When you say, “polyester,” do you mean just plain polyester, PET polyester or PTT polyester? There is lots of confusion about what the terms really mean. Recently, most of the polyester fibers used for carpet construction have been of the PET variety. PET polyester is manufactured primarily from used plastic soda bottles. It is an improved fiber over the original polyester, but still retains some of the performance issues, about which you may have heard stories.

The high points of PET carpets are that they are inexpensive, and the fiber is highly colorfast and resistant to water-based stains (though susceptible to oil-based stains).  Additionally, there is a particularly soft and lush feel (carpet folks call it good “hand”) to new polyester carpet. The main complaints about carpets made from this fiber are that they crush and mat quickly, and that oil-based stains are difficult – if not impossible to remove.

PTT polyester is a late generation fiber refined and introduced by DuPont in 2000, under the trade name Sorona. It has some interesting characteristics, like 37% renewable resource content (corn-based) and reported extra stain and performance capabilities over earlier generations of polyester. Because of its unique performance characteristics in carpet construction, the FTC (in March, 2009) authorized the new generic fiber name and classification, Triexta. Mohawk’s Smartstrand carpets are manufactured from this fiber.

According to DuPont and Mohawk, carpets constructed from triexta fibers will perform every bit as well as nylon – and yet retain the soft feel (the hand) and stain-resistance of polyester.