Carpet Maintenance Tips
Carpets are a favorite for almost every household. It’s a flooring option that offers an array of benefits compared to other types of flooring, including warmth, pattern, color, and texture. There is also the advantage that it comes in many colors, textures, styles, and materials to pick from and thus allowing you to pick something that matches your needs and preferences.
However, carpets are also susceptible to wear and tear, and the daily traffic, spills, stains, and dirt can drastically reduce their lifespan. Properly maintaining your carpet can be challenging, but there are a few things you can do to ensure your carpet retains its appeal and functionality for years to come.
Here are ways to maintain your carpet:
Vacuum Regularly
It’s imperative to vacuum your carpet at least twice a week to prevent the toll that dirt, mud and other substances can have on a carpet. Regardless of how careful or proactive you are, dust and dirt will always find a way into your home. Oh, and let’s not forget about pet hair and dander …
As such, the only way to ensure that your carpet is well maintained and prolong its lifespan at the same time is to vacuum it on a regular basis. Vacuuming removes crumbs, dirt, and dust and reduces the impact of foot traffic. It also helps alleviate the dullness of a carpet while getting rid of allergens that can have adverse effects on people in the household.
Ultimately, the more you vacuum the carpet, the better it will appear. So, ensure that you regularly vacuum high-foot traffic areas at least twice and once for the less-trafficked regions.
Implement the Wipe Your Feet/Remove Your Shoes Rule
To reduce the amount of dirt and dust that gets into the house, you should ask your guests and loved ones to remove their shoes and wipe their feet when they enter the house. Putting a doormat at each entry point to the house is one way to remove dirt on everybody’s feet.
In addition to putting doormats, implement the “take off your shoes” rule to reduce further the amount of dirt that comes into contact with your carpet. Having a basket of slippers/flip-flops and a shoe rack by the front door is an excellent way of reminding your family and guests to take their shoes off before entering.
Don’t Carpet High-Foot Traffic Sections
When deciding which parts of your house should have a certain type of flooring, it’s imperative to keep in mind areas that have high foot traffic and avoid carpeting them. A great example would be the front door entry. Carpets are excellent for living rooms, bedrooms, and dens due to the warmth and coziness that they provide. However, they are less than ideal for front door entries as dirt is usually present in these sections.
Protect The Carpet
Other than vacuuming your carpet regularly, it is also imperative to apply some kind of carpet protector spray, particularly after professional cleaning. You should do this on a regular basis as the protector tends to wear over time, especially in stain-resistant carpets.
However, ensure you do a test on a hidden part of the carpet to ensure that it’s ideal and doesn’t damage the carpet. Applying a protective coat is undoubtedly one of the best ways to ensure that your carpet lasts for long.
Remove Stains and Spots as Soon as They Appear
Regardless of how careful you are, once in a while, you’ll spill or stain the carpet. This is understandable, but you should ensure that you deal with the issue as fast as possible. Blot the spill with a cloth first, and avoid rubbing as this will only spread the contents and stain the spot permanently. Then use a mixture of warm water and vinegar to clean the area and blot it again. Lastly, vacuum it. Ensure that the carpet is completely dry, as wetness will only encourage mold growth.
Of course, there are specialized products for carpet cleaning, but the best ones tend to be costly. You can avoid this entirely by taking good care of the carpet regularly. Of course, if the stains are hesitant, you should use carpet cleaning products but ensure you pick the right ones and do a test before the major attempt.
Hire Professional Carpet Cleaners
You might follow the regular carpet cleaning schedule, but it is also important to have your carpet professionally cleaned once in a while if you want to really prolong its life. Professionals use various carpet cleaning methods when it comes to carpet cleaning. That said, it is important to ensure you hire the right team for the job. Reputable carpet cleaners will have years of experience and will use top of the line cleaning products and equipment to make sure that your carpet is not only clean but doesn’t sustain any form of damage.
With these tips, you should be able to take care of your carpet and prolong its life.