A beautiful, quality carpet is an investment. Just like most investments, it’s important to put time and effort into your new carpet so it keeps its clean, lush appearance. A high-quality carpet may last up to 25 years, but that is only possible with a solid routine of maintenance. Here are tips to help you get the most life out of your carpet and maintain it over time.
Choose the Right Carpet for Your Needs and Lifestyle
To get the most years out of your carpet and avoid frequent and costly replacement, it’s vital to choose a high-quality, durable carpet that meets your needs and lifestyle. Learn about the different options for carpet materials, such as wool and synthetic fibers. There are also several elements that determine whether or not a carpet is capable of withstanding years of traffic.
Carpet quality is determined by several factors. First, understand the face weight of the carpet, or the weight of the material per square yard. Look for a carpet that has a high density, which measures how close together the carpet fibers are. Carpets should also have a higher number for their fiber twist. Remember that the carpet style may also impact its performance in a high-traffic area.
Don’t Put Carpet on Some Areas
Next, it’s important to make a smart decision about where to put your carpet and where to avoid placing one. Certain areas of your home may not be best suited for a carpet due to high traffic or other factors. One place to avoid carpeting is in the front entryway of your home. The foyer of your home is a high traffic spot that is constantly on the receiving end of particles from the outdoors, dust, pollen and the dirt from anyone coming inside.
Additionally, places like the kitchen and bathroom shouldn’t have wall to wall carpet because of the potential for stains and moisture becoming trapped underneath. Tile and hardwood are optimal for these high traffic areas. Area rugs also make great accent pieces for the bathroom and kitchen spaces.
Vacuum on a Regular Basis
To keep your carpet looking showroom ready, you should also vacuum it on a regular schedule. The number of times to vacuum your carpet per week depends on the type of carpet and your lifestyle. For people with pets, it’s best to vacuum the carpet every day. This helps minimize the amount of pet hair, dander and debris that sometimes aggravate allergies and asthma.
Certain areas that get the most traffic in homes, such as a hallway, should also get daily vacuuming. Focus on removing any dirt and particles from the most-used lanes of traffic in these areas for the once-daily treatment. Then, do a more thorough vacuum of the entire space at least twice a week. Other parts of your home that aren’t as heavily used should get vacuumed completely on a twice-weekly schedule.
Keep Shoes Away
Another tactic to get more life out of your carpet is to keep shoes away. The people in your household should make it a habit to take their shoes off when entering the home. They can switch to slippers or socks while they are inside. This can help keep pollutants and toxins from the outdoors from entering your home and settling on your carpet, causing damage and wear.
Position doormats by each entry area of your home so that guests can thoroughly wipe their feet before coming inside. You can also encourage visitors to remove their shoes and provide some flip flops or slippers by the door. Keeping shoes from stepping all over your carpet helps reduce the amount of harmful bacteria from infiltrating your home. The bottom of a person’s shoe is a potential host to a variety of nasty surprises, such as animal feces, chemicals, viruses and more.
Use a Carpet Protection Product
It’s also recommended to use products to help protect your carpet. Carpet manufacturers have defense treatment products designed to add a layer of protection to your carpet and keep it from getting damaged or dirty. You can use a protective product on a carpet or rug to keep it from developing grime.
Some treatments offer superior stain protection, even if something is spilled onto the carpet. The chemicals from the treatment give the fibers a shield that helps it repel liquid and other staining materials. No treatment will make your carpet completely stain-resistant, so it’s important to have realistic expectations and still continue to maintain your carpet.
Act Quickly With Stains
If your carpet does get stained, it’s essential to act quickly and clean it up as soon as possible. Removing a carpet stain involves several steps. For most stains, it’s best to start by cleaning up any solid pieces before tackling the stain. Use a combination of water and a cleaning spot treatment or dish soap solution to prevent the stain from setting in the carpet.
It’s best to blot out the stain with a cleaning cloth and use cold water to help lift the detergent out of the carpet. Some stains, like red wine, pet urine and coffee are a little more stubborn and may require more than one treatment.
Schedule Professional Cleaning
The last way you can keep your carpet lasting a long time and looking clean is to invest in a professional cleaning routine. Carpet cleaning professionals should be treating your carpet every year or more often for carpets with heavy wear and tear. Some stains won’t ever come out of your carpet if you rely solely on home cleaning products and your own elbow grease. For the toughest stains, a professional treatment is best.
A complete professional carpet cleaning service is also a great way to refresh your carpet instantly and give it new life. Professional cleaning can make your older carpet look new again and brighten your space right away. There are different types of professional cleaning methods, so refer to your manufacturer’s recommendations to pick the best one for your carpet.
Find out which type of professional cleaning service is right for your carpet style and material. Safe-Dry® Carpet Cleaning offers a variety of carpet maintenance and cleaning services that improve the look of your carpet and help it last longer.
