Caring for your carpet requires proper cleaning and maintenance. Vacuuming regularly, cleaning up stains quickly and protecting your carpet from environmental elements are important to carpet care. Following this approach will not only keep your carpets looking like new, it will also extend the life of your carpet.
Regular vacuuming helps remove dirt and dust that can become ground deep into the fibers. Buildup of dirt causes odors, dulls the fiber color and leads to matting that gives the carpet an aged appearance. The Carpet Institute of Australia recommends weekly vacuum sessions. However, you might need to vacuum more often in high-traffic areas.
To prevent high-traffic patterns that occur from frequent walking, re-arrange furniture to alter the path that people walk through a room. The furniture itself can also cause matting or crushed areas. Rotating furniture prevents those crushed spots from becoming permanent. To prevent fading, opt for window coverings that block the sun during the hottest parts of the day.
The most common cause of carpet wear and tear is foot traffic. If removing shoes at the door is not possible, you should insist that certain types of shoes, such as those with cleats, not be worn on the carpet. Place a rug or mat both outside and inside doors for wiping off shoes before walking on the carpet. Pets can also cause wear on carpets, so keeping your pets’ nails trimmed will help prevent pulls and snags.
One of the most important factors to caring for your carpet is cleaning up spills. Timing is key in preventing permanent stains. When a spill occurs, immediately blot the spot to remove as much of the spill as possible. You always want to blot the spot, don’t rub or scrub. The goal is to prevent penetration of the spillage. After absorbing as much as possible through blotting, place paper towels on the spot and weight the towels down.
For removing a stain from the carpet, Apply warm water to the area and continuing to blot the spill with a clean towel. A cleaning solution can be made from a small amount of dishwashing liquid and water. Allow the solution to soak on the spot for five minutes, then rinse using the previous method of adding a small amount of warm water and blotting with a clean towel.
To keep your carpets looking great, consider hiring a professional carpet cleaner annually. For some carpets, having the carpets cleaned every 12 to 24 months is required to maintain the carpet’s warranty. For the do-it-yourselfer, steam cleaners can be purchased or rented. If accidents occur frequently or your carpet receives high traffic, purchasing a steam cleaner will save you money in the long run.
