CARPET CLEANING BASICS

How to Clean the Latest Generation of “New” Natural fibers

“The times they are a-changin’.” Mr. Bob Dylan said that many years
ago. And as the times change, the time has become right for the entry
of “new” natural fibers into the carpet manufacturing arena.

Cotton, long a staple in garments and home furnishings, is being
introduced as a carpet face fiber due to the consumer’s acceptance of
its comfort and durability. Hemp, which currently cannot be cultivated
in the United States, is described by Ray Berard of Interface Research
Co. as an “environmentally benign” product. Research by his company
indicates that hemp is a viable fiber for carpet face fibers and/or
backings. And today, due to the environmental bent of our society, it
may now be economically feasible as a face fiber.

…Hemp, another “new” natural fiber for carpets, has actually been with
us for thousands of years. Recent research indicates that the hemp
fiber is suitable for use as a carpet face fiber, and that it is an
environmentally desirable material.

Although it is not as resilient as wool, hemp earned high marks for
abrasion resistance when it was tested as face yarn for broadloom
carpet and carpet tiles. It has is a fly dye receptors, which allows
it to be dyed in several different manners. Berard states that hemp
does “surprisingly well” on flammability tests. “We were pleasantly
surprised that it stood up so well,” he says. “It doesn’t seem to need
flame-retardant additives.”

From an agricultural standpoint, hemp is also a most desirable
product. It will grow on any land that supports the growth of corn,
wheat or oats. It has a short growing season, and can be planted after
other crops have been harvested. The long roots of the hemp plant
penetrate and break the soil, leaving it in perfect condition for the
next year’s crop. Its dense shock of leaves – some eight to 12 feet
above the ground – chokes out undesirable weeds and allows the
reclamation of land lost to weeds and quack grass.

Hemp has been proven to have anti-microbial properties, and it tends
not to mold or mildew where other fibers would. During World War II,
some 400,000 acres of hemp were under cultivation in the United
States. This hemp was used for rope production during the war. In
February, 1938 (that’s not a misprint – 1938!!) Popular magazine
called hemp a “New Billion-Dollar Crop.” With the decline in tobacco
growth, hemp would seem to be a blessing for American farmers.

But there is a fly in the ointment: the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
You would have to have grown up in a cellar to not know about hemp’s
evil cousin – marijuana. Cultivation of any type of hemp or marijuana
is a violation of federal, state and many municipal laws.

Commercial hemp, which is the variety that would be used in carpets,
has been engineered for maximum fiber content. It also has had all of
its intoxicating properties bred out of it. So, it’s not of much use
as a recreational drug. However, U.S. laws still forbid cultivation of
any type of hemp in this country. Current sources of hemp fiber
include China, Canada and England. Commercial farming of industrial
hemp within the United States could begin very quickly, however, if
the laws are changed.

Due to limitations in fiber availability there is not yet an
appreciable amount of hemp in the marketplace, and no maintenance
procedures have been developed. But as laws change and fiber
production begins, look for hemp and hemp-blended carpets to appear in
the high-end market of environmentally aware buyers.

My guess is that it should be treated like any natural fiber: use
neutral cleaners, rinse well and dry rapidly. As for the burn test,
you’re on your own! Until next month, See Ya!

About the Author. Bop Wittkamp is a senior instructor of the Textile
Cleaning Institute. Besides teaching, Bob owns and operates an on-site
carpet and upholstery cleaning company and a consulting business in
St. Petersburg, Florida. He is a frequent speaker at industry
conventions and conducts seminars throughout the nation.