Quality carpeting can transform almost any type of room in your home or office into a beautiful and cozy space but it does require proper care and maintenance to keep it in good condition. There are certain habits that, if left unchecked, can shorten the useful lifespan of your carpeting, by causing premature aging and sometimes even severe damage. Steve's Carpet Care & Restoration's experienced team shares our expertise below - highlighting seven common bad habits that can ruin your carpets and to provide tips on how you can best avoid them in the future.
Carpet Care and Maintenance Tips From Our Experienced Team
If you avoid these bad habits and follow our advice instead, your carpets should remain in excellent condition for many years to come:
Failing to Vacuum Regularly
One of the most common mistakes people make is neglecting to vacuum their carpets on a regular basis. Unfortunately, if you don’t run a vacuum cleaner over your carpets regularly, they will deteriorate much faster than would otherwise be the case. Ordinary dust and dirt will work their way deep into the pile, spoiling the appearance of your carpeting. Worse still, any rough or sharp debris, such as very small stones, can tear your carpeting, leaving you with an expensive repair bill. We recommend that you try to get into the habit of vacuuming all your carpets at least once a week and more frequently for high-traffic areas such as hallways and living rooms. Use a vacuum cleaner with a rotating brush and adjust the height to ensure proper suction without damaging the fibers.
Neglecting Regular Professional Cleaning
Even daily vacuuming cannot remove all of the dirt and allergens that make their way into the pile of your carpets, which is why you shouldn’t neglect to have them professionally cleaned every now and then. A thorough carpet shampooing and rinsing will remove all of the dirt and debris that your vacuum cleaner cannot reach, helping to protect your carpeting from irreversible damage. We suggest that you look for a reputable company in your area that offers professional carpet cleaning services to local residents and ask them to come to your home at least once a year. An annual deep clean will help to ensure your carpets continue to look and smell good. Furthermore, because professional cleaning eliminates hidden contaminants in your carpeting, it will also help you to maintain a healthier environment in your home.
Allowing Spills to Settle
Even with the best will in the world, accidents can happen, especially if you have young children in your home. Inevitably, spills are bound to occur on your beautiful carpets. However, this will not normally lead to long-term damage unless you leave the spillages to soak into the fibers of the carpet. In this case, it is possible that you will be left with permanent stains on your carpets, and even mold growth in some cases. This will, of course, depend on the type of spillage: a glass of water is highly unlikely to cause lasting damage to your carpeting but something like a bottle of red wine, knocked over and left to soak in, will be very difficult to remove without paying for a professional carpet shampooing. For this reason, we recommend that you always act quickly and deal with any spillages as soon as they occur. Blot the spill with a clean cloth or paper towel to absorb as much liquid as possible, before applying a mild carpet cleaning detergent to treat any resulting stain. If necessary, you can use a mild carpet cleaner to treat the stain after blotting to remove the excess liquid. However, if it is a severe stain, we recommend contacting one of the local carpet cleaning companies in your part of the country instead.
Not Using Doormats
Doormats are the first line of defense against dirt and debris that may otherwise enter your home via the soles of your shoes and boots. If you don’t use doormats, the dirt, and debris that makes their way into your home could cause a number of serious issues for your carpets, including premature wear and discoloration. Place doormats at all entryways to avoid this problem, and encourage every member of your family (as well as any guests you may entertain) to wipe their feet on them before entering. You should also be sure to clean and shake your doormats outside on a regular basis. In this way, you will be able to prevent dirt from accumulating on the doormats themselves and subsequently being carried inside your home, onto your carpets.
Wearing Shoes Indoors
Walking with shoes on your carpets can cause premature wear and damage, even if you are assiduous in your use of doormats. There may still be residues of dirt, oils, and chemicals that have adhered to the soles of your shoes, which then make their way into the individual fibers of your carpeting, causing it to deteriorate rapidly. Make it a rule to remove all shoes upon entering your home or provide a dedicated area for shoe storage near the entrance. This simple habit change will significantly reduce the amount of dirt that is brought onto your carpets, along with the subsequent wear and tear. If you cannot avoid people walking through your home with outdoor footwear, we recommend that you consider more frequent carpet cleaning to alleviate the issue.
Using Unsuitable Cleaning Products
Using the wrong cleaning products on your carpets can cause irreversible damage. Harsh chemicals or bleach-based cleaners can fade or discolor the carpet fibers, leaving unsightly marks that are impossible to remove. Always check the manufacturer's recommendations and only use mild, carpet-specific cleaning solutions. If you’re unsure about a particular product, test it on a small, inconspicuous area before applying it to the whole carpet.
Neglecting Proper Maintenance
Regular maintenance is crucial if you wish to preserve your carpets. Ignoring issues such as loose threads, snags, or small tears can lead to more significant damage over time. Attend to these sorts of problems promptly, either by taking care of them yourself or by calling a professional to carry out repairs as and when needed. Additionally, consider rotating furniture occasionally to prevent uneven wear patterns.
Avoiding these seven bad habits will help you to maintain your carpets in excellent condition for many years to come. And, as always, if you live in the same part of the country as our Arvada carpet cleaning team, please don’t hesitate to call or message us. We offer a full range of carpet cleaning and carpet repair services to local residents.