Like all modern houses, everything has a beginning. From indoor plumbing systems, to electricity and lights, and even flooring. One type of flooring that is found in most homes today is carpet. When were carpets first invented and why did the concept of walking on fabric flooring sound like a good idea? Ameribest Carpet Cleaning will share the interesting history and evolution of carpet.
It is unclear as to when and who was the very first culture to use carpeted floors. Various excavation sites throughout the world has shown that carpet flooring has been used throughout the centuries. Some of the oldest carpet fragments that have been discovered to date, were found in the Middle East where carpet weaving was used during the 2nd through 3rd century BC. However back then the creation of the carpet was referred to as cradle or cradle weaving. This art of carpet weaving began to spread all over the world from Persia, Anatolia, and even eventually China. The explorer and merchant traveler Marco Polo wrote that some of the most colorful and beautiful carpets he had ever seen was during his travels through Turkey. He said they had master craftsmanship where fabrics of even silk and other costly cloth was used.
The credit for the American carpet industry goes to a man named William Sprague who created the first woven carpet in 1791. William had the very first wool woven carpet mill in Philadelphia. By the 1800’s other mills began to open all around New England. The very first carpets were all made of wool. By 1850, a man named Erastus Bigelow began reshaping the carpet industry, by making carpet with a powered loom weave carpeting system, which tripled carpet production. By 1877 Erastus Bigelow made the very first broadloom carpeting system where various patterns were introduced. From there the carpet manufacturing industry continued to grow. In 1878 there were four brothers that brought 14 looms from England to New York. The Shuttleworth Brother Company also began creating more patterns in carpet and introduced colors or dyed carpet in America. By 1920 carpets became more popular and the demand increased.
Before there were vacuums, there were no wall to wall carpets. Rather, they were all area rugs that were taken outside, put on the clothes line and beat out with a wire carpet beater. Wall to wall carpet was not common until after WWII and up until 1954, wool carpet was the only fabric available. However, about this time, the first synthetic fabric was being introduced. This material became available during the late 1950’s. Carpet and rugs were now being made with polyester, nylon, acrylic or rayon materials. However, it was around this same time new techniques and tufted equipment were being used to make carpet. Due to the superiority of this new carpet manufacturing method, woven carpets were becoming a thing of the past. By the end of the 1950’s only 10% of all carpet was made using the old weaving techniques and 90% of carpet manufacturers switched to the modern ways of creating carpet. Today most carpets are made with synthetic materials. They are created in multiple patterns, lengths, and colors to suit the preference of the modern society. Carpets are also used worldwide and are found in many homes across America.
Ameribest Carpet Cleaning provides many services from carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, tile and grout cleaning, resealing, and much more. If your floors are in need of a professional cleaning, contact Ameribest Carpet Cleaning today.