How To Keep Your Carpet In Great Condition
Most modern carpets today are manufactured to last for about 10 years before needing replacement. While the average homeowner may need to replace their carpets in this time frame, with a few adjustments to your household routines, you should be able to keep your carpets in great condition for far longer.
Below are some suggestions that have been proven to help with keeping that “new-carpet” look.
- Weekly Vacuuming
It is recommended that most homes should vacuum their carpets thoroughly every week at minimum. Homes with pets, children, or main floor carpeting should consider vacuuming even more frequently. By vacuuming often, dry soil is removed from the carpet, which can wear away at the fibers over time.
The best type of vacuum for carpeting is a vacuum with a powered beater brush head, most commonly found on upright vacuums. The beater brush spins at a high speed and helps to pick up more debris than the vacuum could with suction alone.
- Not Wearing Shoes Inside
Wearing outdoor shoes on the carpets in your home is a top contributor toward premature carpet wear. Shoes track in dirt, oils and bacteria from outside, causing your carpets to appear visibly soiled. Over time, outdoor shoe use inside your home will cause dark traffic lanes to appear where people walk the most. These traffic lanes can be difficult to remove, and are unsightly on lighter-coloured carpets.
- Choosing Chemicals Designed For Carpet
A common mistake that people make when cleaning up spills is using chemicals which were not designed for use on carpets. Cleaning products not designed for use on carpets can, at best, be ineffective at removing stains and at worst, permanently set stains and/or dye the carpet a different colour.
Bleach is a common chemical that homeowners use to remove stains in their carpet. The problem with using bleach is that it will permanently dye the carpet a lighter colour in the area where it is used. Bleach stains can only be concealed by redyeing the spot, as they will not come out from a cleaning.
- Using Chair Mats
If you have a rolling office chair at home, you should place a plastic chair mat underneath it to prevent the wheels of the chair from damaging your carpet. The pressure from the wheels of an office chair will over time cause marks to be left in the area where the chair was placed. As well, the wheels of the chair can potentially stretch out your carpet, causing a wavy pattern to emerge. Chair mats are affordable, and can be easily purchased online or at an office supply store.
- Cleaning Stains Immediately
It is crucial to deal with any stains that occur on your carpets as soon as possible. The longer a stain sits on your carpet without being cleaned, the more difficult it is to remove. Many stains can be blotted up with a towel and water if you get to them before they dry. Otherwise, use a purpose-built carpet stain remover and follow the directions on the bottle.
BritePro clients have access to free, lifetime bottles of spot remover. If you run out of spotter, contact us and we’ll drop off a new bottle to you as soon as we are in your area.
- Cleaning And Applying Carpet Protector Regularly
To keep your carpet in its best possible shape, have it cleaned professionally every 1-2 years. Professional carpet cleaners are highly experienced and have access to more powerful equipment and chemicals than the average consumer.
Having a professional also reapply carpet protector (sometimes known as Scotchgard) every two years will help keep your carpets in great shape. When your carpets are new, they come from the factory with protector already applied. This protector wears off after about 2 years of use, which explains why you may notice your carpets getting dirty faster than when they were new. By having protector reapplied, you can ensure that future spills are easier to clean up, and that your carpets will stay clean longer.