What You Can Do To Keep Your Carpet Looking New

June 28th, 2012 Home

Many homeowners like carpeting on their floor because it adds a bit of luxury to the room. However, to keep carpeting looking fresh, it requires a bit more attention and care than other types of flooring. If you want to learn simple ways to extend the life of your carpet, read this article for some useful tips.

Dirt is the main culprit in making carpeting look old. Most of the dirt is tracked into the house by shoes. To keep the dirt down to a minimum, remove your shoes before coming into the house. This can really make a difference in how much dirt accumulates in the carpet. If you do not want to require your guests to remove their shoes, make sure that you lay down a sturdy door mat with bristles in front of your entrance that can catch excess dirt from your guests’ shoes before they walk in.

Excess dirt can accumulate quickly on the carpet. When you walk on the carpet, the dirt can get ground in. Surface dirt can be easily be cleaned, but the deeper the dirt gets into the carpet, the harder it is to clean it. Therefore, you should vacuum at least two times a week to prevent the dirt from working its way down deeper.

The color of your carpet will naturally fade over time. However, direct sunlight can make the carpet fade quicker. You should protect your carpet from direct sunlight. During the time of day when the sun directly shines on the carpet, close the curtains or shade. You can open up the shades when the sun moves to a different position. By doing this, you will prevent your carpet from fading unevenly.

If you have spills on your carpet, you should clean it up as quickly as possible. Any stains or messes that are not cleaned up immediately can leave a permanent spot on your carpet. Most stains can be cleaned away completely if you do not allow them to set.

Every year, you should give your carpeting a good, thorough shampoo. This will remove any dirt and odor that have been trapped in the carpet over the year. The deep cleaning will freshen the carpet and rejuvenate the fibers that have been matted with excess grime.

When you move furniture around on a carpet area, you will see spots where the carpet fibers have been compressed by the furniture legs. You can fluff up the compressed fibers by applying an ice cube to the carpet dent. Allow the ice cube to slowly melt. After about 12 hours, fluff up the fibers.

If your carpet has been snagged by something, fix it right away. If you leave it alone, something will catch the snag again and make it worse, making it harder to fix. Different types of carpeting will require different techniques to fix a snag. If the damage is small, you can usually do it yourself. Do some research on the web or contact a flooring specialist for repair tips.

Carpet needs a little more attention and maintenance. With regular care, you can keep your carpeting looking great for a long time.