Good carpeting is not inexpensive and it is a large investment of both time and money. First there is the time it takes to search through the various choices until you find the carpeting that best suits your needs, budget, and taste. After paying for the carpet and installation, you still have to schedule the day of installation and wait some more. All in all it is not only expensive, but time consuming as well and it is a procedure that no one wants to repeat unless it is strictly necessary. This is one reason that everyone should know how to properly maintain and care for their carpets. Proper maintenance will keep the carpet looking its best for as long as possible, but many people don’t know that caring properly for their carpets will actually extend its life. Just a few relatively simple tips can prevent the need for replacing the carpet in the near future.
The most effective, as well as the easiest, way to ensure that your carpet lasts as long as it should is to keep it as clean as possible. Don’t walk on the carpet with the same shoes that you wear outdoors. Aside from the obvious issue of muddy footprints, whether your shoes look clean or not, there is always dust, sand, or other debris lurking on the soles of your shoes. Wearing house shoes or slippers is the best option when it comes to keeping your carpet clean. Even bare feet can leave behind oil that will get into the carpet and act like a magnet to attract dust and dirt particles.
Vacuuming on a regular basis is another thing that will lengthen the life of carpets. Even if you don’t wear shoes on the carpeting, dust particles float through the air and debris finds its way into the fibers of your carpeting. This is especially true if you have pets. Vacuuming at least every two days will keep the worst of these things from becoming embedded in the carpet. Dirt, dust, and other particles (no matter how small) are abrasive. As they embed themselves into the carpet fiber they damage the integrity and cause the fibers to break, fray, or mat down and walking on the carpet hastens the process. This also involves making sure that your vacuum is in good working order. No matter how often you vacuum, if the machine isn’t functioning properly, it can’t get the carpet clean.