A characteristic of some new carpet is shedding or fluffing. When a newly installed carpet is vacuumed, a large amount of fiber may be found in the vacuum. This is normal.

Some yarns used in the carpet are spun from staple fibers. Carpets made with staple (short, unprocessed fibers) will not have
all of the fibers anchored into the back or tightly held in the yarns. Mechanical action will work some of the fibers loose. As the
carpet is vacuumed, some of the loose fibers will be removed. Many styles of carpet are sheared as one of the final steps in manufacturing. Accompanying the shearing are large vacuums used to remove loose fibers. However, some of these carpet
fibers fall into the carpet pile. After installation, these fibers will be removed during vacuuming.

The amount of fiber removed during vacuuming will depend upon a variety of factors. Shorter fibers and longer tufts create a greater number of loose fibers in the yarns. The yarns with less twist will not hold the loose fibers as tightly; therefore, they are easier to remove.

The solution is to thoroughly vacuum the carpet. Deep brushing agitates the fibers and makes it possible for more of them to picked up by the vacuum. The thoroughness with which a carpet is vacuumed will be a big factor on the amount of loose fiber is removed.

The length of time a carpet or rug will shed will depend upon the amount of loose fiber in the yarns, traffic level, the type of vacuum used, the vacuuming procedure, and frequency of vacuuming.

If the carpet pile is short and an upright vacuum is used industriously several times a week, most of the loose fiber will be removed in the first couple of months. The other extreme would be a long pile carpet made with shorter fibers and vacuumed occasionally with a vacuum using air suction only. Loose fibers may be removed for the entire life of the carpet. Usually, it slows down within the first couple of months and almost stops within six months.

After a carpet has been cleaned, the shedding may begin again. The mechanical action of the machine will work some of the loose fibers from the tufts. The cleaning will remove some of the oils and greases, which may be holding some of the loose fibers. Vacuuming a couple of times should remove the loose fibers.

The fiber lost due to shedding or fluffing is to be expected with carpets and rugs made with yarns containing staple fibers. This loss of fibers should not affect the durability, as the amount of fiber removed is small compared to the total amount of fiber in the carpet. It may look like a lot of fiber in the vacuum bag, but the fibers in the bag have no orientation and are fluffed up. It really is not as much fiber as it may appear. The more thorough the vacuuming, the quicker the loose fibers will be removed.

For more carpet information please go to:
www.carpet-rug.com
www.mohawkcarpet.com
www.shawcarpets.com