimal moisture. The concept behind this second machine is that carpet can be vacuumed one day and extracted the next, all with one piece of equipment.

Other manufacturers have developed equipment that uses dry-chemical technology such as foams, powders or crystals, which are applied to the carpet and removed with a special piece of equipment. The benefit of this system is that little or no moisture is applied to the carpet, so the room can be used immediately after cleaning.

Heavy-duty equipment. Wide-area extractors are available either as a truck mount or in very large walk-behind, self-contained unit. Truck mounts operate with 300-600 feet of hose and two operators, allowing crews to clean the carpet in large buildings in one shift. Wide-area extractors are easy to operate and can clean large areas effectively and efficiently in minimum time.

Managers have a variety of carpet types to choose from for installation in their facilities, and all types deliver greater assurance that their life-cycle cost are competitive with other flooring systems. Careful carpet specification, teamed with an appropriate arsenal of carpet-cleaning equipment, can help managers ensure that carpet will have a longer performance life, making it an even more viable option than ever.

• Ready-to-use (RTU) all-in-one carpet spotters. These spotters, usually in 16- or 32-ounce spray bottles, remove most spots and stains easily and effectively when applied correctly as soon as possible after a spill occurs. These chemicals are becoming less harsh and more environmentally friendly. Some RTU chemicals claim to have built-in soil repellants that minimize soil absorption into carpet fiber.
  
  
• Spotting and stain-removal kits. These kits contain a variety of chemicals that assist in removing most stains. The kit comes with a series of instructions or a chart that indicates how to apply the chemicals and in what sequence.
  
  
• Foams, crystals, powders and shampoos. Chemical manufacturers have become increasingly innovative in producing chemical systems that can be used for a variety of carpet-cleaning purposes. The newer generations of these chemicals have optical brighteners, and some have built-in soil repellants that coat carpet fibers with a substance that minimizes soil penetration of carpet fibers after application.
  

In addition, most of today’s carpet-cleaning chemicals remove a wide variety of stains and soils without damaging carpet, providing the chemicals are used in accordance with manufacturer directions. To prevent accidental widespread carpet damage, test chemicals on a small sample of the carpet or in an unobtrusive, out-of-the-way area, such as in a carpeted closet.