Three simple carpet care tips
Published: June 7, 2016
You might think caring for your carpet is as simple as vacuuming it once in a while. Vacuuming is important, but there’s more to taking good care of your carpet. When not properly cared for, carpet starts to show wear and tear sooner. Keep your carpet looking its best with these simple carpet care tips from Indianapolis carpet store Kermans.
Stop dirt in its tracks.
Dirt that is tracked into your house by shoes and pets gradually wears down your carpet. When you walk across a carpet, you grind that dirt against the yarn causing it to fray and dull and become more susceptible to stains. Use coarse-textured mats outside your doors to help remove a lot of dirt. Use water-absorbent mats inside to soak up water and mud. Remove your shoes before walking across the carpet. You can’t keep all the dirt off of your carpet, but these steps can keep the bulk of it from settling in and causing damage.
Vacuum your carpet regularly.
Consistent vacuuming will help remove any dirt that does get tracked into your carpet. It’s the most important thing you can do to keep your carpet looking and feeling like new. How often should you vacuum? For rooms with light traffic once a week is usually sufficient. For areas with heavy traffic, twice a week is best and daily vacuuming for the traffic path is a great idea. Vacuum slowly to make sure you pick up the most dirt possible but do not press down or make too many passes over the same spot.
Blot, don’t scrub.
There are two things to remember when taking care of a spill: act quickly and don’t scrub. Most carpets are already stain resistant so many spills can be removed if immediate action is taken. The longer the delay, the higher the probability of a spill becoming a permanent stain. What action should you take? Keep it simple – most stains can be removed using plain tap water. First press a clean, dry, white cloth over the stain and blot to soak up the spill. Repeat this process with new towels if needed unti the spill is absorbed. Then use a little water – applied with a damp white towel – and blot again until the stain is gone. Resist the urge to scrub at the stain as that can break up your carpet fibers. If there are any solids involved in the spill, gently scrape up with a spoon or vacuum until all crumbs are removed.
Learn more great carpet care tips from our free Carpet Care Guide.