By Ken Ryan—Americans love their pets as evidenced by a 2021-2022 National Pet Owners survey showing that 70% of U.S. households, or about 90.5 million families, own a pet. What’s more, 95% of those homeowners consider their pet to be a member of the family. With that in mind, carpet mills have been busy developing best-in-class, stain-and pet-proof carpets—products that offer protection against accidents without compromising on aesthetics or durability.
Following are some recent introductions.
Anderson Tuftex
Naturally imperfect geometric shapes carved out of sandstone canyon walls by Mother Nature provided the influence for the soft, distinct styling of Caboodle. The Pet Perfect+ carpet from Anderson Tuftex boasts durable, high-performance fibers designed with built-in stain protection, fade and bleach resistance and offers the protection of LifeGuard Spill-Proof technology. With a palette of 12 organic tones, Caboodle gives homeowners options for a variety of looks.
The Dixie Group
The Dixie Group (TDG) is raising the bar in stain and pet protection with EnVisionSD Pet Solutions. While solution-dyed nylon fiber is known to be inherently stain resistant due to its construction, EnVisionSD Pet Solutions aims to take it to the next level.
The type of solution-dyed nylon used in TDG products combined with TDG’s heat setting process create products that are more resistant to stains, odors and pet hair than traditional SD nylon, according to the company. In addition to the enhanced stain and odor resistance, the new EnVisionSD Pet Solutions products for 2022 include fresh, extended color palettes (28 on-trend colors).
Dream Weaver by Engineered Floors
The Dream Weaver retail brand has added five new styles to its DW Select line—notably Del Rey and San Lucas. DW Select offerings are crafted using the company’s proprietary PureColor solution-dyed fiber. “Unlike traditional dying methods, the color in our PureColor fiber penetrates 100% of the fiber itself,” said Mike Sanderson, vice president of marketing. “This provides inherent stain and fade protection for the life of the carpet. It is also unbelievably easy to clean. We recommend cleaning with a mixture of bleach and water.”
Del Rey introduces a larger scale abstract pattern influencing modern and transitional styling while delivering an organic feel throughout the room. San Lucas presents a unique dense and textured loop pile that creates added dimension and beauty underfoot.
Karastan
The upscale brand updated one of its most popular styles with the introduction of Indescribable. Boasting a large color line, the product comes with SmartStrand’s All Pet warranty, which is time tested and offers guaranteed performance when it comes to soft surfaces in an active household. “This is a simple story of luxury meeting performance and checking all of the boxes for our premium consumers,” said Thomas Kilgore, senior product director, soft surface.
Marquis
Extraordinary and Matrix are the newest introductions from Marquis featuring lifetime stain and pet protection. Extraordinary is produced with the mill’s softest yarn and has the greatest pile weight in the lineup. “We did not sacrifice the luxurious soft feel while maintaining an incredible lifestyle stain protection,” said Chet Graham, president.
Matrix is produced using precision pattern tufting equipment that creates a unique yet durable look. “As patterns have become more mainstream, we decided to introduce our first heavyweight, graphic-tufted carpet that features stain and pet protection,” Graham said. “Our products are really focused on providing value and touch appeal.”
Mohawk
Lavish Direction is a ColorMax Silk offering that features SmartStrand’s All Pet warranty along with Mohawk’s new ReCover backing.
Lavish Direction offers a lifetime worry-free backing guarantee and is 100% recyclable—able to stand the test of time while retaining its value at the end of its life cycle as a soft surface product.
Phenix
Made with pets in mind, Mykonos and Maxwell are two additions to Phenix’s new FloorEver PetPlus line. One of the most important features of FloorEver PetPlus carpets is the SureSoftSDN cationic solution-dyed nylon fibers, which are said to repel acid-based stains like wine, tomato sauce or pet stains. Because they are solution dyed, the color of the carpet is resistant to fading, staining and general wear and tear for commercial-grade stain protection in a residential carpet.
Phenix carpets also feature Microban, which provides 24/7 surface protection against the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew.
Shaw Floors
Favoured Path features a remixed herringbone that is a perfect balance of pattern and texture. With this unique Pet Perfect style from Shaw Floors, homeowners get built-in stain and soil protection, bleach and fade resistance and a high-performance fiber designed to release pet hairs while vacuuming for easy cleanability.
It is available in 15 on-trend colors, with options for all consumer preferences.
Tarkett Home
Tarkett Home recently launched two patterned styles to its Lifetime Series portfolio—Presidio and Somerset. “Presidio and Somerset both utilize a cut-and-loop patterned approach that gives the luxurious look and feel of a cut-pile product, yet still contains loop for higher durability and wear, plus styling aesthetics on the floor,” said Tim Hiner, senior director of product development and product management.
Both utilize Tarkett Home’s solution-dyed Primus PET fiber. Tarkett’s fiber is extruded with the color embedded, making it resistant to fading. The products come with a limited lifetime warranty covering stain, pet urine and soiling along with a 20-year abrasive wear and texture retention warranty.
Stanton
Stanton is launching a proprietary yarn system called L.I.O.N. (luxury indoor outdoor nylon) under its Rosecore brand. According to the company, the durability, fade resistance
and easy cleanability make L.I.O.N. the ideal solution for individuals who live active lifestyles and families with children and pets. L.I.O.N. products are crafted from super soft, solution-dyed nylon with added UV stabilization for the ultimate performance capabilities. Bleach cleanable, fade and stain resistant with high shine and luxury, L.I.O.N. aims to raise the bar in the performance category.
