28 Dec How to Make Your Carpets Last Longer
Carpeting provides a comfortable place for you to walk, and its color can bring warmth and character to any room. Over time, dirt, furniture and foot traffic wear down your flooring, and you’ll eventually need to get it replaced. Explore how to clean your carpet and take care of it to make it last as long as possible:
Adopt a No-Shoes Policy
Outside dirt can stick to shoes and settle in the carpet as you walk throughout the house. As a result, your carpet’s color could fade, and the fibers could deteriorate. Create a habit of taking off your shoes when you come inside, and encourage guests and family members to do the same. You can also lay down entry mats at the front of your home to reduce the dirt you spread inside. This simple step can prolong your carpeting’s life span.
Vacuum Often
Vacuuming your carpet at least once a week can remove the dirt and debris that accumulates each day. This grime can wear down your carpet fibers and cause the color to fade. Consider using a vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to remove the smallest pieces of dirt from your carpet. You may also want to clean your vacuum and replace the filter often to ensure it doesn’t send dust and dirt back into the air.
When vacuuming your carpet, move slowly and repetitively to help your vacuum suck up more dirt and prevent wear on the machine. Move the vacuum from several different directions to pick up as much debris as possible. It’s best to avoid using your vacuum cleaner to suck up large debris or water that could break down its electrical components.
Spot Clean Spills
Carpets can suffer stains from food, drink and household object spills. You’ll need to clean these spills before they settle and leave permanent marks. Remove excess solids with a butter knife or spoon before blotting the area with a damp cloth. Most of the time, you can remove spills with water. However, some everyday products that stain carpets require specific care, including:
- Blood: Pour a small amount of club soda or cold water on the stain and dab the area with a clean paper towel or cloth. Repeat this process until you’ve completely removed the mark from the carpet.
- Candle wax: Place ice on the melted wax until it hardens. After gently breaking it up, vacuum the pieces and blot the area with a cloth dampened with warm water.
- Chocolate: Scrape away as much of the stain as you can with a dull butter knife. Rub an ice pack over the melted chocolate and wait for it to harden. After vacuuming up the loose pieces, make a mild detergent and warm water solution, and apply it to the area with a clean cloth. Before blotting it dry, let it soak into your carpet for a few minutes.
- Coffee or tea: Use a paper towel or clean cloth to remove as much coffee or tea as possible. Create a solution of mild dish soap, white vinegar and warm water. Apply the mixture to the stain with another clean cloth, letting it sit for a few minutes before blotting it out.
- Dirt: Allow wet dirt stains to dry completely, then use a spoon or butter knife to pick up as much debris as you can. Vacuum the remaining loose pieces. Combine mild dish soap, white vinegar and warm water. Let the cleaning solution sit for several minutes before dabbing the area with a paper towel or clean cloth.
- Fats and oils: You can remove butter and other fatty or oily stains with baking soda. Let the powder sit on the stain for several hours, allowing it to absorb the greasy substances. Vacuum the debris and blot your carpet with a clean cloth and rubbing alcohol.
- Gum: Pick up all the gum you can, and use an ice pack to harden the rest. Remove the remaining pieces with a butter knife or spoon and a vacuum.
- Wine or juice: Spritz a dark-colored wine or juice stain with club soda, and blot it out with a clean cloth. Repeat the cleaning process until you’ve thoroughly cleaned the area.
When using a carpet stain remover, follow the manufacturer’s instructions and apply a small amount in an inconspicuous area before applying it to the whole carpet. Since carpet fibers are delicate, you’ll want to blot your carpeting gently instead of rubbing or scrubbing it. You should also avoid over-wetting the floor to prevent mold and mildew growth.
Move Furniture Around
Your furniture’s feet can wear down a plush carpet pile and leave permanent indentations. Crushed fibers can be difficult to repair, especially if you leave your furniture on your flooring for a long time. Furniture feet can also trap dirt if you try to cover up stains with your sofas or end tables. Make a habit of rotating your furniture at least once every year to keep your carpet looking fresh and prevent premature wear. Moving your furniture also gives your room an exciting new look.
Clean the Air Ducts
Along with spot cleaning or scheduling professional carpet cleaning services, it’s important to pay close attention to your home’s air ducts. While you may not think of your air ducts as contributing to a dingy or dirty carpet, they can.
Air is constantly going through your HVAC system and into the air ducts. If there’s a lot of dust or allergens in the system, it will go through your vents and fall onto your carpet.
Whenever you clean the air ducts, you’ll be removing all that debris, preventing it from going onto your carpeting and soiling it.
Give Upholstery a Deep Clean
Another way to make your carpet last is to give your upholstery a little extra care. Keeping your sofa, pillows and curtains clean can be a challenge, especially if you have young children or pets. Whether your dogs track their muddy paws across your living room sofa or your kids use your decorative pillows as napkins, you may have noticed that these areas need a deep clean.
Having your upholstery professionally cleaned once or twice a year can reduce the amount of dirt and stains in your home, leaving everything looking and smelling fresh.
Use Area Rugs
When thinking about carpet cleaning services, don’t forget about your area rugs. Area rugs are great for catching dirt in areas of your home with heavy traffic. Investing in quality area rugs in front of doors or in hallways can help keep your main carpeted areas looking their best.
When it’s time to clean your carpet, be sure to include your area rugs. Regularly cleaning your rugs ensures they’ll effectively hold dirt and keep it from tracking all over your home.
Get Your Carpets Professionally Cleaned
Even after using all these methods to make your carpets last longer, you should have your carpets professionally cleaned at least once every two years. You may want to invest in these services more often if you or your loved ones experience allergies or asthma. Professional carpet cleaning methods are more effective than vacuuming alone because they:
- Effectively remove dirt and debris: Vacuums might not be able to reach the dirt and dust that have settled into the carpet because of the long fibers in its path. Professionals use shampoos and detergents that can reach deep within the floor and draw out the grime that has gotten stuck on your carpet’s backing.
- Restore your carpet’s appearance: Though vacuums can clean the surface-level dirt from your carpet, they can’t restore marks from furniture or wear from foot traffic. A professional carpet cleaner uses steam or hot water to fluff up your carpet threads and make them look new.
- Sanitize your carpet: Your carpeting might have germs and bacteria from food residue, pet waste or viruses. When you vacuum your carpet, it only cleans the crumbs and dirt off the surface, but the germs remain. The natural detergents that professional carpet cleaners use can remove germs, bacteria and allergens from your carpet.
- Eliminate odors: Professional carpet cleaners use products that remove any pet odors, cooking grease and cigarette smells from your carpet. Instead of masking these smells, they eliminate them, so you and your family can breathe clean air while enjoying your carpeting for many years.
Contact Citrus Fresh Carpet Cleaning to Clean Your Carpet
The team at Citrus Fresh Carpet Cleaning uses natural, citrus-based products and innovative cleaning methods to make your carpeting last longer. We’re familiar with many types of carpet, so we’ll know how to take care of yours. You can reach out to us online or call 404-606-2155 to schedule an appointment today.