New carpet is a beautiful thing. It’s clean, its pile is still fluffy, and its colors are still crisp and bold. But give that carpet a bit of traffic, and it may start to lose its shiny new luster.
Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to keep your carpet looking new, and it starts with prevention.
1. Use Doormats
The best way to maintain your carpet is to protect it from dirt, spills and stains. A good way to do this is to use mats at all doors to catch mud, water, dirt, and other substances that would soil your carpet. Use a stiff-bristled mat outside your door and a thinner, softer one inside to protect the carpet where it meets the doorframe.
2. Remove Your Shoes
Doormats are a good first defense, but to really preserve your carpet’s beauty, make a habit of removing your shoes at the door. This keeps the dirt, oil, mud, and other gunk that your shoes encounter on the streets from being tracked into the house and ground into the pile of your carpet.
3. Vacuum Regularly
Most people sweep their hard floors several times per week, and a carpet that gets the same amount of traffic should be treated no differently. High-traffic carpeted areas of your home or office should be vacuumed daily to remove dirt buildup. Low-traffic areas can usually be vacuumed only once per week.
4. Clean Spills Immediately
Unfortunately, spills are an inevitable part of life, but that doesn’t mean set-in carpet stains have to be. Cut down on the number of unsightly spots on your carpet by tackling any spills as soon as they happen. Use clean, white cloths to soak up wet spills before applying a stain remover or cleaning solution to the area. For chunky spills, remove as much solid as possible before treating.
Related: Can Stain Removers Ruin My Carpet?
5. Blot, Don’t Rub
When cleaning a spill, most people’s reaction is to scrub at the spot. But scrubbing is actually the worst thing you can do to clean a spill — the back-and-forth motion grinds the stain deep into the fibers of your carpet and down to the padding below. Usually the spot disappears, but resurfaces later or the next time the carpet is dampened. Instead of scrubbing at a spill, blot it gently to absorb excess moisture before bringing out the stain remover.
6. Stay Out of the Sun
We all know that the sun’s UV rays can wreak havoc on our skin, but did you know that even your carpet is susceptible to sun damage? Your carpet can fade and break down over time if exposed to sun too often and for too long. This is especially true for synthetic fibers, which are a little less UV tolerant than natural materials. Keep your carpet looking brand new be closing the drapes before you leave each day.
7. Clean Periodically
Any carpet will need to be professionally cleaned periodically. High traffic areas usually need to be cleaned once every 6 months or so, while low traffic areas should be cleaned annually. Opt for a method that uses only a small amount of water to prevent the growth of mold or mildew, which drastically cut down on the life of your carpet.
Related: What Can I Use to Clean My Upholstery?
Dr. Chem-Dry’s carbonated cleaning method uses only one-tenth the amount of water used by other steam cleaners or traditional carpet shampooers. The carbonated cleaning solution lifts even the most stubborn dirt and grime to the surface, leaving no sticky, dirt-attracting residues behind.
To learn more about our specially formulated cleaning system, or to claim your free quote, give Dr. Chem-Dry a call at 602-243-6379.
We just had our carpets cleaned with chem dry. Now we want to make sure that we keep them clean and nice. I thinking removing your shoes can play a huge factor in this. Growing up that’s what we did. My mom and dad didn’t want us to walk around the house with our shoes on. I think we should do that as well. Thanks for the tips and you helpful suggestions of keeping carpet clean.
I agree with Logan. Removing shoes before going on carpet keeps them looking great. Who wants to wear shoes in the house anyways?
I think that cleaning often is the only solution. The longer you wait the harder it is to keep it clean. Besides, the more often you clean something the cleaner it will get. I remember my first apartment. The counters were a little stained, but clean. Well, after a few months of me wiping my counters the stains started to fade. I imagine it is the same for carpet stains. Repetition really makes a difference.
You’re correct. Thank you for the comment.
I definitely agree with your tip on removing your shoes at the door! We didn’t have that rule in our house previously, and our carpet became dirty and worn out pretty quickly. Now that we’re having new carpets installed, we’re going to make sure we leave our shoes at the door!
I grew up in a carpet cleaners home, so you’d think that we’d have to take off our shoes, but we never did. My father cleaned our carpets with Chem-Dry about every 6 months and protected them, so our carpet lasted over 25 years there. In face he only replaced a hallway and the master bedroom carpet because he remodelled those areas. The rest of the carpet is still there and cleans up great. Never the less, in most cases it helps tramendously to take off our shoes.
I appreciate you mentioning to make sure you keep your carpet out of the sun for long periods. I didn’t realize that the sun could have such a bad effect on carpet. My wife and I are getting new carpet put in soon, and we want to be sure we can care for it. I will make sure that we keep our drapes closed to protect the carpet.
You are very welcome Ernest. Being in carpet cleaning for nearly 40 years, we’ve seen carpet come and go from different areas. Some people still have carpet in the bathrooms and near the patio doors. If there is carpet near a patio door, it always gets bleached out, even with drapery. This is because the sun can still hit 2-5 inches of carpet in between the door and the drapes. That is why we see tile or wood in the areas near patio doors. I love having carpet in the bedrooms and maybe a play area still in my home, because rugs on wood are nice but much more costly to keep up and clean.
I have been doing some home renovations lately and in a few weeks, I want to get new carpets in my home. So, I am grateful that you pointed out that it would be best to use doormats and to take your shoes off after the new carpet is installed. Those both sound like great ways for me to keep my new carpets looking amazing for longer.
Yes, we’ve seen it for many years. Also we have seen that our clients when the clean and protect on a regular basis with Chem-Dry, their carpets last a lot longer. The owner here has had the same carpet in his home for 28 years now and no dark traffic areas.