How To Maintain And Extend The Life Of Your Carpet

How to maintain and extend the life of your carpet through proper cleaning? Carpets look amazing and can last up to ten years with regular TLC. Moreover, feeling a plush and warm carpet under your feet on those cold mornings is a joy. But, unkempt carpets can quickly turn into breeding grounds for germs and fungus as they trap dirt, soil, and grime.

In addition to being an eyesore, dirty carpets can harm indoor air quality. Despite this common knowledge, many homeowners need help with carpet cleaning. Sure, it’s a lot of hard work, and professional service can cost. But regular and prompt cleaning can help you maintain and extend your carpet’s life. So continue reading to get expert tips on how to maintain and extend the life of your Carpet!

Follow the proper schedule

For a newly installed carpet or relatively well-maintained, an 80:20 cleaning routine is what you’ll need. That’s 80 percent vacuuming and 20 percent deep cleaning. Nearly 80% of the dirt trapped in the carpet fibers is dry soil and dust.

So, vacuuming can take care of 80% of the factors that lead to fiber breakage and cellulose degradation. Moreover, limiting the deep cleaning sessions to just 20% means less exposure to cleaning products. This, too, can help in prolonging the life of the carpet.

So, why do you need deep cleaning, then? Because vacuuming can do little to get rid of stains and oily grime. Plus, nothing other than deep cleaning can help if you have allowed the dirt to build up.

Vacuuming the right way

It is tempting to give your carpet a quick run-over with the vacuum cleaner instead of adopting a leisurely pace. But that’s where you will be going wrong. As new dust particles settle on the fibers, older particles get dislodged and sink to the bottom of the fiber pile. A quickie vacuuming session may not be able to pull out these particles. Hence, when vacuuming the carpet, this is what you need to do:

• Sweep and dust all other home areas before entering the carpets. This prevents dust particles from getting right back onto your freshly vacuumed carpet.

• Move the vacuum cleaner slowly and deliberately over the entire carpet, preferably in one direction. Then, have a second go at it in the opposite or diagonal direction. This way, you prevent the matting of the carpet fibers and reach the deeply embedded dust particles.

• Carpets in high-traffic areas and households with pets should be vacuumed daily.

• You’ll still need to vacuum at least twice weekly in low-traffic areas.

• Pay close attention to the carpet near the home’s entry points. These doors and open windows let in dust particles, pollen, and other allergens.

• Using a few drops of your favorite essential oil in the dust bag of your vacuum cleaner is a simple and effective way to deodorize the carpet.

Getting prompt and tough on stains

The longer you allow a stain to sit, the harder it will be to take it out. Moreover, if the color is attributed to a pet/baby pee or any liquid spill, you risk the growth of bacteria and mold. So, you can play it safe and work on stains and spills as soon as they happen. Here are a few tips that will help:

Never use heat to dry spills.

Doing so will just set in the stain, making it harder and even impossible to get it off. Whatever you do, don’t rub the stains, mainly when the area is still wet.

Blotting is the best way to sop up spilled liquids.

The carpet fibers will typically wick the liquid off for a few minutes. So, get working as soon as you can. Even if you can’t get to the stain immediately, blot away the liquid to prevent it from seeping more profound into the carpet and getting to the floor underneath.

An expert tip to remove tough stains is to use shaving cream on them.

Spread a thin layer of shaving cream directly on the color and allow it to work magic for 30-60 minutes. Then, use a paper towel to blot the dried shaving cream. Alternatively, you can spray a little water on the treated area and use a wet and dry vacuum cleaner to clean up the treated spot.

For stubborn stains, use some club soda as a spot treatment or a 1:1 mixture of white vinegar and water.

In both cases, spray the liquid on the paint and let it stand for 20-30 minutes. Then, blot the area dry.

Cleaning products

Whether using homemade stain remover or a commercial product, always work your way from the edge of the stain inwards. This way, you don’t spread the color outwards and soil a larger area.

Spills

Mix baking soda with drops of your favorite essential oil for pet accidents or smelly spills. Sprinkle the dry mixture over the blotted area and allow it to sit overnight or for a few hours. Then, vacuum to get rid of the baking soda and the odor.

A shoe-free policy certainly helps.

The easiest and most effective way to prevent carpets from getting soiled is to keep the dirt out of your home. And you can do just that by having a no-shoes-inside policy. Keep an indoor-only pair of slippers for all family members.

Ask everybody to take off their shoes and don their indoor slippers when at the door. This way, you stop the dirt from getting inside your home.

Give your carpets an extra dose of protection.

Commercial stain-resistant products help to keep your carpets cleaner for longer. Plus, they prevent the eventual spot discoloration of expensive rugs. So, give your carpets this extra bit of protection as well.

Furthermore, carpets used in high-traffic areas sustain more significant wear and tear. So, it is best to double up the protection in these areas by using rubber mats or small rugs. These will protect the fibers from accumulating dirt and getting matted.

Carpets don’t need tanning.

Carpets near windows or doors often get discolored because of direct exposure to sunlight. There are two ways to deal with this problem if using curtains or blinds is not an option. You could stick with light and block color carpets in such areas.

Tan, brown, and cream work well because discoloration if any, won’t stand out as much against these shades. The second option is, once again, to use a protective rubber mat, runner, or area rug to prevent direct sun exposure.

Keep the food off the carpets.

You can also keep carpet stains away by setting a no-food-on-the-carpet rule. Please make no mistake; it’s not always kids and pets staining carpets.

A wine spill here, a coke spill there, some curry on the floor, and even the accidentally tipped cup of coffee all involve adults. As always, in this case, too, prevention beats cure. So, make a no-food near and on-the-carpet rule and get everybody to follow it.

Don’t play rough with your carpet.

No matter how high quality your carpet is, time will take its toll on it. So, at some point, the fibers will show signs of fatigue and degradation in the form of snags. While pulling out the block is tempting, it can lead to more giant tears. Instead, you can reach for the clippers. This will help you to tackle the snagged fabric with precision.

How To Maintain And Extend The Life Of Your Carpet – Conclusion

Carpet cleaning is more about consistent effort than an occasional intense cleaning session. Regular cleaning takes less work and time and reduces the need for frequent professional or deep cleaning sessions. This is not to say that you will never have to call in the pros.

For professional carpet cleaning, technicians rely on steam and power cleaners. These machines can tackle even deeply embedded dirt and grime. So, these processes are also highly effective against stains, malodors, and germs.

Plus, after a round of steam cleaning, carpet fibers get their bounce back. Hence, your carpet goes back to looking fluffy and feeling plush. But, bi-annual or even annual professional cleaning is usually enough for a carpet that is well maintained. So, regular cleaning will help you to save money, and it will help you to maintain and extend the life of your carpet.