The fiber type must be identified during the pre inspection before determining which solution to use. For polypropylene and polyester, a high pH cleaning solution will be needed in order to make an effective difference. These types of fibers love oils and hate water so the stronger solution is needed. The other negative property these fibers have is that they crush and bend in traffic areas rather quickly. Cleaning the carpet can’t fix bent plastic.
Nylon is a more desirable fiber because if it is maintained correctly, it will give you many years of comfort. Cleaning solutions of a pH 9 or lower should only be used on residential nylon. Unlike the poly fibers it doesn’t bend and crease but springs back. This will only work when you clean it on a regular schedule. You can’t wait until it looks dirty. by then it’s usually too late. Having carpet protector applied after cleaning will also add life to your carpet.
Wool is the most resilient of all. It’s also the most expensive. Cleaning solutions should be close to neutral 6 or 7 pH. Wool can be damaged very fast if you lack experience cleaning it. Wool can take the abuse if you know how to maintain it properly. It usually takes longer to vacuum wool in order to remove the soil completely. It will take a bit longer to dry because of it’s property of retaining water. The bottom line is that you want an experienced individual cleaning wool.