You selected the carpet for your home, and it’s now been installed. You are excited about the end result, and now you want to maintain it. Just how do you go about extending the life of the carpet in your home and protecting your investment?

What are the four types of cleaning?

There are four different types of cleaning that the carpet requires. The most basic form of cleaning is vacuuming. The carpet has to be regularly vacuumed to remove the dirt regularly. In high traffic areas, the carpet may need to be vacuumed more often. If done regularly, up to 95 percent of the dirt could be removed from the carpets. Spot cleaning is performed when there is a spill. This could involve blotting a spot with a damp white towel. Spot cleaning should never include rubbing or scrubbing because this could cause the stain to settle further into the carpet. Interim cleaning is another form of cleaning. This form of cleaning targets soiling, and the equipment used is capable of targeting dirt buried deep into the carpet. Restorative cleaning is a deep cleaning treatment process that is performed by professional technicians as well. Households with pets, young children and members with allergies may need restorative cleaning more often than other households.

How to extend the life of the carpet in a home

There are several things that one can do to extend the life of the carpets in the home. How long the carpet lasts in a home depends on how often the flooring is cleaned. In following these tips, one can extend the life of the carpet.

Carpet Installation & Maintenace (Maintenance) Tips

Deep cleaning should be done periodically. Periodically deep cleaning should be done on a semi-annual schedule. Annually to semi-annually is the recommended cleaning schedule for most households.

Eliminate spots and spills immediately. The spots are removed immediately with a spot cleaning solution. These cleaning solutions are available at most grocery stores and are often quite effective in removing the initial stain.

Use carpet padding throughout house. Carpet padding in homes is used to absorb some of the impact created with regular traffic. The impact of daily traffic causes the fibers to become weaker, and padding addresses this by limiting the impact from walking and running.

Use matting near entries. Every area should have matting at every entry in the home. Giving people the opportunity to wipe their feet at each entry point offering access to carpeted areas limits the amount of dirt an area is exposed to over time.

Upgrade the vacuum in a home. A quality vacuum protects the piling in the carpet from wear and tear. More dirt can be removed on a much deeper level if the right vacuum is used. Generally speaking, the more expensive vacuuming systems are much better at targeting dirt well beneath the surface.

Establish no carpet zones. In preventing people from wearing carpet in a high traffic areas, oil, dirt and grime is less likely to make it to the carpet. The carpet is cleaner because it is exposed to dirt far less often.

A professionally installed carpet is the first line of defense in protecting the flooring. The real work comes with regular maintenance. Regular maintenance includes vacuuming, spot cleaning, restorative cleaning and interim cleaning. All forms of cleaning are necessary to keep the flooring looking its best for a longer period of time.