The fiber, yarn and carpet construction all play important roles in appearance retention. Important characteristics of the fiber include Colorfastness, crush recovery, soil and stain resistance and restorability.

Colorfastness of the various nylon fiber and yarn systems is a major concern. Nylon is the strongest, heartiest and most abrasion resistant of all carpet fibers and because of its versatility, it can be dyed by several methods with many types of dye. Of the two types of nylon used as carpet fiber systems, nylon 6,6 has colorfast advantages over type 6 nylon because of its polymer structure. Type 6,6 nylons are not as sensitive to sunlight, cleaning compounds or atmospheric fading as type 6 nylon polymers and are therefore more fade resistant.

Crush recovery or resilience can be measured by two different methods. The first method measures the recovery of the carpet pile to its original thickness after being subjected to compressive forces. The second method measures the compression and recovery of the fiber under simulated traffic conditions. These tests demonstrate how a carpet fiber system will perform in traffic lanes or will restore when weight such as furniture is relocated.

Appearance retention also includes meeting everyday use considerations. Stain and spot removal properties should be inherent within a commercial carpet fiber or yarn system. Spills occur daily in most commercial installations and prompt attention to spills is always desirable. All carpets soil, but some branded commercial carpet fibers have soil hiding characteristics. These work either by using hollow cores within individual fibers to diffuse light, or through a chemical additive that diffuses light and thus hides soil

Restorability as an appearance retention characteristic implies texture retention, resistance to matting and ease of maintenance. Most commercial carpet receives regular vacuuming, and it is also recommended that a professional cleaning and maintenance program be initiated.

Good appearance retention is a function of both the performance and the aesthetic characteristics of the carpeting. The pile fiber system is the most important contributor to appearance retention.