Whether you chose the carpet in your home or you inherited it when you signed a rental agreement or a mortgage contract, you probably hope it will last a long time. Protecting your carpeting in high traffic areas by using runners or area rugs is an excellent life extension idea, but that is only half the battle. Every kind of flooring needs proper cleaning, and carpeting holds no exception.

Prevent Premature Aging and Damage

Carpet fibers break from dirt that embeds itself within the piling. As someone walks across a room, the dirt is ground deeper and cut more fibers. It’s not long before traffic patterns become visible.

To reduce that effect, many people prohibit wearing outside shoes in the house. Using a throw rug, runner or area rug at entry points allow people to remove shoes that carry dirt and grit before tracking the elements around the house. Tiled entry areas or porches provide ‘safe zones’ for footwear. Removing the outside shoes for in-house footwear can extend the life of any carpeting, tile, or laminate you have.

If changing shoes immediately is too inconvenient or you enter and exit too often, provide a stiff mat which can remove most of the dirt or mud on your shoes prior to your stepping onto your carpet, saving the cuts that the crystalline granules make.

Regular deep vacuuming with new or empty bags can draw much of the hair, grit, crumbs and dirt from the threads and help maintain good looking and feeling flooring.

Periodically deep clean your carpeting with a thorough steam cleaning. Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, steam cleaning is by far the best, deep cleaning you can provide.

Additional Tips

Your carpet may be stain resistant, but even that protection cannot prevent all spill damage. Should you spill something, pick it up immediately. If a liquid will stain, blot the spill—don’t rub. Use clean areas on a rag or a towel and press the material deeply and repeatedly until as much of the liquid has been removed from the carpeting as possible. Deep clean it as quickly as you can.

Reapply the stain resistance right after a deep cleaning. Even the best resistance chemicals can wear out over time, so replenishing that protection makes economic sense.

Clean both sides of the area rugs lying on your carpeting. They catch a lot of dirt and contaminants which can work their way through and drop into the piling.

Before using shampoo, always test in an out-of-the-way spot first, even if you’ve used the brand before. It takes only a few moments and can save you heartache and expense if the chemical reaction changes over time.

Summary

With proper care and attention, the carpet in any area of your home can last and look marvelous for many years, saving you money, time and possible embarrassment.