Many carpet care professionals estimate the carpets’ longevity at roughly three to about five years, but less if you have pets or massive foot traffic. That’s a surprisingly short amount of time for the high price that you have to pay when purchasing your preferred carpet.
To help you keep your carpet for a much longer time and maximize your investment, we’ve come up with the below carpet cleaning tips that will surely come handy in increasing your carpet’s lifespan or restoring your rag’s poor condition.
Try to keep dirt, bacteria, and grime out of your carpet
Requesting your family and visitors to remove their shoes before entering your carpeted house is not only hygienic, but it can also your carpet’s life. That’s because shoes or slippers from the outside can bring thousands of dirt and soil deep into your carpet, which can damage its fibers and packing. Over time, this dirt, grime, and bacteria can make your worn-out carpet looking dull and dingy.
There was even a study conducted by the University of Arizona that tested the bacteria that clung to the shoes. The results showed that nine bacteria strains clung to the boots and easily transferred to the carpeted floor upon contact.
If you don’t like to enforce a no-shoe rule, you can lay down an antimicrobial mat at your home’s entrance to minimize the dirt coming in your house and keep your carpets clean. Research shows that soils and other particles cling to your shoes’ soles long after entering a home, but by using a mat to wipe your feet down, you can get a lot of dirt off before coming inside.
If you have pets, you can keep the bacteria out of your home by wiping their paws. Your shoes are way dirtier than the paws of your pets, but going the extra mile and wiping them down before entering may help.
Never skimp on vacuuming and house maintenance
Using the latest and most expensive vacuum cleaner is not enough, you need to commit to using it regularly so that it can be an effective tool in prolonging your carpet’s life. The recommended frequency of vacuuming your carpet to maintain its health is once a week. But if you have pets at home, you should vacuum at least once a day.
Spot cleaning is also essential. Your carpets are treated so that it can resist stains. Sticky substances like oil and ketchup can usually take up to ten seconds before they start to penetrate the fiber of your carpet. But for liquids like wine and soda, they can stay on your carpet’s surface for three to five seconds only.
If you spilled any of these, get some club soda or cold water and a clean cloth—Dab the affected surface area to grab as much of the spilled substance as possible. The next step is to pour the cold water onto your carpet and carefully press to get the rest. Do not scrub the carpet as it can damage the fibers. Also, avoid using warm or hot water as it can encourage the substance to penetrate deeper into the carpet’s fiber and set a stain.
Rotating your furniture once or twice a year can help stop foot traffic from wearing and tearing the same areas out all the time. You can maintain your whole carpet looking healthier for longer when you share the workload equally among its various regions.
DIY tips to revive faded carpeting
If your carpet is well worn, there are some do-it-yourself tactics for you to restore it. The first one is to give your carpet a good vacuuming at least once a week to get rid of as much dirt and dust as possible. If you have pets at home, vacuuming is recommended to be done at least once a day.
The next thing to focus on is spot treating the problem areas. Use the tip mentioned above to avoid liquid stains. You can also check out the commercially available stain treatment formulations if you want. Just look for a solution that is non-toxic and safe not only for your carpeting but also for your health. If you don’t want to use chemicals, you can always utilize the supplies in your homes, such as dish soap, water, baking soda, and vinegar.
If your carpet has a flat or dented spot, treat them by putting ice over the affected area and allowing it to melt. The melted ice-cold water will penetrate your carpet’s fibers, helping them breathe and bring the life back into your rugs. Once the ice melts, get a toothbrush to scrub your carpet’s piling back into shape gently.
Lastly, never forget to hire skilled professionals to handle your carpet cleaning, carpet care, and restoration needs at least once a year to maintain your carpet’s excellent health and maximize its usage.
Using the above tips, you can now enjoy your carpets longer. With proper and thorough cleaning partnered with an annual expert cleaning service, you wouldn’t need to replace your carpet for a while.
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