How to Maintain Your Carpet and Prolong its Life
Installing new carpeting in your home and office is both an investment and a responsibility.
New carpets to your home and office not only add beauty and comfort but also adds to their value and reduce the overall cost of your heating and cooling expenses. As such, it is important that you protect your indoor carpet investment with a proper carpet maintenance and care routine so it continues to add beauty and value to your home and office for many years.
Here are the most effective preventive measures, precautions as well as changes that you can make that will save you tons of money and time in the long run.
Maintaining Your Carpet
With the right tools and a well-structured maintenance schedule, caring for your carpet is simple. All you need to keep your carpet looking beautiful on a daily basis is a vacuum, a good stain remover and a pair of scissors. Maintaining your carpet regularly can prolong its life and at times extend beyond the manufacturer’s carpet life expectancy.
Vacuum weekly
One of the key maintenance tips to ensure your carpet is kept looking fresh is to vacuum. Try to vacuum at least once a week to keep dirt and debris from becoming embedded in the carpet fibres. If there are areas that experience a lot of foot traffic, you may need to ensure these areas are vacuumed more often. We recommend vacuuming at least twice a week with a commercial clean every 6 months for domestic cleans and more often for commercial cleans, up to 3-4 times per month.
Keep in mind that the type of vacuum you use, as well as how you use it makes a big difference to your cleaning. For instance, you’ll want to use the highest setting on the head of your vacuum to avoid damaging the ends of the fibres but low enough to ensure dirt and debris is properly removed. Furthermore, your vacuum should have efficient airflow and large wheels to avoid dragging the unit across your carpet.
Take your time when vacuuming, it is not a race, a slower pace will ensure dirt and debris embedded below the surface of your carpet are properly removed.
Ensure you get your carpets commercially clean as vacuuming only removes on average 75% of the underlying dirt and debris, a proper steam cleaning or dry cleaning will ensure your carpet is completely clean and hygienic.
Address spills immediately
The longer a stain sits on carpeting, the harder it is to get out. The key to removing stains and spills as much as possible is by scooping or blotting, and then adding a small amount of water and blotting with a towel.
Always avoid scrubbing the fibres as this will damage your carpets. Excessive and aggressive rubbing can cause the stain to push deeper into the carpet fibres, making it much more difficult to remove.
Use a stain remover if absolutely necessary, and only use one that’s approved for your type of carpeting. If in doubt call a professional, a professional carpet cleaner will be able to properly analyse your carpet type and material to ensure a proper clean is performed, minimising any damage to your carpeting.
Carpet Snags
Never pull on snags that appear on your carpeting, always clip them with a sharp pair of scissors. When clipping snags, always cut the snags at the fibre ends to ensure the damaged carpet does not pull on additional fibres causing the snag to grow. Small areas that have been clipped away can easily be repaired compared to larger areas that occur when the snag is pulled.
Repair Carpet Dents
Carpet dents can be easily repaired and pushed back into shape using a coin or similarly shaped object. When repairing dents caused by furniture, rub the coin or object across your carpet, starting from the edge and slowly working your way to the centre to encourage the fibres to stand back up.
Take your time and be patient when repairing your carpeting.
Minimise direct exposure to sunlight
Carpets can fade very quickly if they are kept in direct sunlight. Ultraviolet rays can cause the fibres of your carpet to turn brittle and decompose over time. To prevent this from happening, install lined curtains or thick blinds that block the sunlight during the morning and evening hours.
As mentioned, rearranging the position of your furniture will also prevent sunlight from being concentrated on one spot on the carpet and cause even distribution of colour, making areas that are affected less visible.
Rearrange your furniture
Another tip for carpet maintenance is rearranging furniture. This ensures that only one spot of your carpet isn’t taking the load or weight. This will also significantly reduce uneven discolouration as it will prevent the sun from hitting a particular spot causing an even distribution of fading out of the carpet.
In order to protect your carpet from heavy furniture or other heavy decor items, use additional coasters or rugs. Make sure you lift your furniture when rearranging or adding to your room, do not drag it.
Enforce a no shoe policy
Enforcing a no-shoe policy in your home is one of the best carpet care precautions possible. Even if it appears that your shoes are clean, they carry a ton of outdoor dust and dirt.
Walking in with shoes not only leaves dirt and debris but can also cause additional wear and tear to your beautiful carpet. A simple policy can ensure your carpet stays in the best condition.
Professional Carpet Maintenance
Your carpet is designed to last for many years, but without proper carpet maintenance and care, it won’t.
For the best clean, it’s smart to get on a carpet cleaning schedule with a professional carpet cleaning company. These experts have the right equipment and know-how to properly clean and protect your carpet investments ensuring it lasts as long as possible.
For many carpet manufacturers, it is recommended that a professional carpet clean is performed every 6 to 12 months on average.
Do-it-yourself methods, household cleaning equipment and products do not have what it takes to get deeper into the carpet fibres. Hiring a professional like JJ’s Carpet and Tile Cleaning will not only prolong the life of your carpet but also have it looking spotless. hygenic and new again.