SmartStrandCarpet for a New Generation

Your phone isn’t the only technology that has improved in the past 50 years.We live in a world of new technology and constant innovation. Our phones have become smart,

our vehicles efficient, and our entertainment is in high definition. Innovation is a necessity to satisfy

customers’ ongoing demands for style, convenience, and performance.

The same is true for flooring. No one uses phone technology from 50 years ago, so why settle for

carpet made with fifty-year-old fiber technology? Triexta—just reclassified by the FTC due to its

superior differentiation—is the newest advancement in high-performance carpet fiber.

The Triexta Advantage: Stain resistance that will NEVER wash off, walk off, or wear off!For 50 years, nylon was the benchmark fiber for performance, providing exceptional wear for

consumers. But it has always required topically applied, chemical stain treatments to protect from

stains—temporary protection that washes off, walks off, and wears off over time.

Triexta’s stain protection is engineered-in, built into the fiber’s actual DNA. No need for topically

applied chemicals. No wearing off over time. Just pure, superior fiber that’s naturally durable,

resistant to soil and stains, and amazingly soft.

To demonstrate the temporary stain protection provided by R2X, we tested a competitor’s carpet

commonly used in new homes and apartments. Using the manufacturer’s recommendation that

consumers have their carpets professionally cleaned every 12 to 18 months, we divided the carpet

sample into four pieces and had three sections professionally cleaned prior to the stain test. The

three sections represent performance after one, two, and three professional cleanings, and the

fourth segment (with no professional cleaning) served as the control sample.

For each piece, we conducted the standard AATCC-175 stain test to determine the loss of

stain protection compared to the control sample. We then repeated the process with Mohawk

SmartStrand carpet made from triexta. The results were dramatic and are clearly illustrated in the

images on the opposite page.

Competitive nylon treated with topically-applied stain protection*

Even without professional cleaning, R2X failed to protect the base of the fiber.

* Shaw R2X™

** Although all topically applied stain treatments are temporary, the results and actual loss may vary based on the product selected, cleaning system, and/or actual wear within a consumer’s home.

After one professional cleaning, R2X lost 40%** of its stain protection.

After two professional cleanings, R2X lost 70% of its stain protection.

Triexta with engineered-in stain protection

No trace of Kool-Aid penetrates the carpet fiber due to engineered-in stain protection.

No loss of protection occurs because triexta’s stain protection will never wash off, walk off, or wear off.

No added chemicals are required to protect from stains.

After three professional cleanings, R2X lost 90% of its stain protection.

Mohawk SmartStrand products made with triexta come with lifetime stain protection.

This test clearly shows why apartment owners have to replace carpet treated with R2X to satisfy new residents and why new home owners complain of their carpet’s performance. In addition, R2X doesn’t effectively resist continuous day-to-day soiling or increase carpet durability.

The combination of durability and stain resistance makes triexta the new standard in high-performance carpet fiber and has earned the Federal Trade Commission’s designation as a new and unique class of fiber.

40% loss

after one cleaning

after one cleaning

after two cleanings

after two cleanings

after three cleanings

after three cleanings

before cleaning

before cleaning

70% loss 90% loss

Triexta: the new standard in high-performance carpet fiber.Innovation creates the opportunity for change, and change demands a choice. So what choice does

triexta offer consumers? Consider the advantages of triexta versus nylon treated with R2X.

Offers no protection against bleaching or fading and only temporary stain protection

Requires chemical stain cleaners and detergents

20th-century technology

Then

Demonstrated to float on water

Proven to clean with water Protects against staining and bleaching—protection will never wash, walk, or wear off

Eliminates the need for cleaning agents and extra stain treatments

21st-century innovation

LIFETIMEPROTECTION NOW

* Shaw R2X™

Competitive nylon treated with topically-applied stain protection*

Triexta with engineered-in stain protection

Why not change for the better?Some carpet manufacturers are going to great lengths to discredit triexta claiming that carpet

should float on water and demonstrating repellency to liquid spills carefully applied with an

eyedropper. Negative reactions to progress are not new; however, consumers usually embrace

innovation because it provides significantly better product advantages. Customers understand

that new developments generally make our lives easier and provide real value. Home builders and

apartment managers understand that spills don’t occur from eyedroppers held just inches above

the carpet and that no one floats carpet on water.

For 50 years nylon has been at the heart of the flooring industry and still represents a tremendous

value. Mohawk continues to manufacture and sell nylon carpet. In fact, Mohawk manufactures

quality carpets from all major fiber types because Mohawk believes consumers should have a

choice. Mohawk’s SmartStrand products made with triexta offer the newest choice—and set the

new standard in high-performance carpet fiber.

With a hot cup of coffee held at a normal distance from the floor, R2X’s repellency claims stand no chance.

As in the real world, spills occur at greater heights, and R2X will not prevent the forces of gravity.

R2X will wash and wear off, while carpets made of triexta have built-in stain protection that lasts a lifetime.

Normal real world spills even go through the backing. Repellency is not equivalent to cleanability.

Repellency is not equivalent to cleanability

Walk TestA test with over 20,000 footsteps, simulating a year of normal wear, proved SmartStrand’s superior resiliency and crush resistance.

Cleaning RecommendationsMohawk recommends professional hot water extraction (140°F) every 12 to 18 months using cleaning products, equipment, or systems with CRI Seal of Approval (find certified products at www.carpet-rug.org) and by certified carpet care professionals adhering to the IICRC S100 Standard Reference Guide for Professional Cleaning. For a list of professionals in your area, visit www.certifiedcleaners.org.

WEIGHT SMARTSTRAND NYLON (IN OZ.) TRIEXTA

25 EXCELLENT VERY GOOD

35 EXCELLENT VERY GOOD

45 EXCELLENT VERY GOOD

Modified Hexapod TestSmartStrand also underwent a mechanical test designed to simulate the actual walk test, but in a much shorter time. Results confirmed that SmartStrand performed best.

25 EXCELLENT VERY GOOD

35 EXCELLENT EXCELLENT

45 EXCELLENT EXCELLENT

HEXAPOD SMARTSTRAND NYLON TEST TRIEXTA

Don’t worry. It’s SmartStrand®.

Stain & Soil ProtectionThe SmartStrand fiber has engineered-in stain protection. Most stains (even the really stubborn ones such as hot coffee, mustard, red wine, tea, juice, and more) are easily lifted with water and mild detergent or FloorCare Essentials™. Even more impressive, SmartStrand fiber is resistant to discoloration from bleach.

SOILING SMARTSTRAND NYLON* TRIEXTA

BEFORE CLEANING GOOD GOOD

AFTER CLEANING EXCELLENT VERY GOOD

STAIN SMARTSTRAND NYLON* TRIEXTA

SOY SAuCE EXCELLENT EXCELLENT

EXCELLENT GOOD

OXY 10 EXCELLENT FAIR

BETADINE EXCELLENT FAIR

MuSTARD EXCELLENT EXCELLENT

HOT ESPRESSO EXCELLENT EXCELLENT

RED FOOD COLORING

Don’t worry. It’s SmartStrand®.

* Although stain and soil ratings for topically treated nylon are similar to triexta when comparing new carpet, the treatments applied to nylon provide temporary protection, and the performance diminishes over time. SmartStrand triexta provides consistent and predictable performance for the life of the carpet.

Mohawk Industries, Inc 508 East Morris Street Dalton, GA 30721

877.ASK MOHAWK www.MohawkFlooring.com

SMART TRIEX BROCHR LT SLT0002904