8 Tips to Keep your Carpets Clean and Increase their Lifespan

1) Get Doormats for every entrance

One of the simplest ways to keep dirt and grime out of your carpet is to stop it from ever even entering your house. The use of doormats, both indoor and outdoor, will significantly cut down on the amount of dirt tracked into your home. It is important to be diligent in this practice in order to achieve the best results. You can also encourage family and visitors to always use your doormats as well.

2) Never wear shoes inside

Have you ever thought about how many dirty surfaces your shoes touch? From grimy restaurant floors to public bathrooms, your shoes go everywhere with you. One place your dirty shoes shouldn’t go, though, is all over the carpets of your home. Even if you have high quality door mats and always take the time to wipe your shoes off before walking inside, it is impossible to ensure that all dirt and germs have been removed. When you walk on your carpet with your shoes, you are transferring all the grime from the outside world directly onto the surface your baby crawls across and your children play on. Simply, ditch your shoes at the door, and you can avoid grinding extra dirt into your carpets. So, you are someone who likes to wear shoes inside? No problem! Just set aside a pair or two of shoes to wear only inside the house.

3) Change your air filters regularly

Another way dirt and dust build up on your carpets is through the air. While this often goes unthought of, there are a countless number of dust and debris particles just floating around. These particles have nowhere to go but down where they then settle into your carpets. Overtime, the amount of dirt builds up causing your carpets to no longer feel, look, or smell clean. Luckily, there is a simple solution to this problem: air filters. Simply replace your air filter every 60 to 90 days, and you will greatly decrease the amount of dust and allergens in your carpets.

4) Don't forget to use your vacuum

While this tip may seem obvious, it is important to mention because it plays a vital role in keeping your carpets as clean as possible. Vacuuming helps pick up dirt and extra debris from your carpets. If it is at all possible, vacuuming should be done twice a week. When vacuuming, be sure to go over high traffic areas, such as walkways or your pet’s favorite napping spot, a few extra times. It is also a good idea to vacuum in a variety of directions as this will remove the maximum amount of dirt. If vacuuming sound like the worst possible chore, you could even consider getting a robot vacuum to do the dirty work for you. 

5) Clean up spills immediately

If you have ever spilt something on your carpet and left it to clean up later, you are not the only one to do this. While it is never fun to clean up a spill, it is important to get the job done right away rather than putting it off. Leaving an accident to sit there for hours will only create a harder job of removing the stain and possibly even cause permanent damage. If you spring to action right away, the spill should be easily cleaned up. It is best to start by blotting the spot with a white paper towel, and then, follow up with your carpet cleaner of choice. This method should remove most stains in no time.

6) Rearrange your furniture

Have you ever decided to rearrange your furniture only to reveal a weight mark? Did you rub and rake at the weight mark, but every attempt to make it disappear failed? This is a frustrating problem many homeowners face when they get the urge to change up the layout of their home or even replace existing furniture with new. When furniture is left unmoved for long periods of time, it will begin to create weight marks that can permanently damage your carpets. If you make it a practice to rearrange your furniture from time to time, you can prevent this damage from happening. When rearranging your furniture, be sure to clean the spots that were previously unreachable, as this will also keep your carpets looking and feeling clean.

7) Give your carpets extra protection

Even if you always take good care of your carpets, it never hurts to have a little extra protection. One simple way to provide your carpets with a second layer of defense is to add rugs. You can lay rugs down anywhere you choose, but the most important places are your high traffic areas. By using rugs, you can keep your carpets from absorbing extra dirt and from wearing out. Another way you can add protection to your carpets is by using mats under the legs of your heavy furniture. This will help prevent damage to your carpets due to the furniture’s weight.

8) Let the professionals clean it annually

While following any of the listed tips will be beneficial to your carpets, getting your carpets professionally cleaned is arguably the most important tip to follow. Yes, taking off your shoes reduces dirt build up and vacuuming helps remove the top layer of dust and grime. However, nothing does the job of cleaning your carpets quite like a professional carpet cleaning. Carpet cleaning machines are designed to not just clean the surface of your carpets but to get below the carpet fibers and pull out all the dirt that has become trapped underneath. You will be shocked at what comes out but relieved that it’s gone! To stay on top of your carpets’ cleanliness, you should try to have your carpets cleaned once every year.