Abstract: A process for pretreating a carpet to give the carpet insecticidal, fungicidal and bacteriacidal properties, and the resulting carpet product. The process is incorporated into the carpet manufacturing process to eliminate the necessity of treating carpets subsequent to the manufacturing process. A portion of the carpet is saturated with a mixture comprising boric acid and a boron-containing salt dissolved in an aqueous solvent. A heat drying step is then used to drive off the aqueous solvent after which a portion of the boron-containing salt remains on the backing. The preferred mixture contains a combination of boric acid and borax in an aqueous solution. The ratio of boric acid to borax ranges from 0.5:1 to 3:1, and the percent strength of the borax/boric acid combination in the solution is preferably from 0.1% to 3.125%.