CARPET PRESERVATION TIPS
It’s hard to keep carpet looking new. Short of cordoning off the living room like a museum display — or making everyone wear surgical-scrub overshoes before they can enter your home — it probably seems like there’s not a whole lot you can do to help. But really, there are some simple preventive measures you can take to keep your carpet looking good and lasting a long time.
A minimal investment of effort can make the most out of the substantial investment you’ve made in your carpet. These tips could mean the difference between replacing it in a few years and enjoying it for many.
- Vacuum regularly.
This probably sounds like a no-brainer, but your carpet can look clean and still be dirty. Eventually, that ground-in dirt can weaken the carpet fibres or backing and cause worn patches to appear. Most experts agree that carpets should be thoroughly vacuumed about once a week, with heavy traffic areas being vacuumed more often. Frequent and thorough vacuuming is probably the most important factor in carpet care. “Thorough” means moving the furniture that you can and vacuuming as much of the carpet as possible, using slow, deliberate, overlapping strokes and passing over each area of the carpet several times. (Tests have shown that it usually takes a full seven passes with a vacuum cleaner to clean all the loose dirt out of the carpet, but we know you have a life.) - Use the right carpet pad.
A firm and resilient carpet cushion extends the life of your carpet by absorbing the impact of foot traffic. Select a cushion/pad according to the carpet manufacturer’s requirements for thickness and density (usually not more than 7/16" thick — soft is okay, squishy isn’t). Choosing the wrong carpet cushion can accelerate loss of appearance, wrinkling, buckling, and separation of the carpet backing or seams — plus it can cause a breakdown of the carpet itself and may void some warranties. - Use protectors under furniture legs.
Use casters or protectors under furniture legs to prevent carpet pile from being crushed. Look for protectors with pointed legs or prongs so protectors won’t crush the pile themselves. Put mats under desk chairs to keep them from grinding in dirt.
TIP: If furniture leaves impressions in your synthetic carpet, allow an ice cube to melt in the indentations to get carpet fibres to rise again. (Do not do this with natural-fibre carpets or rugs.) - Move furniture periodically.
Moving the furniture gives you a chance to change the flow of traffic (and the wear pattern) in a room. Not to mention confusing your pets. Just remember to lift the furniture — don’t push it (this too causes wear). - Have carpet cleaned regularly.
The Carpet and Rug Institute recommends you have your carpet cleaned every 12 to 18 months — before it has a chance to get really dirty.
- Take care of stains promptly.
Fine wine gets better with age — but not when it’s ground into your carpet. When it comes to stains and spills, act immediately. First, pick up all that you can by either scooping up solids or blotting liquids with a white towel or paper towel (the operative word here is BLOT — rubbing and scrubbing will actually make the stain worse). Then try the appropriate stain treatment. - Protect your carpet from the elements.
Use doormats at each entrance to the outdoors — one on the inside and one on the outside (unless you’re in an apartment with a carpeted hallway that is frequently vacuumed). Wipe shoes and boots before you come in and take them off at the door.