Carpet Shedding Fibres
County: Kent
Post Code: ME2
Carpet name: Classic Twist Natural, Pebble Beige
Nature of Issue: The client claims that after 15 months of use, the carpet he purchased from the retailer has lost too much wool. The wool is still shedding after daily vacuuming. The client contacted the retailer about this approximately one month after purchasing the carpet. The retailer sent a representative from Associated Weavers. The client was unhappy with the assessment from Associated Weavers and decided to have his own independent test carried out.
Tests:
The following tests and comments were carried out by Mr Paul Bakker from the Woolsafe Organization.
We carried out a number of comparative tests on the two pieces of carpet sent by the client:
1. Visual inspection, including appearance change, quality of backing, tuft anchorage, shedding.
2. Thickness measurements, before and after wet cleaning
3. level of soiling assessment, colour measurements
4. level of cleanliness, colour measurements, before and after cleaning (vacuum and spray extraction).
Our comments are as follows:
1. There is no evidence of excessive shedding from the unused sample supplied.
2. The backing is of rather poor quality and consequently tuft anchorage is variable. This, and the fact that the pile is a singles yarn, may well have caused more shedding than normal.
3. The piece of used carpet is very soiled considering that it has only been in use for 14 months. We haven’t carried out a soiling test, because too little carpet was available. But this may well be an issue.
4. Cleaning will revive a lot of the colour and thickness of the carpet without much fibre shedding, but with some texture loss and fuzzing of the surface.
See cleaned half of the ‘used’ sample of carpet supplied by the client and the soil samples obtained from the cleaned half of the carpet.
5. The letter from Associated Weavers’ Customer Service Department, ‘Doc 2’ (to the retailer) is one obvious cause for the clients unhappiness with his purchase. The letter is very confusing in trying to explain shedding and what can be expected from a carpet. We have never come across a figure as high as 20% of fibre loss due to shedding. The maximum is nearer 6-8%. Also, the letter states initially that “…most of the fibre loss…will lessen in 3-6 months” and then says “There is no time limit on shedding…”. What is it to be? No wonder the client wants 20% of his money back!
The test has confirmed there is no evidence of excessive shedding, although some shedding of the carpet has obviously taken place. The points in section two of the Woolsafe test, (poor backing) would increase the chances of lost tufts, but this is not an issue in this case. It is very unlikely the shedding is due to a manufacturing fault.
Conclusion, by Kevin Goodwin:
The Report from Associate Weavers is very misleading and confusing, (see section five of the test report), and it was this that prompted the client to take further action with this issue. I would deem it reasonable the client is reimbursed the Woolsafe Test fee, plus 20% of the purchase price of the carpet for the inconvenience caused to him over this matter.
However, I have to say that it is normal to experience some change in appearance and pile flattening is expected from most carpets of this type, after people walk on it. This change is more dramatic and so much more noticeable at the beginning of a carpet’s life, after which does not change much. Regular maintenance and periodic professional cleaning will keep the carpet looking good for longer. Darker shades and busy patterns hide most change in appearance much more than a plain, light beige carpet.